Wake Up with Nintendo: Unpacking the Quirky Alarmo Clock

Nintendo release Alarmo, an interactive alarm clock . And the surprise is you can customize with its themes, plus soundtracks from other games, by using a motion sensor to monitor your movement and your sleep. With its playful design, Alarmo embodies the signature charm of Nintendo.

Nintendo has, historically been rather secretive regarding its internal affairs; hence, the company has remained somewhat of an enigma. Alarmo is an illustration of an entity entering the arena as different from traditional technology development teams consisting of hardware and software developers. This would mean that many technology-based propositions are being developed within the company, and those may be developed in parallel with the next generation of gaming devices or may be standalone releases, like Alarmo.

While the round shape and physical dial of Alarmo are impressive, the real innovation is its sensor. Although a $100 product created quite a stir, any product is justified in trying to create a largely unutilized "radio wave sensor" to track the wearer's sleep and movement.

To avoid violating users' privacy, the radio wave sensor was chosen over other options. According to an 'Ask the Developer' interview, it doesn't use a camera. "Because it does not capture video footage, this sensor can pick up on slight movements", adds product director Tetsuya Akama. This is just another example of how Nintendo builds upon existing developments and grafts new twists on to them.

There's little doubt Alarmo, designed custom clock faces would be constructed as a way to sell around the clock face, especially with new editions throughout the year such as different franchises within Nintendo, providing a daily advertisement for those titles. This could be particularly effective as the company promotes the launch of new hardware and first-party titles, creating a multitude of opportunities for themed paid content.

Overall, Alarmo not only reveals the playful innovation of Nintendo but also hints at some broader strategies of addressing their audience in ways other than pure gaming.