Sometimes opportunity for entrepreneurs comes from what is called “unintended consequences.” Unintended consequences are those situations in which your product or service is used in ways you didn’t originally anticipate. Giovan Cullotta, owner of Giovan’s Restaurant, has experienced such a phenomena first hand. Seems that some of his customers got to talking about not being able to bowl anymore because of the weight of bowling balls, and one thing led to another to the point where there is a weekly bowling league at his restaurant that uses the Wii Sports bowling game. ’s parent thinks this is the first use of a Wii by a group way out of their target market. Turns out, other seniors are also interested in “taking Wii’s out of their grandkids’ hands.”

"At the Sedgebrook retirement community in Lincolnshire, where the

average age is 77,something unexpected has been transpiring since

Christmas. The residents, most of whom have never picked up a video

game controller in their life, suddenly can't put the things

down."I've never been into video games," said 72-year-old Flora

Dierbach last week as her husband took a twirl with the Nintendo

Wii's bowling game. "But this is addictive."Dierbach said residents

love the Wii set up in the clubhouse lounge.They come in after

dinner and play," she said. "Sometimes, on Saturday afternoons,

their grandkids come play with them."A lot of grandparents are being

taught by their grandkids. But, now, some grandparents are instead

teaching their grandkids."The Wii has become so popular at Sedgebrook

that on Sunday afternoon there will be a video game bowling tournament

in the lounge. More than 20 residents have signed up to compete.

"We'll even have a fan for people to dry their hands before they bowl,"

said Dierbach,head of Sedgebrook's entertainment committee.If the retirees

in Lincolnshire are any proof, video games are no longer just kids' play.

And that's the whole idea, said Beth Llewelyn, Nintendo's senior director

of corporate communications."We certainly appreciate our 'core' gamers and

will continue to supply them with games,"  Llewelyn said."But the question is,

how do you build a bigger audience?" (From Chicago Tribune 16 Feb 07)

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We will use a Wii in class today, projected up on the “big screen” in the classroom, so students may be exposed first hand to what the Wii is all about. Video to follow tomorrow.

Think about it!