The Dangers of the Nintendo Wii Remote and the Problems they Apply on Society

The Nintendo Wii console hit the video game market over a year ago now and has been the centre of much debate regarding its very unique makeup.

Firstly, the console itself is Nintendo's attempt at matching Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360; although, Nintendo has created something much more original and fresh.

The Wii Remote is one of the most brilliant creations of Nintendo. Not only is it wireless, but the way in which it can be used is revolutionary. For example, say you're playing a Tennis game with your buddies. Instead of pressing buttons while sitting anxiously on your couch, you actually have to get up and "hit" the ball with a proper tennis action. Not only does it add realism, but I'm sure many have played Eye-Toy, which is similar in idea, but it adds an extraordinary amount of entertainment!

The usage of the Wiimote (as it is called) is universal. It has proven to be interesting for all game genres, for shooting games in particular, as you can imagine the amount of fun, similar to those Arcade machines where you can actually shoot at your opponents. There is even a specially designed controller for the shooting games; however, we won't venture into that. There are also optional extras if you want to have a more suitable game-play. What I mean, is that you can buy an extra remote for both shooting games and racing games. Both are wireless, and highly realistic; again, making it that much more fun!

Despite the entertainment values the Wiimote can offer, as well as all its brothers: the Wii Zapper (for shooting games) and the Wii Wheel (for driving and racing games), for all different age ranges, even for grandparents, there does exist a downside.

As you can imagine, if you have 2 or more friends over who all have one aim: to hit the tennis ball with the Wiimote, there comes with this the issue of space. If space is an issue than there is a definite factor of danger involved in playing all of the Wii games. We will address this later. First, I'd like to discuss the connotation that the Nintendo Wii and the idea of the Wiimote; somehow, are good for your health due to the physical activity; the jumping, swinging, shooting, steering, hitting, that are involved in simply playing the game.

Normally, health is a concern for children because of the lack of exercise due to too much TV, too many games, and others. I think this is an interesting concern in regards to the Wiimote. We've already discussed the entertainment factor and now, I think, we should move on to whether or not it is better for your health to play using the Nintendo Wii compared with other gaming consoles.

I think we should examine the health benefits of alternative gaming consoles beforehand. I think we could all agree that playing PS3 or Xbox 360 is a fairly stagnant experience. What I mean by this is that, there is no movement except of the fingers. The only time you move around is to get up to go to the bathroom, get a drink or food, or if the game's annoying you and you contemplate throwing the controller.

Now that we've established the health benefits of the alternatives to the Nintendo Wii, I think we can examine the Wii's health benefits and compare between the two groups.

Anyone who has Eye-Toy or children who have it, know exactly what is involved in playing. Many times I have played and been on the verge of collapse after an hour! The jumping and running involved in Eye-Toy can drain your energy better than an early morning bike ride; yet, you are having fun with friends and family at the same time.

Now, the reason I bring up the Eye-Toy is because it is very similar to how the Nintendo Wii is played. With the Wii, there is less running and jumping (although there is still some), but more swinging and move of the upper body. Speaking from experience, not only does this provide more of a "work-out" than the alternative consoles, but it can make you tired after an hour or so.

There hasn't been an official scientific study yet as to whether or not there is a difference between playing the Wii compared with PS3 and Xbox 360, but I think it's quite obvious which would be more of a workout.

There is one thing; however, regarding the connotations that you can supplement your exercise routine with Wii gaming. That's absolutely false! Many people I know seem to think they can play Wii instead of exercising and they will get the same results. So, everyone, make sure, if you do purchase a Nintendo Wii that you keep exercising as normal!

Now, back to what I previously mentioned about the danger factor of the Wiimote. I'm sure there have been cases and incidents of people hitting each other, accidentally, with Wiimotes. It's inevitable. Although, I haven't hit anyone yet, I have; myself, been hit. You may think that the shooting games or driving games are less dangerous than the sporting games, but I can tell you that, despite what it seems, that's not true. With shooting games you can get hit with the rapid movements of the gun, especially if someone comes up behind you. With the steering wheel, turning usually ends up with you hitting someone with your elbow! And with sporting, as aforementioned, injuries mainly consist of being hit with the arm.

Although it does happen, irregardless of the size of your room; I think, it's quite insignificant. Getting hit doesn't hurt at all since the controllers seem to be light enough to not cause injury. I would not consider it a negative point of the Wiimote at all.

I think; however, there are a couple of questions remaining regarding the Wiimote. Is it safe enough for little kids? Are they sensible enough to use the controllers? And does the Wii's design remove the "couch-potato" connotation of gaming with its innovative design?