Expansion or sequel

May 27, 2009 20:41 GMT  ·  By

Nintendo is making huge amounts of money, as its DS and Wii consoles are selling like proverbial hot cakes, even though the recession has made a small impact on the amount of units moved by the two devices. Not only is the company doing well in hardware sales, but also in software ones, where titles such as Wii Play or Mario Kart are selling like even hotter cakes.

But, without a doubt, one of the most successful titles for the Wii has been Wii Fit, the fitness simulation game that comes bundled with a balance board and has steamed right past Halo 3 in terms of lifetime sales. It is still enjoying a high degree of popularity among Wii gamers, but it seems that Nintendo has already planned the future of the title series.

According to a patent registered at the Japanese Patent Office on April 7, Nintendo has registered the trademark Wii Fit Plus. While this may not seem quite important, as companies register brands left and right, which eventually turn out to be nothing interesting, it's worth noting that European retailers have already registered Wii Fit Plus in their databases.

With E3 right around the corner, the strategy of the Japanese company might become clearer for fans, as a sequel or an add-on for the original Wii Fit will constitute a big announcement, and will certainly generate a lot of hype around the original product and the company itself.

Right now, though, nothing is certain, except for the logo that was registered alongside the patent. A use for the new Wii MotionPlus peripheral that will ship this summer might be a very feasible feature for this new release. Look forward to new details about this brand and about Nintendo in the following week, when E3 will commence.