Assessing Interest Level in the Nintendo Wii For Use In Vision Therapy

Background: This pilot study sought to establish interest in the use of the Nintendo Wii
gaming system for use in vision therapy (VT). An initial literature review investigated
the classic modalities ofVT, sought to understand general attitudes towards VT, and
collected basic information on the Nintendo Wii. An experimental study and survey
compared the overall interest level and ease of use between classic VT activities and
proposed Nintendo Wii activities.
Methods: Three potential VT activities using the Nintendo Wii were explored or evaluated.
The activities seemed to provide visual challenges but the actual degree of applicability of the activities for VT was not examined in this study. Three classic VT activities were selected to serve as the comparative cohort: Marsden Ball, Wayne-Saccadic Fixator, and Peg Rotator. This pilot study used optometry students with a basic understanding of the purpose and goals ofVT to complete the classic therapies and Nintendo Wii activities. After partaking in each of the activities, students completed a survey comparing the traditional therapies to the Nintendo Wii activities.
Results: All participants surveyed had used the classic VT equipment before while only
56.7% had experience with the Wii. Over eighty three percent (83.4%) of participants
found the classic VT instructions easy to understand; versus 700/o found Wii instructions
easy to understand. Thirty percent (30%) found Wii activities difficult to perform while
only 6.7% found classic VT difficult to perform. Almost seventy percent (69.7%) found
Wii activities enjoyable versus 39.7% found classic VT activities enjoyable. None of the
participants "got bored" during the Wii activities versus 26.7% "got bored" during classic
VT. Forty percent (40%) of participants stated they are likely to purchase or already have
access to or own a Wii Unit versus 86.7% stated they were unlikely or would never
purchase classic VT equipment for their own home. Over seventy three percent (73.3%)
would engage in Wii activities in their free time versus 6. 7% would engage in classic VT.
Conclusions: Subjects reported that they had more previous exposure to the traditional
VT activities compared with the Nintendo Wii gaming system. Students found the
instructions for the Nintendo Wii slightly more difficult to understand and the activities
somewhat more difficult to perform. Subjects found the Nintendo Wii activities more
enjoyable and engaging than the traditional VT activities. Students reported that they
would be more likely to purchase a Nintendo Wii for their home than the traditional
devices. The students reported that they would be more likely engage in Nintendo Wii
activities in their free time compared with traditional VT activities.