Okay, so last Christmas we wrote this article about the Nintendo Wii, and how seniors all over the country have fallen in love with video games. Weird, huh? All it took was a switch from controllers to natural motion. Seniors hate tiny buttons, as we all know. And, as it turns out, most of us prefer natural motion as well. Well, it’s even more true today than it was a year ago. In fact, recent studies show that men and women over the age of 50 now represent more than one quarter of all video game players! Amazing, isn’t it?

The Wii remains a proven hit with seniors, particularly those who have built in competition within an assisted living community or skilled nursing center. If you can’t get out and play golf on the links anymore, maybe you can still play 9 holes in your living room, right? But this Christmas, the Wii has its first real competition: The XBOX 360 Kinect.

Enter the XBOX 360 Kinect

If you haven’t seen the barrage of television ads, you certainly will! The Kinect is a truly revolutionary product. It takes the Wii idea to the next level. Now, you don’t even need to hold on to a motion sensor controller. All you need to do is set up the Kinect Sensor, and it senses your movements. Now you can control your game by simply moving your body, or giving voice commands!

The system is brand new, so it is expensive, to be sure. The sensor addition to the XBOX 360 console is about $200 right now, and the games are $50. It gets worse for those who do not already have an XBOX 360, because you have to have the console in order to play the Kinect games, and the console will run you from $150 to $200. So you will need to expect to pay well over $350 to grab this system.

But will it be worth it? I guess that depends on the seniors in your life. If they have enough mobility, and a good eight feet of empty space in their living room, then it is almost certain to be a hit. Not only can they play games on the system, they can also watch DVD’s, stream music, and even video conference with the grandkids (Note: This feature costs a bit extra: $50 per year is what I have heard). But all of this can be operated with voice commands! This might be the biggest selling point of all. They can sit on the couch and speak to the computers as if they are the Starship Enterprise! They can “ENGAGE” the family through gaming or conferencing even if they live in an elder care community.

Now that, young man, is cool!

So, why Wii? Why now?

The Nintendo Wii is completely different than previous video games. The controls are not primarily based on pushing tiny buttons, but on motion. The player holds on to a control (sometimes one in each hand) and simulates the movement of the “virtual” player on the screen. In this way, people can “play” tennis without ever stepping out on a court, or bowl a twelve pound bowling ball even if they haven’t been inside a bowling alley in tweny years!

Kids love the Wii, of course, but seniors are maybe the ones who are most impressed.

Many therapists are starting to use the system in their practice, because it is a simple and fun way to encourage muscular motion. Some have dubbed it “Wii-hab.” The trend has stayed true in Oregon. Seniors all over the state have gotten into the game for exercise, entertainment, and even competition!

The Nintendo Wii retails for around $200, and the games range from $20 for simpler games to more than $80 for a game like Wii Fit, which includes a high-tech “Balance Board,” which is necessary for many of the activities.

The Wii makes an ideal Christmas present for grandparents, especially those who wish they could be more active. And the biggest plus of all could be this: the Wii could be an ideal place for grandpa to rub shoulders with his grandkids.