Nintendo 'Quality of Life' Initiative Loses Steam

With all the attention on Nintendo's imminent foray into mobile games, the company's other projects around personal health may not see the light of day.

Announced in 2014 as a vague 'Quality of Life' initiative, it was meant to result in the launch of a non-wearable health product that would track sleep. This was due at the end of March this year.

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During a Q&A session after the company's financial report this week, CEO and President Tatsumi Kimishima brought it up. He stated that the Kyoto-based concern does not have the confidence that the device would be well-received by consumers.

Nonetheless, Kimishima believes Nintendo still has something to contribute in the segment and may expand the firm's activities in this field. However this should have not come as a surprise. Its previous efforts were also cancelled after announcement such as the Wii Vitality Sensor (pictured above). It was a biometric peripheral that was shown off at E3 in 2009 which never saw it to retail because it did not work as it should have.

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With the Nintendo NX due this year, as well as a host of mobile games, it's unlikely that anything of value has been lost. Rather, its good to see the company focusing on its core competency of making games.