Hello,
Nintendo has been creating its own lane in the wellness category for over a decade now. After all, Wii Fit brought fitness into the living room. Not Peleton.
As brands look to make the most out of the four trillion dollar wellness industry they’d be wise to look at Nintendo as a competitor and a source of inspiration.
Nintendo wellness innovations from the past
Nintendo started experimenting in the wellness space around 2007 with games like Wii Fit and Brain Age. Looking back a lot of these games and accessories were prototypes for the innovations we are seeing today.
Wii Fit
This is the product that started it all. Wii Fit gave players a mat where they could track their weight and perform a variety of fitness moves while playing fun minigames. The game was a great way to get the whole family in on the fitness fun.
It also gave me the unforgettable experience of a video game calling me fat. That did wonders for my middle school self-esteem.
The Pokemon Pedometer
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver released with a pedometer that users could store their Pokemon in. The device allowed people to train their Pokemon by just walking outside.
Brain Age
This series of games was developed primarily for Nintendo’s portable systems. They were made in partnership with Ryuta Kawashima, a world-renowned neuroscientist, to help improve people’s focus and memory.
Nintendo wellness innovations in the present
Nintendo had a lull in wellness innovations from about 2012 to 2016 in large part because their flagship console at the time, the Wii U, did not sell that well. Now that they have a strong console again (the Nintendo Switch) they are back to bringing new ideas to the space.
Pokemon Go
This game was a worldwide phenomenon when it came out and helped millions of young people get off the couch. Three years later, this evolution of the Pokemon Pedometer is still going strong.
Ring Fit Adventure
Instead of a mat, Nintendo decided to go with a resistance ring and thigh band for their latest iteration of living room fitness games. The game has people lunging, crunching, and jogging in place as they cruise towards victory. It has a much more video game like feel to it than Wii Fit.
Pokemon Smile
Pokemon recently released a mobile game that lets kids catch pokemon for successfully brushing their teeth. The app adds collectibles and adventure to the toothbrushing experience.
What could Nintendo wellness look like in 2025?
There are tons of opportunities for Nintendo to help people live healthier lives. Here are some that I’m really excited to see Nintendo capitalize on.
A Nintendo Gym
Arcades and gyms have a lot of synergies. They both build a community around shared interests, there is natural competition around getting better, and there are lots of machines to play with. Nintendo’s treasure trove of characters could be a great way to spice up the normal gym experience.
A Brain Age mobile app
Nintendo released a new Brain Age game for the Switch in Asia and Europe to mediocre reviews earlier this year. Right now, the game is on the wrong console.
Brain Age’s short bursts of gameplay and daily progression system would lend itself well to a mobile game. Nintendo could bring some interesting ideas to the area that apps like Lumosity and Headspace occupy.
An expanded Niintedo wellness ecosystem for kids
I wouldn’t be surprised if Pokemon Smile is the beginning of a larger wellness ecosystem for children. There’s a big market for parents to build those habits and Nintendo’s characters are super kid friendly.
What to take away:
While a lot of companies are offering gamified wellness Nintendo is offering wellnessified gaming. Giving it a unique and fun niche that they are going to continue to build on.
Next time you are doing research on the wellness landscape make sure to include Nintendo in your report.
Gaming news that caught my eye:
The Verge: Mixer folded into Facebook Gaming this past week. The move was sudden and left a lot of their partners blindsided. It opens the door for Facebook Gaming to gain a lot of ground in the videogame streaming wars.
Indiewire: Fortnite is airing the movie Inception in their in-game theater tonight. It’s another example of how Fortnite is becoming more than a video game.
Vice: Twitch is launching Crown Channel, a channel that is bringing reality TV to the platform. Like I said in this newsletter, reality TV could do some really interesting things using Twitch’s interactive features.
Spread the word:
If you enjoyed this, please share it with your friends.
If your friend shared this with you, please consider subscribing.
Logging off
Thanks for reading. Feel free to contact me through any of the methods below. I’ll answer all questions.
Email: zacharystubblefield@yahoo.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-stubblefield-59875b152/
PSN ID: Stubbalicious
Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-5855-6141-8124