When people were telling me the Nintendo Wii was going to be THE holiday gift this year, I was skeptical. After all, it has been available for some time, and there were a lot of other options : the iPod touch, iPhone, something Elmo?

But when I visited my siblings - who all have young children - I was coerced into some Wii games. Now I am hooked. Actually, worse than that - I am addicted and my limbs are sore.

My personal favorite is bowling…perhaps because I score a good 100 points better on average on the Wii than in real life.

This sight is music to my eyes…nothing like a strike.

But I must admit I am impressed at how well the Wii is selling and how well it has been received with not all that much branding and advertising as its competitors. Perhaps there is some merit to the idea that a good idea is all the advertising you need.