Earlier this week Nintendo announced the Nintendo Labo, an interactive experience that allows players to play games using DIY playsets made out of cardboard. While the idea has been called delightful and wonderfully kid-friendly by fans, the German ratings board almost put the cardboard devices in the trash.

In a post on Twitter, German Ratings Board the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (Entertainment Software Self-Regulation or USK) reveals that the group's cleaning staff mistook the Nintendo Labo as "waste paper" and almost threw the cardboard peripherals away.

The USK tweet also jokes that prior to the official reveal of the Nintendo Labo, "no one" would have believed this story. It's unclear what would have happened had the peripherals been disposed of, but Nintendo is surely thankful that the cleaning staff didn't get rid of its hardware.

The story is a funny insight into the approval process for the Nintendo Labo, but some fans have also suggested that it offers a look at the future. Misinformed parents who mistake the cardboard peripherals for waste paper may throw the kits away just like the cleaning staff nearly did.

The fact that the peripherals are customizable could also lead to similar, waste paper mistakes. Painted pieces of cardboard could easily be mistaken for bad drawings or pieces of paper that have just been scribbled on but serve no use. Given that the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con kits can cost almost $100 each, that would be one pricey mistake for parents (or other confused people) to make.

As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure and that definitely seems to be the case here. The announced Nintendo Labo kits (and the Toy-Con kits that have been teased for the future) have already inspired adults and children alike to use their imaginations.

While there was much talk surrounding the Labo's cardboard composition following the announcement, most people seem on board. A recurring theme is that while consoles such as the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X offer hardware with improved technical specs, the Labo is great just by offering cardboard controllers and a focus on creativity.

At this point, it's unclear whether imagination will be a big enough selling point for the Nintendo Labo or if people will mistake the peripherals for waste paper like the USK cleaning staff. But so far, those who understand what the Labo is do seem interested, and that could be enough to save it from the trash.

Nintendo Labo’s Variety Kit and Robot Kit will release on April 20, 2018 in the US, and April 27, 2018 in Europe for the Switch.

Source: USK