Kids will play what you buy them? Are you kidding me?

I really love to play WII sports baseball and I love to play with my dad and sometimes I sit down and play Chibi-robo animal crossing or Wall-e

Video games are played to sit back and relax for a bit, not to wave your hands around like you're a air traffic controller being stung by a thousand bees. Why would I return from work or school just to flail my arms tirelessly again? The Wii may be the best seller, but it hardly has any decent games anyway. By the way, Microsoft's "Natal" project is already blowing the Wii's "innovative" controls out of the water by introducing full body motion capture. That means: no controller, total control by your movements alone, and you are literally the hero in the story. Why would this be so much better than the Wii? First off, if you are playing video games to exercise (why can't you actually go out and exercise anyway?) and not to wind down, it would be the best possible way.

i personally dont see how people can overplay videogames so much ya i play them and they are fun
but nothing beats being outside or hanging out with friends
games and systems like this really dont make a difference because if youre that lazy that you need to buy a game in hopes of getting in shape then youre kidding yourself

these games will give you about as much exercise as walking around your house or preparing dinnner

i personally dont see how people can overplay videogames so much ya i play them and they are fun
but nothing beats being outside or hanging out with friends
games and systems like this really dont make a difference because if youre that lazy that you need to buy a game in hopes of getting in shape then youre kidding yourself

these games will give you about as much exercise as walking around your house or preparing dinnner

As an owner of a Wii system, including the Wii Fit balance board, I have to agree with the basic premise of this article. The Wii provides a much better way for kids to play video games than older gaming systems. The main health related issues with video games prior to advent of active gaming systems were repetitive motion injuries and obesity. While it is also true that games on the Wii will never replace and active lifestyle, they can be a useful tool to keep kids moving during the winter months when it is harder to get out and play outside without risking frostbite!

In answer to some of the previous comments:

Wochen: While it is true that many of the Wii games can be played from a seated position, if you have played these games with kids you would find that they usually don't sit! (My daughter has a bad habit of sitting to play tennis, but it usually results in missing shots, and she gets back up.) Most of the time, when playing the active games on the Wii there is more of a problem with the potential for injury due to the amount of movement that the kids are doing and the abandon with which they throw themselves into the game!

Your comments also indicate that you have never seen the Wii-Fit balance board in action. It is physically impossible to play the Wii-Fit games while seated, with the exception of the exercises like the "Jack-knife" that involve ones buttocks being in contact with the floor. Moreover, the design of the games frequently aids the user in attaining the correct form. Anyone that thinks the Wii Fit is not real exercise should get on one and try some of the advanced Yoga poses or the "push-up/side plank" exercise under the "Strength Training" area. My 12 year old son puts me to shame on that one, though his form on his push-ups could use some work.

robert999 and yetijones: You seem upset about the lack of research presented and assume that this is all opinion. They clearly state research results in the video, though without citation, but this is a common news reporting style, heavy on feature info and light on substance. It took me approximately 8 clicks to find at least one research study that supported their claims, without leaving the CommonSenseMedia site. Though this organization has ties to many media groups, it is a non-profit organization that generally provides good information. A link to the pertinent study (or studies if there are more than one) would be a nice addition to the article, but just because it doesn't have a link doesn't mean the studies don't exist.

In short, I see nothing wrong with the reporting in this article, and much that is positive. It comments on the fact that active gaming is better for kids and adults than siting on the sofa and twitching ones thumbs, but also points out that it is not a replacement for physical activities like organized sports, bike riding, or just playing with your friends and family in the yard. To the complainers, if you would like to forbid your children from playing video games, that is your choice. It will likely lead them to feel a bit like social outcasts when they don't know what their friends are talking about when they brag about their gaming exploits, but that is your problem. If you want to encourage your children to enjoy video games that are not inherently sedentary, then active gaming is a great choice.

You seem really upset about this article. How do you know if the article is the CEO's opinion? Maybe one of the partners, board members or staff wrote the article and expresssed the opinions! FYI: all kids act whiny and get frustrated. And you are right, no amount of "fitness gaming" will replace acutally exercise, aka "playing outside with your friends"! So turn off the Wi, go outside with your child and PLAY! Secondly, if you believe that this website is truly controlled OR contaminated OR dominated by the marketing/media divisions, then don't read it. OR, why don't you join up and try to change things? Remember, no one cares about your child as much as you do...........and you are your child's best advocate. Do the right thing!

robert999: "And don't say it's a study when it is an observation or an opinion." THANK YOU! Too many times have I been browsing this site and have seen nothing but a flagrant, outlandish observation labeled as a "RECENT STUDY" or a "BREAKING STUDY;" All I really see of this site (rather, the web host and the owners of the domain) is a group of parents, who, in order to fill some primal need to cause havoc, create a biased and unregulated place that causes myself, and many others, copious levels of irritation and displeasure. CommonSenseMedia, again I say to you, do some actual RESEARCH and REVIEW your media before you write anything, otherwise you just give us, the proud (can we really say this though?) members of your website, the same old story again: "We're mad at this [insert media], we read the back cover, that's pretty much good enough, let's go ahead and submit, and we'll fix it in post."

the best game I have ever played with the rest of my family: CounterStrike
dad got me hooked, my mom and sister finally gave in after a few 48 hour Pepsi and Pizza powered gaming sessions

The lead for this article says a "new study" shows. But this article is just your CEO's opinion, and seems a blatant attempt to suck up to Wii. I got my kid the Wii and he seems instantly addicted, and ever since he seems more easily frustrated and whiny. Is that a study? He stands in front of hypnotic colors pushing buttons, moving his arms. I thought it was better than TV because the content is less with no mind controlling commercials. But being better than TV isn't saying much. And CEO's statement that you should still get your kid out on the court from time to time seems absolutely inane. These games should be closely watched and time structured. How about an article on video game addiction? And don't say it's a study when it is an observation or an opinion.

I have to disagree, the Wii is not active enough to "get your children into shape" and I can't help but wonder if this article is simply a marketing scheme (no offense). I've tried a Wii myself, I hate to break it to you but unlike what you see in the commercials you can sit down to play all of the games, and waving your arms around really won't cover it since the controller is ultra light for your convenience . It will not replace simply getting them active and involved with things like team sports or exercise routines. Boy/Girl scouts is also a good choice because they will be active while building up good life skills such as leadership, citizenship, etc.

I'm not saying games are totally bad, because while some of them may have content not appropriate for young children, many of the more complex titles promote thought and creativity, as some of them have stories and situations that would blow hollywood out of the water and many times you have to improvise to finish the game, not to mention learning how the game works in the first place (pick up a game that isn't "Wii Bowling" to see what I mean). But these are not exclusive to the Wii - the other consoles have much more of these kinds of games in fact.

But to rephrase it, video games will not prevent obesity any time in the near future, even though the game is called Wii-fit.