14 DAY TRIAL // We have seen some very interesting new game genres appear this year, as the music one really took off in terms of popularity, but none of them reached the same level of hype as the fitness one. Although only the massively popular Wii Fit is available at this moment, other games are being developed, which will certainly profit from this new market.
One of these games is Electronic Arts' EA Sports Active title, which promises to bring a more western approach to fitness, as Wii Fit is something that the Asian community might appreciate more than other people. We have seen Peter Moore, the president of the EA Sports label, talk about quite a lot of the features that we will see in this new game, and about the unique peripherals that will use the standard Wii Remote and Nunchuck to the full extent of their capabilities, instead of relying only on the balance board, as Wii Fit.
Now, the EA Sports boss comes to talk about the demographic that will be the target of this game. He says that, even though EA Sports Active can be played by anyone of all ages, a distinct emphasis will be placed on the so-called “Oprah demographic,” which consists of 30-year-old women who don't really have time to go to the gym.
“This thing is aimed at everybody, you, me, girlfriends, wives, kids, anybody can do it, but we've also learned in marketing that you've got to have a focus. If I were to target a sweet spot, it would be a woman in her mid-30s, maybe got a couple of young kids, finds it difficult to get out, likes the idea of getting a 20-minute workout right in front of the television. It's convenient to her. You'll see her featured a lot on our packaging when we start launching that.”
Even though Wii Fit is very popular, it does seem that EA Sports Active will bring a very new approach to fitness, one that will definitely be enjoyed by quite a lot of people. The game is scheduled for a 2009 release, but a concrete date has yet to be established. Until then, you can still burn off those calories that you accumulated during Christmas with Wii Fit.