Nintendo Labo didn't quite get off to the flying start that Nintendo may have been hoping for; despite receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans and media on the whole, the two bundles - the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit - quickly plummeted out of the sales charts. Support for the new brand will continue, however, with strong aspirations still very much present in Nintendo's thoughts.
Speaking with The Verge, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has explained Nintendo's thought process on Labo. Interestingly, he likens the new experience to games such as Brain Age and Wii Fit, suggesting that it will continue to sell at a steady pace.
“Labo is the type of game, much like Brain Age for the Nintendo DS, much like Wii Fit, it’s a game that’s going to sell for a very long time at a very steady pace. Which is a different curve than a traditional video game. And so from that standpoint, our focus is on how we can continue to support it, how we continue to help consumers understand the proposition. There’s a lot of activity happening with Labo around the summer, especially as kids are out of school, we think it’s a prime opportunity. Labo is off to a strong start and in our view is going to continue to get a lot of support.”
Shinya Takahashi, general manager of Nintendo’s software division, Nintendo EPD, also mentioned how Labo's target audience is still in the process of being reached. As it stands, fans of gaming (who might not be completely sold on the concept) are the only people who really know about it, but Nintendo hopes this will change in the future.
“We want to get to a demographic that’s not traditionally reached by games at all. I think the case with Nintendo Labo right now is that there are some people who know about it, and quite a lot of potential still for us to explore. The people who are aware of Nintendo Labo right now I think are still in the circle of Nintendo fans and game fans in general. We’re really interested in how we can go beyond that, to people who aren’t really in the loop of game news.”
Nintendo Labo does seem like a unique middle ground between traditional video games and the more hands-on style of toys such as LEGO; the aim here is clearly to sell the product as a creative toy with interactive elements, rather than a video game that has parts to build. Whether or not Nintendo will be successful in reaching its desired audience is yet to be seen, but continued support for Labo in general can only be a good thing.
Have you tried Nintendo Labo? Did you have fun building and playing with the Toy-Con? Let us know with a comment below.
[source theverge.com]
Comments 94
Outside of the first 2 days nobody in the house has touched the robot. Kids still play with the variety one here and there. Good idea but we don't really need anymore. Clutters up the house.
Labo seems like a fad that will die out soon, in my opinion. It doesn’t have the kind of concept that keeps being interesting for a long time.
Maybe Nintendo should just give up and move on. Focus their energies and resources elsewhere because Labo isn't going to ever crack that casual/none gaming market.
Sorry, but i think Labo was a one off and it will just fade into the ether, just like the Virtual Boy and gaming glove.
Then will become a very expensive sought after collectors item.
At least it's bio-degradable
I bought the variety kit and have had a lot of fun with my young son and can see us getting a lot more use put of it as he grows making it well worth the money. It does seem to be a pretty specific audience though and could do with branching it out into existing franchises and games as the technology is great and has a lot of potential.
It's probably quite difficult to reel in a large audience when you're using a cardboard fishing rod
Next, LABO Toy Con 03, 04 & beyond.
@FragRed
Why should Nintendo give up with their LABO ?
There are some audiences interested with LABO, like me. I'm that the audiences.
@Anti-Matter : Really thought we'd see those at E3 for Holiday 2018 season. Given it's price tag and nature, seems to me Labo is a good fit for Holiday sales . . . .
I applaud them for the attempt. Very Nintendo of them.
But, when more time and energy is spent by people trying to explain to other people that "you just aren't the target audience" that should have been the first clue.
I really don't expect too many people to pay so much money just to play with some cardboard. To be honest I'm kind of fearing Nintendo will shoehorn the new Yoshi game into Labo because it fits the aesthetics and that that's the reason the Yoshi game got delayed and not even shown off. (If it's just optional then I'd be okay with it though, I suppose, but then it's likely not going to sell much more Labo stuff either.)
"It's a game that's going to sell for a very long time."
Variety Kit has sold 0.37million units worldwide and Robot Kit has sold 0.13million units.
Next it's going to be Labo Lego then kids will have no choice but to play them.
@Anti-Matter
"There are some audiences interested with LABO, like me. I'm that the audiences."
