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For anyone who doesn’t really follow developments in the tech industry, the only products by Nintendo that they might know about is the Switch or the 3DS. However, the Japanese company has actually just launched a new item called the “Labo” and it is quickly gaining a lot of attention. The product is still related to gaming, but it’s literally made out of cardboard that can then be assembled into peripherals such as fishing rods and even an exoskeleton.
If the idea of the Labo sounds like one level above that SpongeBob episode where the main character plays with a cardboard box using only his imagination, it kind of is. Nintendo basically just took the imagination part out and created cardboards that can be assembled into a lot of things.
Looking at the promotion video of Labo, it’s almost an extension of the weirdness that is the Switch. It's also reminiscent of the Google Cardboard VR gimmick that the search engine company tried and failed to market.
As Forbes notes, this crazy new idea by Nintendo could easily fail, but it would be a huge loss if it did. It’s an entirely fresh take on the peripherals industry, which has become increasingly stale of late. Turning cardboard into a working piano that produces actual music? Who even thought of that?
The current version of the Labo has over 25 options in terms of what kinds of peripherals they can be turned into, which is mindboggling. Step-by-step instructions on how these can be assembled are provided on the Switch itself, as well. So this is not going to be an Ikea teeth grinding fest.
Now, the product is clearly aimed at children, which is fine. However, as Destructoid notes, it can certainly present an opportunity for the whole family to have fun. Assembling the peripherals that produce different functionality is already a source of incredible enjoyment, but the fact that it could then be used to interact with video games is simply outrageous.
On its face, the Labo could quite likely fail. It’s something new, strange, and all at once a huge risk for Nintendo. Then again, the company is known for pulling off some of the weirdest stunts in the past, so it could also spark a new revolution in the tech industry.
