Interview: Nex bosses say Playground console is getting Nintendo Wii and XBOX Kinect games

Motion gaming arguably started gaining traction with EyeToy, peaked with the release of the Nintendo Wii, was brought to new audiences with XBOX Kinect and has been a bit of an afterthought ever since.

It's been a long while since there's been a dedicated motion control console.

Admittedly, there are some motion control games for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 but these are quite few and far between. Motion games are not the main focus for these consoles.

Enter a brand new console in the Nex Playground, an AI-powered unit with a fixed camera that tracks body movements without the need for any controller at all aside from your body.

The console launches in the UK and Ireland in late June after gaining momentum in the US where it briefly outsold XBOX during Black Friday sales.

Speaking to Indy100 during a hands-on event in London, Nex bosses revealed with sports and party-style games already available, some fan favourites from the Wii and Kinect are on the way very soon.

Nintendo Wii and XBOX Kinect games are on the way to the Nex Playground very soon / Nex

Tom Kang, president and head of international at Nex, said: "There are lots of IPs we are currently working with that we haven't announced yet. You'll see more and more games that people may know coming onto our platform, games that were on the Wii or Kinect before."

When discussing upcoming games, David Lee, CEO of Nex, added: "We think about how to build interest, confidence and skill. We want to bring the core of the IP to the platform in authentic ways."

Both Kang and Lee said they're not looking to compete with traditional consoles but provide something altogether different.

"We're not competing with any of them," said Kang. "We are a complementary device with different use cases focused on a specific audience in kids and families."

Because of this, games that can be played on the console are designed specifically around physical activity, party experiences and social play.

Lee said: "It's even more accessible to more members of the family."

Both Kang and Lee feel as though gaming has become increasingly isolated over time, as people connect online instead of in person, and the Nex Playground gives people the chance to play together in one room.

"Gaming has become isolating and sedentary and the Nex Playground gets people active and social," Kang said.

Nex Playground tracks movement using a built-in camera / Nex

Comparisons to older motion gaming platforms, like the Wii and Kinect, are difficult to ignore, something Nex bosses acknowledge but are embracing given the new audiences those consoles brought into gaming.

A major part of the Nex Playground is centred around online safety and creating a safer digital environment for younger audiences.

"Trust and safety is paramount in everything we do," said Kang.

Nex Playground has a closed ecosystem which mainly focuses on local multiplayer rather than open online communication. There are online leaderboards but games playable on the console do not usually include direct online play. Motion tracking data also stays local to the device.

The console has as a closed ecosystem focused mainly on local multiplayer and family experiences rather than open online communication. Nex also uses simple leaderboards instead of wider online social systems, while motion-tracking data stays local to the device itself.

Nex Playground pre-orders are now live in the UK and Ireland ahead of the console's release in late June.

Elsewhere from Indy100:

• PS6 release date and price official updates have gamers all agreeing about one thing
• Steam Machine releasing soon? Valve shipments and software update spark speculation

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