Nintendo unveils 'Wii Fit', 'Wii Wheel' & "Wii Zapper"

Nintendo, which is currently enjoying the sweet taste of success in the gaming industry and has just entered the top ten slot of Japan's most valuable companies after beating its arch rival Sony in market value, on Wednesday announced some new offerings for its wildly popular Wii video game device.

Kyoto, western Japan-based Nintendo yesterday at the E3 Media & Business Summit, unveiled a new pack-in zapper attachment, Wii Fit, an all-new health-focused title for the Wii, and new 'Wii Wheel'.

Demonstrating the new add-ons at the conference in Los Angeles, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the Wii Zapper, an Uzi-shaped motion-sensing controller, would likely lure more players into battle games and appeal to die-hard gamers devoted to first-person shooter titles.

The light-gun shell, Zapper holds the Wii-mote and Nunchuck controllers in order to create a fully functional gun peripheral complete with analogue stick.

"The Wii Zapper holds the same potential to change the nature of first-person shooters as the Wii remote did to other games," Fils-Aime said.

To be priced at $19.99, the Wii Zapper will come bundled with selected Nintendo software. Some titles that will be compatible with the new peripheral include Capcom's Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, SEGA's Ghost Squad, Medal of Honor Wii and an un-released title from Nintendo.

Wii Fit, an upcoming motion-controlled video game that features agility, balance and fitness challenges, is Nintendo’s another new offering for the Wii gamers.

Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto unveiled the new fitness program, called Wii Fit, and a weight-sensing 'balance board' peripheral that will come bundled with the new title, intended to improve the fitness of those who use it.

The wireless mat, Wii Balance Board, on which either players can stand, or rest their hands while doings push ups, can calculate users’ weight and their balance.

Due out in the first half of 2008, the new fitness game Wii Fit, designed to build on the sweat-inducing success of "Wii Sports," features four genres of activity: aerobics, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance.

Nintendo also introduced 'Wii Wheel', a wireless Wii Wheel for driving games that will be included with an online-enabled Mario Kart franchise.

By adding more to its revolutionary gaming device, Nintendo is apparently trying to compete more effectively as a general lounge room device with its console rivals from Microsoft and Sony.

Among the trio of next generation gaming consoles, Nintendo has emerged as the numero uno in May for the fifth consecutive month after selling 338,000 units of the popular Wii video game devices in the United States, repeatedly outshining both its rivals Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the US video game consoles market.

It recently has entered the top ten slot of Japan's most valuable companies for the first time with a value of 6.54 trillion yen ($53 billion), lagging behind its chief rival Sony Corp. in market value.

Nintendo’s recent rise has been attributed to the surging demand for its DS handheld game players and the popular Wii video game devices. The gaming device maker has recently announced an add-on for its handheld gaming device too. It unveiled a camera that fits well on the DS, and a little stand that holds the device upright sideways. The DS camera will plug into the handheld's GBA slot.