Nintendo Wii Video Game

The Nintendo Wii video gaming system was launched in November 2006, with 21 titles (http://en.widipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wii_games). Wii opened a new era of gaming technology, involving participant interaction. Nintendo Wii allows participants to engage in activities using physical movement and cognitive skills, such as in real life, while remaining in a controlled physical environment (Herz, 2009). As an assistive device, Nintendo Wii is considered a hard technology, as it is a tangible system, similar to a computer, which can be used through a television, computer or projection screen (Cook & Hussey, 2000).

The activities of Wii are presented in a gaming format and use measurable outcomes for successful participation, i.e. completing an activity within a certain time and completing specific steps to score points. The base system comes with sports related games such as; tennis, bowling, boxing, golf and baseball. Other games and activities can be purchased as additions such as; fishing, cooking, brain teasers & driving. Playing Wii games requires physical movements, cognitive and perceptual skills just as if one is actually completing them in the environment they would normally be performed in i.e. court, field, ring alley etc (Herz, 2009).

It seems to me, Wii would be beneficial in many settings for encouraging clients to engage in enjoyable activities, while increasing physical or cognitive performance.