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[drbond]

So, instead of trying to sell Wii U to Grandma so they can sell her Wii Fit U - they get her to buy the QOL device with some sensors and balance boards so she can enjoy playing Wii Fit or Brain Training and communicating with her grand kids on Miiverse. Her grandkids can send her their high scores in New Super Mario Brothers U and push her to play the game and compete with them for the highest score the next time she comes over. Miiverse will finally fulfill its potential as a platform for Nintendo users to share and communicate with each other.

I'm really intrigued about how this non-wearable QOL device is going to function.

And as for Miiverse, I've always felt it has potential if expanded upon. Comparing scores, interacting with other players (like giving items in Sonic Lost World), and just being a place to communicate with fans of the same game title (either through sketches or text posts) is pretty cool.

I still don't understand the hate people are having over this revealed business model for a Quality of Life device by Nintendo.

As someone who is already very active and who tries to constantly workout (now part of my recently adopted healthy lifestyle), Nintendo must be commended they are still actively trying to motivate non-gamers & gamers alike to get more excited over exercise. I still remember the news pieces they did in the 80's and 90's about kids not getting exercise because they were always in front of a TV, playing Nintendo of all things.

 

[Hermii]

I agree they should have done it earlier but you are missing the whole point. This isn't about when they should have released by the time to announcement to release.

Announcing something 16 months in advance is Steve Jobs of the Macintosh-era level stupid. Good design companies always wait <6 months before a product is announced otherwise they get copied to death and the market gets played out.

I'm sure Iwata would have preferred not to announce this until late this year - but his hand was forced.

That said, Nintendo hasn't really told us too much for clear reasons - they don't want to reveal their full hand but offer a glimpse of the future to appease investors.

Based on what they said in the briefing its kind of hard for others to copy it.

 

[Ledsen]

Brilliant idea. Nintendo innovating with unconventional methods, just what I like to see.

 

[GCX]

I agree they should have done it earlier but you are missing the whole point. This isn't about when they should have released by the time to announcement to release.

Announcing something 16 months in advance is Steve Jobs of the Macintosh-era level stupid. Good design companies always wait <6 months before a product is announced otherwise they get copied to death and the market gets played out.

I'm sure Iwata would have preferred not to announce this until late this year - but his hand was forced.

That said, Nintendo hasn't really told us too much for clear reasons - they don't want to reveal their full hand but offer a glimpse of the future to appease investors.

Iwata was so vague yesterday that it's impossible to get anything concrete out of it other than the general shift in strategy that will happen in the near future.

He did the same thing with the DS and Wii. He outlined the general idea of Nintendo moving towards the "blue ocean" with new kind of hardware and software but didn't give away too much before the product reveal.

 

[Mistouze]

So after reading the presentation my undestanding is that they are going to release a "non-wearable" QoL software platform in 2015. Wonder what form it will take.

 

[Taker666]

It's very hard to guess what they mean by "non-wearable".

Something like Kinect/ something like illumiroom/a projector/ a body scanner/a hovering robot that carries a tv screen around for you.

Very odd.

 

[Griss]

This has been some amazing news to wake up to. Took me completely by surprise, and I'm as mind-fucked as the rest of you.

I do have a prediction for their platform, though, and if done correctly it could be very, very successful. Here's the pitch:
A Wii Fit Balance board with a cheap system inside it. It comes with a vitality sensor, and wirelessly connects to your TV (or uses a dongle for non-Wifi TVs) to display content. It comes with a smartphone app that instantly syncs to the board every time you enter your house to record your activity and health data. There can be multiple apps downloaded to the board that range from weight training to yoga to brain training and early-learning. These are the 'games' on the TV. The whole system costs about $150. It is sold as part of the modern, healthy, tech-connected household way of life.

That's all I can think it might be. People saying chip implants are being facetious. If it's not just an app, and not wearable, what the hell else can it be?

I have been criticising Nintendo for tryng to appeal to different audiences using the same brand and same machine for a long, long time now. So I think this could be a massive positive for them. Game machines for gamers, QOL stuff for the non-gaming casual market. That's a good start.

I also think that they're clearly worried about the devaluation of entertainment software and what that does for their typical profit levels. This would be the first 'escape route' if they needed it, and they have the expertise in both software and peripherals to make it work. It's not a negative from that perspective. What I do doubt, however, is their ability to execute the plan well enough. Doubts as expressed in this comment...

