We should have seen this one coming...

It seems like common sense now, but I'm still surprised at the news that Wii-fit related injuries are becoming so common that they have their own nicknames.

Wii-itis (LOL) started withe the use of the Wii-mote; doctors describe it as something similar to tennis elbow. Some cases have even led to stretched or torn ligaments, but these injuries aren't as serious as the ones that have been related to the Wii balance board.

Wii- knee, the least serious of balance board related injuries, is caused by erratic bending of the knees while playing games. I don't know at what difficulty these people are playing at, or how old they are, but dislocated knee caps have occurred during gameplay.

Falling off the balance board has led to head injuries, dislocated bones, and one case of traumatic hemothorax (bleeding around the lungs). As serious as this sounds, it's also hilarious. I'm surprised that there isn't a report for the number of injuries cause by accidentally wacking your friends over the head during a heated match of DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3. (click this link if you want to laugh)

Will this lead to diminishing sales for the Wii? maybe you'll think twice before giving grandma a balance board for her birthday, but I highly doubt that people stop playing the Wii because they might catch "Wii-itis." Any kind of physical activity has the potential to injure you, so this shouldn't be a shocker. In fact, people love to take risks, so this might actually boost Wii sales.

I actually see this as further proof that virtual world and meat world are becoming more integrated. I'll expand on the possibilities on another post =]

Oh yeah, got to share my sources. Check the original article.