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Nintendo Labo VR Kit – Reaching New Heights with VR

Through VR, Nintendo Labo opens up a whole new world of creativity for players of all ages alike

(Design your own VR game with the Labo Toy-Con Garage VR. Image source: Nintendo)

Despite their initial apprehension towards VR, Nintendo announced their foyer into the VR realm in April 2019, introducing the Toy-Con 04 VR Kit.

Cardboard VR kits are nothing new, as Google Cardboard has been doing it with a relative amount of success since their introduction in 2014. However, what sets Labo apart is the play aspect of it – the DIY assembly that builds up to the VR experience.

Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit​

The Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is the most immersive and comprehensive Nintendo Labo kit to date – containing not only the Toy-Con VR Goggles, but also the Toy-Con Blaster, Camera, Elephant, Bird, and Wind Pedal, as well as a programming tool which allows players to create their own VR games and experiences.

(Image Source: Nintendo Labo)

Similar to the rest of Nintendo Labo’s offerings, the Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is enjoyed through first, building the thick cardboard consoles, then inserting the Switch console to experience. The only difference now is that this is to play VR games. After assembling the VR goggles and other accessories, enter the virtual world of VR through the window view, and watch the toys come to life.

Nintendo Labo Breakdown

The Nintendo Labo VR Kit is the fourth release in the Labo series, encapsulating a full storytelling experience from its name, to its penchant for creative expression.

Origins of the Name

When Nintendo first announced Labo, many wondered how they decided on the name, and whether it was derived from “labroratory”. Turns out, they were right! Nintendo intended for Labo to be thought of as a “labroratory”, driving the brand towards positive impressions such as creation, learning, and experimentation.

Sharp-eyed players also noted that they are branded as Nintendo Labo, and not Nintendo Switch Labo, remaining hopeful that in the future, Nintendo Labo may branch out to become an independent brand, instead of being part of the Switch family.

Nurturing Creativity

The concern for many parents is that most video games may be too violent or too addictive for their children.

Labo aims to disassociate from that viewpoint, stimulating children’s brains during the assembly process then allows them to integrate their own creativity to play the assembled “toys”. For example, the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit is the best kit for beginners, because it includes several different Toy-Con options for DIY building: two RC cars, a fishing rod, motorbike, a house, and a piano, keeping children occupied as they take a hands-on role in building the toys that they will play.

AR Campaign Execution

To encourage gameplay, a virtual Dak Prescott appeared in the app to introduce the new games, activities, and awesome selfie features available throughout the season. Along with Dak’s celebrity, mini-games that allowed photos or videos to be shared on social media also helped to drive additional interest in the app, resulting in more users over time. It also incentivised players to keep returning to the app to discover new mini-games as they were released.

The app benefitted from the AR implementation, immersing customers in the 7Rewards app as they engaged with the games and collected 7Reward points. Innovation-wise, AR kept users interested and playing consistently. By making the content fun and engaging, users were incentivised to return to the app and collect further points that could be spent in 7-Eleven stores.

Nintendo – Creating the Perfect User Experience ​

From the early days of their red and white Famicom, we have watched Nintendo expand to the Game Boy family, and the first motion detection console Wii, to the handheld 3DS capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D effects, to their current, but definitely not their last release – the Switch. Nintendo continues to redefine the gaming industry with their modern creative vision.  

In this era of technology, where manufacturers are repackaging similar content, thinking of ways to get you to open your wallet, Nintendo comes out with innovative, new product lines like Labo, triggering the nostalgia of discovering new games for the first time.

As kids, we were natural adventurers, doing what we did best at that age: play and explore. Despite not having technologically advanced toys, as kids do now, we used our imagination, creating a whole new world of epic battles and adventures with just two figurines and our limitless imagination. Each of us were the designers of our own games, with the sky being the limit to our creativity. This is where the spirit of Nintendo shines through, allowing us to make our own toys, and create our own games through their Labo series, which awakens our forgotten nature to play, create, and explore. Their way of providing entertainment not only comes from the glory of levelling up and exploring new levels in game, but also from the ability to create a new world through our imagination.

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