MS man takes a pop at Wii Fit

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 August, 2008

And "toy shop" karaoke game mics.

Microsoft marketing exec David Gosen has warned against producing peripherals that end up gathering dust - taking a pop at Wii Fit in the process.

Speaking to Develop he described what Nintendo has done with the Wii as "truly fantastic" but added, "There is a thin line between gimmick and great gameplay.

"We've seen some research that says 60 per cent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again," Gosen continued. "So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes - and we have to treat them with respect."

It's all about creativity, according to Dave. "We have to ensure that the peripheral strategy that anyone employs makes sense and delivers a truly game changing experience. Because if it's just 'okay' it will end up in the cupboard under the stairs."

So how will Microsoft stop that happening with the light-up wireless motion-sensing microphones for new singing game Lips?

"If you look at what people don't like about existing karaoke games it's that you've got wired microphones which look like they've come out of a toy shop and a fairly restricted song base," said Gosen.

"When we designed Lips we looked at those two major barriers. We created the wireless mics, which look and feel like real microphones, have motion sensors so you have more opportunity to get fun out of it because you can use it as a percussion instrument and even light up. Then we added in the opportunity to sing along to your own music library, and have PDLC on top of that."

So Lips, reckons Dave, is a "compelling substantially differentiating singing proposition". And not a SingStar rip-off after all.

Read our recent preview to find out whether he's right.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • seasidebaz #1 4 years ago

    Yeah, Microsoft with their lack of toy shop controllers! Wouldn't see any of them bundled with a game of Scene It!

    Oh wait...

  • Doctor_What #2 4 years ago

    Yes, flashing lights on the sides of the mic are definitely not gimmicky. Has this guy even picked up the SingStar mics? The build quality is great and doesn't at all feel like a toy shop bit of plastic.

    Fair enough, take a pop at novelty peripherals, but talk about proper targets and not proven good products. I share his doubts about the longevity of the Wii Fit and only time will show how that does in the end; however, SingStar has proven that people still play on it years after release.

  • Widge #3 4 years ago

    LIES... I'm still using my SNES Bazooka

  • moggsy #4 4 years ago

    "We've seen some research that says 60 per cent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again,"

    Isn't this the same with all peripherals though? I bought the dancing game for the 360 (don't ask) and used it once before chucking it in the cupboard. Nintendo are no more guilty of this than any of the console makers. I also ended up returning the MS wheel as I realised after using it for a couple of days that it was destined to end up in a cupboard.

  • peterfll #5 4 years ago

    So MS wouldn't put a product to market and make $millions from it if it thought people would only use it once?

  • ozzit #6 4 years ago

    "We've seen some research that says 60 per cent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again,"

    "We asked Microsoft employees and threatened them with death if they said otherwise"

    interesting that 40% chose death... :D

  • figgis #7 4 years ago

    Hides Xbox Music Maker, Xbox Light gun etc.

  • MrMarbles #8 4 years ago

    But... but wired mics are essential for showboat swinging and accidentally hitting the ceiling.

  • The_Inquisitor #9 4 years ago

    Does Microsoft really care how you use their peripherals? They, just like Nintendo, want your money so I don't get why he's complaining...jealous I imagine.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #10 4 years ago

    "We've seen some fat people who bought Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again,"

  • paulf #11 4 years ago

    i bet he'd love his peripheral to sell 6 million + though

    also with wii fit being a fitness based thing the 60% dropoff is no different from people who sign up to the gym then stop etc i'd imagine

  • bad09 #12 4 years ago

    Another day another PR twat......

    Widge you sir are a legend for bringing in the old SNES bazooka!


  • Beek4257 #13 4 years ago

    Maybe Mr. Gosen is a bit bitter for jumping ship too soon (he used to work for Nintendo as I recall).

  • The-Bodybuilder #14 4 years ago

    Sorry EG, but your misleading, tabloid-esque headlings recently are sickening and annoying.
    The man's comments are nowhere near as bad you proclaim it be, as he speaks about nintendo with a lot of respect even in his negative comments.

  • Fab4 #15 4 years ago

    Toy shop quality sucks...what we need is products designed to the quality of the 360 itself...they never fail...oh wait...