That is why they should stop making it.
Labo is a neat idea. I've seen a lot of Kids Creativity Monthly Packs being advertised lately at $29.99 a month for similar items that do not have electronic integration.
I don't think they are far off with the product, but maybe they need a different way of selling it? Maybe it should be $49.99 software and then cardboard items sold separately. Like the toys to life concept.
Or maybe like the toys to life this just isn't going to be as big as its potential?
I do hope they try a few more Labo packs though. If nothing else it should help push R&D into interesting new ideas for non Labo games.
I do think a holiday release would have been better though. I could have seen Labo being one of the "crazy parents fighting over" kind of holiday items.
"despite receiving an overwhelmingly positive reaction from fans"
In which planet exactly?
"We want to reach an audience that aren't typically gamers, even though they have to buy a machine that only plays games and cannot be used for the things 'non-gamers' like to do, such as browse the internet, watch YouTube or stream Netflix"
@Zuljaras lol
I liked the building part and the ingenuity behind it. But once built, you play with it for 5 minutes and you're done.
@ImagineerNik I was just thinking that. Switch is way too expensive an investment for people who aren't gamers and are only interested in Labo.
Is this an example of the "clear marketing" that is making Switch a success?
@RickD That too.
I like Labo, but it's a niche product for a niche demographic. Doesn't mean it shouldn't exist, just that making niche mainstream is quite a task.
As fun as Labo is, it needs to be cheaper to reach its target audience.
@RickD VGChartz. Don't know how accurate they are though.
"Trying to reach non-gamers"
Requires $300 device that only does gaming. That's bundled with an $80 Dock that can NOT be used with the Variety pack.
He mentions stuff like Wii Fit and Brain Age, but they stayed in the top 10 charts for months and years on end. Labo tumbled down the charts immediately (having not even made a big splash to begin with).
I like the idea of Labo, we have the Variety pack but haven't opened it yet, waiting for school to let out. But it was launched about 30 million Switch too soon. Nintendo promotes no Netflix, YouTube or Web browser on the Switch b/c it's a gaming device, but then the releases Labo. That makes no sense. The $200 "Second Switch" dock free bundle should have come out first, maybe this holiday bundled with Pokémon Let's Go. Then next summer after a few million kids already own Switch for Pokemon, then bring out the arts and crafts.
Not only aren't there enough Switch yet - selling more than failure Wii U means nothing b/c it hasn't sold as many as previous failure GameCube yet - but there aren't enough kid owners yet, it's mainly people playing Zelda, Mario Kart and Mario. Even Mario Party isn't out yet. This isn't a kids system yet, 2DS is that system.
Maybe Labo can take off this holiday with a couple of $30 sets like the Swan and the camera in the video, but it released a year too soon, maybe 18 months.
I love the creativity but I think the price is pretty steep for what is essentially cardboard and stopped me buying in.
@RickD I don't know... They made BOTW when they were in a desperate position with the Wii U. A change in approach can pay off. They still have problems positioning themselves in the market, though.
I think Labo is a good idea (if I had kids, I would certainly buy the Variety pack for them), but I can't see the "non-gamer" and "casual" demographics running out and buying a Switch just for this one thing the way that they did for the motion games/sports on the Wii. And unfortunately it seems like Nintendo was hoping Labo would become that same sort of cultural phenomenon.
@Matthew010 This is what happens, sadly, when Nintendo gets drunk on success. The crazy "let's see if this sh!t sticks too!" risks start to come out.
If you recall, no risks were taken during Wii U. Many risks were taken with Wii.
Everyone needs a LABO on Christmas morning!
@cfgk24 lol and then the looks on everyone's faces when they realize they have to put it all together
@Matthew010 Their data is based on other tracking sites like NPD, Media Create, Famitsu, etc. Everyone always takes those as gospel too so... But you have to take into account that they're a few weeks behind, they don't calculate their own numbers anymore. So it's a lot more accurate now, but it's always missing the last few weeks. Anyway, we can agree that it weren't Mario or Zelda numbers.
Some of us told you so, but you wouldn't listen.
You kept talking how brilliant the idea was, how all parents would be lining up around the block to buy cardboard for their kids.
