The Nintendo Wii: The New Piano

Ever since I bought my Nintendo Wii to look into its exercise potential, I’ve been struck by how much it reminds me of pianos. Thats right, pianos. Do you remember as a kid gathering around the piano with your family to sing songs and have fun bonding with them? No? Me either… but I saw it in a movie once and thought it looked boring. Welcome society’s new and vastly improved piano, the Nintendo Wii.

When this thought struck me, that Wii’s are like pianos, I questioned myself. Are they really? Aren’t they just the same as television, where we all gather around and stare like zombies at the “tube”? Aren’t they just promoting the often referred demise of the family unit by encouraging more of this behavior? Firstly, I don’t have a degree in social anthropology, but I believe the perception of the so called demise of the family unit is just that, a perception. What!? Its not just a perception, its a fact! You cry. Without rambling on about it, we get that perception from the media- its more interesting to hear about dysfunctional families than functional ones. I mean, someone please tell me what the difference is between a large concert full of people watching the opera, and millions of people watching a soap opera behind their t.v.’s with their families? There is none, it is our perception of it that’s different.

What’s this got to to do with the Wii? Well, my whole social anthropology spiel above is to make a point that the family isn’t dead or fundamentally wrong these days, it’s just changed so quickly that people perceive it to be worse than before. But you know, its all apples & oranges. Today’s family is very different to the classic 1950′s image of happy families. And the new society it lives in includes a culture which loves gadgets, things and toys, and loves entertainment. That leaves our piano out in the cold and the Nintendo Wii at the 21st century “fire place” that is the television.

Why do I keep referring to the Wii as the new piano? Because it’s sorta similar to the fireplace or television… you all gather around and talk, but there’s a bit more that makes the Wii a piano, its that it gets us interacting and bonding over a new shared activity.

Have you noticed how you’ll speak to your family while you watch the t.v. about what you’ve just watched? You discuss it, remark about how good or bad a sitcom is or about starving people in Africa, but you rarely ever share an experience like you do sitting around the piano. Everyone used to get involved around the piano- one person woud play while the rest would gather around and sing. Do you notice any similarities yet? Every time the Wii comes out in my house, whether it be friends or family that are around, a similar pattern emerges. A couple of us play and the rest gather around and talk about it. We instruct each other, we compete against each other and we enjoy a brand new experience together much like singing songs on a piano.

Nintendo Wii: The New Piano… Only more space friendly… and more Fun!

Wiiano, anyone?