The new Nintendo Labo initiative came completely out of left field for most people—after all, what kind of strange timeline do we live in where cardboard is now a peripheral.
But whether you’re excited, disappointed or just weirded out, you certainly won’t be locked out of the new Nintendo Switch Labo content because of money reasons, as IGN France has confirmed that the cardboard patterns for Labo games will be 100% free and reproducible.
This announcement comes on the tail-end of concerns about the durability of the cardboard product. It is, after all, a notoriously brittle substance that won’t last long in the hands of a frustrated gamer.
In order to avoid the problem of expecting gamers to shell out extra cash for literal cardboard in order to play their games in some kind of twisted IRL microtransaction nightmare, Nintendo has instead come up with two solutions.
Cardboard design patterns will be freely available online for download, allowing players to build or replace parts as necessary.
Firstly, cardboard design patterns will be freely available online for download, allowing players to build or replace parts as necessary—and with any material you have to hand. Pretty exciting for those with 3D printers, perhaps…
Secondly, for those who would prefer to avoid the cardboard thing altogether, the Labo games will not require cardboard peripherals in order to be enjoyed.
Good news for those who aren’t too keen to fish out a cardboard rod in public, or play pretend motorbike with cardboard handlebars on the bus.
The first of these new cardboard toys will drop on April 20th, and will come with both ‘peripheral’ and game for $69.99 on the Switch.
Rad or Shite Gaming 
Leave a Reply