NOPE.
Again, like others have told, Nintendo doesn't seem to have a clue about what it's doing. They're saying the Switch sold better because of better marketing (not because it's a better fit for what people wanted). They're saying the Switch is a game-only system (no movie-playing, music-playing, or other type of apps than games), but then they put Labo out with the intent of bringing over non-gamers to a gaming-only system... huh? And a gaming-only system costing $400 (Canada) which is pricier than what the WiiU launched at... ($350)...
Yep.... Nintendo is still the good old Nintendo... lol!
@gatorboi352 Building Labo is a joy! 😊
The "non-gamer" has to be interested enough to invest $300 on the Switch BEFORE they willing to pay $79 for LABO.
Better off just cutting the price to 19.99 and it will sell as a curiosity to "Gamers"
I was gonna buy labo on launch but then ended up buying a table from IKEA plus I didn’t need a switch to build it
Another great example of stupidity !
Nobody cares about that... Don't waste your time Nintendo with those thingies. USE YOUR TIME TO MAKE GAMES ! REAL GAMES !
Is it difficult to understand that gamers want games ?
Erfffff..... :/
I want metal gear on Switch with a cardboard box to hide in, lol. I hope they drop it and just stick to amiibos and games.
Labo was idiotic. Nintendo needs to focus on making mobile phone hits like Pokemon Go , that will be amazing for their share price etc. As for Switch, they need to cater to the fans with the main franchises like Zelda and Smash, and to allow as much as third party access as possible.. making it simple and fun for third parties to port their best games.
@Realnoize And the $350 version of the Wii U at least came with a game, plus Netflix/YouTube/internet. Switch + a game + a good carrying case is a $500 transaction.
It’s an interesting concept and a cool one for kids to enjoy but if they really want to get people to try it out they need to price it a bit cheaper. For what it is made up of it’s hard for a lot of people to justify that kind of outlay for something like that.
@Realnoize this guy gets it. And this is exactly why Nintendo will never have sustained success ever again ala Sony with the Playstation brand. The PS is the most consistent, no frills, confident line of consoles ever made. Vita was simply before its time. Switch did it at the right time, is all.
I don't see Labo taking off as well as Brain Age did, considering the low price point of the DS Lite, and the game itself. Labo seems more like it's made to appeal to hobbyist types, but considering the price of it, combined with the system on top, it's a hard sell.
Emperor, you have no clothes on.
@gatorboi352 Congratulations on the convert.
I have about 10 friends that also have a Switch. ZERO have any interest in this garbage. Focus on Star Fox, F-Zero, Metroid please.
I think it's pretty evident that any portable console maker wanting to attract non-gamers, or the mainstream, need to realize that all the people they're targetting ALREADY have a device they carry with them to play more casual stuff.
So there are litterally only TWO ways to approach this.
Either you try to compete with their multi-purpose devices (phones) by going directly against them (a phone-like portable device that does it all + gaming)...
...or...
You aim your products at gamers that want something better, more gaming-centered, than what they can find on mobile platforms.
So either you compete directly with mobile, or you offer something mobile can't. Doing both would be pretty hard, if not impossible these days. Case in point, trying to lure non-gamers to a $400 console aimed strictly at gamers.
Nintendo Labo was a nice little experiment, but I see that more as something a dad like me would buy to play with his kids. A dad that ALREADY has a Switch. A dad that is already a gamer, with kids interested in gaming as well. But then again, $100 to play with cardboard.... really?
@Euler , you're very generous with $500. I bought a Switch + Zelda last holidays, and with sales taxes, it was $550. And that is without a good case for it, which I got for an additionnal $23, bringing the total to $573.
So paying that amount of money for a system that does nothing but play games, compared to the WiiU which, at $350 had a game included and had, like you said, YouTube, Netflix and all, is asking quite a lot of non-gamers. And then add to that the $100 they're asking for the Labo variety kit...
I think it's more like a project someone REALLY wanted to do for the Switch, or something that was done to show the shareholders that they're doing something to attract the non-gaming crowd to the platform... Because I can't logically think that someone at Nintendo thought of this as something that would sell systems. And even less that someone at Nintendo's marketing never raised a red flag over this.
