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News recycling: Brain Age doesn't like your accent
Bringing an old story back to the forefront with a new angle, BBC show Watchdog reports that Michelle Livesey of Manchester can't get Brain Training (Brain Age in the States) to recognize her saying "yellow" -- she's apparently not saying it "posh" enough. Although Watchdog added a new dimension with Brain Training's inability to recognize yellow, the original problem color blue is also in the mix. The issue is all in the accents.According to Nintendo, on page 47 of the Brain Training manual it gives hints on how to use the voice recognition properly. Suggestion number four is: "Pronounce each word as clearly as possible, and try to avoid using strong dialects or accents." Just check out Nicole Kidman saying scissors in a Nintendo ad to see how things could go wrong with accents. Nintendo claims it has been continually monitoring the voice recognition efficiency in its software since the game launched in June '06. We believe them, just as long as we don't have to say the color blue, or yellow if we're from Manchester.
Doctor argues benefits of Brain Training, probably has a brain age of 63
Nicole Kidman's endorsement of Nintendo's software for the DS has one doctor in particular crying "humbug." Dr. Jason Braithwaite, a cognitive neuroscientist (maybe after playing enough Brain Age, we'll figure out what that is exactly), seems to be of the mind that using the non-game exhibits "no conclusive evidence showing that the continued use of these devices is linked to any measurable and general improvements in cognition." This all stems from him seeing one of Kidman's adverts, where she states "I have quickly found that training my brain [with Nintendo's Dr Kawashima's Brain Training computer game] is a great way to keep my mind feeling young""Practice at any task should lead to some form of improvement for that specific task," he adds. But, we wonder if that applies here. Sure, individual tasks in repetition will undoubtedly cause one to improve at completing them, but the exercises in Nintendo's title are varied and the whole goal of the game isn't to sit there for hours on end, practicing individual exercises. The daily training, along with the sudoku, and other items that make up the whole package come together to bring forth the improvement felt by the user. These are small sections of the user's day devoted to the working the brain, when the time could otherwise be used to waste brain power by watching TV or, if it were us and we were afforded spare time in our day, sleep.%Gallery-3436%
Nicole Kidman in Nintendo's latest marketing campaign
Although questions have certainly been circulating around Nintendo's marketing department (in America, at least), it looks like decisions are still going forward in the potentially dwindling sect. Rather than going after a president or famed talk show host, the Big N has somehow landed Nicole Kidman herself to be the next face of the company in an upcoming advertising campaign. The spots, which are set to air "sometime this week," feature Kidman testing her mental aptitude with the DS game More Brain Training, and Nintendo is hoping the superstar's "universal appeal will help to extend Nintendo's success beyond its traditional young, male audience." And all this time we've blamed the nursing homes for the Wii shortages.
The beauty of Kidman, the brilliance of DS marketing
That sound you hear is your mom opening up her wallet to buy a Nintendo DS because Nicole Kidman is playing Brain Training and refuses to recognize her brain age as 52. If Nicole Kidman can fight her brain aging, so can middle-aged baby-boomers who refuse to get old as well. Having spent thousands to keep the outside of their bodies looking young, what's a couple hundred to keep their brain young as well? The advertisement is simple, cute, stars one of the globe's most beautiful actresses in a pristine white setting, and sadly, it makes us want to get a DS for our mothers. Why couldn't Nintendo make Nicole sit panties around her ankles on a toilet or spaz and cry? The part of the commercial that will send up red flags for gamers, and we can't help but laugh about, is when Kidman goes, "Scissors ... scissors!" Did the voice recognition software not understand her (if they were just filming her play the game)? Did they give her an Australian version of Brain Training for her accent? The absurd fun of Brain Age barely recognizing the word blue is still one of the craziest parts of that game. We clearly remember with our copy saying, "Blue. BLUE! Bru? There we go." Adding sad stereotypes to software is never good.
Nicole Kidman Brain Age 2 ad
Yesterday, we brought word that Nicole Kidman would be the new face set to advertise Brain Age 2, and now we have the ad in which she is featured. The best part of the ad? Her brain age is junk. Yup, let us all grab our tummies and let loose an earth-shattering laugh, for she has many millions of dollars, but at least we can draw a better Koala bear than she can.Check out the ad past the break.
Nicole Kidman enjoys Nintendo products*
Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman has joined the ranks of the brain-trained. The star of Practical Magic, Batman Forever, and Days of Thunder has agreed to become the official face of More Brain Training (well, the other official face) in a series of print and television advertisements to be shown across Europe. "I love the concept that Nintendo is reaching out to new audiences with their self improvement products like Brain Training," Kidman said. "Most importantly, I've quickly found that training my brain is a great way to keep my mind young." Maybe now Nintendo and Brain Age will finally be able to achieve some success.*For money.
