The director of Nintendo Labo says that virtual reality was part of the plan from the beginning

Nintendo Labo VR, the cardboard accessory kit for the switch, meets many expectations as the company's official invasion of virtual reality. This is the fourth installment of the Labo series, which was launched a year ago for mixed reviews. Parents and schools have praised its touch building experience and its programming features as a creative educational tool for kids, while some critics have described it as a "creative educational tool for kids," while some critics have described it as "creative". novelty object that lost interest after the first plays.

But Labo director Tsubasa Sakaguchi is not surprised by his detractors. "We are not focused on the passive gaming experience, but rather on the emotion evoked when you create your own controllers and play games," he said. "At the end of the day, you have to experience to get it."

Sakaguchi oversaw the Labo series from concept to production. He remembers a first test of consumption so catastrophic that he went back to his hotel room and cried a little. "When you're really into development, it's really hard to realize that other people might have trouble building it," he says. "So it was a very good experience for us to see this and realize," Oh, wait, you may need three arms to make that fold. "

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The tests of the virtual reality kits went much easier, the part "Build" construction instructions already defined in the first three Labo kits. Nintendo had also explored virtual reality long before Labo. Thus, by the time the developers proposed the Labo VR concept, the search had already been done. "We are still looking for this overlap between" technology and the familiar and accessible, "said Sakaguchi. "When we thought about this little overlap, we thought the concept of Nintendo Labo and VR would be perfect."

Sakaguchi began her career at Nintendo in 2005, as an artist on The legend of Zelda: Princess of Twilight. Since then, he has designed the main menu user interface of the Nintendo 3DS, working on titles such as Wii Fitand co-direct Splatoon "All of these experiences have shaped me where I am. I realized that I always liked creating interfaces, "he says. Sakaguchi's interactivity experience has resulted in a virtual reality system with unique input and physical feedback.

For example, the toy camera has an oversized lens that emits a click when you focus it. This is a nice little detail that has required several attempts on the part of the hardware team, but it has been necessary for the user to get the best possible sound. "In virtual reality, we think that what we see on the screen is important. But what we think is equally important is what we can feel physically and emotionally, "says Sakaguchi.

Photo of Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The process of developing the six cardboard creations, or Toy-Cons, was rich in trial and error. The team had a list of ideas – like integrating Wind into the gaming experience – and only those that could be realized by both the hardware and the software. A potential Toy-Con was a helix over the head that would create wind if you blew on a straw attached to it, which was canceled in favor of the much simpler wind pedal.

Only 1 million Labo kits were sold at the end of last year, a fraction of the 10 million copies of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold, according to Nintendo's third quarter results. But the company said it's waiting for it, knowing that Labo is a totally different experience from traditional video games. Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president of Nintendo of America The edge Last June, "Labo is the type of game, a bit like Age of the brain for the Nintendo DS, a bit like Wii Fitit's a game that will sell for a very long time at a very fast pace. "

He did not make fun of Labo's long-term vision. Sakaguchi thinks Labo is a game that can grow with children – for example, a five-year-old can build kits, but when it comes to playing, it may be a little too early (the RV is recommended for children seven years and older). up). "But that same kid, in about three years, when he will have reached the age of playing the game, I think he'll be able to win something that he could not have done win earlier, "he says.

Photo of Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Shigeru Miyamoto, iconic video game designer Time in 2017, watching people play virtual reality worried and evoked the challenges of creating "a sufficiently short and comprehensive experience in virtual reality". The mini-games included in the Labo VR software attempt to accomplish this. by encouraging turn-based play, which is why VR goggles were designed without a headband. But with the next software updates to The legend of Zelda: the breath of nature and Super Mario Odyssey to make games compatible with Labo VR, users are already creating their own makeshift straps for extended play.

Nevertheless, creating accessories for the Lab is part of the DIY spirit, and Sakaguchi wants users to make their own decisions. He was particularly impressed by the winner of the Nintendo Labo Creators contest, who made a solar-powered cardboard accordion, and by a user who created a working Labo piano in a 3D book. "In a previous interview, I said," We came up with all the fun ideas. But after seeing what the users had created, I was really ashamed of myself, "he laughs.