Brain Age [NDS] Confirmed for U.S. Release

[fitbabits]

Thanks, as always, to Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) for the news (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7964).

Nintendo has officially confirmed the U.S. release of the first two titles in its Brain Training series for the Nintendo DS, to debut this April and May, following significant Japanese success for the series.

The Brain Training series, inspired by the work of Professor Ryuta Kawashima, a prominent Japanese neuroscientist, has already proved a notable DS system-seller in Japan, with over a million units shipped of at least one of the games in the series. The series also shows continuing sales far above comparative titles, with many older consumers or non-gamers buying the handheld simply to play the game series, and Nintendo is clearly hoping to repeat this success in the West.

Officially revealed is a April 17 release date for Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day (known as Brain Training in Japan), which presents players with a series of short mental brain-training challenges that incorporate word memorization, counting and reading. The Western versions of the series have also added sudoku number puzzles, which have become extremely popular features in newspapers around the country, and especially in Europe.

..........

"Young or old, everyone looks for ways to get a mental edge," commented Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Our brain-training series, led by Brain Age, builds on the popularity of word and number puzzles and acts as a treadmill for the mind."
Naysayers can criticize Nintendo for a lot of DS-related things (redesign, etc.), but one thing they are consistent with is innovation.

[automaton]

I definitely need to learn more about these games to understand their appeal. As with most things Nintendo lately, I think I need to see it in action to get a sense of why I would want to own it.

[fitbabits]

I definitely need to learn more about these games to understand their appeal. As with most things Nintendo lately, I think I need to see it in action to get a sense of why I would want to own it.
And with the DS demo units pretty much everywhere, you have a good chance of doing just that! Hint hint, Sony. :rolleyes:

[EternalGamer]

Adding sudoku was a very smart move. That along could perhaps popularize it quite a bit.

Dan

[fitbabits]

Adding sudoku was a very smart move. That along could perhaps popularize it quite a bit.

Dan
Agreed! This may be the deciding factor in me buying my wife a DS for her 30th birthday. ;)

[Kelegacy]

Agreed! This may be the deciding factor in me buying my wife a DS for her 30th birthday. ;)
Robbing the cradle much?

[fitbabits]

Robbing the cradle much?
There's only seven years difference! It's not like I'm 8 and she's 1 - that would be fucked up. Funnily enough, all the people I've dated have been younger than me by a considerable margin. Must be my boyish good looks. :o

[Jacob Singer]

Brain-teasers and memorization games are "innovative"? Who knew?

[fitbabits]

Brain-teasers and memorization games are "innovative"? Who knew?
Wario-Ware was a bunch of unoriginal mini-games that, when put together, were innovative in their own right.

[dotbomb]

Omg... Sudoku? My mom and wife will be all over this.

Mom actually does these puzzles while stopped at red lights!

[AntB]

Sudoku is available on most cellphones. Not original.

And 'dotbomb'... no wonder there are so many accidents.

[alienchild]

sudoku ey? this game just sold another unit

[joruussuun]

I'd buy a DS game of just a bunch of Sudoku puzzles... and a new DS.

[Rirath]

WOW! Puzzle games!!

Remember folks, if Nintendo does it -- It's innovative.

[fitbabits]

Remember folks, if Nintendo does it -- It's innovative.
And when SONY does it, it's a rip-off. And when Microsoft does it, it's a fucking monopoloy.

Time to mount a new horse - this one's about beat to death.

[agentgray]

And when SONY does it, it's a rip-off. And when Microsoft does it, it's a fucking monopoloy.

Time to mount a new horse - this one's about beat to death.
You mount horses?

[fitbabits]

You mount horses?
You do!

mount: verb - To place oneself upon; get up on: mount a horse

:)

[dotbomb]

Sudoku is available on most cellphones. Not original.

And 'dotbomb'... no wonder there are so many accidents.

No kidding. Don't tell my mom she can do sudoku puzzles on her phone or we are in a world of hurt. She can't even find the volume control on the phone when I call her...

[Mr_Snuffle]

WOW! Puzzle games!!

Remember folks, if Nintendo does it -- It's innovative.

Brain Training is more than just a puzzle game you arse. It actually can promote good health and reduce chances of brain deterioration in old age (such as alzheimer's)... and that's the point of it. Give me another software title which is especially designed to increase mental health.

Yes, there are other games which can also do this, but I doubt they do it as well because they aren't designed from set go to do so.

And you know, when people do things which haven't really been done much before, and realise new ideas, that's called innovation!

The more you know.

[Jacob Singer]

Brain Training is more than just a puzzle game you arse. It actually can promote good health and reduce chances of brain deterioration in old age (such as alzheimer's)... and that's the point of it. Give me another software title which is especially designed to increase mental health.

