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Iwata takes credit for Wii Fit U's unique sales approach, says 500k Japanese Wii owners still use Wii Fit every day

by rawmeatcowboy
31 October 2013
GN Version 4.0
Turning to “Wii Fit U,” as many people enjoyed playing “Wii Fit” and “Wii Fit Plus” on Wii, there are already about 37 million “Wii Balance Boards” across the world, and we decided to offer Wii Balance Board owners a one-month pre-release trial campaign for Wii Fit U. This campaign enables those who own both a Wii U system and a Wii Balance Board to download the “Wii Fit U” software free of charge and experience every feature of the game for one month.

I myself came up with the original concept of the campaign, and some investors and analysts may be wondering why we would ever distribute a game that is guaranteed to sell well free of charge. However, under the current circumstances in which Wii U has lost its launch-period momentum we find ourselves in a situation where it is difficult to turn the attention of those who do not actively engage with games to Wii U, we felt that it would be difficult to hope that advertising and releasing our games in a standard fashion would be sufficient to create enough buzz in society. Fortunately, according to our research, the proportion of consumers who are still enjoying “Wii Fit” or “Wii Fit Plus” on a constant basis is not low. Our survey in Japan shows, for example, that more than 500,000 people are still using their Wii Balance Boards on a daily basis, and we find similar trends in other regions, too. As our first step, we felt that it would be best to have these users upgrade to Wii U in order to maximize the overall sales of this title in the long run. As it was the case with both “Wii Sports” and “Wii Fit,” this title is not the kind of game whose success hinges on its initial sales. It is true that its initial sales and profits will suffer as a result of this campaign, but “Wii Sports” and “Wii Fit” achieved great popularity and large sales over an extended period of time because they managed to create adequate buzz in society from people who broke a healthy sweat and experienced sore muscles as a result of working out in front of their TV. By using the pre-release trial version as a catalyst, we will strive to create and disseminate buzz, and ultimately turn it into an enduring bestseller.

What is shown here is an accessory used in conjunction with “Wii Fit U” which we call the “Fit Meter.” When we release the “Wii Fit U” software, we will bundle one “Fit Meter” with each copy of the game. This is not just a pedometer, but is an activity meter that uses an accelerometer to automatically calculate the calories consumed in any given day. Unlike a regular activity meter, it also incorporates a feature that detects changes in altitude in response to changes in atmospheric pressure, so even when the steps are the same, it can tell whether one is walking on a flat or sloped surface and detect the difference in calories consumed.

With “Wii Fit U,” one can set a target for the amount of calories to be consumed in one day, and measure how many calories they actually consumed through their daily activities using this “Fit Meter.” Should you fail to achieve your daily target, you can work out with “Wii Fit U” to fill the gap. We have new propositions to support your exercise throughout the day, even when you are outside your home.

In the one-month pre-release trial campaign for Wii Fit U that I just described, once you purchase a “Fit Meter,” available from today, and synchronize it with your console, you can continue to enjoy all the features of the game even after the one-month trial version expires. We are hoping that consumers who take advantage of the campaign will also enjoy the new experiences provided by “Fit Meter.” - Satoru Iwata
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