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Nintendo Labo: Nintendo Being Nintendo

I don't know if this is the most brilliant thing I have ever seen, or absolute insanity. Regardless of which, this is Nintendo being purely Nintendo.

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Much of the negative reaction is coming from people who forget this is for kids and the man-kids like me. This is my nephew who would swing a cardboard sword and in his mind see himself doing Link's whirling blade attack.

It's cardboard. It's imaginative. It's creative. It's a really cool use of the Ninendo Switch for an even younger audience who isn't thinking about using the Switch while in the bathroom.

My wife, who is a piano teacher, is really intrigued by the piano game set. An interesting way to get kids excited about piano?

Me? I'm intrigued by the possibilities of where this is all going. This initial wave is cool and all, and I want one to see what it's all about (and how it works with sensors and stuff in cardboard), but this initial wave to me is little more than proof of concept for future application.

Talk about augmented reality.

Graev and I were talking this afternoon about the people who will take this and run with it using 3D printers. Can you imagine the neat things people will make to go with it? These incremental steps lead to great things.

I say kudos to Nintendo, even if this is nothing more than them being weird or wanting a piece of the STEM toy market.

P.S. Parents, have fun making those convoluted things with your kids. 

  • At first glance my reaction was “well…”, but after seeing the actual video it looks like something I would absolutely love to do with my kids. I like the ‘convolutedness” of the product rather than it being a simple casing. That is going to be a bunch of fun to build with my daughter and be able to play with the fruits of our labors.

    Color me excited.

    • If you get one before I do, let me know if there are actual circuits or something inside the card board. I’m super intrigued by how it all works.

      And also terrified of the setup.

  • While the concept is cool on the surface, I also can’t help but think they must have a clever PR department to spin products with the durability of cardboard.

    Cleverly constructed devices or shoddy cardboard crap, you make the call!