Topic: Next Nintendo Ads Focuses on Mii

[Bloodworth]

See the two newest Wii commercials.

Nintendo's latest ad campaign focuses on creating Miis.  The first ad takes place in an average living room, and the second takes place in an upscale board room.      

This comes on the tail of yesterday's announcement that Miyamoto is working on a new Wii channel that allows users to place their Miis in worldwide popularity contests. It is not known when the channel will launch.      

You can view both of the new TV ads below.  They will begin airing next week.    

   

[NWR_pap64]

Awesome!

My favorite is the second one, because of the old guy smiling at the end. Sums up the Wii experience quite well.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I think both of those are really good, especially the secone one for the same reason Pap said.
There is one thing that Sony's HOME doesn't allow, the ability to play as you(Mii) in a game.

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
I think both of those are really good, especially the secone one for the same reason Pap said.
There is one thing that Sony's HOME doesn't allow, the ability to play as you(Mii) in a game.

Wow, never thought of that.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Sony tried at one point make a game where you use your avatar, then make a big deal about how creating a realistic self is better than a cartoony one.

[Bloodworth]

I'm still skeptical that Home will really allow people to make realistic versions of themselves.  It would be so much harder to get the details right that most people will probably just come up with completely fictional characters.

[Smash_Brother]

These are awesome.

It's funny that we finally have a game system where it makes more sense to show the stuff going on outside of the screen than just footage of the game. The Tiger 2007 commercial is also a pristine example of this.

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: Bloodworth
I'm still skeptical that Home will really allow people to make realistic versions of themselves.  It would be so much harder to get the details right that most people will probably just come up with completely fictional characters.

Didn't Sony already boast that gamers prefer to make realistic, detailed avatars over limited, cartoony avatars?

I agree. The Mii channel may be limited, but its easy to make a Mii and one can be done in a matter of minutes. If you have played Second Life you know that it can be hard to make an avatar that looks just right and can take up to an hour.

[BlackNMild2k1]

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Originally posted by: pap64

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Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
I think both of those are really good, especially the secone one for the same reason Pap said.
There is one thing that Sony's HOME doesn't allow, the ability to play as you(Mii) in a game.

Wow, never thought of that.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Sony tried at one point make a game where you use your avatar, then make a big deal about how creating a realistic self is better than a cartoony one.

But they already have games in HOME(bowling & pool) and your "Mii" isn't involved in either of those. In bowling the ball is already on the ground, all you do is aim and then send it on its way. Pool, you're just a floating stick.
Maybe that will change, but it wouldn't matter anyway, cause Nintendo will hopefully have more than Wii Sports & Pachinko to take advantage of Miis by then.

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1

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Originally posted by: pap64

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Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
I think both of those are really good, especially the secone one for the same reason Pap said.
There is one thing that Sony's HOME doesn't allow, the ability to play as you(Mii) in a game.

Wow, never thought of that.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Sony tried at one point make a game where you use your avatar, then make a big deal about how creating a realistic self is better than a cartoony one.

But they already have games in HOME(bowling & pool) and your "Mii" isn't involved in either of those. In bowling the ball is already on the ground, all you do is aim and then send it on its way. Pool, you're just a floating stick.
Maybe that will change, but it wouldn't matter anyway, cause Nintendo will hopefully have more than Wii Sports & Pachinko to take advantage of Miis by then.

Yeah, so far we have:
Big brain academy
Wii Health
Wii music

I'm sure that many more Mii centric games will pop up soon.

[couchmonkey]

I think it'll be possible to create a reasonable replica of yourself in Home, assuming Sony allows people to be not-beautiful.  I've got a decent replica of myself in the Sims, not great but decent.  Maybe I'm just a generic looking person. Hehe.

This is a good continuation of the existing campaign, and a good opportunity to get a headstart on the system avatar war.  I'm also noticing a LOT more commercials for Wii lately.

[BlackNMild2k1]

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Originally posted by: couchmonkey
I think it'll be possible to create a reasonable replica of yourself in Home, assuming Sony allows people to be not-beautiful.  I've got a decent replica of myself in the Sims, not great but decent.  Maybe I'm just a generic looking person. Hehe.

To get a realistic representation of the stereotypical gamer, they would need the option of adding pimples to the avatar.

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This is a good continuation of the existing campaign, and a good opportunity to get a headstart on the system avatar war.  I'm also noticing a LOT more commercials for Wii lately.

People were wondering how Nintendo was gonna respond to HOME, and it seems that HOME is more of a response to Mii. Nintendo is already dropping commercial promoting the Mii making capabilities of Wii and establishing the fact that they not only did it first(b4 Sony), but they let you do it now.

