Nintendo Hints at WiiWare Balance Board Games and "1080 Balance Boarding"

[vashivihan]

Nintendo might be considering a Wii version of 1080 Snowboarding that supports the Wii Balance Board.
February 11, 2008

by: Paul Bertram

The latest edition in the Iwata Asks series of interviews is up now on Nintendo's official Wii website. This time, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata queries Shigeru Miyamoto about Wii Fit. In it, there's a fair bit of insight regarding the development process behind Wii Fit, where and how the concept originated, the various prototypes of the Wii Balance Board that were created, and oodles of other info. If you're in the slightest intrigued by Wii Fight, it's an interesting read and gives some context as to how the game came to be.

Buried in this behemoth of an interview, though, are some hints regarding potential WiiWare software and other uses for the Wii Balance Board. Specifically, Miyamoto teases that Nintendo appears to be interested in exploring the use of the Wii Balance Board in a skiing or snowboarding game with a variety of objectives and courses.

"I could make a version of the Snowboard Slalom [Wii Fit snowboard mini-game] with improved courses, or maybe 1080° Balance Boarding!," Miyamoto muses.

Iwata also feels that if games were made specifically for use with the Wii Balance Board, the best venue to release these titles would probably be WiiWare.

"I think it'd be nice if some new, simpler software that used the Wii Balance Board came out through WiiWare. I think if you suddenly released new software for the Wii Balance Board at full price, the publishers would find it a bit difficult to market as packaged software to be sold in shops. That's why I think it'd be good if you could download less expensive software onto your Wii instead of just relying on boxed games."

If Wii Fit takes off worldwide like it has so far in Japan (amassing over 1 million in sales in just over a month on the market), it's likely we'll definitely see more software that's built around and supports the Wii Balance Board.

sweet link

[Frogger]

Please don't kill 1080 on me, Nintendo, please...

[vashivihan]

Originally Posted by Frogger

Please don't kill 1080 on me, Nintendo, please...

WHY DO U SAY THAT?WII BALANCE BOARD + 1080 SOUNDS AWESOME

[supermandudekid]

Any ski/snowboard would be hard to do with tricks and all and sensitivity would have to be flawless. But i would like SSX instead of 1080, that game was legendary and froggers right i woudln't like to have it remade.

[vashivihan]

Originally Posted by supermandudekid

Any ski/snowboard would be hard to do with tricks and all and sensitivity would have to be flawless. But i would like SSX instead of 1080, that game was legendary and froggers right i woudln't like to have it remade.

it woudtnt have to be a remake but a sequel or even a spinoff would be nice.

[MikeTheAsian]

SSX + Balance Board + Wiimote + Nunchuck....the possibilities are endless

[+Maniacal=Maniac+]

*agrees with Mike*

[Pantalaimn]

The first time I saw the snowboarding on wiifit I said they better do a full on version soon after release.

Wiiware balance board games. Yes a blue flashing wii to tell you a new balance game Tony hawk just became available for download will be a sweet day.

[CantGetAWii]

Well yeah, its only a matter of time before Nintendo and other companies use the board. Its one of the better peripherals Nintendo has developed as of late, and has a lot of potential.

Hopefully it leads to good things after Wii Fit, and reading that seems like good things will come.

[MazenXD]

you guys are only looking at the movement and not looking at the controls for triks and other stuff, they will definatly be hard and even impossible to some people, so it will sell good the first time but after that nintendo will lose a lot of money and then stop making those games, so it's all like a chain.

[vashivihan]

Originally Posted by MazenXD

you guys are only looking at the movement and not looking at the controls for triks and other stuff, they will definatly be hard and even impossible to some people, so it will sell good the first time but after that nintendo will lose a lot of money and then stop making those games, so it's all like a chain.

well it all depends on nintendo doesnt it? casual gamers will buy anything thats gimmicky including wii fit board. and who said that there will only be snowboarding and skateboarding game on the board? also who said that the tricks will be handeled by the board? for all we know. they could be developing a virtual reality system to go with the board.

[MikeTheAsian]

Originally Posted by MazenXD

...triks and other stuff, they will definatly be hard and even impossible to some people, so it will sell good the first time but after that nintendo will lose a lot of money and then stop making those games

Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games are hard/impossible for some people to beat them...and those are the longest lasting franchises in video games...