Wii’ing Makes Me Tired

The Nintendo Wii brought two things to the table that other game consoles did not.  First, a game system that actually required you to get off your duff.  Second, an interface that both Great Grandma and Toddler Tom could figure out without having any previous experience with other game systems.  It is for these two reasons I was able to convince my wife that the Wii was an absolute must for our small family as it would not only reinvent the gaming experience as we knew it, but also promote health and interaction.

Having successfully pitched the Wii, we went out, purchased  it, played it for about 2 months, and then forgot all about it.  The Xbox 360’s siren call was too strong to resist…

Skip ahead a number of years, and we have a new batch of family members to introduce to the wonderful world of video games.  Most of my 360 games are not what I would consider “kid friendly” for reasons of their subject matter, level of difficulty, and time spent needed to play.  The lonely and all but forgotten Wii suddenly had an opportunity to come off the back shelf and entertain again.

To date, the only game my two oldest sons really enjoy is Wii Sports.  The simple mechanics and required physical moves are all very intuitive making the learning curve slight.  You’d think that would be a winning recipe for hours of fun, but you would be wrong.  Let’s take a look at the following graph.

As you can see, the amount of skill gained is directly proportional to the time spent; however,  so is the level of boredom.  This is especially true for a 6 and 3 year old with a combined attention span just shy of 2 meters.

Ten Minutes In

Everything is going smashingly. The boys have the moves down and are doing exceptionally well at Wii Sports Bowling.

Twenty Minutes In

Nyhus, age 3, looses interest and sits down to read a book.  When asked if he wants to play, he responds by making a face, grunting, and dramatically flipping a page in his book to emphasis his disinterest and disgust.

Thirty Minutes In

Both boys have no further interest in the video game and have taken up position on the couch to read a comic book together.  Liam, age 6, helps his brother understand the more complicated subplots in the Spider-Man comic.

Once again, the Wii has lost love.  In the background, you can hear the sweet, sweet call of Halo Reach beckoning us…

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About Cyrus

Editor in Chief, Owner/Operator, Board Game Fanatic, Father of Three, and Nice Guy, Cyrus has always enjoyed board, card, miniature, role playing, and video games, but didn't get back into the hobby seriously until early 2000. Once he did, however, he was hooked. He now plays board games with anyone and everyone he can, but enjoys playing with his children the most. Video games continue to be of real interest, but not as much as dice and little miniatures. As he carefully navigates the ins and outs of parenting, he does his very best to bestow what wisdom he has and help nurture his children's young minds. It is his hope and ambition to raise three strong, honorable men who will one day go on to do great things and buy their Mom and Dad a lobster dinner. Cyrus goes by the handle fathergeek on Board Game Geek. You can also check him out on CyrusKirby.com. Yes, he has a URL that is his name. His ego knows no bounds, apparently....

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