Wii Balance Board

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Wii Balance Board

The Wii Balance Board attached to a Wii Fit demo at the Leipzig Games Convention in August 2007.
Manufacturer	Nintendo
Type	Video game controller
Generation	Seventh generation era
First available	JP December 1, 2007 EU April 25, 2008 AUS May 8, 2008 NA May 19, 2008

The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for Nintendo's Wii video game console.^[1] It was first revealed on July 11, 2007, at E3 2007, in combination with its software counterpart Wii Fit.^[2]

Design

The top of a Wii Balance Board

The bottom of a Wii Balance Board

The Wii Balance Board is shaped like a household body scale, with a plain white top and light grey bottom. It uses four AA batteries as a power source, which can power the board for about 60 hours.^[3] The board is wireless and contains multiple pressure sensors that are used to measure the user's center of balance—the location of the intersection between an imaginary line drawn vertically through the center of mass and the surface of the Balance Board—and body mass index. In an interview conducted by gaming web site IGN, Shigeru Miyamoto stated that the Balance Board's ability to measure weight is probably more accurate than that of a typical bathroom scale.^[4]

Although the Japanese packaging states that it is designed to support people weighing up to 136 kg (300 pounds / 21 stone 6lb) and the "Western" Balance Board up to 150 kg (330 pounds / 23 stone 9lb), they are actually the same board. The packaging differs due to the different laws in Japan and other nations regarding weights and measures. While the board will only display weight readings up to what is printed on the packaging, the actual physical structure of the board is able to withstand much greater force equivalent to around 300 kg (660 pounds / 47 stones 2lb).^[5]

Due to the similarities between the two products, the Wii Balance Board has been compared to the Joyboard, a peripheral released for the Atari VCS in 1982 by Amiga Corporation.^[6] The technology within the Joyboard was much less advanced than that in the Wii Balance Board,^[6] however, and instead of using pressure sensors under each footpad, the Joyboard simply positioned the four latches of a joystick beneath the board.^[6] Leaning engaged the latches, controlling the game.^[6]

It is noted in the manual that the Balance Board should only be used on a hard surface or thin carpet, as thicker or softer surfaces can cause the board to behave incorrectly. A set of feet extensions is included to allow the board to be used on softer surfaces. The extension feet are not included in the European versions of the balance board but may be purchased by the consumer at a cost of GBP 8.50.

It's recommended in the manual and in the software introduction that the balance board be used barefooted. Most shoes do not provide the dexterity some of the exercises require, and socks do not properly grip the hard surface. Members of Club Nintendo were able to receive novelty Wii Fit non-skid socks which make use of small rubber pads which stick to surfaces similarly to bare feet.

Development

The balance board's development was tightly coupled with the development of the Wii Fit game. Nintendo initially contacted manufacturers of normal bathroom scales, but ended up building the board without their help in an effort to keep down costs. In early development models, the balance board was a simple scale with only one pressure sensor. However, the developers realized that a simple scale wasn't a very useful game accessory and eventually expanded the number of pressure sensors to two, and then finally four. The idea to use multiple sensors was partly inspired by how sumo wrestlers weigh themselves (using two scales).^[7] The shape of the balance board was initially a square, but it was decided that it was too hard to use for the exercises.

For a long time, the board was an extension controller to a normal Wii remote.^[7]

Software

Wii Fit was the first game to make use of the Wii Balance Board. Shigeru Miyamoto noted the potential for other uses, however, noting that "probably the simplest and most straightforward [idea] would be a snowboarding game".^[8] Miyamoto has also stated that Nintendo has received "many inquiries" from third parties following the announcement of Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board,^[9] as well as receiving interest from the physical fitness industry.^[9]

We Ski by Namco Bandai Holdings was the first third-party game to make use of the Wii Balance Board, in conjunction with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment.^[10]

Released

Unreleased

References

External links

• Joystiq keynote blog
• IGN keynote blog
• An open-source, cross-platform balance board library

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