I'll be straight up, I'm a big fan of fitness apps. I currently use or have used Myfitnesspal, a USDA nutrition database app, Runtastic, and Zombies, RUN!, in addition to Wii Fit U. By far Wii Fit U is the most least enjoyable in my opinion.


I know some people have had great success and I'm glad it's worked for them. Anything that gets people moving and eating mindfully is a great thing. For me, the worst part of Wii Fit U is the part that involves the actual Wii U. Exercising in front of a TV is just boring as hell to me. I'd much rather go for a jog or do some cycling or even just go for a walk. This is where the Fit Meter comes in though. If they could kick that thing in the ass and make it a proper activity meter in it's next generation so that it gives me proper credit for cycling I'd be super excited. Make it more in-line with what I imagine something like a modern fitbit might be (I haven't actually used one but I hear it marks all "High intensity" activity, if that's true).

Just make the Fit Meter collect all kinds of data and statistics. Make a full on suite of fitness apps that connect with a Fit Meter 2, which would ideally have a good-sized full color touch screen. Make a Myfitnesspal-type app, make the Fit Meter 2 measure all kinds of crazy fitness shit, make it simple and attractive and I think this could be a thing.

The problem is that if there's one thing Nintendo sucks at is making a user-friendly UI in my opinion. I mean no disrespect, I like the idea of Ninty heading in this direction and think it's pretty smart but they need to step their shit up if they don't want to biff this. It seems like Nintendo is in love with making single-tap experiences into quadruple-tap experiences. No, I can't offer any proof other than I find Nintendo devices, as much as I love them, to be a chore to navigate. This is all my personal opinion.

As I said, though, if they can get some fresh perspective in there and make a health platform that is decidedly "Nintendo" while not being so damned "Nintendo" all the time, this could be a big deal.


What I don't fucking get is them going on about "non-wearable". The future of this shit is IN wearable tech. Why do they always have to enact brilliant ideas in the stupidest possible way?

This comment is exactly how I feel about Wii Fit U. I just bought a balance board and this game and I'm very disappointed in multiple ways. It's not made to the quality level required to have success in the mass market. The UI is bad, the progress tracking is limited, everything takes longer than it needs to for something (health) that is pretty much a chore that people want to get over with. Every day I weigh in, and every day my weight has declined, and every day the little thing shakes her head and says 'that's overweight', rather than praising me for losing 10 pounds in January. That's just poor design. I also feel like a clown juggling all the peripherals. You stand on the board, stand off the board, use the gamepad to pick an exercise, pick up TWO wiimotes, shake them around, back to the pad, now one remote, off the board, put everything down, need the pad again... it's ridiculous.

Nintendo would need to step their game up in massive way to compete in this sector. I use MyFitnessApp every day. Because it takes 5 seconds to use. It's not perfect (the weight progress tracker is fucking awful), but everything is built for speed and ease of use. Nintendo needs to understand that. The software needs to treat us like adults who have limited time.

I said this in another topic, but I think I understand what QOL means... Imagine Wii Fit and the Balance Board, but imagine that you didn't have to buy a Nintendo system to use either. It would exist in... say, the bathroom like a typical weight scale would normally be, but it could stream the Wii Fit software to your smartphone or tablet (as well as the 3DS and Wii U). It would be a smart scale, wouldn't it? And you would need to buy Nintendo hardware to use it, wouldn't you? The QOL stuff might be something like that.

Similar to what I was thinking.

 

[nikatapi]

I really hope this marks a shift in terms of the casual content (Wii Fit etc) which can hopefully be delivered even on smart devices, leaving the consoles to be more gaming oriented.

I mean, it would be a good idea to make a Wii Fit smartphone-tablet app, which can connect to a balance board accessory without the need for a Nintendo console. I can see them being successful in moving some accessories bundled with an app, and leaving the consoles to be targeted at gamers and not trying to please everyone unsuccessfully.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

Brilliant idea. Nintendo innovating with unconventional methods, just what I like to see.

Yup. I love how whenever they're backed against a wall, they venture into uncharted territory instead of following the herd on the beaten-to-death path. Cannot wait to see what they actually come up with!

 

[twisted89]

After seeing this I can only conclude that Nintendo had chronic depression and wants to commit suicide.

 

[Dracandros]

I'm not sure what will come out of all this, but I don't like the fact that they are talking about financials ALREADY. Is it a sign that the games that will be coming out in 2015-2016 aren't that great or that the big guns are just about all spent? What else could it be in this case? I doubt the stocks are the source of the problem alone.