But then again, the sales pitch is easy. "Look at it this way. We're selling cardboard kits... for around $100 a piece!!!" It probably was very profitable, even with the not so high sales.
People are taking the Labo vs Brain Age/Wii Fit comparison too literally.
Nintendo wants Labo to have legs, not that they want Labo to sell 15-25 million. Applications as a coding tool for kids at schools sounds like something Nintendo intends to pursue to achieve this. A price cut would help too IMO, particularly for the holidays.
I will say, the Robot Kit definitely isn't selling much at all, with sales in the tens of thousands across all major territories. If a new Labo kit is released, it will probably quietly replace the Robot Kit.
@Matthew010
Vgchartz is not accurate at all.
Well, good luck for Nintendo, really Labo is a good product for everyone, just need to improve a little more and above all, but above all, lower the price!
And, well, AGAIN, after reading the comments and seeing that again, most of them is pure negativity...
why do I bother...
I respect the hustle, trying to reach new customers and such, but it would've been nice to have other Switch games being released during this Labo attempt.
As I expected, most of the comments are from people who don't understand Labo and are trying to paint it as a failure in the hopes that Nintendo makes hardcore mature games for mature gamers like myself /s. Nintendo says it's meeting expectations and wants it to continue to sell. Not to mention that Labo is a Toy first and foremost, holiday is where its real sale potential lies.
@KingdomHeartsFan
Nintendo believes Labo could become a coding tool thanks to the Garage Mode, which is basically a simplified coding interface. Whether they succeed is up in the air.
Vgchartz isn't accurate because their sales data don't match reality. For example, God of War sold 3.1 million copies at launch, but Vgchartz pins that figure at <2.3 million.
@Cobalt
"Nobody cares about that... Don't waste your time Nintendo with those thingies. USE YOUR TIME TO MAKE GAMES ! REAL GAMES !"
Who said Nobody care about LABO ?
I DO Care about LABO.
They are REAL games, REAL Toys. (You have to put command and mix & match, just like Algebra / Function in Math for Garage Mode).
I have NEVER seen a game like LABO before.
Looked very interesting in my opinion.
Real games is NOT Always typical AAA 3rd party games.
They are NOT Real for me.
@dumedum
"Labo was idiotic. Nintendo needs to focus on making mobile phone hits like Pokemon Go , that will be amazing for their share price etc. As for Switch, they need to cater to the fans with the main franchises like Zelda and Smash, and to allow as much as third party access as possible.. making it simple and fun for third parties to port their best games."
LABO was NOT Stupid.
I really like the Out-of-the-Box idea for video game, completely Against the Mainstream.
LABO idea was very Risky, but i appreciate Nintendo idea to against the mainstream sometimes.
Games like Zelda / Smash were too Generic for my opinion. It will be LESS Diversity in gaming if that genre dominated too much. Not everyone is interested with Hack & Slash Zelda games / Smash Bros games.
It's not like I wanted it to fail. But I did/do expect it.
I don't see how Nintendo thought they could reach non-gamers with Labo when the price of admission is so high. It's way beyond the casual interest impulse buy for most people. I would be surprised to learn of anybody that bought a Switch for Labo.
@Anti-Matter
You are the living archetype-man of "why Nintendo became like it is today."
I'm sure you're in love with Amiibos, you are happy to pay for your online, probably greatful when DLCs are announced and you have to think that it would be great if a Wii Music 2 will be announce soon...
Man, wake up, I don't have anything against LABO in itself, just against the fact that NINTENDO spend and loose so much time with all the superficial things that they're not able to be the pinnacle they were back then.
You just say that you never saw something like that, right ?
Let me tell you a little thing and you'll get my point easily.
Back then, in the glorious days, I NEVER SAW SOMETHING LIKE :
Super Mario BROS serie .
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (NES)
MODE 7 ZOOM AND ROTATION used in FZERO, PILOTWINGS, MARIOKART and others + THE FX CHIP with STARFOX etc...,
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (SNES)
MARIO 64, ZELDA OCARINA OF TIME etc...
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (N64)
METROID PRIME 1, 2 and 3 with the best controler ever.
