Wii is the gift that keeps on giving… injuries that is. The British newspaper The Sun is reporting that 10 people a week are hospitalized from playing Wii games in Britain. They are suffering from what is being coined “Wii-itis.”
A rheumatology consultant in the UK says “Most are admitted after playing the tennis and running games which involve sudden movements and violent tendon stretching.”
“There has been a 100 percent increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis,” says Dr. Dev Mukerjee, of Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, England. “It’s possible that Wii-itis may lead to rheumatism and arthritis in later life. Patients often have inflammation of the shoulder or wrist.”
The Wii has been unanimously praised for revolutionizing the video game experience by adding a much more realistic interactivity (and even exercise) to the normally dormant activity. In 2006, Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata made it clear that the company was looking to bring new gamers into the fold:”We’re not thinking about fighting Sony, but about how many people we can get to play games.”
The Wii’s innovation is centered around its remote, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and detect movement in three dimensions. But when you combine that with an activity like video gaming, which is known for its addictiveness, you create a whole new physical ailment.
