The era of sixth generation consoles saw all major companies fashion their respective systems into flat, rectangular pieces of hardware. All except Nintendo, who decided to risk it all on an indigo cube. While that decision wasn’t exactly a financial master stroke, the GameCube did manage to sell around 22 million units, not too far behind Xbox’s estimated 24 million. The point is, Nintendo seems to gravitate towards innovation, and the grand reveal of the Labo tells us the Kyoto-based establishment is unwavering in its mission to surprise.
The DIY cardboard creation kit, which allows users to assemble pianos, motorbikes, fishing poles and various other contraptions, transforms Joy-Cons into ‘Toy-Cons’ by manipulating their built-in infrared sensor to create motion. According to the Financial Times, the Labo gamble has pulled off. The low-tech approach is responsible for a 2.4% rise in Nintendo shares and has secured an additional $1.4 billion to Nintendo’s corporate value. Just a day later, inependent industry analyst Dr. Sekan Toto said Nintendo stock had moved up by “3.73% at the Tokyo Stock Exchange”.
The price point of Nintendo’s current line of Toy-Cons sits between $69~$79 USD. It seems to have registered a mixed response in audiences, with some arguing it’s a fair asking price for what the product includes, and others more skeptical, calling it an assembly of “some cardboard and string”. I believe someone in the comments section of our YouTube video mentioned a “waifu cardboard cutout”, which may test the limits of Nintendo’s E rating.
