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Jillian Michaels Going After Wii's Biggest Losers
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 8:40 AM on June 14, 2008
If you're finding Wii Fit to a less strenuous workout than the one required to help you shed your flab, perhaps the prospect of training with fitness guru Jillian Michaels will help. Majesco is publishing Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 which—surprise!—uses the Wii Balance Board to integrate "a tiered fitness regimen, expert advice and exercise techniques from the charismatic Jillian Michaels, the game delivers a focused workout that will help players reach their own personal fitness goals".
The star of NBC's reality show The Biggest Loser says she's "a huge gamer" and hopes (via press release) that the Wii game will accomplish something just shy of saving the world. Michaels is corporately quoted as saying "I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionising the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today".
See? Nintendo totally should've stuck with "Revolution". Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter predicts big things for Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, and not just amongst the chubby crowd.
"That thing is going to sell", said Pachter. Not all consumers might be aware of what Wii Fit is, but most weight-conscious women, he said, know Jillian Michaels as a brand. "She's branded as a fit person who helps people lose weight", he said, and that brand affinity could help more people see the Balance Board as less of a video game gizmo and more of a health product.
It certainly sounds like more of a workout than managing a trio of hula hoops, as the game is pitched as having Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb modes, each with three difficulty tiers and workout times up to 60 minutes. It features more traditional exercise options like crossing monkey bars to climbing ladders and rowing. The best part? Gamers can unlock "lifestyle and fitness video tips" featuring Ms. Michaels. Rowrr!
We expect to see nothing but six-pack abs and ripped shoulders in close proximity to Wiis by this time next year.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
mr_dimsum
Posted 9:40 AM 14/6/08
Jillian Michaels' fitness game will sell like hotcakes because it's probably the closest thing most teenage nerds & hakikomori's will have to witnessing a woman breathing so hard beside them.
mr_dimsum
BigShell
Posted 9:34 AM 14/6/08
I'd hit that.
With a bat for capitalizing off of the Nintendo's marketing and the stupidity of people.
And with my penis, for unrelated reasons.
"See? Nintendo totally should've stuck with 'Revolution'."
There is no greater truth.
BigShell
Herodito
Posted 9:33 AM 14/6/08
I actually think she looks nice.
Nahhh, I actually think she looks hot.
Herodito
chucklebuck
Posted 9:27 AM 14/6/08
I'm just sorry there probably won't be any swearing by Jillian given the platform. I love the show and I love the barrage of f-bombs (even if they are bleeped out) she unleashes during workouts.
chucklebuck
Ascully
Posted 9:27 AM 14/6/08
2 words
Camel Toe
Ascully
Emperor_Guam
Posted 9:25 AM 14/6/08
Wow Wii fit has only been out for a few weeks and she already looks like that. Where is the before picture?
Emperor_Guam
iknowkungfu
Posted 9:18 AM 14/6/08
those pants seriously have the shortest crotch ever
iknowkungfu
Kenny
Posted 9:15 AM 14/6/08
"Huge gamer" my ass. 10 bucks says she doesn't own any console other than maybe the Wii, and 50 bucks says she doesn't actually use it.
Kenny
SkutSkut
Posted 9:15 AM 14/6/08
@belo: agreed <3
SkutSkut
SpishackCola
Posted 9:14 AM 14/6/08
Toned women are awesome. Buff chicks, while I give them mad props for the dedication and work ethic, aren't my thing. Anyway, the Wii balance board might be the greatest console peripheral if people make in-depth exercise software (assuming this one will go crazy in-depth and be developed well) that works. There will be another WiiFit explosion if that happens imo.
SpishackCola
belo
Posted 9:09 AM 14/6/08
Athletically toned women give me a reason to want to exercise. <3
belo
lenandude
Posted 9:08 AM 14/6/08
@lenandude: I mean Jillian Michaels.
lenandude
CHU BOI
Posted 9:08 AM 14/6/08
That's one chick I wouldn't want to fight
CHU BOI
AuraHACK
Posted 9:07 AM 14/6/08
I have never seen a more manly looking female since reading Initial D 10 years ago...
AuraHACK
lenandude
Posted 9:06 AM 14/6/08
Ewwwwww.
lenandude
Fadakar
Posted 9:02 AM 14/6/08
Toned chicks scare me. Buff chicks make me wet my pants in fear. This game is a bad idea.
Fadakar
Alski
Posted 10:18 AM 14/6/08
You guys are messed up.
I would love to see the girls you date. I guess fatties need lovin too.
