Nintendo said Wednesday that it will begin selling its previously announced Wii balance board in Japan in time for the holiday shopping season. The device is bundled with a game called Wii Fit, which allows the user to perform a variety of fitness activities, including aerobics, yoga, skiing, and others which require a good sense of balance. The company is billing it as its most important product for the holiday season.

At a price of 8,800 yen, the device goes on sale December 1. Nintendo hopes that it will not only be a hit among current Wii owners, but also bring new customers to the console. The Wii has consistently outsold Sony's PS3 in the region, and Nintendo's success probably had a lot to do with Sony's announcement Tuesday that it was cutting prices in Japan on its PlayStation 3 console. The Wii Fit package is said to be on track for an international debut in early 2008.