Where's the infamy you say? Some people see this as being a really bad ad, making bogus promises (although this confirms the claim that Nintendo would advertise the Wii as a group activity).
I personally don't mind it all that much. True, its very silly, but its nothing company haven't done before.
EDIT: Note that this was posted on an UK ad, meaning that the US print ads might be completely different.
Title: RE: Surprised no one if flipping out about this...
Post by: Cortez the Kiler on November 09, 2006, 04:43:19 PM
This is a pretty bad ad simply for the line about turning your TV off. Leave the bizarre comments to Sony.
Title: RE: Surprised no one if flipping out about this...
Post by: MarioAllStar on November 09, 2006, 04:48:08 PM
I am sure that the Wii is not the key to weight loss, but getting up and playing Wii Sports: Tennis is certainly better for you than sitting around watching TV. So Nintendo is stretching things a bit in that aspect. As far as marketing to non-gamers goes, I think they should just market the Wii as a fun family/group/solo activity--something that parents can enjoy with their kids.
Here is an interesting bit from the ad: "you can access news and weather, view and send photos..." Does this mean we can send photos from our SD cards to fellow Wii owners?
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Mario on November 09, 2006, 04:56:49 PM
The comments about the article are more contradicting than the article. They criticise it for being in a womens magazine, then say they should talk about the gaming features of it, bunch of nerds. There's nothing funny, it's just a normal ad to me.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Ceric on November 09, 2006, 05:00:30 PM
Not eating Vegetables is the Key to Weight Loss!!!
You know I couldn't find the actual ad in the link. I found it.
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Cortez the Kiler on November 09, 2006, 05:12:35 PM
Quote Originally posted by: Mario There's nothing funny, it's just a normal ad to me.
You have to admit the line "turn off the TV" is a little funny. It's like advertising a car by saying "Stop driving and take a walk".
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: wandering on November 09, 2006, 05:12:42 PM
The thing is horribly cheesy - but getting a 2 page spread in a woman's magazine isn't what I'd call a bad marketing move.
edit: oh, them pointing people to wii.com reminds me. Nintendo still has their wii info spread out across two sites - which is stupid and lazy of them. Wii.com should redirect to wii.nintendo.com, and all english-language wii information and videos should be housed at that one location.
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Mario on November 09, 2006, 05:36:11 PM
Quote Originally posted by: Cortez the Kiler
Quote Originally posted by: Mario There's nothing funny, it's just a normal ad to me.
You have to admit the line "turn off the TV" is a little funny. It's like advertising a car by saying "Stop driving and take a walk".
Yeah. The first time I read it I just thought they meant stop watching TV. Could have been worded a bit better.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Artimus on November 09, 2006, 06:29:37 PM
Other than the TV thing, it's deceptive and sneaky. Exactly the kind of marketing that has been proven to work by MS and Sony.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Pittbboi on November 09, 2006, 07:09:34 PM
Ugh, this is so cheesy. It makes the Wii look like one of those "50 games in one!" consoles they used to push on infomercials...
I know Nintendo's trying to reach a new audience of non-gamers, but they should atleast maintain their integrity and market it as a gaming console and not some miracle weight loss pill and family counseling alternative. That "article" is such a misleading pile of horse crap I'm afraid it might have the opposite effect.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: TMW on November 09, 2006, 07:32:46 PM
Look at it this way...they barely marketed the DS as anything other than a gaming console, and it still managed to get grabbed up by a significant percentage of nongamers. Now that Nintendo is specifically marketing it to them, think about the turnaround on that one, eh? EH?!
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Kairon on November 09, 2006, 07:37:06 PM
So... we have Nintendo of UK to blame for this?
~Carmine M. Red Kairon@aol.com
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Smash_Brother on November 09, 2006, 07:40:49 PM
Quote Originally posted by: Kairon So... we have Nintendo of UK to blame for this?
Yup, some limey Brit is gonna get Regginated.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Ian Sane on November 10, 2006, 06:55:15 AM
It's a lame ad Pittbboi's analogy with "50 games in one" is dead on. But I don't know if it really warrants a news item. If it was their whole ad campaign sure but if it's just going in a few non-gaming magazines I don't think it's that big of a deal.
They really shouldn't have that freaky grandpa though. UGH!
