Just kidding!.
I've recently (like 2 days ago!) given in the the rage that is the Nintendo Wii. All I can say is that it is one AWESOME piece of machinery.
1.Why do you think Wii gaming has appeal to people who are not traditional video game players?
Wii gaming is able to be used by people of all ages (my 3 year old can use it!) and all physical abilities. Games range in their difficulty and the amount of interaction required by the participant, so they are able to moderate how much interaction they feel comfortable with. You don't have to be a cybergeek to work out how to use the controls. It really is a device that can be used by anyone.
2.What is the relevance here to occupational therapy?
The Nintendo Wii can be used as both an assessment and intervention tool. Observations can be made whilst a client is participating in a task. As an intervention it provides various activities that mimic real life occupations. There is a wide variety of games for player to engage in, ranging from Tennis, archery, golf, canoeing, through to karaoke and fitness programmes. So there is a massive appeal across ages, genders, and interests.
3.Investigate the other applications offered by the Wii gaming consol, how else could it be used as an OT tool?
The Wii software that is available is endless. One software that could be useful in mimicing kitchen assessments, preparing meals, and sequencing is Cooking Mama. This software allows the user to follow recipes, use the Wii wand to mimic the use of cooking utensils (chopping, slicing, mashing, stirring etc) providing a real sensation of cooking, it also shows visible changes in the look at texture of the recipes being created. Use of a Nintendo Wii could help to assess and improve balance, fine and gross motor skills, cognition, muscle tone and strength. The benefits of the Wii on OT is endless.
Here is a link to a blog specifically looking at WiiHab in OT http://wiihabtherapy.blogspot.com/
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