Nintendo’s upcoming grand experiment with cardboard is unexpected enough that people have reacted dramatically to the announcement. Largely, fans seem to fall into two camps: Either they’re psyched to build their own contraptions, or they don’t understand why something like this exists at all.
Isn’t Nintendo a video game company? What are they doing messing around with cardboard? Where is Smash for Switch? Who is the Labo for, anyway?
In the latest podcast episode of Fave This, Gita Jackson and I dive into Nintendo fandom and why we’re so excited for the Labo modding scene.
We also discuss Nintendo’s lineage as a play-centric toy maker and how that recontextualises the Labo, a creation that isn’t as outlandish as people make it sound.
You can download the MP3 here.
We’re on iTunes here (leave us a review!), Google Play, Spotify, Sticher and iHeartRadio.
Comments
11 responses to “Understanding The Hype (And Hate) For Nintendo Labo”
It all looks like a little bit of fun, some neat accessories for shits and giggles.
I don’t see the problem.
No way I’m personally buying cardboard for that kinda dosh though.
Isn’t Nintendo a Video Game company? Yes and they’ve experimented with different ways to play said Video Games a lot. Look at the Switch, it’s combining the best features of a Wii, Wii U and Portable into one unit.
If this little experiment works they may have completely redesigned the peripheral market. Think about it, with the right component’s you could build a massive mech controller like Steel Battalion (Not the Kinect version which was horrible) had without the $300 price tag. I have to admit I love the idea of putting a Joycon in a cheap Cardboard wheel instead of a ludicrously overpriced plastic one.
Also wasn’t the best way to play House of the Dead Overkill with Gun Cases for the Wiimote?
The best way to play it was with slightly modified gun cases that held the batteries in the shell’s grip instead of the wii remote, so it was more balanced and less front-heavy 😛
But there’s no way I’d take a shitty cardboard wheel with a joycon slotted into it over a force feedback wheel.
We aren’t talking about a Force Feedback wheel. We aren’t comparing cardboard to a $300 ish wheel with Force Feedback and pedals.
We’re comparing cardboard to the cheap plastic wheels you put Wiimote’s in. Personally I don’t like em but I guarantee the kids love em.
As much as I hated the tilt steering of MKWii, Excite Truck was way way *way* better with the heavier (and larger? At the very least much much easier to hold) Ubisoft wheel than Nintendo’s own Wii Wheel. That thing was beyond terrible.
I love the craziness of it. Hopefully it works as well as advertised though. I can see a lot of uncoordinated people getting the shits with folding these things together correctly.
It’s unique and cute.
Not my cup of tea but to hate on it seems like dickheadery to me.
Positive – Creative and different use of Nintendo programs and hardware
Negative – It’s cardboard! All this shows is that there is a segment of the market that is so stupid it’ll buy anything with the Nintendo brand on it.
I dont hate nintendo labo. Treating any negative critcism as “Hate” is fanboyish behaviour. Basically putting your fingers in your ears and yelling “lah lah lah i cant hear you!”
I applaud nintendo for trying something different. You cant find out whats right without doing it wrong first.
While the nintendo labo is a great idea itself. Its implemenation is lacklustre. Cardboard is not a durable nor smart material to use. Not only is it easily destroyed. It also degrades at a faster rate compared to other materials. I think Nintendo would have been much better off going with something like Meccano. Something durable and easily re-usable.
There is also the fact like a lot of video game gimmic accessories with kids in mind. This will be played with several times. And then chucked in a drawer and not touched again.
As i said. Kudos to nintendo for trying something different. Its what drives the industry forward. But this product has several flaws.
This product I can see is more the niche market, not pleasing the general public but as a crafty person, cardboard let you have lot’s of fun personalising it with no hesitation. It may not be as durable but is easy to replace parts by copying the shape. People can modify easily them to something crazy if you are creative. I can foresee some cool stuffs coming out from it by those who are good as paper modelling.
In that sense it won’t work well with expensive materials like plastic or laser cut woods.
Once you done with it chuck to the recycle bin and that’s is. One day you feel like playing it again, just download the pattern and make a new one. The whole idea for this materials is flexibility with a lower cost.
Just my 2 cent thinking that it works for family who like to craft stuffs.
There are many paper model/sculpture on the market for people to craft and they are not cheap. After all these are some well designed piece. In such Nintendo price with the game/software doesn’t sound bad to me.
If the Nintendo Switch has taught us anything, it is to not make a judgement on something you haven’t used yet.
Personally I think it looks fantastic, it gets kids off the couch spending time with their parents more and having quality time together and being creative or even just being creative by themselves. We don’t need more kids yelling profanities at the tv / computer cause they died again in COD.
Don’t hate something just because its different.
Can’t wait for it, but it is very pricey. The cardboard might break, and you can get cardboard for $1 for every 6 boxes. I feel like people should be able to buy the game by itself, and just cut out the cardboard. Just a thought, but a naturally good one at that.