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (NGC)
XENOBLADE CHRONICLES, MARIO GALAXY 1 and 2.
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (Wii)
SUPER MARIO MAKER, SPLATOON, XENOBLADE X.
I never saw something like that !
Nintendo change the entire gaming world ! (Wii U)
And you come to tell me that you never saw something like CARDBOARD ???
Excuse me but the SWITCH deserve trillion times better than that thing...
Or maybe, you think that LABO = METROID PRIME or XENOBLADE or FZERO ? O RLY ?
It's time for Nintendo to bring what they always did : MASSIVE GAME CHANGERS... LABO is a waste of time !
@Cobalt
I don't know if you missed it, but Mario, Zelda, and Xenoblade games are all on the Switch, with Metroid Prime 4 incoming, as well as a StarFox games of sorts rumored to be in the works.
Don't worry. The CARDBOARD isn't going to stop or hurt the production of your favorite "changed the entire world", "big-boy" games.
@Cobalt
"And you come to tell me that you never saw something like CARDBOARD ???"
I have NEVER Expect if I can play with Cardboard.
Something that i have NEVER seen in video games.
I NEVER consider LABO = AAA games.
LABO is Different category.
And it will not hurt you if Nintendo made LABO for audiences like me.
You thought it wasting time to produce more LABO ? I think it's a Beginning of Different way of gaming.
Btw, by listing the games you mentioned above, you expect just ORDINARY Blockbuster games.
I, myself, expect Very Surprising / Unusual games that caught my attention, not by Typical same games over and over again.
@Cobalt
Hey, You remember the "R.O.B", "Power glove", yes, the "extra" accessories since the NES era "to improve" the experience of video games, which in the end, did not have much success (and were also a waste of time and money), but today they are remembered as interesting "legacies" of Nintendo?
At one point is right, Nintendo has strived not only to improve the games in graphics and gameplay as we have seen from the NES to the GameCube and more; they have also been dedicated to doing "extra things" to add something new to play video games (with or without success), and the good thing is that even today they still do it and still dedicate themselves to making games for EVERYONE, yes I repeat, for EVERYONE;
who likes or does not like those things or videogames is their personal bussiness and that is correct, but neither I, nor you, nor anyone can decide what Nintendo has to do with their businesses, they have dedicated themselves to making games (and "extra" accesories) for everyone and they will continue doing it.
and yes, they have made mistakes in their business (we can put a long list, really), but who has NOT done it ?, is normal and yes, they have to solve their mistakes, what we can do is provide feedback in some correct way and just wait, if they accept or no, it's their problem (Nintendo), we should not take it personally.
@westman98
You know what is great with you ?
Basically, you even don't get the point of what I said.
Mario Bros was a NEW thing that Nintendo create and boost the NES sells.
STARFOX was a NEW thing on the SNES with the FX Chip...
METROID PRIME was a NEW THING etc...
Now, the level of the NEW THINGS is Nintendo Labo...
Do you get my point ? Nintendo is decreasing... facts !
@Anti-Matter
You misunderstand my point.
The time Nintendo put in LABO, Amiibos, DLCs and other crap like these, it's a time that they could put to make new games, real games.
Why there is a lack of choice today if you want to experience a frech new licence from Nintendo ?
Why they remaster much more and why they port games from the previous generation on the new one ?
Simple, easy cash, no need to spend a lot of time and give a virtual and fictional belief that there are plenty of "new games"...
I like the smartness of the idea behind labo but it's time to open the eyes... The sells are bad and the majority of the people doesn't care at all. NEXT !
@Cobalt not sure what you were responding to but you echo my thoughts on new audience outreach. Do they want to bring in a "non"gaming audience or a "not yet/not gaming now" audience? Two different things. If you want a "non-gaming" audience do you really want to tailor games for people who aren't into video games? Don't even need to explain this, see the Wii and those games and that how much they actually bought and how much it put off a gaming audience for their next console. BUT LIKE YOU ARE SAYING, if you want to pull in a audience who isn't gaming but may want to as they grow or or be pulled back in, SMB 1, Star Fox (or Kart), Prime or RECENTLY BotW, are NEW things that pull in a NEW audience that will become a gaming audience. Take that LABO money research money and pour it into bias free studies of what "not currently" gaming WOMEN love, and make games with that in mind too.
