Nintendo casts doubt over commitment to quality-of-life devices
New company president Kimishima says healthcare hardware needs to meet Nintendo standards; indicates they could be ditched if they don't.
Nintendo's new president Tatsumi Kimishima has cast doubt on the future of the company's "quality of life" initiative. Speaking to Japanese publication Asahi, the newly appointed exec indicated Nintendo's intention to release health-focused hardware is less concrete than it initially seemed.
"It's not yet at the level of a Nintendo product," he told investors, as translated by Kotaku. "If we can release it, we'll release it. If we can't then we'll examine things further."
Nintendo's entry into quality-of-life products was spearheaded by former president Satoru Iwata. Before formally announcing its plans for quality-of-life devices, it experimented with the Vitality Sensor on the Wii, though the device was never materialized.
Nintendo's sleep sensor would be placed at the bedside and gather data on sleep quality.
In January 2014, however, Nintendo revealed its intentions to continue exploring this avenue when it confirmed it was working on "non-wearable [devices] to monitor your health."
Later that same year, in October, a fatigue and sleep-deprivation sensor was revealed as the first product in Nintendo's health and lifestyle venture.
"Inside the QOL Sensor is a non-contact radio frequency sensor, which measures such things as the movements of your body, breathing and heartbeat, all without physically touching your body," explained Iwata at the time.
Data gathered from this device would be used to help people better understand their sleep habits and improve their quality of sleep. It would also provide advice on how they can have a better night's sleep.
Little had been heard about its quality of-life plans since then.