Remember when the Nintendo Wii was introduced a few years ago? I do. It seemed like the whole world had gone Wii crazy. I used to think I was the only person who didn’t have one. Not a day would go by, it seemed, without someone telling me how marvellous they thought their Wii was, it helped them get fit, they said, or they had lost stones while playing Wii sports games. Hmm, I thought. It’s just a fad. It’ll never last.
How wrong was I? Four years later, and people are still going mad for the interactive console (mind you, most people I know who had one when they were first introduced have relegated theirs to the back of the store cupboard now). And it sure is a sign of a product’s popularity when it gets its very own brand of sports injuries – and that’s exactly what’s happening with the Wii.
Researchers speaking at a San Fransisco conference say the Wii is responsible for an increase in sprains and strains of the feet, shoulders and ankles, probably thanks to the way people who normally have no idea what the inside of a gym looks like throwing themselves around their living room clutching their remote. And it’s not just those who are playing who are injuring themselves, the researchers claim. The gamers are swiping other people too – innocent bystanders who just happen to be in the living room at the time – and, in some cases, causing head injuries. My goodness.
In response to the report, a Nintendo spokesperson has allegedly advised gamers new to the Wii system not to overdo it. Yes, quite. A bit late though, isn’t it? The Wii was launched in 2006, so isn’t it a bit of an oversight to start warning people about overdoing it in the latter months of 2010?
If, unlike me, you’re giving in to the popularity of the ubiquitous console and thinking of getting one this Christmas, can I reiterate the Nintendo spokesperson’s advice? Go easy, at least until the console goes back into its box and starts its new life in your store cupboard.