@SakuraHaruka
I totally agree with you BUT you do a stuff like Labo WHEN there are plenty of other games to choose all around.
How come my switch is taking dust since December 2017 ? Maybe because the next real NEW SWITCH GAME (Octopath Traveler) arrive in July 2018...
Sad...
Labo is a sensational idea, but it needed to come with some proper games (i.e. something with depth). A build-it-once-and-you're-done type of deal just doesn't work - it's like Lego but with zero flexibility, zero re-build-ability, and takes up a bunch of storage-space. But if you built something, and then played a real game, one with challenge, fun and longevity, then that's a completely different proposition. So, don't give up Nintendo, but please try harder!
@Cobalt Remasters and ports are ok by me (as long as there's constant new stuff alongside) cuz 3rd party studio usually handle the ports and it's guaranteed profit, and is money that can be put into the creation of new games. BU,T initiatives like LABO, the amount of resources that go into that kind of R&D - renting out factory time, etc is IMO resources that should go into growing their software infrastructure (new hires, additional studios etc) so they can ACTUALLY release quality games on a regular schedule without delays. Not too much to ask, since by their own choice they keep creating weaker harder that is hard for 3rd parties to support with cross platform releases. SO they can't built their own cross to bear, there.
@Agramonte : I can't see anybody in their right mind buying a costly dedicated gaming console just so that they can play with an expensive cardboard assembly kit.
Now, buying a PS4 to play VR games is something I would merely consider, but the cost of entry for something like Labo is ridiculous relative to what it offers.
@Dang69
Interesting. ^^
As a Wii U supporter from Day One, it's just horrible for me right now...
And the crazy stuff is that the 2 REAL NEW SWITCH GAMES are even not made by Nintendo... Kingdom Battle by UbiSoft, Octopath Traveler by SQIX... Insane !
"Reach a non-gaming audience" With competition from mobile games, there is no way any non-gamer would buy a console of any kind, no matter how cheap they can make it. That's like trying to sell a Beyonce or Taylor Swift album exclusively on vinyl.
@NatalieH
You mean Taylor Switch ???
@Cobalt And one of those things is DLC from a game released last year. Never had a WiiU, my ex girlfriend did, but fortunately we only ever played SM3D World and the Binding of Isaac on it (so I am excited for Cpt Toad). Still...even for a non-WiiU owner some of these ports are feeling their age. Everyone raved about that DKCTF game but...like, a few years ago a capital G GOOD 2D platformer was worshipped because we had only really been getting them again for a few years prior, but now I can get something that's as fun as DKCTF from an indie (Flinthook or Celeste I like even better). So after I beat the game and got all the secret map levels (minus the KONG letter unlockeables) in 20 hrs flat, kinda was surprised people were so hyped about it (DKC games had great vertical levels too, and this one really didn't - love the rocket levels the best). I'm glad they're ported, but after the stretch of time that went from XBC2 on DEC 1st to Bayonetta in FEB (Kirby game was almost not-playable) to DKCTF felt pretty weak af.
@Cobalt "Or maybe, you think that LABO = METROID PRIME or XENOBLADE or FZERO ? O RLY ?"
Who is making this argument?
@Bondi_Surfer There is Toy-Con Garage, which is basically the same idea as Lego-like flexibility.
There’s nothing wrong with the cardboard part of the whole Labo thing. It’s the software that’s the problem. Fun for an hour and then you’re done with it. The games could be longer and have more depth.
If the hardware cost is the issue then maybe they should offer Labo software for mobile devices. Of course you would still need joycon (or some other package of sensors), and they’d have to adjust some of them for screen size.
@gatorboi352 , if it wasn't for Nintendo taking somebody else but Sony, the playstation would have been bundled as a snes disc drive instead of the system it is today. Also the ps3 was not successful due to the expensive launch it had.
