Nintendo Explains Why The Vitality Sensor Has Been Shelved

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Back in 2009, Nintendo announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, a device that clips onto the finger, allowing the system to keep track of a player's pulse. Since its E3 debut several years ago, we've heard next to nothing about the piece of hardware.

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata has finally broken the silence surrounding the device, saying that is has been put on hold because of its inconsistency. In a Q&A with stockholders Iwata explained:

After a large-scale test of a prototype inside the company, we found out that for some people the sensor did not work as expected. We wondered if we should commercialize a product which works as expected for 90 people out of 100, but not so for the other 10 people. Though I am sorry that we did not give any specific updates after this product’s initial announcement, I would say that knowing that a product has a problem we should not launch it for the sole reason that we have already announced it.

In any case, its launch has been pending because we decided that the Wii Vitality Sensor’s current result is insufficient as a commercial product.

At this point, I'd say it's safe to say we'll never see this thing come to market. Perhaps the concepts behind it will serve as inspiration for some other wacky device down the line, but I'm willing to bet that the Vitality Sensor as we've come to know it is essentially no more.

Do you think the device had potential? Are you sad to see Nintendo set it aside? Comment below and let us know.

[Via]

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