Still, I hope the venture turns out well.

The thing that would truly concern me is if I had to buy a smartphone or tablet or iWhatever to continue to play Nintendo games. I shudder at the mere thought of "data plans".

 

[Stiflers Mom]

Gee, I sure hope their defibrillators won't be underpowered too.

Hooooohooooo..


Wow..


Hope this gets quoted a couple of times more in this thread...

*100 points*

 

[Boy Wander]

I've often thought that one market that Nintendo could really make a move into is as a rival for Leapfrog - i.e. Nintendo themed educational devices for young kids.
What are the thoughts on this?

 

[Porcile]

I like this. It's speculative, divisive and unusual. All the things 3DS and Wii U were not when they were announced and all the things the DS and Wii were. As a separate source of revenue it could be highly lucrative.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Iwata really wants to capture that Wii Fit lightning in a bottle again basically, and he views the layer of videogame consoles as an obstacle to get there. Despite that being all theyre good at, and all their OS efforts are 10 years behind competition.

The elephant in the room once again being smartphones, tablets, fuel-bands, and wearable tech dominating the lifestyle gadget sect. Iwata wouldnt commit to what the fuck a non-wearable is so we're left wondering if its furniture of some kind, something you clip onto your bed or door-frame, and the whole thing just sounds like the vitality sensor reaching he was engaging in as the Wii started spiralling.

He's also bought himself a couple more years with this shit, so thats the big takeaway from it. "Let my QOL platform come out, then judge!!" Dark, dark times for Nintendo ahead.

 

[spekkeh]

I can tell you that RIGHT NOW, PC's are where games are being played in classrooms. There may be no need (or room) for another player.

The chance of succeeding in this respect seems very obviously linked to whether they want to create serious games for PCs or smart devices, yes.

 

[MaschinenZimmer]

This is were the Wii money and R&D power went? Instead of using the money to buy and build new studios they invested the money into Health/Education/Learning non-wearable devices?

It might be a genius move if this is really something NEW that we haven't seen before. I honestly wish Nintendo the best, because delivering products that can enhance the quality of life is a very noble way to make money.

 

[Hermii]

I'm not sure what will come out of all this, but I don't like the fact that they are talking about financials ALREADY. Is it a sign that the games that will be coming out in 2015-2016 aren't that great or that the big guns are just about all spent? What else could it be in this case? I doubt the stocks are the source of the problem alone.

Still, I hope the venture turns out well.

The thing that would truly concern me is if I had to buy a smartphone or tablet or iWhatever to continue to play Nintendo games. I shudder at the mere thought of "data plans".

They always talk about financials at investor briefings. It says nothing about the quality of the games they are currently making.

 

[Dracandros]

They always talk about financials at investor briefings. It says nothing about the quality of the games they are currently making.

That's not the point I'm making in all fairness. I'm just saying that it's TMI.

Perhaps it's nothing more than inexperience in a part of this project. Perhaps it's just that they want to target a consumer group quickly. I'm suggesting that there is at least one other reason why they are revealing so much.

 

[DCharlie]

They always talk about financials at investor briefings. It says nothing about the quality of the games they are currently making.

well, that maybe the point : No one (or no group of people in any relevant number) cares about Nintendo. A lot of the exit strategies (iOS, other platforms etc) all hinge on this weird idea that everyone is still enamored with Nintendo...


... what if the truth is that most people really -really- don't give a flying toss about Nintendo?


I personally think that is where we are at and Nintendo are, frankly, fucked.

 

[FunkyLounge]

Rather than capturing new fans, make the old ones live forever.

Clever.

 

[Fess]

This is were the Wii money and R&D power went? Instead of using the money to buy and build new studios they invested the money into Health/Education/Learning non-wearable devices?

It might be a genius move if this is really something NEW that we haven't seen before. I honestly wish Nintendo the best, because delivering products that can enhance the quality of life is a very noble way to make money.

Best news is that it's not forced on us anymore by having these "games" on the dedicated gaming platforms. Core games for gamers and fitness/health/learning software for non-gamers. Lets just hope they can deliver enough core games with high quality from here on because they'll have no more help from soccer moms and casuals to get the popularity up on the games platforms. It's risky but it might work if they're dedicated enough.

 

[maquiladora]

It's very hard to guess what they mean by "non-wearable".

