Nintendo, American Heart Association Partner to Promote Healthy Living

The American Heart Association and Nintendo have established a partnership to encourage the American public -- and video game players, in particular -- to live healthier lifestyles supported by physical activity. The companies have agreed to provide consumers with information regarding how activity-driven video games, including a number of titles in Nintendo's Wii software lineup, contribute to healthy living. As part of the agreement, Nintendo's Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort games will carry the American Heart Association brand logo. Nintendo and the American Heart Association have jointly launched a consumer information center at www.activeplaynow.com, and both companies will spearhead a multidisciplinary summit concerning activity-based gameplay later this year. The upcoming summit will showcase a number of speakers, including Dr. Timothy Church, exercise physiologist and chair of the American Heart Association’s Physical Activity Committee; Hank Wasiak, a communications industry leader and self-help author; and Michael D. Gallagher, president and chief executive officer of the Entertainment Software Association. "Our two organizations come from different worlds, but we share a common goal," said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. "Showing people accessible ways to stay active has been a part of our mission for decades, but our research tells us nearly 70 percent of Americans are getting no regular physical activity. As an organization we are looking for ways to change this. Nintendo has demonstrated clear leadership in active-play video games with the popularity of the Wii system, and I’m confident that together we can encourage Americans to become more physically active." "Nintendo has been helping people get up off the couch and get playing since the Wii system launched in 2006," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "By joining forces with the American Heart Association, we further our commitment to bringing fun and accessible active-play video games to a broader audience."