Yes, there are other games which can also do this, but I doubt they do it as well because they aren't designed from set go to do so.

And you know, when people do things which haven't really been done much before, and realise new ideas, that's called innovation!

The more you know.

And you have the scientific studies and professional peer reviews to prove this?

Until then, this is just another game.

The more you know...

[Sl1pstream]

And with the DS demo units pretty much everywhere, you have a good chance of doing just that! Hint hint, Sony. :rolleyes:

We even had to remove the demo units from our store because the PSP's were too easy to steal.

[Mr_Snuffle]

And you have the scientific studies and professional peer reviews to prove this?

Until then, this is just another game.

The more you know...

dear god...

Have you even read anything about this before you started you ignorant trolling? Or did you just see an opportunity to make a fool of yourself by making snide Nintendo remarks?

You know, I trust a professor of neuroscience much more than I'd trust your bullshit. Unless you have some creditable sources that discredit Prof Kawashima's research and input into the title, kindly shut up.

Playing the "My argument is correct because you can't prove yours!" card when you don't have anything to back up your own argument is a very childish way to debate.

And it just so happens that I DO have some creditable material to back me up.

[fitbabits]

We even had to remove the demo units from our store because the PSP's were too easy to steal.
So that's why they're not selling - they're far too easy to steal! :)

[KSmitty]

I don't use my handhelds for long periods of time, so I love these twitch types of games, that coupled with logic/word problems is a sale for me.
I was never big on Sudoku, but one of my friends loves that shit.

-K

[jacktion]

This game will sell like gangbustaz! gangbustaz I tellz ya!

It will sell because it appeals to the ego. Everyone wants to see how good their brain is because everybody thinks their brain is better than average. (which of course is inherently false) I know that my massive cerebellum will probably break the cartridge because my score is so high! Hohoho!

[boratika]

Playing the "My argument is correct because you can't prove yours!" card when you don't have anything to back up your own argument is a very childish way to debate.
I believe it's considered a logical fallacy.

Considering that, at least for the first one, it took a number of people you can count on your digits a number of weeks to make, that's one big profit, which is the other thing Nintendo is very good at.

1.) Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 100,538 | 946,423
2.) Oideyo Doubutsu no Mori (NDS, Nintendo) - 79,363 | 1,644,614
3.) Super Mario Strikers (GC, Nintendo) - 74,209 | NEW
4.) Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training (NDS, Nintendo) - 48,833 | 1,370,336
5.) Mario Kart DS (NDS, Nintendo) - 37,821 | 1,028,190
6.) Monster Hunter Portable (PSP, Capcom) - 28,513 | 405,651
7.) Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisetchi (NDS, Bandai) - 22,843 | 893,764
8.) Biohazard Deadly Silence (NDS, Capcom) - 20,380 | NEW
9.) Yawaraka Atamajuku (NDS, Nintendo) - 19,319 | 1,043,298
10.) Mario & Luigi RPG 2 (NDS, Nintendo) - 18,669 | 279,468

Just in case anyone was wondering, the second one just cracked the million mark.

Also a Sudoku videogame is sooooo uninovative. Digihunt did that on the Commodore 64 in 1989!

[mister_slim]

Is the PSP version that Sega did coming to the US?

[31 Flavas]

Is the PSP version that Sega did coming to the US?If NDS Brain Trainer is as popular he as it is over there... You might see it. Otherwise, dunno, but wouldn't count on it.

[Jacob Singer]

dear god...

Have you even read anything about this before you started you ignorant trolling? Or did you just see an opportunity to make a fool of yourself by making snide Nintendo remarks?

You know, I trust a professor of neuroscience much more than I'd trust your bullshit. Unless you have some creditable sources that discredit Prof Kawashima's research and input into the title, kindly shut up.

Playing the "My argument is correct because you can't prove yours!" card when you don't have anything to back up your own argument is a very childish way to debate.

And it just so happens that I DO have some creditable material to back me up.

Jesus Christ. Just because a professor of neuroscience created the game doesn't prove anything conclusively. There are nuclear physicists who believe in UFOs and people with Master's degrees who believe in Bigfoot. Unless this game is backed by actual researched scientific evidence supported by peer review then any claims made by it's creator have to be taken with a grain of salt. Period.

There are all kinds of claims being made in medicine by people with flawless bona fides. But until those claims are researched and accepted by their peers they are nothing more than claims.

Thinking this has something to do with anti-Nintendo "trolling" just shows that you're a knee-jerk reactionary idiot.

[KSmitty]

Jesus Christ. Just because a professor of neuroscience created the game doesn't prove anything conclusively. There are nuclear physicists who believe in UFOs and people with Master's degrees who believe in Bigfoot. Unless this game is backed by actual researched scientific evidence supported by peer review then any claims made by it's creator have to be taken with a grain of salt. Period.

