Nintendo Labo
Posted: January 18th, 2018, 12:20 am
Nintendo announced an interesting new thing today:
http://m.ign.com/articles/2018/01/17/ni ... ndo-switch
Basically they’re cardboard kits that you build and then use with the Switch by sticking your joycon in them (watch the video if that sentence makes no sense to you). There’s a 13 key Piano that uses the joycon’s IR blaster to actually see what key you’re hitting and play it out of the Switch. There’s an RC car that uses the HD rumble to drive around. There’s a fishing rod that actually has a working reel and a string line you attach to the Switch to play a fishing game. There’s a motorbike with functioning handlebars. There’s a...house, for some reason. And finally there’s a full robot suit that you actually wear. The robot suit is sold with its own software for $80 and everything else is sold together for $70. They will also be releasing a customization pack of stickers and stencils for $10 (profit margins must be great on that).
I’m sure most gamers will look at this and scoff, but I think it’s fantastic. It’s nice to see a game that actually requires kids to use their imaginations and also build something with their hands. Plus, frankly it just looks cool to me. I might actually get the kit with the multiple parts. I have a feeling that the robot game probably won’t be worth the $80 price of admission, even with as stupid fun as that wearable robot suit looks, but I bet the $70 pack will be worth it if you’re going into it just to goof off and not expecting a traditional game. I’m wishing my son was older because it looks so cool for kids!
And for anyone worried about the cardboard kits wearing down, Nintendo will be providing the design patterns for free so you can make the stuff out of whatever materials you like. A Budweiser box robot suit perhaps?
http://m.ign.com/articles/2018/01/17/ni ... ndo-switch
Basically they’re cardboard kits that you build and then use with the Switch by sticking your joycon in them (watch the video if that sentence makes no sense to you). There’s a 13 key Piano that uses the joycon’s IR blaster to actually see what key you’re hitting and play it out of the Switch. There’s an RC car that uses the HD rumble to drive around. There’s a fishing rod that actually has a working reel and a string line you attach to the Switch to play a fishing game. There’s a motorbike with functioning handlebars. There’s a...house, for some reason. And finally there’s a full robot suit that you actually wear. The robot suit is sold with its own software for $80 and everything else is sold together for $70. They will also be releasing a customization pack of stickers and stencils for $10 (profit margins must be great on that).
I’m sure most gamers will look at this and scoff, but I think it’s fantastic. It’s nice to see a game that actually requires kids to use their imaginations and also build something with their hands. Plus, frankly it just looks cool to me. I might actually get the kit with the multiple parts. I have a feeling that the robot game probably won’t be worth the $80 price of admission, even with as stupid fun as that wearable robot suit looks, but I bet the $70 pack will be worth it if you’re going into it just to goof off and not expecting a traditional game. I’m wishing my son was older because it looks so cool for kids!
And for anyone worried about the cardboard kits wearing down, Nintendo will be providing the design patterns for free so you can make the stuff out of whatever materials you like. A Budweiser box robot suit perhaps?