Miyamoto uncertain of Wii Fit's US fate

With Wii Fit set to arrive in the US May 19, Nintendo is bringing out the big guns for its public relations and marketing blitz. Yesterday the company held a media roundtable in New York to give the press an introduction to the physical fitness game, courtesy of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

One of CNET's Crave bloggers was in attendance to watch the Nintendo figurehead do some yoga stretches and field questions. In addition to discussing where he got the idea for the game, Miyamoto talked about Wii Fit's success in Japan, where it has already sold more than 2 million units. When asked what he expected the American response to the game would be, Miyamoto admitted it was tough to predict due to cultural differences.

According to the blog, "Miyamoto noted that on average, American families are apart more often than those in Japan. A lot of families have parents who have separated or divorced, so it's tougher to predict the role family will play in the American response to Wii Fit."

Miyamoto also teased the group with the possibility of Wii Fit interacting with the DS. The designer said he had "flirted" with the idea of having the game work in some fashion with the handheld, and he left the door open for connectivity down the line--raising the prospect of a DS calorie counter or fitness tracker.

As for what the developer would like to work on next, Miyamoto said he's looking forward to working on the Wii some more. He also reiterated his desire to make another entry in the Pikmin series of action strategy games.