  • Masarin #16 4 years ago

    ...and the prize for COTY goes to...................... Widge!!!


    You made my day in advance. Thanks!

  • stampax #17 4 years ago

    lol. I know it's all pr and that, but do you think he in ANY way believes what he says?

  • gingerlink #18 4 years ago

    im surprised the amount of random people I've ended up in conversations about wii fit and the general impression I get is that even the "non-gamers" are still playing it regularly...

    their survey doing means nothing, 90% of all stats are made up, everybody knows that....

  • FaceOmeter #19 4 years ago

    "We've seen some research that says 60 per cent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again," Gosen continued. "So we have to get the balance right..."

    And the winner of the 2008 Accidental Puns award is...

  • Stuz359 #20 4 years ago

    Isn't it the point of expensive peripherals to get left in a cupboard gathering dust somewhere.
    Anyway, I am always dubious of someone who says they have seen 'some' research. My questions are, what research? Who did it ask? How large was the sample of the population? What were the actual questions asked in the survey?
    Edited by 1 at 08/08/08 @ 10:32

  • CallousB #21 4 years ago

    "Maybe Mr. Gosen is a bit bitter for jumping ship too soon (he used to work for Nintendo as I recall). "
    Indeed...poor man. Managing director of Nintendo Europe for 5 years, left Nintendo 6 months prior to the DS launch. He must be gutted.

  • stampax #22 4 years ago

    More to the point- where do i bloody buy wii fit from? sick of going into shops and being laughed at - "no of course we dont have any in stock mate"

  • mkreku #23 4 years ago

    Uh.. My Singstar mics are made of metal..? And I'm pretty glad they don't "light up" because that is what I call a gimmick.

  • kinky_mong #24 4 years ago

    The problem with Singstar mikes is they develop an annoying rattle if you repeatedly swing them round and round by the wire to showboat.

  • Muddtallica #25 4 years ago

    The Bodybuilder:
    "Ex-Nintendo boss warns of Wii Fit "gimmick""
    "Gosen: ‘Gamers have given up on Wii Fit’"
    'Gosen: 60% of Wii Fit purchasers played it 'once'"
    "Microsoft’s Gosen: Wii Fit is a Gimmick"

    These are just the first few results I came across whilst searching for other websites' coverage of this same story, and without exception they're following the same tack as EG have; even highbrow Edge Magazine went with "MS Wary of “Gimmicky” Peripherals Like Wii Balance Board". And why not? It's the most controversial and newsworthy part of what was otherwise frivolous PR fluff; of course people are going to focus on it. What's with everyone singling EG out for it recently?

    As for the comments themselves, I could care less. I remember Gosen from his Nintendo of Europe days, and he's obviously just as useless a PR plank now as he ever was. 60% of the millions of people purchasing this 70 quid game only ever used it once? According to, and I quote, "some research"? Give me a freaking break.

  • Vin #26 4 years ago

    I don't have enough brains for all the Nintendo fanboys here.

  • Sid-Nice #27 4 years ago

    The Who used wired mics and Hear’Say used wireless mics; The Who were a gimmick that would never last and Hear’Say were great "Pure and Simple."

  • Redeye #28 4 years ago

    Company X spokesperson talks tedious bollocks about Company Y product.

    Rest of universe snores loudly, drowning said retard out in the process.

    Next!

  • CreepinJesus #29 4 years ago

    "It's funny how everyone who posts arrogant or abusive posts always have an XBL gamertag in their profile."

    You'll find them on Halo or CoD 4 around 7-11pm most days.

  • cyber_nicco #30 4 years ago

    Well, guys, to be fair, Nintendo does market a lot of peripherals. And it you think there won't be one for any upcoming Star Wars game with lightsaber battles, you are just plain nuts.

  • secombe #31 4 years ago

    I've just done a quick survey of 15 people with Wii Fit, and 18 have used it more than once, with a further 7 saying they use it regularly. Only 4 people have used it once, with 2 not even opening the packaging yet. A further 7.2m have yet to find it in a shop, but have lost 6lb each walking around town centres every Saturday morning looking for one.

  • Amoebalove #32 4 years ago

    @evilfoxhound

    you really need to check out some of the posts for the eden review! Trust me the sony fanboys are no better.