Having already sold a solid 2 million copies in Japan and on its way to similar consumer reception across the United States and Europe, Nintendo’s motion-sensitive Wii Fit exercise experience has well and truly carved its unique niche of success in the videogame market.
Majesco and Jillian Michaels to launch fresh Balance Board gamercise regimen. Image: NintendoWiiRules/Flickr.
And, when considering Wii Fit’s critical and consumer first-party success, it’s perhaps unsurprising to see third-party creators looking to jump on the back of Nintendo’s hulking cash cow via spin-off expansions that take advantage of Wii Fit’s innovative Balance Board platform.
Step forward publisher Majesco Entertainment, which has this week announced the gamercise enrolment of celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels for the aptly-named “Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009,” a brand new health and fitness experience based around the Balance Board, Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
For those not in-the-know, beyond being a fitness trainer to the stars, Michaels has also garnered fame through her role as the strength trainer and life coach on popular US weight-loss television show “The Biggest Loser”.
For “Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum,” which is due for release in the holiday season, Majesco and Interactive Game Group are looking to build on the foundations laid by Wii Fit in order to provide users with a tiered fitness regimen, sound expert advice and exercise techniques that will be channelled through Michaels to deliver a focused workout designed to help players reach their personal fitness targets.
“I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionizing the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today,”
commented Michaels, who also describes herself as a serious media-aware gamer. “I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Interactive Game Group and Majesco to bring a family-oriented fitness video game to the market.”
The new health and fitness experience will see players enrolled as “new recruits” in Jillian’s fat-fighting boot camp, where they will take part in a unique training program consisting of “challenging fitness tests and an ever-changing series of workouts.” Recruits will also be able to focus their workouts across disciplines such as Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals, and Hill Climb. They will also be able to govern difficulty levels from light, medium and hard throughout a duration of between 10 and 60 minutes.
Beyond tracking progress and fine-tuning workout intensity, some of the specific in-game challenges will include crossing monkeybars, climbing ladders, and even rowing; while ongoing success will also deliver lifestyle and fitness advice directly from Jillian Michaels herself.
The new “Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009” fitness package will also include various activities that can be enjoyed with a second player via its multiplayer Competitive Party Mode.
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