Topic: Sunday couldn't come sooner (But who will know about it)

[Spak-Spang]

So, the big launch date is coming very soon.  4-5 days depending on if you count Wednesday?

Many of us are already ready to go.  We know exactly what game/s we want to purchase with the system and accessories we think are needed to go with our purchase.  Most importantly we have a preorder because the number of units available may be limited.  

The question is though, where is the buzz?  Where is the feeling of excitement for this system?  Outside of the game sites and game magizines does anybody really know that a new system is launching?  It just feels dead out there.  

I feel I wasted time preordering, because I will most likely be able to go to Walmart at midnight and pick up a system without any problem.  As it is now, I am going to have to wait till Sunday after church to pick up the system.  Another couple hours waiting for it to charge and then FINALLY I can play it.  

No place that I know is offering that midnight celebration for the launch.  Nobody I know unless I have told them about it even knows about the system.

Nintendo has dropped the ball in hyping this system, and they may sellout of product and games, but I feel very little excitement about the whole thing (except my personal excitement.)

Hopefully this will change soon.  

What do you guys think?  Have you felt more hype or excitement than me, or do you feel this is like a sleeper system release?

[Lost101]

Most people I know dont even know what the DS is.  I mean, I went to a Christians on Campus meeting last week and everyone was talking about Halo 2 (a bunch of 40ish year old guys mostly).  I ask all my friends if they know about the DS and only very few know, and those who do are really into games, and even then they dont neccesarily have a positive image of it.  The sad thing is Im on a college campus, arent we Nintendos target audience.

This is nobodys fault but nintendo.


 

[Spak-Spang]

LOST101:

Exactly.

Nintendo was smart to send the finished packaged DS systems to the media early, but they dropped the ball.  Why not ask developers to package their last build of the games with this early packages.  If Nintendo has to pay the bill for the marketing.  Why not send Mario 64 DS with the system.

Why not work with the media to get reviews out before the system is out to purchase.  Help people make better more informed decisions.

If Nintendo had worked alittle harder at getting pictures, videos, games ready for the media months ago the hype the media alone would have made would be huge.  

I don't see enough commercials on television for the DS, and its crunch time.  This week and next week I would have had commercials running on every station possible in prime time.  

Heck even retailers don't have the information right.  My Gamestop in Texas told me they won't be selling the system until the 23rd because that is the street date.  

Nintendo needs to realize that hype sells, and it is very important to know how to manufactor hype.

[Lost101]

I havent been watching TV... for a few months now.  Is there any commercials for the DS, at all?  I mostly spend my time studying and being on campus all the time, so I know Im pretty much disconnected from the world in a way, but no one else seems to be aware of it.  Thats where I think Nintendo is dropping the ball.  TV should be flooded with commercials about the DS, hell I even saw Halo 2 being talked about it newspapers, why not the DS (which IMO is better and much more significant).  

[Bill Aurion]

I havent been watching TV... for a few months now. Is there any commercials for the DS, at all?

Yes...

[darklink514]

The stations that I watch have DS commercials on constantly. Nintendo commercials in general. I haven't seen anything on Halo 2 or Half-Life 2

[Jdub03]

Ive seen the wild boys DS commericial.

http://win-the-lotto.com/ImagePage.php?u=/04/321/20/wildboyznintendodscommercial.jpg

[mantidor]

it seems they've been very quite about it O_o why? and even with this quiteness many retailers alrady stop preorders...  

[Berto2K]

Do you guys even remeber what was talking about in the marketing releases?  New commercials (hopefully with gameplay or are quirky) are going to start airing tomorrow.  Movie theater trailers will start running soon.  This is just the begining of the marketing for the system.

[couchmonkey]

Nintendo has always chosen to wait until its systems are almost available to advetise.  Maybe not the smart way of doing things, but I don't know...I guess we'll see how well Nintendo marketed it in a few more days!

[Michael8983]

I don't think it's so odd. I don't recall Sony or Microsoft doing many if any pre-launch ads for the PS2 and XBox. It was like the week the consoles arrived that that every media format was bombarded with their image. I imagine the same will happen with the DS.

[DS_dude1o1]

Yea, I agree with Michael

[MattVDB]

Considering launch is almost garuanteed to sell out already, it makes sense that they wouldn't be hyping it up _yet_.  I fully expect them to hype it, but you do need to realize that it has enough already to sell out.  Does anybody remember what happened to Sony when the PS2 launched?  They didn't have enough systems to meet demand, and many people didn't like it.  Granted, that helped get their name out more than they would have otherwise, but many considered it cheap marketing.  I'm glad Nintendo isn't doing the same, frankly.  I'll let them produce enough units before I expect them to hype it.

[MaleficentOgre]

the states won't start seeing hardcore DS ads coming out until next year when the PSP is closer to launch.  The DS owns america right now so its not critical to hype it up.

[enigma487]

here's my theory.  they know that the first shipment is going to sell out regardless of advertising.  save advertising for time aroun second shipment which i'm pretty confident to say will be before christmas.
it's theory, but i do work in retail...