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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power, Nintendo appears focused on producing "fun" gaming experiences, regardless of how cheesy or technologically outdated they me be.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."

75 comments

  1. Who is buying the stupid thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    There is iPad, which should be enough for every idiot out there.

    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. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by mmdurrant · · Score: 1

      I bought it purely for BOTW and have picked up a few more titles. I've loaned it to friends and family and it's got a bunch of use. Great investment IMO.

      --
      I see my shadow changing, stretching up and over me...
    3. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by damnbunni · · Score: 1

      There aren't many games out?

      There are 403 games in the Switch download shop. (Okay, some of those entries are duplicates - like a game, and game-plus-DLC. But not that many. And one of the things is a non-game.)

      There are 37 Switch-exclusive games out, and 15 more that are Switch or 3DS only, no other console/PC.

      I can't think of another console that has had this many games in its first year. Granted a lot of those are arcade and indie ports, but there's certainly no lack of games to play on the thing. And there's certainly some crap in there (hogod, Vroom in the Night Sky), but not all that much, either.

    4. Re: Who is buying the stupid thing by PoopJuggler · · Score: 1

      They've sold 10 million of them, so maybe you're the idiot.

    5. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol are you fucking retarded or just trolling?

      I'll guess both. Fuck off, shitstain.

    6. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've spent more time on the switch this in less than a year than I've spent in all the years owning a ps4.

    7. Re:Who is buying the stupid thing by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      Yeah, your numbers are probably right - but misleading. When you are game shopping, it feels like mostly retreads. There are only a few titles that make the console worth buying at the moment. I think one part of the disconnect for me is we are not using the portable aspect, so old titles like Stardew Valley hold little appeal.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    8. Re: Who is buying the stupid thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That says more about you than it does about the switch or the PS4.

      Anecdotes are like assholes...everybody has one.

  2. I rather play with by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    My cat in a cardboard box than any new Nintendo game. So I guess they are half way to winning me back with the card board idea. It does beg the question though, how will they re release these cardboard toys over and over and over while adding nothing new like their business model with handhelds, consoles, and Nintendo store.

  3. SQUEEEEEEE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So excited!

  4. rio was not terror by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    was media. driver was a lobo junkie. same happened in porto alegre and the driver could be from rbs or othe shit channel

  5. The Left will fall for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Just put Organic on the box.

    1. Re: The Left will fall for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The right will fall for it if you put "Great for bigoted racist redneck morons!" on the box.

    2. Re: The Left will fall for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      So you admit you are a sand n1gger faggot out of caves of shitty hindustan, having a goat for a cousin?

    3. Re: The Left will fall for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Leftwing humour comes across as butthurt sniveling. I'd like you guys if you weren't so goddamn serious, but Trump and his promise of Gorilla Channel for all americans won me over.

    4. Re: The Left will fall for it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The republican âoebigotâ, âoeracistâ, âoeredneckâ labels are getting really old. Itâ(TM)s too bad you guys canâ(TM)t come up with new material.

    5. Re: The Left will fall for it by PoopJuggler · · Score: 1

      Yeah everyone should just forget that you guys are all those things and stfu and let this country get raped back to the 1920s by rich white people who only care about getting richer.

  6. SHARKS? Nooooo! Wait. Are there lasers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    [Trump] is obsessed with sharks. Terrified of sharks. He was like, âoeI donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks. I hope all the sharks die.â He was like riveted. He was like obsessed. Itâ(TM)s so strange, I know.

    http://www.intouchweekly.com/p...

  7. it's a money pit by known_coward_69 · · Score: 2, Funny

    $300 for the console, $60 for the games, $50 or whatever for the SD card because Nintendo is cheap on space, $80 or so for extra controller, taxes and now $70 each for CARDBOARD toys that cost $1 or so to make.

    They can be #3 in the console game and still make out from all the suckers willing to shell out all this money

    meanwhile one of my kids can't get enough for a $27 copy of Minecraft on the PC and the other one plays Forza on a $189 xbox one s

    1. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      You buy the game, it comes with cardboard. If you ruin the cardboard you can download the plans directly from Nintendo for $0 and make it yourself. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

    2. Re:it's a money pit by pots · · Score: 5, Informative

      At first glance I made this mistake too. For some reason they've chosen to focus their marketing effort on the cardboard, and not on the game that you play with the cardboard. This gives the impression that you're shelling out really a lot of money for some punched cardboard that have have to assemble yourself. In fact, that $80 robot kit comes with a $60 game. The cardboard is just a substitute for the plastic controllers which were so popular on the Wii.

      If you look at it in that light, the cardboard is an improvement: It's cheaper than the plastic controllers, it's more environmentally friendly, it takes up less shelf space, etc. The only downside is that it's not as sturdy. This is possibly a large drawback.

