14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is one of the most innovative companies in the gaming industry thanks to its ever changing attitude towards the industry as a whole. The company has introduced a lot of interesting things over the years, but it culminated with its E3 announcement of the Wii Vitality Sensor.
Similar to the devices used in hospitals, the sensor will measure the heart rate of gamers and give them insight into how their body is working at that moment. Sadly, the president of the company, Satoru Iwata, offered no other concrete details in this regard.
Now, the president and CEO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, has talked about the new product and has revealed that it will be something that will get more and more people into gaming, even though they aren't that open to the subject. He has revealed that it will have some unique elements and that we will see it in early 2010 on store shelves.
“We've been very clear that our objective is getting more and more consumers into this gaming industry we love,” Reggie said. “In our view, as we grow the consumer base, it will drive a vibrant, healthy industry. We've been able to get a certain number of consumers with Brain Age. We've been able to get more with Wii Fit. We're constantly thinking about what's the next innovation that will drive the consumer who, today, is still saying, 'I want nothing to do with video games,' to get into this industry and have a great experience. In our view, the Vitality Sensor and the software that will accompany it is a step down that path.”
Let's not forget that the same things were said about the Wii's motion controls and the Balance board, which are now some of the most popular devices in the world and are being copied by other rivals of the Japanese company. Whether or not this new sensor will actually allow developers to push innovation into their titles and offer some truly wonderful experience is still uncertain until it will be launched next year.