All entries for Wednesday 25 January 2006

Brain training

Writing about web page http://www.cabel.name/2006/01/on-brain-training.html

Cabel Sasser writes insightfully about a new game for the Nintendo DS called Brain Training. Actually, I say "game" but I'm not sure if that's really the right word; it's a way of using your handheld console to do mental exercises.

What's slightly surprising is not that such a thing should exist but that it seems, in Japan at least to have been a runaway success – it sold nearly half a million copies in a single week, and has been the best-selling game in Japan since Christmas. As Cabel observes:-

Most importantly, though, Brain Training is doing what Nintendo said they would do but nobody really believed them on: opened gaming up to a whole new generation of players. Seeing grandmothers on the train holding their Nintendo DS like a book sends an instant signal — "brain training in progress".

I'm looking forward to the US release of this so I can try it for myself (and hooray for non-region-locked devices!).

(As an aside, Cabel's blog is a thing of beauty; look at the subtle glow effects when you mouse over the "About" link, and the elegant pop-up you get when you click on it. Very nice.)

John Dale : 25 Jan 2006 11:04 |  Tags: Games Links |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Trackbacks (1) |  Report a problem

Best packaging ever?

John Dale : 25 Jan 2006 10:36 |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem