1. Nintendo & AHA Will Announce Wii Vitality Sensor May 17th
David Novak (The GadgetGUY) is a syndicated columnist who reviews and features the latest in
consumer technology. For cutting-edge information on what’s hot and what’s new in gadgets and
gizmos , The GadgetGUY has his pulse on everything related to computers, camcorders, car tech,
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May 18, 2010
Nintendo and the American Heart Association will co-host a press event in New York City this
Monday, May 17. The brief press release for the event does not offer any indication as to what the
announcement will be, but Nintendo's upcoming Vitality Sensor, designed to measure a player's pulse,
seems the likely focus of the event -- and the sort of thing the American Heart Association would be
into co-promoting. Additionally, only the Wii is highlighted in the release, and not the DS, suggesting
this is a Wii-related event.

2. With the Vitality Sensor scheduled for a 2010 release, now seems like a good time for Nintendo to start
talking about its features and software. President Satoru Iwata declared in a press conference a while
back that Nintendo would like to deliver the Wii Vitality Sensor not too late in the year.
Here's the press release.........
�
American Heart Association and Nintendo Join Forces to Promote Healthy Living Through Active-Play
Video Games
Consumers Motivated to ‘Get Informed, Get Empowered, Get Active’
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The American Heart Association and Nintendo of
America today announced a first-of-its-kind, multifaceted strategic relationship aimed at
helping people create healthy lifestyles through physically active play. The two
organizations will work together on multiple fronts to help consumers discover how active-
play video games contribute to healthy living. Their joint efforts will arm consumers with
information, provide people with hands-on experiences and arrange a summit of
representatives from different backgrounds to discuss the benefits of active-play video
games.
“Our two organizations come from different worlds, but we share a common goal,” said
Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. “Showing people
accessible ways to stay active has been a part of our mission for decades, but our research
tells us nearly 70 percent of Americans are getting no regular physical activity. As an
organization we are looking for ways to change this. Nintendo has demonstrated clear
leadership in active-play video games with the popularity of the Wii system, and I’m
confident that together we can encourage Americans to become more physically active.”
Recent research indicates that the average person spends more than eight hours of each day
sitting down*. The American Heart Association has been conducting its own studies to
investigate the reasons why many Americans aren’t more physically active. In a recent
survey, more than half of respondents identified lack of time as one of the main obstacles
preventing them from enjoying regular physical activity. Of those who almost never
exercise, nearly 40 percent said that “exercise is not fun.” The American Heart Association
and Nintendo aim to help eliminate these common barriers with a call to action that
motivates people to “Get Informed,” “Get Empowered” and “Get Active.”
“Nintendo has been helping people get up off the couch and get playing since the Wii
system launched in 2006,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice
president of Sales & Marketing. “By joining forces with the American Heart Association,
we further our commitment to bringing fun and accessible active-play video games to a
broader audience.”
To “Get Informed” about products that can be used to create a more physically active lifestyle,
consumers will see the iconic American Heart Association brand on boxes for the Wii Fit™ Plus and
Wii Sports Resort™ software and for the Wii™ system itself beginning this summer. Nintendo and the
American Heart Association will also launch an online information center at

3. www.activeplaynow.com, where visitors can read about the benefits of physically active
play, conduct personal assessments and learn more about living a more physically active
lifestyle.
Additionally, later this year Nintendo and the American Heart Association will convene a
multidisciplinary summit of representatives from areas such as science, health care,
research, physical activity, fitness and video gaming. The goal will be to bring together
thought leaders, each with a unique perspective, to take a closer look at the synergies and
potential benefits of active-play video games and physically active lifestyles. Some of the
people involved in the development of the summit include Dr. Timothy Church, exercise
physiologist and chair of the American Heart Association’s Physical Activity Committee;
Hank Wasiak, a communications industry leader and self-help author; and Michael D.
Gallagher, president and chief executive officer of the Entertainment Software Association,
the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers.
“Video games’ remarkable ability to inspire and motivate are keys to reaching new
audiences. This alliance between Nintendo and the American Heart Association marks an
extraordinary opportunity, not only for both groups but for the interactive entertainment
software industry at large,” Gallagher said. “At a time when most Americans could benefit
from more regular physical exercise, these high-profile efforts to promote healthy
entertainment help to make active-play video games even more appealing to consumers of
all kinds.”
The American Heart Association and Nintendo also will help people to “Get Empowered”
by making personal choices about creating a healthy lifestyle. People can find fun new
ways to incorporate physical activity into their lives, such as participating in Start! Heart
Walk events and using the American Heart Association’s My Life Check test to evaluate
their lifestyles. The relationship is also designed to help people “Get Active” through
active-play video games like Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, which also will
be showcased at select Start! Heart Walk events around the country.
Separate from this strategic relationship, the American Heart Association has recognized
Nintendo of America as one of its Start! Fit-Friendly Companies, a designation for
employers who go above and beyond when it comes to their employees’ health and provide
opportunities for wellness in the workplace.
For more information about Nintendo, visit www.nintendo.com. For more information
about the American Heart Association, visitamericanheart.org.
*According to a December 2009 poll by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health.
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