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« on: August 15, 2003, 09:27:55 AM »
LONG RANT
When will Nintendo of America do something right for Gamecube? I just got back from the concert and it was a really bad promotion for Nintendo.
Let me explain.
The concert in Detroit had 4 bands playing (finger eleven didn't play). Doors opened at 6:30. I was there by 4. First off, the Nintendo street team was not outside before the show. They should have been out there showing off the Gameboys and possibly even using portable Gamecubes. It COULD have been awesome advertising. Hell, they could have even sold a few to people waiting in line. I know I was pretty bored. None of this happened. We all just waited outside in the Detroit ghetto in 90 degree weather.
Anyways, we finally get to enter Harpos, and this place is a good size concert hall for the amount of tickets sold, but it had NO AIR FLOW at all! No air-conditioning, and I think there was one fan in the lobby. I was sitting down in the back at a table, and I was ready to pass out; I can't imagine how the people in the pits felt. It would actually be interesting to find out exactly how many people passed out during the show.
So now that I'm inside I'm expecting to see Gamecubes everywhere, right? Nope. There were TWO Gamecubes all the way in the back corner by the bathrooms! Two Gamecubes for thousands of people? I'd bet that not even a tenth of the people there took notice to them. So if they weren't heavily promoting Gamecubes, you'd at least expect Nintendo to push their money-making Gameboy advance? Not really. The street team was there, but those girls weren't out-going. I barely saw them smile and never did I see them approach anyone. It was typically the other way around, where people would see the glowing GBAs and ask to play.
Okay, so if you didn't see the Gamecubes and you weren't approached by the street team, you HAD to have seen the two huge monitors in the concert hall, right? Right! But, I had a problem with those as well. Remember when I said there were 4 bands playing? Well each band took a good half hour to setup. Did they turn the volume up on the projectors so people would take notice? Or how about play Nintendo themed music? Or did they do like they do in Japan and have look-alikes or dancing Zelda/Link girls/boys? Nope. They turned on a local radio station.
Nintendo where was the advertising? Where was this supposed "gaming lifestyle" you were trying to promote? Waiting in line to play a Gamecube game with someone you don't know on a game you don't really want to play (just to be polite), is TERRIBLE advertising. How about free brochures, pamphlets, posters, cds, demo discs? Nope. You could buy a t-shirt from the band for $25 that said nothing about Nintendo. Could you buy a Nintendo shirt? Nope. However some lucky people did win one, not everyone was given the opportunity though.
Cold went out on stage around 9pm. Nintendo left around 9:30. The big screens turned off. All two of the Gamecubes were unhooked and packed up. Apparently Nintendo had a 10 pm curfew. Evanescence didn't even take the stage till 10:30. So if you were hoping for the Gamecube lines to die down during some of the main band attractions (so you could try your hand at some of the new demos like Rebel Strike and 1080), you were right in theory. It's a shame that Nintendo doesn't think that way. They left their own party before everyone else.
Okay, so that's enough of my rant. I could keep going on, but those were the main points I wanted to bring up. I will be asking Nintendo for a refund on this concert. I doubt I will hear a response from them.
Davideo