[that Baby guy]

That's right, I didn't think about that.  This says to the world "We made Mii's."  It lets everyone know who did what first, no mistake.  They even show a Mii bowling, and I think people who see Sony's Home will think, "Hey this isn't exactly as nice as Mii's are.  I saw on TV, I can make myself and have me bowl, rather than just watch a bowling ball."

I really think that will appeal to people.

[wandering]

The laughter seems kind of forced, and the second one should have a 'oh crap the boss doesn't think this is funny' moment.

But they're still pretty good.  

[NWR_pap64]

Speaking of Miis, one website did an editorial about how the Mii channel could turn into a potential social and online phenomenon by the end of the year if Nintendo releases the mentioned Mii popularity channel.

The article from Sci-tech

What I liked so much about this article is that Sony is trying to do the same thing with the Home feature, yet they give credit to Nintendo.

[IceCold]

The campaign really is a good one.. certainly better than the Cube ones with the people in a box.

[NeoThunder]

I wana know where you can get one of those cars....I think they are kinda cool.

I'm not really sure it matters between a "realistic" you or a "cartoony" you.  I think whats important is incorporating a sense thats it's YOU in the game and YOU are involved in the action.

[GamerGeorge]

Nice commercials.

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: NeoThunder
I wana know where you can get one of those cars....I think they are kinda cool.

I'm not really sure it matters between a "realistic" you or a "cartoony" you.  I think whats important is incorporating a sense thats it's YOU in the game and YOU are involved in the action.

To Sony it matters...

From Phil Harrison:
"If you are going to have an avatar which is your representative in a virtual world, it has to stand for more of your personality than some 2-D cartoons. So while I think that millions of people would be happy with cartoony looks, the planet at large probably isn't. And it's an experiment that will be played out very soon, actually."

They even go as far as to say THE PLANET doesn't want cartoony avatars...

[KDR_11k]

If you are going to have an avatar which is your representative in a virtual world, it has to stand for more of your personality than some 2-D cartoons.

Yeah but how representative can you make them if you go for realism? You have to make them look pretty damn close for that to work. With a cartoon you just need to do a carricature and noone will complain about inaccuracies.

[that Baby guy]

I wonder... In theme parks, why don't you see artists who draw detailed portraits, rather than caricatures? Oh, maybe the masses like them better...

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: thatguy
I wonder... In theme parks, why don't you see artists who draw detailed portraits, rather than caricatures? Oh, maybe the masses like them better...

I've seen artists that also do realistic portraits, but you are right, the caricatures sell a whole lot better.

I think its because with realistic portraits, they will capture how you already look. In other words, you will just be seeing exactly how you are, but in pencil. Caricatures, on the other hand, take your traits and quirks and turn it into a cute and humorous picture.

People like humor and quirkiness, hence why they often go with cartoon portraits than with realistic portrait.

[KDR_11k]

I wonder... In theme parks, why don't you see artists who draw detailed portraits, rather than caricatures? Oh, maybe the masses like them better...

Probably because if you want a realistic portrait you can have a photo taken in mere seconds.

[wandering]

Quote
Originally posted by: NeoThunder
I wana know where you can get one of those cars....I think they are kinda cool.

smart cars are coming to the US next year. And if you can't wait til then, various places sell imported ones.

Quote
Originally posted by: thatguy
I wonder... In theme parks, why don't you see artists who draw detailed portraits, rather than caricatures? Oh, maybe the masses like them better...

I've never understood this. Caricatures are supposed to make a person look bad. Why would you pay someone to make you look bad?  

[that Baby guy]

No they aren't.  Their supposed to emphasize distinguishing characteristics of a person's looks.  If I had nice eyes, they'd draw a sparkle in the persons eye.  Big hair?  Emphasize that.  It doesn't make people look bad, although a lot of the time, negative features are more noticeable than positive ones, so they wind up being drawn easily.  Mii's are a type of caricature, to me, at least, because you can tell who the Mii is because they've focused on distinguishing features.  When you go to make "realistic" pictures or portraits, like how I consider these home avatars are going to be advertised, you have to be very specific with details, and even then it's hard to tell who is who, and people wind up seeming generic.  I highly doubt that if home attracts new consumers, especially because of the avatar aspect, that these customers will be very satisfied with it, whereas with the Wii, you get a less sophisticated, yet more accurate and easy depiction of oneself.

[Smash_Brother]

Home will likely take so long to perfect the appearance of an avatar that most people will just make a fictional one altogether, something that seldom happens with Miis (to my knowledge, anyway).