From the beginning: A Wii Fit Timeline

Long before extravagant launch events, huge advertising campaigns and the resulting frenzy to bag a copy of Wii Fit, the ‘exer-gaming’ title was little more than a scribble in the notebook of Nintendo designer, Shigeru Miyamoto.

In fact, our best guess suggests that work began on Wii Fit (or Wii Health Pack as it was first known) as far back as 2005, when the title was originally planned for the Nintendo DS. A lot has happened since then, from the struggle of designing the Balance Board, to its enormous sales across the world, and even controversy over the BMI scale the software uses to rank players’ weight category.

Wii Fit Chat has compiled all of the most significant events in Wii Fit’s lifetime in the simple form of a timeline. Head below for everything you’ll need to know about what already looks like being one of the most significant videogame innovations of all time.


2005

• Idea for Wii Balance Board brainstormed, inspired by sumo wrestlers needing two weighing scales to determine their weight.
  
  
  
• Concept was first penned as an idea for the Nintendo DS, with players entering the nutritional value of food they ate into the console, in order to keep tabs on their diet.
  
  
  
• Project switched to Nintendo Wii; Nintendo visits scales specialists to enquire about Balance Board-type accessory.
  

2006

• July - Nintendo begins development of Wii Fit, with Shigeru Miyamoto divulging that there is a "full-scale" team dedicated to building it.
  
  
• September - Shigeru Miyamoto announces in-development project called Wii Health Pack, described as a "way to get families exercising together."
  

2007

• February - Nintendo reveals its Wii line-up for 2007 in Japan, including Super Mario Galaxy, Forever Blue, and of course, Wii Health Pack.
  
  
• April - Rumours suggest that Wii Health Pack will feature mode to upload user data, via a new Wii Channel, to local hospitals for analysis; Nintendo release schedule pens Wii Health Pack in for July 2007 release in Japan - a date that would be missed.
  
  
• July - Wii Health Pack unveiled as Wii Fit for the first time at E3 Expo. Nintendo of America president weighed by Balance Board and dubbed overweight. Fils-Aime had been asked to demonstrate the Hula Hoop activity, but refused.
  
  
• October - December release for Wii Fit in Japan confirmed, priced at 8,800 yen (approximately $75 USD).



• December - Wii Fit arrives in Japan on December 01; sells 261,000 copies during its first week and sits in second place in chart. Consistently high sales continue, with nearly 880,000 Wii Fits sold in Japan by year's end.
  

2008

• January - Wii Fit sales top 1 million in Japan, little over a month after its launch; title reaches top spot in all format chart in the region for the first time on January 12. Stays in pole position for a further two weeks.
  
  
• February - Nintendo officially announces that Wii Fit will arrive in Europe on April 25. It later confirms that the game and Balance Board will cost £69.99 in the UK and €89.99 across the continent's mainland; Nintendo confirms May release date for Wii Fit in US.
  
  
• March - Wii Fit priced at $149 USD in Australia, and confirmed for release on May 08.
  
  
• April - Play.com's Wii Fit pre-orders for UK consumers begin, and sell out in one day; others follow, with many major chains lacking any stock.
  
  - Nintendo officially prices Wii Fit at $89.99 USD for North America; announces title will first be available in Nintendo World Store on May 19.
  
  - Wii Fit hits mainstream in US when it is covered by Good Morning America.
  
  - First UK commercials for Wii Fit emerge; Balance Board re-named Wii Board for region.
  
  - Nintendo holds Wii Fit launch event in London, ex-Playboy model Nell McAndrew amongst celebrity guests.
  
  - UK Woolworths stores report Wii Fit is selling at rate of 90 units per minute, many of its stores re-named 'WiiWorths' as part of promotion.
  
  - Wii Fit becomes sixth fastest-selling videogame in UK history.
  
  
• May - By the middle of May, the weekly sales charts reveal that Wii Fit is owned by a third of Japan's six million Nintendo Wii owners, having shifted an incredible 2,035,259 units.
  
  - Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy and other run out of Wii Fit pre-order stock in US.
  
  - Nintendo announces grand Central Park launch party for Wii Fit, celebrity trainer Ashley Borden roped in to promote game.
  
  - Wii Fit advertising bombards America, including giant billboards in Hollywood and Times Square.
  
  - Wii Fit calls young girl 'overweight', controversy reigns.
  
  - Wii Fit launches in US; consumers queue; title sells out everywhere almost instantly.

We'll be updating the Wii Fit timeline as time goes on, following its inevitable success in North America. You'll find a link to it underneath the Features list on the Wii Fit Chat homepage.

Posted by Andrew at 17:39