I know that Nintendo is trying to cash in on all the casual gamers of the world as well as all those people that think they can lose weight while playing games, but I just don’t see it. Someone who is overweight will not become skinny playing DDR or Wii Bowling or Wii Fit, they will do so by eating less and working out. Although playing these games can make you sweat, especially if you are out of shape, these are not valid ways to work out.

There have been quite a few studies performed that talk about how playing games and what physically can be achieved, here is a piece of a study:

A study at Liverpool John Moores University in early 2007 echoes his sentiment. Researchers found that playing Wii Sports for an average of 12 hours per week could result in burning over 1800 calories, although they’re quick to point out that such an activity should not replace traditional exercise.

OK I guess if you play for 12 hours a week you wold expect to burn some calories but just to put things in perspective if I take a 20 minute run I can easily burn 300 calories, so in 6 short runs that would equal 2 hours of exercise you would burn the equivalent amount of calories.

People and researchers need to face facts and come to the reality that video games are not a form of exercise no matter how much Nintendo and Konami wants you to believe so. Next you will see RockBand studies turn up stating that playing the drum for 12 hours a week will burn calories and make you buff. The only way someone will lose wight while playing video games is if they play games while running on a treadmill or a stationary bike.

The Wii Fit has had great success in Japan and will probably do well stateside as well, so does this mean we will begin to see them show up in our local gym as well as part of a progressive thinking workout session? Many DDR systems have been installed in gyms and schools as forms of exercise, which I find a bit far fetched, but at least kids get to play games in school.

More recently, Konami’s immensely popular rhythm game Dance Dance Revolution was made a key part of a fitness program introduced to West Virginia’s 756 state schools. It’s been such a success, a group of teachers have even launched a website aimed at educating educators on how to incorporate the technology into their own school systems.

What do you guys think?

[Via Yahoo!Games]