Wii Vitality Sensor to launch in 2010

By Ellie Gibson Published 10 August, 2009

Iwata naysays the naysayers.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said the company hopes to launch the Wii Vitality Sensor "not too late" in 2010.

Speaking in an investor Q&A he conceded there's work to do with regard to getting the concept of the device across. "The majority of the audience at E3 responded to it like, 'What in the world is Nintendo planning with a single pulse meter?'" he said.

According to Iwata your pulse indicates more than just your BPM - it can also provide "various kinds of information such as the condition of automatic nerve".

He continued, "Wii Vitality Sensor has great potential for various applications like measuring how horrified a player is in a horror title. What we are trying to propose first is a videogame with a theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives."

Specifically, the lives of those who have trouble unwinding after a busy day. "What if you were able to visualise how to unwind and relax, or check the condition of your automatic nerve by simply inserting your finger in the device once a day?"

Internal tests are already underway at Nintendo, where employees have been trying to improve the condition of their automatic nerves by visualising how they'll feel at the weekend. According to Iwata, patterns have started to emerge.

"You have all had an experience where you are not in tune with how your body is doing or aware of how exhausted you body may be in a busy, strained period, but if you can visibly measure your condition every day, you can start to see how you're doing," he said.

"It would be like stepping up on a scale every day and seeing the change of your weight. Our new challenge that is different from past software development is to make a videogame by using the visible activities of your automatic nerve."

As for those who are cynical about the Vitality Sensor's sales potential - people were also cynical about Wii Fit, observed Iwata. "Of course no one can tell how people respond to it before the launch. We understand everyone wants to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle, so I believe if the product could support that desire, it would make a large impact in society."

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 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Whizzo #1 3 years ago

    Does this detect if Nintendo have jumped the shark?

  • captainrentboy #2 3 years ago

    Soooo another add on for fat single women then?

  • superted1974 #3 3 years ago

    Single Fat women is a martket that is getting bigger every day/doughnut

  • GrumpyLlama #4 3 years ago

    Great, more pseudo science from Nintendo. The amount of ill informed and just plan made up medical information in Wii Fit and brain training is amazing. Why can't they say that it just measures your pulse? Why all the crap about measuring your nervous system? Yes technically he isn't lying as your pulse is set by your autonomic nervous system.

  • Canyarion #5 3 years ago

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: thought-controlled games. The technology already existed 10 years ago.

  • mkreku #6 3 years ago

    What's an "automatic nerve"? Is that Nintendo code for penis?

  • Toothball #7 3 years ago

    @mkreku:

    Guaranteed someone will try that within moments of launch. They should probably let Ellie review this one when the time comes.
    Edited by Toothball at 10/08/09 @ 10:51

  • CaptianScarlet #8 3 years ago

    *plants head in hand and whimpers*

    They really aren't doing themselves any favours here. I love my Wii and the new sensor with Golf, tennis and resort is great fun. However, I need something that I can get my teeth into without being distracted by silly waggling and jumping around the room.

    (And I'm still bitter about the fact I lost my cool little homebrew apps and mp3/movie player for my DSi when the messed with flashcards in their firmware update. Obviously piracy is wrong and should be stopped at all costs but the other apps are what suddenly made my DSi something I carried around with another purpose than just gaming!!)

  • LazyDan #9 3 years ago

    "like measuring how horrified a player is in a horror title"

    I WELL SAID THIS BEFORE SCREW EVERYONE WHERE IS MY MEDAL

  • RexRunti #10 3 years ago

    Christ, this game is just going to be whale song and a blue sky, isn't it? Personally I like to unwind by shooting aliens in the head or slicing ninja in half, and in my mind at least a good game shouldn't send you to sleep.

  • CallousB #11 3 years ago

    I presume it could be used as a lie detector. It might work well in regards to tailoring a game towards your own specific fears ...they could play a video of various animals/insects/reptiles etc at the beginning of the game and measure your pulse rate to detect which creatures you're most afraid of.

  • KDR_11k #12 3 years ago

    Stop blabbing about potential and show a game already! That presentation was completely premature, noone would have wondered WTF it is about had they actually shown the software that will go along with the device.

  • raion #13 3 years ago

    ok. ok. you're gonna give us "my stressful day" or "mario does relaxation". fine. but integration within games with gameplay?
    and no, I'm not concerned about the concept, or how will it modify gameplay. I am preoccupied about a much more basic approach: are we gonna be able to connect both the sensor and the nun-chuck at the same time? how comfortable will it be over long periods of time? which finger will it be on? will impede me while trying to press a button? and so forth.

    if there war one thing I hated about the DS is the constant switching between buttons and stylus control in some titles. admittedly, that was flaw in the games and not the hardware, but I fear moments in where we'll have to pause the gameplay to slide that thing on/off.

