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New Interactive Switch Experience to be Unveiled Today

by Justin Berube - January 17, 2018, 10:07 am EST
Total comments: 18 Source: Nintendo's Facebook Page

Nintendo plans to showcase something new.

Later today Nintendo will be showing off a "...new interactive experience for Nintendo Switch that's specially crafted for kids and those who are kids-at-heart."

The official reveal will be on Nintendo's YouTube page at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET.

Talkback

Ian SaneJanuary 17, 2018

I find it very odd that the company that makes Mario and Pokémon feels like they need something specially crafted for kids.  Kids that don't play Nintendo games must not play videogames at all.

My expectations are pretty low here.  Games that are appropriate for kids can be quite enjoyable for all ages (particularly when made by Nintendo) but games made specifically FOR kids usually tend to be overly simplified and dumbed down from an adult perspective.

Unless this like the Switch equivalent of the 2DS which was specifically aimed at kids.  Don't see how that would be a new "experience" though.  Maybe this is some Joycon variation or accessory.

KDR_11kJanuary 17, 2018

"Interactive experience" doesn't really sound like a game to me.

ShyGuyJanuary 17, 2018

What does it mean?

BlackNMild2k1January 17, 2018

Fun time Learning with Mario and Friends!!!

Princess Peach's Interactive Homeroom!!
Learning Languages with Rosalina!!
Counting Coins and Letter Blocks with Mario & Luigi
Gardening with Toad and Toadette
Science and Chemistry with Wario and WaLuigi

and much more!!!

Mop it upJanuary 17, 2018

Is that "quality of life" stuff about to make a resurgence?!

StratosJanuary 17, 2018

Quote from: BlackNMild2k1

Science and Chemistry with Wario and WaLuigi

Sign me the hell up!

TOPHATANT123January 17, 2018

This is really intriguing, at first I thought it was alluding to a theme park or movie but it specifies "Nintendo Switch" so it's either some piece of software or hardware. Why are they hyping this up?! It must be something big or else why would they purposely set expectations so high?

KeyBillyJanuary 17, 2018

This reminds me of that depth camera at the bottom of one Joy-Con, which they must have something in mind for.  It could be fun to make a set with modeling clay, allowing kids to craft little creatures that they could "scan in" to a virtual playset.

EDIT: That actual concept seems more like a simplified version of those Raspberry Pi project kits.  Not sure how to feel about it.  I hope they include the ability to modify with some logic like the Pi kits, allowing creativity beyond coloring the cardboard.

Ian SaneJanuary 17, 2018

Well I certainly would never have guessed THIS in a million years.

Nothing I would be interested in though I don't know if this is terrible idea or not.  Being made of cardboard just seems incredibly cheap as it will easily get wrecked.  It may also give the impression that it's too expensive.  The robot one is 80 bucks.  That's a Switch game (and is it even featured enough to justify a full priced game to begin with?) with some cardboard and string added that probably costs Nintendo like five cents.  So a standard $60 game with $20 worth of cardboard?  Looks like a kid might find it fun but is it worth that price?

I think a better idea would be if Nintendo partnered with Lego.  Lego sets with this sort of interaction would be much more durable and have some obvious value.

Though I can see 20 years from now these in mint condition (unfolded) being expensive items among game collectors.

nickmitchJanuary 17, 2018

This might be the most Nintendo thing of all time.

Fatty The HuttJanuary 17, 2018

Nintendo Labo
http://time.com/5106363/nintendo-switch-labo-toy-cons/

Hole-ee-crap. This is gonna be huge, methinks. Look at the video. Kids (and adults) are gonna go wild for this.

Fatty The HuttJanuary 17, 2018

I wanna build the little tank vehicle!

Also, was Nintendo VR just confirmed in that video???

Ian SaneJanuary 17, 2018

Another part of this that seems iffy is that you're putting your relatively expensive Nintendo Switch inside a cardboard backpack and your kid goes running around the house with it.  I think the odds of something tearing or getting bumped and your Switch crashing to the floor are pretty good.  I guess that can happen if your kid is carrying around the Switch anyway but it's a little different if a kid is holding onto the Switch itself and holding onto something that is holding on to the Switch with cardboard.

Plus he may want to "play robot" outside in a more roughhouse manner than he would if he was just playing a typical videogame outside.  When I was a kid toys like this needed to survive jumping on the trampoline, climbing trees, taking trips on bikes and skateboards.  Not the sort of thing that either cardboard or expensive electronics would survive.

ThePermJanuary 17, 2018

This is a genius idea. When I as a kid I used to get Capsela and dinosaur kits

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Capsela_model_with_swivel.jpg/1280px-Capsela_model_with_swivel.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsela

https://sep.yimg.com/ay/prehistory/dinosaur-bones-puzzles-skeletons-woodcraft-kits-6.jpg

anyone worried about wrecking these needs to remember they're cardboard and cardboard is widely available and duct tape is a thing. If you break it apparently Nintendo is offering replacements, but also Wal-mart sells cardboard boxes for like 80 cents, or quasilegally for free in the back of the store.

It's called Labo because it gives you the freedom to experiment. Radioshack could make a comeback.

Also comes out 4/20

Ian SaneJanuary 17, 2018

Quote from: ThePerm

anyone worried about wrecking these needs to remember they're cardboard and cardboard is widely available and duct tape is a thing. If you break it apparently Nintendo is offering replacements, but also Wal-mart sells cardboard boxes for like 80 cents, or quasilegally for free in the back of the store.

I think if Nintendo charging $80 for something then "duct tape it" and "make a replacement yourself from cardboard you swiped from the recycling bin" as maintenance tips don't really fly.  If they were charging like twenty bucks for this that would be different.

ThePermJanuary 17, 2018

The game with the cardboard costs as much as a game. "The "Variety Kit” features five different games and Toy-Con — including the RC car, fishing, and piano — for $69.99. The “Robot Kit,” meanwhile, will be sold separately for $79.99"

You're thinking about this too conventionally. These are disposable recyclable controllers. You could just print out a stencil and cut out the pieces with an exacto knife. 3rd parties will make clones. You're paying for the game/toy. You can also get stencils and stuff for 9.99.

This is basically like with the Wii where there were the golf clubs, tennis rackets, guns, swords, steering wheels and stuff you can buy,  BUT if you recall there were $1 dollar version at any dollar store. Except this is cooler because you can make robots and stuff with it. Really, what this boils down too is it's an IR camera app for your experimentation. Compared to other interactive tinker toy sets it's evenly priced, and maybe more functional.

When I was a kid I used to have capsela, which were these motors in capsules, or gears and capsules that could connect together. I used to also have a train set, and the train sucked because it took a ton of C batteries. So, I put the capsela on the track, the capsela wheel size fit on the tracks.  It ran around the track pretty well.I could make the capsela in a bunch of shapes.  I also had a bunch of k'nex type toys which could be combined with the capsela.

You're looking at this from the Nintendo's traditional space of video games, when you should look at this as a type of creative building toy or construction toy.
http://www.iq-key.com/en/intro_en.html
https://www.knex.com/

The kit seems to have its own interactive creation so you can design your own tinker toys. That's why its called lab. You don't have to make the toys they give you, you can design your own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bkr2IBNAmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-cu-oOS1t0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-i-eqjHiUI

BlackNMild2k1January 18, 2018

All I will say is CRAZY.

Good project to do with the kid. If only mine was older, I would jump on it.

StratosJanuary 18, 2018

Apparently Nintendo will be offering the plans online, so you can make your own cardboard cutouts repeatedly.

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