Creativity Outside of the Box: Nintendo LABO

   One of the elements that has allowed Nintendo to exist for over 100 years is their ability to be creative. From selling playing cards to portable gaming consoles, Nintendo has a legacy of connecting to children and those who are young at heart. 

  Nintendo's most recent announcement on January 17, 2018 connects with the elements of arts & crafts, imagination, and a dash of STEM. Some were hoping for the localization and release of MOTHER 3 while others were hoping for another Smash Bros announcement for Nintendo's successful new console, the Nintendo Switch. What they announce was not even a dot on the radar of anyone. What they announce was the Nintendo LABO.

   While some initial reactions were of confusion and frustration, many are sharing the same reaction that I share today, which is "Wow!". Again, Nintendo wanted to make sure that they are seen as more than a gaming company and that their product can do more than entertain. This isn't a new concept. With the Super Nintendo, they released Mario Paint, which allowed the user to experiment with creating digital art with a mouse. On the Game Boy, we were presented with a camera and printer, which allowed people to take pictures and print them from the Gameboy, at a time when camera phones was not a common thing. Even with the Nintendo DS, Nintendo allowed you to have a digital personal trainer that could track your physical activity via the pedometer that was included with the cartridge. Again, they did the same with the Wii and Wii-U with Wii-Fit, which allowed individuals to do games and exercises with a balance board. 

    Nintendo presented something that allows kids age 6 - 12 (and even adults who want to join the fun) create elaborate paper crafts and use them to interact with games on the Switch using the Joy-Con controllers inside the contraction. 

  Why Should Consumers Care?

  One of the reasons why this is such a innovative idea is that it provides the same connection to accomplishment and fun that most receive from LEGO sets. Being able to create something that has a level of complexity and play with it afterwards allows the builder to feel more complete than just being presented with the item to play with without the effort. One common complaint about children of today are not having an imagination. Nintendo LABO could inspire kids of all ages to go beyond the preset creations and create their own cardboard designs. 

   So what are your thoughts on Nintendo's latest creation? Does LABO spark your interest? Is it something that you would be interested for your child?... or even yourself.