Whether you want to call it software as a service like Microsoft started doing nearly 10 years ago, or cloud computing as all the super cool tech players refer to it now, the end result is essentially the same.  Distribution of content (including music, movies, games, and even books) is moving at a rapid pace from the physical realm to the digital one.  Numbered are the days where we will go to actual stores to purchase "hard copies" of the media that we acquire.  Instead, an internet connection will effectively be the primary (if not sole) delivery method for which new media is located, purchased and obtained.

As for contemporary examples, iTunes has showed that consumers are more than willing to embrace a business model where they don't own physical media.  If anything, consistently declining CD sales and the sheer number of failed proceeding formats (Minidisk, SACD, DVD-Audio, et al.) is proof positive of that.  In the movie industry, the Blockbusters and Movie Galleries of the world are giving way to much more accessible alternatives, particularly On Demand options from Pay TV providers, online distributors like NetFlix, and even game consoles.  Speaking of the gaming industry, services like Steam and Direct2Drive are continuing to experience exponential growth, while retail sales have began shrinking a bit.  This is particularly evident in the PC market where the presence of titles in your typical Gamestop store ranges from extremely slim to absolutely nil.

So the utopia of digital distribution that content providers have been touting is finally starting to come to fruition.  For years we've been told that this delivery system holds so many more benefits than traditional brick-and-mortar models where physical media is exchanged.  For providers, it gives them greater control over their products, particularly the distribution aspects falling more in line with the licensing of content that commercial games, movies, and music are subjected to.  In fact, digital distribution is the content delivery embodiment of the classic licensing model that says buyers really don't own anything but permitted access.

With consumers begining to jump on the bandwagon and critical markets once dominated by retail sales of physical copies starting to switch over as well, what are the benefits to the consumer?  Other than the lack of requiring said media to be physically "in-hand" when accessing, not much.  Quite honestly, buyer perks really should be more than this and consumers should start demanding those benefits before their omission is assumed rather than just overlooked.

Upon it's release a couple years back, I was pretty intrigued with Wii Fit.  In the companys continued effort to get gamers off the couch and become more active, Nintendo had stuck its neck out a bit and introduced a product specifically targeted at improving balance, body weight, and general overall health.  Previous entries in this genre had only been met with limited success.  The NES Power Pad, the Sega Activator, and a slew of other forgotten peripherals immediately spring to mind.  So why was the company once again going back to a well that had never reaped the kind of profits one would expect.

Two words:  Balance Board.

Simple in design and so intuitive a small child can figure it out fairly quickly, this peripheral (along with the entire motion controlled nature of the Wii) is undoubtedly the catalyst for the success of Wii Fit.  On sight, it looks like a "step" not much different than one would find in the fitness department at Kmart.  The difference is the tech that lurks underneath.  It's not just a step for performing physical movements, but it also measures weight and balance, along with minute shifts in both.  It is fairly accurate at calculating even the slightest differences in movement.  By design, this nearly forces the user to maintain correct posture, positioning, and weight distribution when performing the various games and exercises included in Wii Fit.  How do I know if I'm doing something right or wrong?  On-screen indicators tell me with easy to understand visual cues.  It couldn't get anymore simpler than that.

So the technology definitely works, it fits in with Nintendo's push for motion control this generation, and the game/device combo is still flying off the shelves at stores everywhere.  From that standpoint it is an undeniable success.  However, the more pertinent question for the inactive or overweight individual considering a purchase is "does it work?"  A secondary question may be "is it fun?"  By the end of this review, hopefully I'll have answered both.