After capturing an expanded audience of senior citizens and adults that love Wii Sports you have to wonder who Nintendo plans on targeting next. A patent filed today in the USA shows one scenario. This patent is for a system of games designed for young children, defined by Nintendo as toddlers and pre-kindergartners, and/or people with disabilities.

Nintendo plans on capturing this market with a series of easy to control edutainment software that emphasizes skills like number recognition, color identification, reading/writing, and sound recognition.

Let’s take a look at some of the example games Nintendo has in the application. 

An animal matching game which teaches children about animals and how to interact with them. Players click on the shadows and try to discern which sound which animal makes.

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/03/20/nintendo-taking-a-big-step-towards-edutainment/

Hahaha I thought this was gonna be some porn thing, just like those used panties vending machines in Japan.



On another note, Im gonna sue Nintendo for breach of my idea.

Edutainment is what I called my porn folder in high school.

Sure I won't win like millions of those other companies who try to sue, but they will pay me something haha.

Nintendo is very good at it, but I don't think they invented the idea. :P

Well, back when I was much younger (in the 80s), Infogrames tried hard to push edutainment, and I know Commodore did as well. 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego' aside, it didn't really work out.

not exactly original, but if Nintendo pull it off, then kudos to them, could expand the Wii market and appeal even more if its done well.

how do you patent a genre of game... Nintendo is acting to much like Microsoft now...

What happens if Disney makes educational games and puts them on the PS360? Will Nintendo sue Disney because of it? I mean wtf, the patent system is way to broken and seriously needs to be repaired.

What about the games dammit. I want some Zelda.

Edutainment is much more accepted thanks to the gradual shift toward more productive games with DS and Wii. I see it succeeding, but I don't think they can patent the idea, just the presentation of the idea. Maybe the word as well.

Oh and I want more training games that teach advanced concepts dang it!

I was expecting porn...

next game to outsell super mario!