Nintendo is putting its "Quality of Life" (QOL) program on hold, as its anticipated sleep tracker is now delayed indefinitely.
Tatsumi Kimishima, the CEO and president of Nintendo, talked to investors after the earnings release this week. He clarified that Nintendo will release the sleep-tracking device as soon as it becomes a polished consumer product, but it will take longer.
"We do not have the conviction that the sleep-and-fatigue-themed [device] can enter the phase of actually becoming a product," Wired translated the statement.
For Japanese-speaking readers, you may read the original transcript.
The sleep-tracking device was announced in 2014 and was scheduled to hit the shelves in March 2016.
The device was designed to detect and collect the sleep pattern of its users, alongside physical data such as temperature and pulse rate.
Nintendo's CEO added that his company still has a word to say in the lifestyle and health department, and work on the QOL initiative will go on.
Observant readers will find the sleep-tracker story similar to the notorious Vitality Sensor. Nintendo announced it at E3 2009, but Satoru Iwata, the late former leader of the company, pulled the plug on the gadget due to its unreliable functionality.
To develop the sleep-tracking device, Nintendo teamed up with Resmet, an enterprise that has many years of venture experience in selling sleep-tracking devices.
One reason for the delay might be that Nintendo simply cannot deal with more projects at the moment. The company is working hard to get back on its feet after the Wii U meltdown and the plunging sales of the 3DS. This year, the company announced it will out a few smartphone games, alongside an exciting new handheld device, codenamed NX.
Earlier this year, a tidbit of information permeated hinting that the gaming gadget could support compatibility with more than one ecosystem. Whether or not the Nintendo NX will play nice with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC remains to be seen, but the idea has great potential.
The company also is also preparing a new online service, dubbed My Nintendo, which should replace the existing company's Club Nintendo rewards program. The new service will sport new features such as friend management, cloud data services and more. Nintendo hopes to see over 100 million users sign up for the service.
As soon as we catch word of Nintendo's releases, you will be the first to know.
