So living with my 3DS this past week has been great. One feature in particular that I love: Streetpass. Nintendo, hats off to you for this one, my 3DS has metaphorically been surgically attached to me. Meeting other people’s Miis then using them for an RPG and Puzzle collection game is brilliant! I’ve even set my greetings message as my twitter account username, see if anyone tries to message me or tags me.
What really got me wondering though is the mechanisms behind the magic, questions floating around the subject. How long does the 3DS need to be in range for someone’s info to transfer? how long does it take to discover other 3DS consoles? Can i achieve a streetpass when cycling on a bike? (unlikely unless they are heading the same direction).
Aside from this, there is also the pedometer. Gaining a currency to spend on things like the plaza, but also on in-game items (yet to see any functionality of that so far). Combining health incentives through game mechanics is nothing new, but having a currency available for rewards / items will probably change the way i think about walking. “Oh i should really go to the shop but i can’t be bothered” becomes “I should go to the shop, i can get what i need and get steps”. It isn’t a life changing difference but still nice to have extra gaming incentive.
I once saw a TED lecture on gamifcation and how everyday activities will soon become game-like. Nintendo has taken a large stride in the right direction, i hope others will follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment