Topic: Your fake Nintendo marketing strategy

[ThePerm]

Heres what I would do.

at e3 I would announce gcn price down to $59.99, i would also announce ssbm and mario party 4 and a zelda demo as a FREE pack-in titles.

Then I would have 200 new zelda screenshots, 12 new videos, and announce a 1 level zelda demo will be released in stores for 9.99 or to nintendo power subscribers.

and mark me if they did this they WOULD pick up sales lol

What's your fake strategy.........

[MaleficentOgre]

and then watch your bank account dissapear

[Bill Aurion]

2 games + console for 60 bucks?  Ahahaha!

I don't have a fake marketing strategy, as I am fairly impressed with the DS marketing and I'm sure the Revolution will be marketed similarly...

[Rhoq]

Quite honestly - as everyone here already knows...The GameCube at $99 is already a huge bargain. There is absolutely no reason for Nintendo to drop the price any lower. However I do like your idea to offer 2 free titles. SSBM is a good choice, but instead of Mario Party, I would go with a 3rd Party game like [biSuper Monkey Ball 2. Both games are fun in single player and multi-player modes. I would also include 2 controllers and offer a Buy-One get One 1/2 off deal on WaveBirds (this would encourage the new GCN owner to pick-up 2 WaveBirds to make a total of 4 controllers for their GameCube and promote the Multi-Player aspect of the included game titles).

Throw in a preview disc and you've got a deal that only an idot would pass up.

[Ian Sane]

I don't have a marketing strategy for the Cube.  The Cube is in a rut and it isn't going to get out at this point.  People who have convinced themselves they don't want a Cube will never buy one.  That's just how it is.  Right now the plan should be to sell games to the current Cube userbase and maintain a presence in the gaming media.  Nintendo can't make large groups of people suddenly buy a Cube but ensuring that those who have one are very pleased with it will create a more postive buzz going in for the Revolution.

All I really would do is change the syle of the current ads.  They've had the exact same type of ads the entire Cube lifespan and it's CLEAR they didn't work.  "Who Are You?" doesn't work.  In-jokes, subtle references, and skits don't work.  Personally I think that since games today have great graphics game footage should be front and centre.  Movie ads frequently only show film footage so games should be the same way.  Plus because they don't have to hire actors or film anything (just a voice over will due) those ads would be cheaper to make so it's worth experimenting with because it doesn't cost a lot.  The Cube is the ideal place to try this out since like I said the Cube is in a rut.  Debuting new types of ads that might not work for the Revolution launch is risky but the Cube won't be hurt by the possibility of a new type of ad bombing.  And it doesn't have to be game footage.  The important thing is just that the ads are significantly changed because change is needed in Nintendo's marketing.

Though I do have some ideas for the Revolution.  The most significant one being getting Treasure to work on exclusive Revolution games and then packing in a demo for the first game plus a port of Radiant Silvergun with the console.  The demo creates hype for the new title and "trains" new owners to be interested in that kind of game which effectively creates a wider brand association with Treasure.  The port of Radiant Silvergun attracts hardcore gamers and creates hype with the gaming media because you know that if a game that costs $100 on Ebay is included as a pack-in title the media will make a big deal about it.  And best of all it's just a simple port job so it's cheap.

If the Treasure thing wouldn't work out my backup plan would be to pack-in a Fire Emblem comp that collects some of the Japanese titles (but not all so that I can release a sequel comp later).  The results are similar in that the goal is to build a strong name brand association with Intelligent Systems.  I also feel that including never localized RPGs for free will get some extra coverage and it will attract hardcore RPG nuts thus establishing the Rev as an RPG friendly console to attract third party RPGs which of course fills out a commonly complained about hole in Nintendo's lineup.

[Don'tHate742]

I don't know about all that, but I would atleast have a playable demo at E3. Also pre-order bonus's are excellent. I'd personally enjoy a soundtrack compilation as the bonus.