  • Mr_Brown #14 3 years ago

    This is a new low. All it's a sensor what you put on you finger designed to take your oxygen levels in your blood. It can also take your pulse as well, they have them in wards everywhere. No doubt they will take these readings and hide them behind "stress levels". Who doesn't know your pulse races when your stressed?

    What's next a "Stress cushion arm pad", that inflates to check the amount of "stresstendos" in your blood stream, which can only be removed by buying Wii fit.

  • Psychotext #15 3 years ago

    "Does this detect if Nintendo have jumped the shark?"

    Hey, throwing darts is a valid way of picking new product ideas!

  • Oddly #16 3 years ago

    I think the translation should have been "autonomic nervous system" rather than "automatic nerve".

    Does anyone know if this will be bundled with incense sticks and green tea or are we going to have lots of comments about the expense of buying such things for 4 people?

  • StooMonster #17 3 years ago

    Maybe they are planning Wii Life Insurance, where they get you bounce on the Wii Balance Board for a few minutes whilst taking your pulse and then measuring recovery time so they can finally provide you with a life insurance quote? :p

  • ChaK #18 3 years ago

    you forgot a picture :

    http://img.jeuxvideo.fr/02344960-photo-w...

  • makeamazing #19 3 years ago

    They have made this device, shown it off, then they have realised that the gamers are giving them too much grief and now they need to try and figure out how they can implement it in games rather than some dodgy health device (which is pushing the core sales of the product). This wont be any use in games... the "finding out how scared you are in a game" is a total croc. If thats all it can do, lets be honest it wont be used in games imho... Good luck with that Nintendo

  • Rubarack #20 3 years ago

    Did anyone doubt Wii Fit would sell a hojillion copies? I thought most people's criticism is that it would be a bit rubbish, which was spot on.

    This looks a lot rubbish, but package it in white and have some new agey type software and it might well sell.

  • FogHeart #21 3 years ago

    - Will be able to test your stress levels, useful in horror games

    Yaaaaaay!

    - Plugs into the Wiimote where the nunchuck does now, so can't use this and the nunchuck at the same time. If it will be used in horror games, it'll be Another Lightgun Zombie Shooter.


    Booooooo!

  • Alterego-X #22 3 years ago

    "Does this detect if Nintendo have jumped the shark?"
    That was said about a certain bathroom scale too...
    I'm sure that it will make a bit more sense with the actual software...

  • SnoopDop #23 3 years ago

    Wake me up when the Wii FleshLight is released.

  • Toothball #24 3 years ago

    @lord

    I think most of the concern has come from the few pictures they've so far released that don't have anything like that.

    Hmm, if there were some kind of pass through adaptor for it, you could hook up several of them and turn the controller into a flail. That's how the nunchuk was named, after all. They'd probably sell a lot more people on it if you could do that.

  • Machiavellian #25 3 years ago

    I have this feeling that Big N and Mr. Iwata are getting arrogant but then again, maybe it's not arrogance but instead Genius. People thought the DS would bomb against the PSP and look at things now. People thought the Wii would bomb against the PS3 and 360 and look at things now. I certainly thought Wii fit would bomb but look at things now. I really am interested to see how the Vitality sensor will be the next big item from Big N. Personally I hope it's everything Mr. Iwata says it will be only to here more crying from the "Hardcore".

  • electrolite #26 3 years ago

    For crying out loud just show a game that uses it, otherwise shut up about it (and possibly bin it)

  • electrolite #27 3 years ago

    "once again nintendo scrape the bottom of gamings barrel but no doubt the blinkered public will lap it up.BUBBLE please burst,PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE "


    Oh the futile anguish. Hilarious.

  • Toothball #28 3 years ago

    @lord:

    Yeah, I saw that point. I just got caught up thinking about the inevitable injury stories that could come from it.

  • smelly #29 3 years ago

    Okay - i admit - this sounds like shit

  • smelly #30 3 years ago

    "once again nintendo scrape the bottom of gamings barrel but no doubt the blinkered public will lap it up"

    I think you're confusing nintendo with the microsoft eye toy rip off - natal

  • GreatUncleBaal #31 3 years ago

    "What if you were able to visualise how to unwind and relax", says Iwata.
    "I can do that already, by PLAYING A PROPER FUCKING GAME", says I.

  • db3 #32 3 years ago

    Enough peripherals already!!!!