PBS Idea Channel

What’s the Deal With Amiibos? (4x6)

Air date: Apr 22, 2015

The insane popularity of Nintendo’s Amiibos, Amiibo Hunting, and Amiibo Hunters (both in stores and on places like the Amiibo Reddit) proves that people can’t keep their hands off of them, but are they simply be the next big thing in a long line of product/game crossovers? The world was previously infatuated with Skylanders, followed by the Disney Infinity characters, but something about Amiibos feels… different? They’re interactive in a way that gives them value outside of the object itself, blurring the line between consumer and an ardent collector. And how does the existence of Amiibos challenge our idea of what play is? AND WILL WE EVER GET AMIIBOS FROM WAVE 4 AND WAVE 5?