Alski
pandafresh
Posted 10:50 AM 14/6/08
she looks like she could rape me, somehow, she'd figure it out.
pandafresh
Mikaze
Posted 10:35 AM 14/6/08
@Herodito:
Indeed. It's always amusing to see so many sheltered guys mouthing off whenever they see a woman more fit than they are.
Mikaze
Soulgenesis
Posted 10:30 AM 14/6/08
@iknowkungfu: yep. it'll get shorter as time goes on.
"clit-huggers" they'll call them.
yep.
Soulgenesis
PissedPS3Fan
Posted 11:14 AM 14/6/08
@pandafresh: You can't rape the willing. ;)
I'm with Pacter on this one. This game will sell like hotcakes. If Nintendo is smart, they won't sell a stand alone Wii Fit board, and make potential marks, erm, customers, but TWO games.
PissedPS3Fan
friscom99
Posted 11:58 AM 14/6/08
Oh she is definitely hot.
I seen worse looking women who are muscle bound at my gym...disgusting!
but Jillian is jut toned to perfection.
friscom99
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
Posted 11:36 AM 14/6/08
The best way to make a great fitting game for the WiiFit is throwing the WiiBoard away and making a fitness video instead.
But let's see how they're gonna use the WiiBoard for that.
Bokusatsu_Tenshi
KM91
Posted 12:18 PM 14/6/08
I'd hit it.(No surprise there.)
But with the advertising of Wii Fit on the Biggest Loser, the system will be even harder to find. As if it wasn't popular enough already. I haven't seen one in any store yet.
KM91
sanyo
Posted 12:43 PM 14/6/08
Oh look, more shovelware. AWESOME.
I really hope the "2009" at the end doesn't mean that they intend to make more iterations of it. I don't think a new roster of personal trainers each year is going to cut it for sales.
sanyo
floppylobster
Posted 1:11 PM 14/6/08
Apart from a couple of points, this is the sort of comments section the new moderator needs to cull. What a waste of time.
floppylobster
Lainface
Posted 2:14 PM 14/6/08
Playing Wii fit doesn't make you a gamer. Actually, just playing the Wii doesn't make you a gamer.
Lainface
stranger
Posted 2:03 PM 14/6/08
Jog, it's free.
(As a side note: let's get some Ban hammer action up in here- the kids are up way too late tonight)
stranger
diodegrey
Posted 3:39 PM 14/6/08
wah wah wee wah. very nice! how much ?!?!
diodegrey
Zen Grenadier
Posted 3:31 PM 14/6/08
Billy Blanks! Give me Taibo for the Wii! PLEASE!
On a side note, I can't help but find myself... attracted to her. Maybe because I was raised in a family of domineering women. It's completely Freudian!
I'm a pretty strong guy I'll admit. A bit more of an athletic build really, but she still looks like she'll kick my ass. At least I'll enjoy it. Hmhmhm... dammit.
Zen Grenadier
Herabec
Posted 8:24 PM 14/6/08
She's skinny, but you know, 0% body fat might make your muscles easy to see, but it doesn't make you strong.
Herabec
Frank
Posted 11:11 PM 14/6/08
What, no Jane Fonda fitness game for the Wii?
Frank
Sentouki
Posted 1:05 AM 15/6/08
Jesus Christ....world is ending.
Sentouki
beeporama (brian.j.parker)
Posted 2:57 AM 15/6/08
I'm really disgusted that the majority of comments are rating the fuckability of Michaels rather than responding to the news.
Anyway, my wife will dig this (she's insane, she works out like five times a week and has some of Michael's DVDs). With Wii Fit flying off shelves, the notion that this will do well is a no-brainer, as long as they get it to market before a bunch of shovelware "fitness games" burns consumers on the concept. And I have no doubt the shovelware is on its way...
beeporama (brian.j.parker)
crashlanding
Posted 5:45 AM 15/6/08
The Nintendo Wii? It's still a silly name IMO, but not a fad. Wii Fit? Definitely a fad, at least for the Fit software. They'll sell a ton, but it will wear off. The balance board has definite potential if there's enough GOOD software that uses it (this announcement and photo might be the only good part of this "game"). If not then the balance board will end up in console peripheral hell, like the Sega maraca controllers or the DK bongos.
As for Michaels, I wouldn't kick her out.
crashlanding
jaczor
Posted 3:31 PM 15/6/08
Her face kind of reminds me of Anthony Kiedis from RHCP.
jaczor
RubyMars
Posted 2:56 AM 17/6/08
You know, I'd actually feel more comfortable if my workouts were supervised by somebody as fat and clumsy as myself...
RubyMars
freespeech
Posted 6:43 AM 18/6/08
face has got to go but the rest - BOY I"D LIKE TO.......
freespeech