      The confusing bit is that they don't call the game a game, they call it "kit software," and it makes up a very small part of the advertising. I think they're trying to spin it as educational, and the fact that you have to assemble it yourself is a positive because... creativity. Or something. The problem is this gives the impression that this whole business is way overpriced.

    3. Re:it's a money pit by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      You should watch the video.

    4. Re:it's a money pit by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      still a money pit

    5. Re:it's a money pit by mentil · · Score: 1

      The software should cost more like what '1, 2, Switch' does. Otherwise, I think it's a great idea. The game comes with stencils so you can remake the pieces with your own cardboard, if the originals get destroyed. Hopefully the software can be customized to work with your own cardboard designs, if shareable it could take off like Mario Maker.

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    6. Re: it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being broke must suck

    7. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Nintendo fanboi/sucker spotted.

    8. Re: it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haters gonna hate.

    9. Re:it's a money pit by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      $300 for the console, $60 for the games, $50 or whatever for the SD card because Nintendo is cheap on space, $80 or so for extra controller

      Tell me about it. All that money and what do you get, a system capable of 4 player split screen, including a game for less than the cost of any other system ... without a game ... and only capable of single player.

    10. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sad, immature, lonely retard spotted. :) Just kill yourself, it's better for you.

    11. Re:it's a money pit by karnal · · Score: 1

      The cardboard can prepare you to be an Ikea furniture assembler!

      *posting human has never assembled Ikea furniture

      --
      Karnal
    12. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1, 2, Switch was released at a price of U$S 60.

    13. Re: it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the op probably isn't broke cause they are not funneling money into the shitter over dumb toys

    14. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But he's right. That actually counts for something in a discussion.

    15. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, but she is 100% wrong. She is a childish moron and so are you. Grow up and stop being so butthurt and taking personal offense to criticism of corporations that you have absolutely nothing to do with, little girl.

      Oh and if you don't like what I write, then don't read it. See, I can apply the same idiotic, conversation stifling logic as you and your little buddy above.

    16. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL @ split screen.

      This is 2018, not 1992. We don't have to game crammed together on low resolution, postage stamp sized sections of a single screen any more.

    17. Re:it's a money pit by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      Yes, this is 2018. Now we have to pay Playstation Network $80/year for the privilege of multiplayer games with our buddy sitting at the other end of the couch - and he has to drag his own console, controller and flat panel TV along to do it.

      Unless you're sitting behind an Apple AirPort, of course... because Apple's NAT-PMP doesn't work well with most Playstation games so you can only have one console online at a time.

    18. Re:it's a money pit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, cause I play PC games online or run my own private game servers without having to pay anything but my ISP, which I already need anyway. The wonderful thing about the internet is that nobody has to lug anything or even go anywhere. We can all play right in the comfort of our own homes with all of the benefits of playing together and none of the downsides. Get with the times.

  8. 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.

    1. Re: This will be fun! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Suck donkey balls Mario

  9. 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 sqorbit · · Score: 1

      Well said!

      --
      Sent from my TARDIS
    2. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is Slashdot. If it doesn'h appeal to the 40-something with a dead marriage, diverse investment portfolio, and "get off my lawn" attitude, it's automatically a piece of shit or a conspiracy by "the left".

      Whatever imagination those fools had died with their sex life, assuming they had one to begin with.

    3. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stop virgin shaming!

    4. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      i have two kids. one plays forza another one minecraft and rocket league. they also play tekken with a friend and some other games.

      for the price of one switch and two games i have a xbox one s, ps4 and at least a dozen games

    5. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Switch though is heavily targeted at a slightly older audience and so far even the Nintendo fan even on fan sites are heavily mocking it.

    6. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's great. now if only Nintendo targeted that audience with the switch. As it is it tends to be mostly focused on the 10-20 year old range. and what they call the young adult range of 20-30. If this is them trying to get a new audience then that is great, hope it works, if it is aimed at their user base then it is a massive fucking fail.

    7. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by LordKronos · · Score: 1

      Good for you. I have an xbox one too (no PS4 though...sony can fuck off before they ever get a penny from me). My kids by far prefer Nintendo games, as do I. Enjoy what you like or can afford.

    8. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by LordKronos · · Score: 1

      Not sure what you mean? My 7 year old daughter loves Zelda, Mario, Arms, and Snipperclips. And I think Nintendo has always targeted the family. Customers grew up loving nintendo, have kids, and then share nintendo gaming with their kids.

    9. 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.

    10. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Every review I've seen for the thing has been very positive.