As for REV marketing tactics. Go mature/funny like they have been in Japan. I especially thought the Minish Cap commercial was halarious (sometimes it's better to be small), with camera at the bottom of some girls skirt looking upwards. Funny stuff like that; though I don't think it should be that provoking. Funny commercials as well as those commercials that provide a weird insight of the game. For example, a metriod commercial could start with some text saying "What would it be like to be a bouty hunter?", "Fun?"...."hardly"....Then show samus running out of something that's about to explode, mixed with cuts of huge enemies and other great metriod beasts. Then at the end, show samus up close going from toe to head, then once it gets up to her upper body, it should show her change her weaponary to something amazingly cool looking. Then she aims and blows up the "camera", then it could say "Cool?"........"Definitely." It could hit big with those hardcore xbox/ps2 players which are undoubtingly in need of "changing bases." For if they gain a userbase as strong as Nintendo, they will be "invisible" in a sort of way that only Nintendo have attained.

[Avinash_Tyagi]

I would show images of various revolutions and then I would have the phrase:

Are You ready for the next Revolution?

Then Put the Nintendo logo underneath

[ThePerm]

the extra mario part 4 would just be superfluous really.....but i could still see a price drop and include smash bros....

just think you would be stupid to ignore a 59.99 gamecube with a free game as good as ssbm and a demo of zelda

[The Omen]

The Rev should be marketed in a nostalgic manner.  Kind of a Back to the Future type of marketing campaign.  Nostalgia sells with us old folks, and young alike.  Tug at the old heartstrings by showing footage from the first Zelda commercial(which way to go?), then blow it away by showing the new and improved Zelda.

[Don'tHate742]

I'd rather see that for mario.....

You see a video of someone playing through the bowser levels with mario jumping over burning balls of fire, with the classic theme music in the background. Once they finally get to Bowser himself.....it uses that blur/transition affect that blurs everything into huge pixelated squares, then it reforms back into the REV version with Bowser breathing fire, and for the most part, being Bowser. It then shows footage of Mario swimming, climbing, flying, jumping, surfing and taking out the competition....then it cuts back to the REV Bowser footage...the camera then turns to show mario for a breif second.....the camera fades to black at which point you hear "Mamamia!" As the sound echos the REV logo appears (in a watery affect sort of way), with the special "Only for" tag line.

For Zelda, if they made it more like a movie trailer, I think it would hit harder with people. You see him preparing himself for battle or something. Close up views of him putting on his gloves *cuts to show game footage* of him putting on his sheath *cuts to show more game play footage* then the camera glides down the edge of the master sword as Link wields it *cuts once again, this time to Boss battles* then you see Link fully with sword and shield in hand. Then he runs towards the camera, then jumps at the camera with intent to slice it, but right as he's about to strike, it goes to black and you here the famous sound "Haaaaayt!" As the sound echos the REV logo appears (again in a watery affect sort of way), and appears normal till half of it slides off at an angle (as if being cut), then the "Only for" tag line appears.

[kennyb27]

Heck, I would pick up a second GC for my dorm room for that price.

[nemo_83]

I would start by announcing at GDC that the GBE would be coming out on the same day as the Legend of Zelda in the fall, and would use the GameCube media.  Also at GDC I would show new footage of the new Legend of Zelda and reveal that it would be playable at E3 as will GBE.  

At E3 the Revolution should be revealed entirely.  If it is not playable on the floor then it should be played in front of the public by either Iwata or Shigeru.  Reggie should speak about Nintendo's strategy and show several minutes of video demonstrating the graphical power of the system.  

I think their current commercials for the DS have been good.  

One important key to success is to create truly exclusive original mature games to excite the media.

[kennyb27]

Quote
Originally posted by: nemo_83
I would start by announcing at GDC that the GBE would be coming out on the same day as the Legend of Zelda in the fall, and would use the GameCube media.  Also at GDC I would show new footage of the new Legend of Zelda and reveal that it would be playable at E3 as will GBE.  

I don't want the next GB to be a portable GameCube.  I do, however, think they should release a portable GC.  I want the next GB to have it's own exclusives and I want it to be separate from the GC (for many reasons, one reason is that I don't want the GC's perception to be carried over to the next GB).

[nemo_83]

you know that if they released a portable that didn't use the Cube disks they would just port all those Cube games you already have over to it and force you to buy them again

why waste the money when the Cube disks are already portable?

rumor is that there really will be a Zelda video tommorow though