Gaming Balance Board - ideas

[WarmWoollySheep]

If Wii Fit is the killer app many are predicting, more than half of Wii owners will have a Balance Board.

The Balance Board can detect the slightest changes of weight. It can tell if you stick your arm out, if you lean your head forward, or if you're crouching. It can even tell if you have bad posture. The potential for gaming uses, even hardcore gaming, is endless.

Here's what I thought up:

- Skating games

Balance Board will know if you're off-balance when going up a half pipe. Landing an ollie will take actual skill. The game I want, Tony Hawk: Wii

- Surfing games

- Snowboarding games

- Shooters
Peering around corners, dodging projectiles

- Driving games
Put the balance board in front of your chair, and you have analog Gas / Breaks.

- Flight sims
Similar to driving games, but for the rudder.

Those are just a few of my ideas. What other ways could developers use the Balance Board?

 

[adgloride]

The balance board is a great idea. I still think with what its like technology wise and it also being wireless its going to be expensive. Knowing nintendo it'll probably cost as much as the wii itself

I can't think of anything else it could be used for, I think you covered it all.

 

[WarmWoollySheep]

Here are some from other forums,

"Over the past few hours, I've formulated an idea for a combat racing game that would utilize the balance board. The player would control a hover board by shifting their weight on the balance board. Leaning to the front accelerates while leaning backwards activates the breaks, and leaning from side to side steers. Meanwhile, the Wii Remote is held in one hand. The A button is used to jump, which opens the door for trick combos, while the B trigger is used to activate special items a la Mario Kart. The player is equipped with a melee weapon at all times (let's say it's a baseball bat) which is used to battle other players. My idea is that the game would focus as much on high-speed melee combat as it does racing. "
Even better, use the Wiimote to swing the bat while you lean in all directions to control the hoverboard.


Here's another:

"So, am I the only person who actually thinks it would be fun to do that 'airplane' thing with your arms out and have the game fly around perfectly with your movements? Wow, now I really hope that's why we haven't seen much of NiGHTs yet"

 

[Hadrian]

I do get a feeling that WiiFit will basically help the Wii sell double of what its sold already, perhaps even more. So far the reaction has been "My wife/girlfriend/mum/sister wants it" so its working on those who don't play games. I also see kids parents buying it with a Wii instead of a 360 or PS3 purely for the fact that their kid doesn't go out much so he may lose some of his blubber, plus the Wii can play games and give access to the net.

I reckon theres a lot more to be seen that wasn't shown at E3, perhaps some of the tech demos could make it into the game who knows.

It does depends on how much it'll cost, I think Nintendo won't be looking to profit on the game, its purely there to sell the Wii so they would probably sell it at a loss. I can see a WiiFit package with the Wii as well for £199.99, any more than I don't think people would buy it.

As for using it with other games, would be great and I like the ideas, most have been used in various arcade titles but using different ways to detect your body. Only problem would be that some developers won't spend time and money making games that would suit it as well as the other controllers or they might just do a rush job meaning that it won't work as well.

 

[Veho]

Wii Bellydance Instructor!

Shooters: bullet time with projectile dodging. Or simply, lean to strafe.

Hmmm... Kung Fu Wii!


Karate Wii! "Paint the fence" and "wax on wax off" with the Wiimote, "balancing on boat prow" and teaching a correct stance with the balance board

And yes, I think it will sell. Although I was expecting a DDR dance mat...

 

[Cubed]

A slalom game would be nice =)

 

[Digeman]

Like I said on the other similar thread, it could be used to make a drumming game!

Man i really hope they do cuz then nintendo will be the only one capable of having a game like "Drum hero" (instead of guitar hero)

 

[Smuff]

SUPER MARIO TOBOGGAN !!!!!!!!

Or maybe

Wii IRON

 

[Chief_Second]

the dance game on the demo looks really basic.

a tapdance game would rock!

 

[Hadrian]

Says on the Nintendo E3 site that Balance Board isn't the final name says same about the Wii Wheel (should be called Wiil but then the Wii Remote should be Wiimote) and Wii Zapper.

Elite Beat Agents Wii would definitely sell this to some gamers, especially if it could use your own Mp3s

 

[imgod22222]

A use for the balance board... maybe.. I don't know physical benchmarking program? Ex) Check weight (stand on it), check strength (maybe hang it on a wall or put it on a cushion and punch it), check balance (see how long you can stay on the smallest portion of the mat, like being on the ball of both feet takes up more area on the mat compared to being on your toes, which taken literally needs alot of balance, and hurts the toes), check compression (see how strong you can press it together, maybe, if it works like a traditional foot scale)

pretty much any other use BESIDES standing on it like it's originally intended. But inside the warranty.

 

[WarmWoollySheep]

I wonder if it's sensitive enough to be used as a giant touchpad. That would open up a lot of possibilities.

 

[CannonBallZ]

how about a survivor, 'see who can stand on a pole the longest for immunity' game...good times!!

 

[Wanque]

Plenty of good ideas here, but considering most developers haven't even gotten the hang of designing a game based around the Wiimote, don't expect them to be translated into games on the Wii-board very soon.

 

[Da Foxx]

I bet we are going to get our own Tekken/Street Fighter game, or a fighter game were you use your feet and hands and you do movements like kick and punch to do some basic actions.

 

[WarmWoollySheep]

Square Enix is reportedly interested in doing an RPG for the balance board.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/predictable/squar...ller-279051.php

 

[Mican]

Is there a weight limit?