Since we've been introduced to Amiibo, I've been both excited and concerned.
Overall, I'm really interested in what they can do to improve the gameplay experience. Plus, I personally like having an excuse to get figurines of some of my favorite characters.
I'm concerned that even some Nintendo gamers will turn down amiibo because it's too "kiddie" because of the obvious inspiration from Skylanders and Disney Infinity. Additionally, there's figuring out how to carry them if you want to use them at a friend's house or somewhere else.
I think smaller Amiibo, available as keychains, would better appeal to adults. Having the Amiibo on your keychain would make it so you always have it with you and can keep them easy to find (unless you lose your keys a lot). It can make an interesting conversation piece when you visit friends and family. And I believe people would genuinely feel more comfortable seeing a keychain of small characters rather than a shelf of regular toy-size figurines. Also, I think some parents would rather give the keychain to children rather than the figurine either because it would seem more 'adult' or because it'd make the amiibo much harder to lose. Finally, I feel like it more likely would interest people who don't even own a current Nintendo system, but like the characters.
Bottom line: I believe Amiibo's success rides on making people, and not just children, familar and comfortable with the concept. Keychains to me seem a good avenue to make that happen amongst adult gamers that dabble in Nintendo gaming, but don't obsess over it.
I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016