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: ReverendNoahWhateley on November 10, 2006, 11:00:54 AM
I almost forgot about those 50-fer-1 dealies! I distinctly remember one such ad featuring someone tossing an SNES cartridge in the trash, liberated from the hassle of spending upwards of 70 bucks on just a single game. Particularly amusing was the incredible list of games that would scroll down the screen, all featuring certified names like "Nibble-Man'' and "Snake Attack'' and "Space Intrusion'' and the king of them all, "Out!!!''
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Ian Sane on November 10, 2006, 11:20:38 AM
"I distinctly remember one such ad featuring someone tossing an SNES cartridge in the trash, liberated from the hassle of spending upwards of 70 bucks on just a single game."
I remember that. I almost cried at the idea of someone throwing away a SNES game. I felt sorry for any kid whose parents bought them one of these things instead of a real videogame console. I felt a similar way the year Toy Story came out on video and there were tons of similarly named kids videos at Toys 'R' Us (Toy Stories, Christmas Toy Story). I thought of the disappointment a kid would have if some grandparent that didn't know better bought them that for Christmas instead of the movie they actually wanted. Tricking people into disappointing their kids is EVIL!
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: couchmonkey on November 10, 2006, 11:27:03 AM
The thing about turning off the TV is pretty LOL. The ad itself reminds me a lot of the Touch Generations flyer Nintendo had in an issue of NP a couple of months ago.
I think the fact that there are still two sites is on purpose. Like the advertising, Nintendo is targeting the sites at two different groups: wii.nintendo.com is focused on games and Iwata Asks articles, intended for hardcore gamers. Wii.com is for the people who read an ad in some women's magazine: It's mostly videos media, and general information.
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: NWR_pap64 on November 10, 2006, 11:50:58 AM
Quote Originally posted by: Ian Sane "I distinctly remember one such ad featuring someone tossing an SNES cartridge in the trash, liberated from the hassle of spending upwards of 70 bucks on just a single game."
I remember that. I almost cried at the idea of someone throwing away a SNES game. I felt sorry for any kid whose parents bought them one of these things instead of a real videogame console. I felt a similar way the year Toy Story came out on video and there were tons of similarly named kids videos at Toys 'R' Us (Toy Stories, Christmas Toy Story). I thought of the disappointment a kid would have if some grandparent that didn't know better bought them that for Christmas instead of the movie they actually wanted. Tricking people into disappointing their kids is EVIL!
OH GOD!
I thought I was the only guy who had seen that commercial...
When I first saw it, I was shocked at how blatantly ignorant the commercial was. I mean, I'm sure kids LOVE playing 50 versions of what is basically the same dot based LCD games.
GUESS WHAT PEOPLE! WHO NEEDS A WII?!? THE 50 GAMES IN 1 SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE THE ENJOYMENT AND MORE!
And yeah, the part where they throw away an SNES cart made me burn with rage...
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Ian Sane on November 10, 2006, 11:53:01 AM
"I thought I was the only guy who had seen that commercial"
I too thought that I was the only one. So this is what it feels like when doves cry.
I think I saw it in the middle of the night while flipping the channels looking for something with boobs.
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: Dirk Temporo on November 10, 2006, 02:39:55 PM
Has nobody else noticed the pedo-looking old guy sitting next to the little girl?
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: wandering on November 10, 2006, 03:25:14 PM
Quote I think the fact that there are still two sites is on purpose. Like the advertising, Nintendo is targeting the sites at two different groups: wii.nintendo.com is focused on games and Iwata Asks articles, intended for hardcore gamers. Wii.com is for the people who read an ad in some women's magazine: It's mostly videos media, and general information.
Hmm, good point. wii.nintendo.com has gotten pretty gamer focused, even though it wasn't originally. I do think, though, that wii.com shouldn't have a splash page. If there's not one at nintendo.com, I don't see why it's necessary at wii.com.
Title: RE:Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: segagamer12 on November 10, 2006, 05:10:39 PM
This doesn't surprise me much, they advertised the DS on Discovery Channel using Infomercials.
I would be more shocked if they advertised it in playgirl magazine...
Title: RE: Surprised no one is flipping out about this...
Post by: King of Twitch on November 10, 2006, 10:39:16 PM
Do they call controllers "handsets" in Britain?
"Revolutionary games like bowling..."
"...just as much fun as a trip to the bowling alley"
"unlike most exercise it won't feel like a chore or a bore!"
"great way to get active..."
"great way to have a giggle as a group..."
"great way of encouraging kids to keep moving..."
man... who talks like that? The comment about "advanced graphics you'd expect from Nintendo" suggests it was thrown together after a 5-minute explanation to a non-gamer PR person -- the blind leading the blind.