Something like Kinect/ something like illumiroom/a projector/ a body scanner/a hovering robot that carries a tv screen around for you.

Very odd.

The only hint Iwata gave was : not something you'd use in your living room. So I think that rules out a Kinect like device.

 

[Exterminieren]

3DS Brain Training was hamstrung by the fact it was on 3DS.

Wii Fit U was hamstrung by the fact it was on the Wii U.

I see the logic in this. Interested in their non-wearable solution too.

 

[eXistor]

As long as they don't forget about us, I'm all for them trying to make some money on the side.

 

[RaikuHebi]

Everybody hop aboard the BRAIN TRAIN! Think Think motherfuckers!

 

[bryehn]

Way late to the serious games party, but I think Nintendo could excel at it and take it mainstream.

 

[Jackano]

Like I just thought when finishing the entiere reading of the english version of the presentation,
All of this QOL thing reminds me of Shigesato Itoi work, more than just Wii Fit. Knowing how close him and Iwata are, it wouldn't be surprising if at least some of their talks led to Iwata's idea for this 3rd pillar.

 

[linkboy]

I've often thought that one market that Nintendo could really make a move into is as a rival for Leapfrog - i.e. Nintendo themed educational devices for young kids.
What are the thoughts on this?

It's not like they haven't dabbled in it before (and yes, I know Software Toolworks made these)

I could see them doing something like that (and I might look into getting copies of those two games for my son in a few years, he loves Mario).

 

[LoveCake]

non-wearables

A cloud based connection direct to the persons brain ?

What could a non-wearable device be other than a games console ?

 

[michaelius]

Some basic thoughts after having read the English presentation.

3rd pillar outside of gaming but inside of entertainment. Hmm, I kind of like the basic idea. It's totally leftfield, not what anyone expected (and generates just as much hate as the Wii and DS when first shown) but shows once again that Nintendo is able to think in broader terms.

They must have a lot of prototypes of devices/idea's etc made in the last 10 years, tons of R&D in both hardware and software. They can use the part of EAD that did wiifit / Wii Sports and use them to deliver software experiences for a new hardware platform.

If successful, this could have several advantages:
- It prints money
- shared hardware (for example: if the devices uses the WiiU CPU, they can get lower prices on chips and/or reuse components originally intended for WiiU and currently sitting in warehouses)
- Platform compatibility (software made for these new devices could also work on WiiU/3DS/Nextgen)
- Selected software made for WiiU/3DS might be playable on this device in a simpler form
- A new sort of 3rd parties. Not 3rd parties for games but for these new experiences - where Nintendo is once again the platform holder.
- A lot of the software for this already exists within nintendo. They could reuse parts of the weather/news channel, touch series, wii fit and even wii sports to give this device a slightly lifestyle edge. Also turn around from prototype > full software for these kind of projects is a lot faster.

Combined with the account system there is an incentive at least for the current Nintendo userbase who enjoyed the new experiences to try out this new platform. It's also new and exciting, and might be easier to become the "hype of the season" in the media because there's nothing quite like it out there.

To summarize in one sentence:
Nintendo will be once more looking to create casual fad which will print money

 

[Effer]

Everybody hop aboard the BRAIN TRAIN! Think Think motherfuckers!

Not wearable, not used in a living room. It's clearly an umbrella. With motion plus!

 

[MDSLKTR]

Industry shaking announcements indeed bahaha

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

This sounds worse than mobile gaming...

 

[michaelius]

This sounds worse than mobile gaming...

What you don't want scale which shows Luigi if you are losing weight or Bowser if you are gaining ?

 

[DrROBschiz]

They can't compete in the market they pioneered so they are basically walking away from it

What cowardice

 

[McHuj]

Rather than capturing new fans, make the old ones live forever.

Clever.

Awesome

 

[Hermii]

That's not the point I'm making in all fairness. I'm just saying that it's TMI.

Perhaps it's nothing more than inexperience in a part of this project. Perhaps it's just that they want to target a consumer group quickly. I'm suggesting that there is at least one other reason why they are revealing so much.

To much information for you maybe, but not for investors which it was meant for.

 

[rezn0r]

MAKE THE GAMES YOU USED TO MAKE WE HAVE MONEY FOR YOU

 

[saska]

Rather than capturing new fans, make the old ones live forever.

Clever.

Nice one.

 

[BGBW]

You know what also contributes to a healthy lifestyle? FOOD!

