Did The Nintendo R.O.B. Save The Video Game Industry?

The Nintendo R.O.B. or Robotic Operating Buddy was a robotic assistant for the NES that would play the games with you. The hype behind it was huge, but it turned out to be pretty lackluster. But this may not have been the point. Was the R.O.B used as a way to promote the NES as more of a "toy" compared to a "video game" which now had a bad name after the great Video Game Crash of 1983? Show Notes: Nintendo R.O.B.