the buzz log

The Nintendo Wii is still red-hot. Two years after its release, shoppers continue to have a hard time finding it in stores. One might be tempted to say the console can do no wrong, except that's not exactly true. Wii Music, the much-hyped game from renowned designer Shigeru Miyamoto, is considered by some to be, well, a bit of a flop.

The Wall Street Journal reports that several months after it hit shelves, Wii Music is "far behind" its two music-game rivals, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Sales figures for Wii Music have been dwarfed by Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as many older titles for the Wii. We took a look to see if the same lack of popularity can be found in Search.

In a word, yes. Searches on "guitar hero" are about five times as prevalent as those on "wii music." Lookups for "rock band" and its sequel are also significantly more popular.

The disparity is interesting because Wii Music is quite similar to its more popular rivals. One could even argue Miyamoto's baby had the potential to appeal to a wider base of gamers. All the games involve players simulating the act of playing the guitar, drums, etc. Wii Music is different in that it allows gamers to play more instruments and is easier to learn.

So why the poor showing? Reviews on Wii Music have been "meh" at best, and the track list isn't exactly full of rockin' tunes ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," anyone?). Additionally, Rock Band and Guitar Hero allow gamers to download more tunes online. With Wii Music, you're stuck with what comes on the disc.

Still, according to the WSJ article, Miyamoto isn't worried. He says he never expected Wii Music to be an instant hit. Now the question is: Will it ever become one?

Filed under: Video Games, Nintendo Wii

For those who view video games as the reason overweight kids exist, the motion-sensing Nintendo Wii has been a step in the right direction. Now, thanks to the highly anticipated Wii Fit video game, the movement to help chunky gamers lose weight is poised to take a giant leap forward.

Like many titles for Nintendo's blockbuster system, Wii Fit features a unique collection of mini-games like yoga, Hula-Hoop, soccer, and more. However, unlike other titles, Wii Fit requires players to actually move their bodies (and not just wave their right arm). Disproving the notion that gamers refuse to sweat, searches on "wii fit" recently jumped 89%. Related queries on "wii fit release date," "wii fit price," and "wii fit preorder" are also on the move.

But amid the excitement there is some concern. You see, Wii Fit requires gamers to stand on a platform (included with the game), which determines the gamer's sense of balance and movement, calculates their BMI, etc. Aware of this, some searchers are looking up "wii fit weight limit."

Also worth noting: While health buffs hope Wii Fit will help overweight children shed pounds, those most interested in searching for it are adults. Folks aged 25-44 account for over 62% of the searches, while kids 13 and under make up only around 8%.

One thing is for sure—no matter who plays the game, Wii Fit is likely to make the already-scarce Wii console that much more difficult to find.

Filed under: Video Games, Nintendo Wii

No doubt about it—the Nintendo Wii is a huge success. Still, its lack of "must-have" games is cause for concern. You can only play "Wii Sports" so many times before it gets stale. Fortunately, the just-released "Super Paper Mario" should give gamers new thrills.

The heavily-hyped title is already causing a stir in Search, up 338% this week. That got us thinking about all of Mario's past adventures. Over the years, he's explored dungeons, raced go-karts, hit homeruns, and rescued the extremely capturable Princess Peach about five zillion times. Amazingly, the plumber's popularity has never waned.

As a salute to the mustached hero's staying power, we went digging through Mario's pipes to see which adventures draw the most Buzz. Game on!

Filed under: Video Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo