Hank [BS/MSEE,
MSM $$$, Ph.D. Mgmt] teaches 
Nintendo: Limit ‘Face Training’ to 15 min. to avoid overexertion
A new Nintendo DS game aims to give your smile a workout. But play more than 15 minutes and you may overexert your facial muscles, the company warns.
TOKYO - Nintendo DS players in Japan can now exercise their facial muscles to have nicer smiles and livelier expressions.
A digital camera that comes with the new “Face Training” game fits into the dual-screen, handheld machine to show live video of the player’s own face on the right screen while an animation of a woman’s face illustrates exercises on the left screen.
The 16 types of exercises called “facening,” designed by beauty expert Fumiko Inudo, take about two to 10 minutes each to complete. Nintendo Co., the Kyoto-based maker of Pokemon and Super Mario games, recommends playing “Face Training” no longer than 15 minutes at a time to avoid overexerting face muscles or getting them “out of balance.”
Besides the animation that serves as a model for players, an electronic voice resembling an aerobics instructor guides you to twist your mouth, drop your jaw, wink, glare at the ceiling and perform other moves to tighten flabby cheeks and develop that bright-eyed look.
“Open your mouth slightly, one, two, three, four,” the machine says during one exercise.
The game went on sale in August in Japan. Overseas (that’s US too) sales plans are still undecided.
11 Responses to “Have a flimsy smile? New game seeks to help”
- 1 Pingback on Nov 1st, 2007 at 2:21 am
- 2 Pingback on Nov 1st, 2007 at 2:58 am
I don’t actually know what to say to this. One benefit this game could have in the business world is for PR work. Along with speech training, this game could also train your facial expressions. I would like to know what the makers were thinking while creating this game; primarily the purpose this game would have on the population.
This is a really bizarre concept. I don’t see how people would find this amusing, other than by watching other people make weird faces for 15 minutes.
This is very weird as lauren said. I dont think i would spend my money on a game that makes me move my face. I dont really see a market for it at all either, unless they are targeting to really self centered people who just want to look at themselves for 15 minutes.
Well again, this is obviously not a product targeted to us, but as Kelly said self centered people, well sort of self centered, maybe Hollywood people would love this thing. And I know China has a problem with women there being forced to look good (to the extent of being pressurized by their bosses to get surgery), so maybe this might become really big in China. And I’m sure all the self centered high school girls and even the more unsecure girls will want to use this product to improve their facial expressions.
If i was a CEO, I would definatly buy this. this has nothing to do with either enjoyment or personal satisfaction. This is self-improvement machine. This can help a CEO give a more livelier meeting or negociate better. Non verbal communications is a vital part in how we interact. Improving our ability to communicate non-verbally is vital to our success in business. Some politicans (Dick Chaney) could use this.
I’m not sure where to begin, this game seems to me that it was made for the target market of older to middle aged women to help them get rid of there flabby cheeks due to ageing. This game seems to me to be a profitlbe item yet I really do not like it because I think people should just let there bodies be, don’t get me wrong of course exercise, eat healthy, and avoid bad habits, but other than that let time take its toll, age is beautiful. When was the last time you thought your mom, grandma, dad, or grandpa where ugly because there cheeks sag barely at all?
I guess if I could lose ten pounds in my facial cheeks I would buy this product. I would have to see some serious before and after pictures though. = )
This seems like an okay idea, if it wasn’t made exclusively for the Nintendo DS. When I worked this summer, I didn’t see one businessman or woman with a DS on the train, in the office, or during my lunches. Given the target market for the DS is probably children-early teens, I’m sure very little kids that age that play the DS are worried about having nice cheeks and a smile (Atleast in America. Not familiar with the culture in other countries). Why not make it for PC, Mac, or especially the iPod???
Wow! I just don’t know where people come up with ideas anymore. It seems like this could be an interesting sell though if it even does sell.