There are all kinds of claims being made in medicine by people with flawless bona fides. But until those claims are researched and accepted by their peers they are nothing more than claims.

Thinking this has something to do with anti-Nintendo "trolling" just shows that you're a knee-jerk reactionary idiot.
It has been proven that staying mentally active on a regular basis helps maintain your mental alacrity and staves off the effects of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers. Now it has not been proven that this specific game will help keep your brain 'fit', but one would be inclined to believe so when it was designed with this goal in mind and more than likely thoroughly tested by a neurologist.


-K

[Jacob Singer]

It has been proven that staying mentally active on a regular basis helps maintain your mental alacrity and staves off the effects of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers. Now it has not been proven that this specific game will help keep your brain 'fit', but one would be inclined to believe so when it was designed with this goal in mind and more than likely thoroughly tested by a neurologist.

Then any game in existence will accomplish virtually the same thing. Just because that is this game's sole intent doesn't make it "innovative".

For instance, you could get physically fit playing a DDR game, but then if a fitness expert or athlete created a DDR variation specifically with a workout in mind instead of 'just having fun' would everyone still be saying how innovative it was? I doubt it.

I'm not saying this brain game is bad, by any stretch, but let's not start claiming it can stave off the effects of Alzheimers and other lofty achievements just because its creator says so.

[Nessus]

I sorta shudder when people say Nintendo is innovative because then there is the inevitable backlash "Mario Party 7 sure is innovative!"

It's such a loaded word. And it's often used by Nintendo fans as an implied insult that no one else innovates. GTA was innovative. I don't like it, but it was. Katamari Damacy is innovative. Knights Of The Old Republic was sorta innovative, building on PC games that most console gamers never had a chance to play.

Nintendo *have* innovated in the past, but more often they take something that already exists (analog joysticks, the Revmote, or with software, platformers [Super Mario Bros]., racing games [Mario Kart], etc.) and streamline the hell out of it. It's the focus on quality coupled with expanding on little-explored concepts that I like about Nintendo.

I look at the DS lineup and it's completely different from the PSP lineup. They (generally) appeal to completely different kinds of people. I personally have no interest in Gran Turismo, or Grand Theft Auto, or SoCom, or the myriad sports games so most of the big upcoming PSP releases don't do anything for me.

Anyways, sure Nintendo's milked Mario Party like crazy, but if you look back at the first Mario Party game it was unique. They didn't invent board games or mini games, but they brought it together in a way that no one had really done before.

And I'd like to add I don't like how they just plaster Mario's face on any new concept because they're afraid it won't sell, which is why I find it nice that they haven't done that with Brain Training, or some others like Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, or Pikmin. Still not enough new franchises, but they're improving.

[Mr_Snuffle]

I'm not saying this brain game is bad, by any stretch, but let's not start claiming it can stave off the effects of Alzheimers and other lofty achievements just because its creator says so.

But we shouldn't believe it because you say so?

You know, my final year psych girlfriend was talking to my girlfriend about this one, the idea of specially designed mental tasks to exercise the brain and reducing the risks of brain diseases later in life. That really just adds to the credibility of the whole thing (to me at least, I don't expect it would you) that they would be teaching something very similar to the Brain Age task in a university.

Anyway, there seems to be two arguments going on here.

1) The game isn't innovative

2) The game doesn't work

I'll address the second first. There will be NO convincing you on this one. Despite having a neuroscientist having researched and input into this, and me having heard similar information being taught in universities, you'll still find ways to say "Prove more!".

And here are some abstracts from peer reviewed journals the research the game is built off

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16298427&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15860478&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

Especially take note of that second one.

That's the thing with proof, it's never 100%, you need to put some trust in the people telling you. It's possible that it's all being made up to sell more copies of his game and book. I choose to believe that it's not the case, but if you want to be a cynical wad, please, continue being one. I'm not going to bother arguing if the game works or not, or if it should be believed, because it would be wasted effort.

Unless you can give me something which says what the professor does is a load of shit, don't even bother bringing this one back up with me. I think I've given you enough.

1) The game isn't innovative

Innovating is when something new is done. That's about it. It isn't any more complicated than that. Now, a game which specifically targets increasing mental health is new. Regardless of if it actually works or not, it's trying something new. Can you name a title which has done something similar? I've been gaming a long time and I can't think of one, especially not one with a similar extremely intuitive interface or portability. There has been plenty of edutainment about, but I can't think of anything which has specifically targeted improving mental health like this.

And you know, even if there is a similar obscure title, unless it's a pocket PC app, it's not going to have the interface or portability that this has.