It being for non gamers makes sense... and simultaneously sounds like a very shaky strategy. Nintendo expects non gamers to spend $300 + tax... then $70 + tax on the game ($80 for Robot, $150 for both)... so anywhere from $370-$450 plus tax on an electronic device for some mini games involving cardboard, all sold to non gamers? I’m sorry, unless the market is the high class 1% parents that has a lot of money to burn, I don’t think that’s a very solid demographic they’re targeting. Looking at the sale numbers, I’m guessing a majority of consumers thus far already own a Switch and therefore ARE gamers. This would be a brilliant strategy for a hundred or possibly even two hundred dollars (for the whole package), but if they expect non gamers to pay upwards of $380 to build some cardboard toys with their kids and play with the creations... there’s cheaper alternatives built out of sturdier materials than cardboard.
If this ends up taking off at all it won’t be on the demographic they’re targeting, that’s a lost cause and it worries me how out of touch Nintendo must be to not realize that. If Labo got a bit more depth, I might be interested, but I’m very much a gamer and already have the $300 hardware.
@ekwcll the ps3 wasn't successful? It sold over 70 million consoles
There's one problem with "reaching a demographic that's not traditionally reached by games at all", and that's the issue of why they would spend $300 on a Switch in the first place?
$300 for a Switch and then the price of the Labo-kits themselves is a very steep hurdle for "People who aren't traditionally reached by games" to get into Labo, no matter how cool it is...
The comments here are amazing.
Adult hardcore gamers that are upset about Nintendo making games for children that aren't hardcore gamers.
While also being upset about the way in which they attempt this.
@Pod Nailed it. And they're the same people who say gaming doesn't affect their behaviour.
@gatorboi352
Over 80 million actually. Everyone was laughing at the system in 2006 but I'm glad it eventually built än amazing gaming library. One of the two Mon Nintendo systems I have with other being PS1.
Off topic end.
The problem with Labo is that you need a Switch for it.
How are you going to attract a non gaming audience with a console/handheld that costs $300?
Labo would work much lot better if it was with a system everyone has, like a tablet or phone. I'm sure there is a market, but just not combined with the Switch.
On the other hand, it gives the Switch library a lot of variety. But is that something most Switch owners want if we look at the current state of Labo? I don't think so.
I tried the Labo robot game at my friends place. Fun for a while but I'd rather not se any more of these. Let it stay as a quirky piece of Nintendo history and nothing more than that. Like my Virtual Boy.
Thinking parents will spend $400 for their kid to play with cardboard makes the “free-to-play GO users will move to Let’s Scam!” idea sound semi-reasonable.
Prediction - they'll give it a push this Christmas then if it fails they'll all be recycled into Amazon packaging. Launched two price cuts too early.
@electrolite77 That's the thing, if it fails, it gets pulped and they can use it to make the packaging for their next product. Win win.
If they're wondering why no one bought the Robot Kit, the answer is simple; look at the state of it.
Surely it only appeals to people who liked the Wii, but felt that it didn't make them look enough of a tit.
This whole statements is false and even Nintendo themselves don't believe it but what else are they going to say? "Yeah we tried to sell you our leftover cardboard from the Wii U boxes we couldn't shift".
The price of admission is insanely high for a demographic that traditionally doesn't play games and that aside, how can you attract non gamers to purchase a piece of technology that doesn't have a consumer browser or any consumer apps such as Netflix or YouTube?
This statement is a total lie, Nintendo have no intention of attracting none gamers, The Switch is about as friendly to none gamers as a honey badger on heat.
It has no appeal what so ever to none gamers, this entire statement reeks of straw grasping, trying to justify selling cardboard.
@gatorboi352, as successful as it was, the 360 and the wii did better. what should that tell you? The ps2 was far more successful than the ps3 ever did.
@ekwcll lol dude the PS2 was like the single most successful video game console of all time.
@Anti-Matter that's not a coherent defense of Labo. Making non "generic" stuff although there is nothing "generic " about the recent Zelda or Mario games doesn't mean you make a stupid cheap cardboard thing. It's insulting.
@dumedum
Insulting what ?
Was Nintendo not allowed to express their ideas to create Completely OUT of The BOX games ?
I Was SOLD with LABO idea.
I LOVE it !
Let me save my money and buy LABO Toy Con 01 Variety Kits on September 2018 once i have enough budget to buy it.
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