    11. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      christmas season they were $189 and $199. AAA games were like $10 to $15.

      and I didn't buy them on amazon cause it's a rip off. gamestop, target or digital copies

    12. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by PoopJuggler · · Score: 1

      Whoopdie do. For the price of your Xbox, PS4 and dozens of games I can get a Raspberry Pi, emulators, ROMs and still have $400 in my pocket.

    13. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      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.

      Nice strawman. No one was mocking it. Relax.

    14. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not saying they don't have quite a few of the very young, but the simple fact is the majority of their user base is 10+.

    15. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 0

      Yeah? You got a ROM of Persona 5 that runs on Raspberry Pi?

      --
      Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
    16. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "(no PS4 though...sony can fuck off before they ever get a penny from me)"

      Cool. I said the exact same thing to Microsoft while happily enjoying PS4 exclusives. (Mind you, I'm not a FPS fan, so it's like I'm not missing a damned thing. :D)

    17. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't think of ONE single reason to ever buy a PS4 or X1. They're just shittier PCs. Nintendo has the only console ever worth owning.

    18. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoopdie do. For the price of your Xbox, PS4 and dozens of games I can get a gaming PC and better games.

    19. Re: Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suspect you are lying to yourself. Pretty sure you know it's a lie as well.

    20. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All I have to say is if that somehow ISN'T the largest group of virgin gamers ever, there's a serious epidemic in America.

    21. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Elementary school kids generally tend not to live in the basement.

    22. Re:Won't someone please think of the children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just as a Switch is a shittier tablet.

  10. Please Nintendo, stop with the gimmicky controls by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one wants this shit any more than we wanted the fucking Wiimote or Power Glove. Give us a lump of plastic with buttons and thumbsticks and stop trying to cover up how shit your games are by making people play them with even shittier controllers.

  11. API? by jpatters · · Score: 1

    What I'd like to see is for them to release the API so you can make your own arbitrary things out of cardboard and then program the console to sense and interact with your creations. That would be awesome.

    --
    "Remember, there never were pineapple-almond cookies here."
    1. Re:API? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What I'd like to see is for them to release the API so you can make your own arbitrary things out of cardboard and then program the console to sense and interact with your creations. That would be awesome.

      I for one welcome our new cardboard overlords - at least until it rains.

  12. Re:Please Nintendo, stop with the gimmicky control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hahahahaha yeah nintendo makes bad games and ferrari make bad cars and gordon ramsay can't cook, you pathetic excuse for a troll hahaha
    BTW preorders for this are already sold out on amazon, and everyone is loving the idea, oohhhh doesn't that sting? Poor little guy, LOL

  13. Cost of replacement. by Eloking · · Score: 1

    Considering most of the cost should come from the game (and not the cardboard), I wonder how much it'll cost to replace the cardboard when you (eventually) break them.

    --
    Elok
    1. Re:Cost of replacement. by vux984 · · Score: 1

      It's cardboard.

      Assuming you can get some templates, and I'd be shocked if they weren't available either from Nintendo or from fans within days, then it's very much a minimal cost / minimal difficulty DIY project.

    2. Re:Cost of replacement. by Eloking · · Score: 1

      It's cardboard.

      Assuming you can get some templates, and I'd be shocked if they weren't available either from Nintendo or from fans within days, then it's very much a minimal cost / minimal difficulty DIY project.

      Oh I'm sure they will be cheap to produce, but I don't think will send replacement for free neither.

      So the question is how much will the replacement cost?

      --
      Elok
    3. Re:Cost of replacement. by vux984 · · Score: 1

      Again, its just cardboard.

      I can't imagine why you couldn't *make your own replacements*, even if Nintendo ends up charging silly amounts, or discontinues the product before you are done playing with it.

      And I can see the 3d-printing people having a field day with this too. And then that opens the possibility of linking it with Lego...

    4. Re:Cost of replacement. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Make your own replacements with improvements. Maybe the RC car will work better with Popsicle sticks as legs. Maybe one of the robot arms could be modified into a shoe for kicking?

      Or the little house could be integrated into an already existing doll-house.

      People knocking this are people who have their heads so far up a specific niche of hardcore gaming that they've lost perspective. This convinced me to buy a Switch this spring.

  14. Re:Please Nintendo, stop with the gimmicky control by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    You're asking Nintendo to be like Microsoft or Sony. What would be the point of doing that? If all you are doing is copying someone else, you will always be behind and always #2.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  15. $69.00? Cardboard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nope.

  16. Re:Please Nintendo, stop with the gimmicky control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Game Cube was great at the time, with the 8 cm DVDs, ~500MHz CPU, good enough graphics features, and no internet!
    It didn't get enough games and was killed relatively soon to make room for the wii.
    I haven't really played consoles since.

    The Switch is a more "normal" console than wii and wii U though. Only the costs are a turn off for me.