This isn't something we as gamers have really heard before; we have had consoles slated for many years over whether they are good for us or not. I used to get told by my parents that my eyes will turn square if I play too much, and I'm ko. Now we have the motion-sensing abilities of the Nintendo Wii and all this has changed.
For most of us, the Wii is just a console with some amazing features, unlike any other so far. The motion-sensing abilities I believe have changed the way we see the future of playing video games as a whole. But now take a step back and think about people with physical/mental disabilities. Not all of them will be able to play such games, especially using a control-pad. The buttons will be too small and fiddly, and remembering to press the correct one at the right time can be extremely hard and frustrating, if not impossible. This means big companies like Sony or Microsoft are going to be losing out on a new category of gamer. Whereas Nintendo, by pushing new technologies and gambling with new concepts have increased their target audiences exponentially, and have in fact created new gamer types. They are now developing games for the family at home, the casual gamer, and girl gamers, three genres that up until now have been left in the corner to rot.
 
But could there be another new type of gamer? There have been many reports now on how teachers and carers of disabled people are using the Nintendo Wii with their clients to help improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as well as it being an educational tool. Jean Tyrrell, a physical-education teacher for kids with autism at Patterson Mill Middle/High School in the US, said "The kids really like Wii and I think it's great. It gives the children with autism an age-appropriate leisure activity to do." Again another very important idea to introduce; they are kids that have wants and needs like any other child but are less fortunate and struggle to fit in with their peers. This way they can behave like ‘normal' kids while practising important movements and skills. Tyrrell went on to say "We have students who aren't autistic who come in and want to show the kids how to play Wii." So now, because of the charm of the Wii, "they bond with the boys in the autism program, and they are so into figuring out who these boys are." So now, not only learning movements and skills, they get to interact with their peers in a fun and exciting way, letting both parties learn from each other. Some children may not know what autism is, but this way they will learn from a young age, and hopefully grow to respect others with any type of disability.
 
Of course this doesn't just stop with autism; the fantastic control scheme of the Wii can help many more people with physical or mental problems. A balloon popping game has been used at Newcastle University's Institute of Neuroscience to help children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, a condition which around one in 1000 children suffers from. It affects one leg and one arm on the same side of the body making it extremely hard to control and move that area of the body. Without regular training to these limbs they will get stiffer and stiffer, and this is why the Wii has succeeded once again. To play the balloon game you target the balloons with the wiimote and fire with the nunchuck, making the Wii's two handed playing style and on-screen pointer incredibly useful. They are being used to keep the arms lose and relaxed, while at the same time moving them around to keep aim, keeping an area of hand-eye coordination with the on-screen pointer. Professor Eyre said "We're getting them to the stage where, without thinking about it, they use that hand." A fantastic achievement I think you'll agree.
 
So as the future of gaming progresses, let's not forget the less fortunate and maybe we will see a range of video games specifically designed for the disabled, not only using the wiimote and nunchuck combination, but also using the balance board and other peripherals to help, train and teach. Eventually making gaming open to all, and not seem like a health risk but something much more beneficial.