Nintendo cereal is back!

 

[Shion]

GAF should be ecstatic at this news.

Nintendo is finally saying that they want to take all the effort they put into attracting casuals with Wii Fit U, Brain Age, Touch generations, etc. and refocus those IPs on a new third platform that is also device-agnostic, and refocus their video game business on core content going forward.

Basically ( http://www.nintendo.com/games/touchgenerations ) will be sold as services on their third pillar - most likely a tablet with lots of add-on devices like the Balance Board, cameras to monitor heart-rate, etc. They will probably allow people to use their own smartphone as well instead of the tablet but preserve the best experience for people buying their own tablet hardware.

That frees up next-gen Nintendo gaming hardware to be more focused on games rather than casual stuff. They repeatedly emphasized that they are in this to keep building traditional platforms and packaged games. They categorically rejected F2P of their tentpole franchises.

The next Nintendo console will likely be more targeted to traditional gamers, while their handheld will continue to build on the kids market that has really kept the 3DS alive. With a single user ID they can try to cross-sell devices for different needs rather than having to do one-device fits all.

This is exactly what many people wanted Nintendo to do - build games for gamers - build QOL stuff for QOL-specific platform - rather than trying to mix the two and screwing up both at the same time.

The only people disappointed by all this news would be port beggars that desperately wanted Nintendo content for their console of choice. Really, if you are a Nintendo fan, you got everything you wanted in this Q&A - and it looks like Nintendo finally gets that they can't build the same device for every audience and wants to stop building things like the Wii U that target a casual to hardcore audience without satisfying any particular audience in question.

Now Nintendo needs to outfit the QOL device with a story/cartoon/game creation app based on Mario Paint that helps people learn how to code and make games that can be played on Nintendo gaming devices, market it to impressionable parents who want their kids to be able to code, and they should make billions of dollars.

Nintendo doesn't have infinite resources.

A look at Nintendo's internally developed output during the DS/Wii era is enough of a proof for that (and that was in pre-HD era development).

What I expect from Nintendo, under this model, is tons of outsourcing and lots of C-tier crap like Hyrule Warriors.

 

[DrROBschiz]

What scares me is that they are going to continue to train and divert internal talent away from games

The one thing that they still do well.

I am not seeing a single positive out of this at the moment so i am hope someone will enlighten me

 

[kinggroin]

What scares me is that they are going to continue to train and divert internal talent away from games

The one thing that they still do well.

I am not seeing a single positive out of this at the moment so i am hope someone will enlighten me

I hate to say but I agree. They've already demonstrated they cannot adequately support these two platforms, so with more resources being diverted towards qol, I can only see the video game software output shrinking further

 

[Metal B]

I've often thought that one market that Nintendo could really make a move into is as a rival for Leapfrog - i.e. Nintendo themed educational devices for young kids. What are the thoughts on this?

They actually working on that. Nando Monterazo from Nintendo of America once twittered, that he is testing a tablet designed as a educational devices for young kids. The software will star Nintendos characters.

This actually falls into the announced strategy and could mean, that Nintendo is planning those steps a long time ago.

 

[pulga]

Ffs board members, put him out of his misery and fire the deluded grapefruit already. He's clearly lost the plot.

 

[JazzmanZ]

Ffs board members, put him out of his misery and fire the deluded grapefruit already. He's clearly most the plot.

perhaps you have?

 

[Dracandros]

To much information for you maybe, but not for investors which it was meant for.

You really missed the point then. It doesn't matter anymore - let's move on.

What I want to know is the why (for Nintendo making the moves it has).

 

[pulga]

perhaps you have?

I have enough common sense to know that if Im in the fast food business, I wont suddenly turn around and try to peddle gym memberships to my consumers.

 

[Hermii]

What scares me is that they are going to continue to train and divert internal talent away from games

The one thing that they still do well.

I am not seeing a single positive out of this at the moment so i am hope someone will enlighten me

Those who want QOL stuff will not buy an expensive gaming console to have it. People interested in a game console are not necesarily the same people that want a QOL device. I am sure a lot more people would be interested in the fit meter of Wii Fit U if it wasnt on Wii U, same for brain training 3ds,A QOL platform if it gets popular will attract a different kind of third party support than a gaming platform would. Instead of one everything device, they will have 3 devices which are more specialized at what they do. (Mobile, QOL, Home console).

Im dont think its the best idea ever, but Im not dismissing it either. At least not until I seen it.