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Nintendo's Newest Switch Accessories Are DIY Cardboard Toys (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the back-to-the-basics dept.

sqorbit writes: Nintendo has announced a new experience for its popular Switch game console, called Nintendo Labo. Nintendo Labo lets you interact with the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers by building things with cardboard. Launching on April 20th, Labo will allow you to build things such as a piano and a fishing pole out of cardboard pieces that, once attached to the Switch, provide the user new ways to interact with the device. Nintendo of America's President, Reggie Fils-Aime, states that "Labo is unlike anything we've done before." Nintendo has a history of non-traditional ideas in gaming, sometimes working and sometimes not. Cardboard cuts may attract non-traditional gamers back to the Nintendo platform. While Microsoft and Sony appear to be focused on 4K, graphics and computing power, Nintendo appears focused on producing "fun" gaming experiences, regardless of how cheesy or technologically outdated they me be. Would you buy a Nintendo Labo kit for $69.99 or $79.99? "The 'Variety Kit' features five different games and Toy-Con -- including the RC car, fishing, and piano -- for $69.99," The Verge notes. "The 'Robot Kit,' meanwhile, will be sold separately for $79.99."

4 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by MightyYar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We have one. It's fun because - even though there aren't many games out - the games tend to do multiplayer well. Most of the time it's 4 of the local kids playing Minecraft, Brawlout, or Mario Cart. Or 6 playing Just Dance (you can use any smart phone as a controller). If you are playing games solo, I assume you have better options - but I have no idea because that's not my hobby.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  2. This will be fun! by ElectraFlarefire · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Looking forward to taking one of these cardboard interface devises and using a OpenMV camera making my own generic interfaces.
    Very well done Nintendo! Not interested in the games at all, but the ideas and implementation of the cardboard part is very good.

  3. Won't someone please think of the children by LordKronos · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seriously, I'm sure many of you will be happily mocking Nintendo's newest effort. But I think this particular product isn't aimed at virgin gamers living in their mothers' basements. This product is aimed at families with children. My 7 year old daughter loves to cut up every cardboard box we get and make something out of it. She makes houses, cars, planes, and even a recreation of Wall-e. This sort of stuff is aimed at them. Only now they don't just get to create lifeless box items for their imagination. They can see the mechanics of how steering wheels, pianos, and fishing reels work. The can see the pulley's and cameras driving this stuff. This is engineering for elementary school kids. You want to promote kids getting into STEM fields? Try cultivating their imaginations instead of mocking it.

    1. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by damnbunni · · Score: 3, Interesting

      That's some interesting math.

      Using Amazon's prices as representative street prices, instead of MSRP, the Xbox One S is $234, the PS4 is $279.

      Full retail games for all the consoles are the same price.

      So a Switch with Minecraft and Rocket League (assuming you paid list, not a sale price) would still leave you with $163 in change from the other consoles alone to buy games with.

      There are plenty of reasons to have an Xbox and a PS4 instead of a Switch, and 'I want to play Forza' is certainly a valid one.

      But 'a Switch is more than an Xbox and a PS4 put together' is not one of them.