Nintendo Labo, the recently announced Nintendo Switch cardboard accessories that will enable unique interactive experiences for the hybrid console, has been met with mixed reactions.
While the consensus is that Nintendo Labo is an innovative take on video games, the price tag is a bit too high. Ironically, these are the same things that were said about the Nintendo Switch when it was announced.
Nintendo Labo: For The Kids And Kids-At-Heart
Nintendo Labo are accessories for the Nintendo Switch that are made of cardboard. There will be two different kits that will be released on April 20: the Variety Kit for $70 and the Robot Kit for $80. The Variety Kit includes five different "Toy-Con" projects that use the Nintendo Switch and its Joy-Cons, while the Robot Kit converts into a backpack and headgear that allows the wearer to step into a virtual world as a giant robot.
"Few companies today can elicit the same amount of childlike wonder as Nintendo," wrote Engadget senior editor Devindra Hardawar, who added that he felt the same way when the Nintendo Switch was initially revealed. Nintendo Labo, Hardawar says, shows that Nintendo understands that "play" is more than just releasing more powerful hardware and developing new software, especially when the market being targeted is the children.
Nintendo Labo is clearly meant for children, but that should not stop kid-at-heart gamers from trying out the cardboard accessories. As Destructoid's Matthew Razak wrote, Nintendo Labo made him excited to play video games with his son and for himself to feel like a kid again.
Will Nintendo Labo Succeed Or Fail?
There are several factors that may cause Nintendo Labo to fail. For example, the instructions to put together the cardboard accessories may be too difficult to follow, the Toy-Cons feel flimsy or get damaged easily, or the price point may prove to be too high for Nintendo Switch owners.
Forbes' Dave Thier then reminds us all that the Nintendo Switch may have easily failed as well, as Nintendo continues to push for uniqueness to differentiate itself from Sony and Microsoft. This is the mindset that led to the creation of Nintendo Labo, which may be weird but totally within Nintendo's character as a video game company.
In any case, Nintendo Labo already appears to be a hit, at least among investors. After the video unveiling the Nintendo Switch cardboard accessories was uploaded, Nintendo shares started climbing. The result is almost $1.4 billion in value added to the market capitalization of Nintendo stocks and a new seven-week high.
