Five Retro Responses to Nintendo’s Move Into Health Care
Pundits hoping for Nintendo to announce that it was moving into mobile phone gaming were shocked this week to find out what the venerable gaming giant’s next big thing actually is. Health Care. Details are almost non-existent, but Nintendo President Satoru Iwata did say that company’s move into the “Quality of Life” market would be a non-wearable device, setting it apart from trendy “wearables” such as Google Glass or the Pebble Smartwatch. But, c’mon, it’s not that surprising. Video game companies getting into healthcare and personal improvement devices is not a new thing. In fact, it’s a very old thing, with Nintendo being one of the most recently successful companies to do so with its Wii Fit line and the general concept of getting off the couch to play with the Wii. Here are five retro examples that show the idea goes back to the early days of gaming. Atari Mindlink – 1984 A common theme in “Quality of Life” hardware devices is the use of biofeedback techniques, and the