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Splatoon has a marketing push comparable to Mario Kart 8 (in UK)

K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/nint...-push-for-its-new-shooter-ip-splatoon/0149905

That's according to Nintendo UK marketing manager Chandra Nair, who says that the firm is confident in its colourful new shooter.

The platform holder is already pushing Splatoon with digital billboards, cinema ads ahead of Tomorrowland (for kids) and Mad Max (for adults), sponsorship of Cartoon Network, and a digital campaign that started in April. The firm is even opening a Splatoon-themed skatepark in Corby.
Click to expand...

“We have the utmost confidence in the potential of Splatoon. It gives retailers a fantastic art style that stands out in-store or on-screen and it also offers various up-sell opportunities with the accompanying Amiibo. It's a really interesting game for us because it allows us to expand out to a group of people who may never have considered Wii U before.”
Click to expand...

Besides the UK marketing campaign, I think generally Nintendo pushes this game worldwide in a way that hasn't been done since long time for their games.

Here's a movie about the skate park (I think it's the same one) being transformed into Splatoon-themed one:
https://www.facebook.com/RideUKBMX/videos/10153275136289618/
 
Stilton Disco

Stilton Disco

Member
I was impressed to see they were actually advertising this at the Cinema when I went to see Fury Road last weekend. Nice to see Nintendo trying again!
 
J

Jay Sosa

Member
At least no one can blame marketing when it bombs. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy for Nintendo if it's successful..I just don't see how.
 
J

Jintor

Member
Jay Sosa said:
At least no one can blame marketing when it bombs. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy for Nintendo if it's successful..I just don't see how.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, there will surely be a contingent ready to argue over whether "squid = kid" is fantastic 90s kids nostalgia or sickening 90s kids irrelevence
 
D

DrWong

Member
Jay Sosa said:
At least no one can blame marketing when it bombs. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy for Nintendo if it's successful..I just don't see how.
Click to expand...

It will not be the biggest success sales wise, more so in UK, but it will not bomb (for a new IP on a niche console). They know it and it's why they unlocked the advertising big budget.
 
B

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
Seeing as its like the second retail release from Nintendo all year, they better.

Did they even release anything else besides Kirby and the Rainbow Curse this year?
 
K

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Jay Sosa said:
At least no one can blame marketing when it bombs. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy for Nintendo if it's successful..I just don't see how.
Click to expand...

At list in Japan won't bomb according to pre-orders. An opening over 100k is pretty much guaranteed. We'll see about UK.

Jintor said:
Don't worry, there will surely be a contingent ready to argue over whether "squid = kid" is fantastic 90s kids nostalgia or sickening 90s kids irrelevence
Click to expand...

UK gets the Japan commercials though.
 
J

JoeM86

Member
Didn't Nintendo UK get a new marketing firm starting with Splatoon? So it's good that the new team is showing their chops
 
N

NotLiquid

Member
The rare occasion where its impossible to blame Nintendo for not marketing if the game doesn't sell.

Still I'm honestly surprised that they're actually pushing it this hard. Usually you imagine that Mario is top of the marketing barometer and so far Splatoon, a new IP, is outdoing it.

Ever since reveal I'd fear the release day as another TW101 style tragedy in the making but now I'm just looking forward to how good it'll be rather than how bad.
 
D

DownGrader

Member
I think Nintendo is doing with Splatoon the same they did with Mario Kart 8 - not only marketing the game itself, but building the hype before E3. The timing is literally the same.
 
Neff

Neff

Member
NotLiquid said:
Still I'm honestly surprised that they're actually pushing it this hard. Usually you imagine that Mario is top of the marketing barometer and so far Splatoon, a new IP, is outdoing it.
Click to expand...

It's a competitive online multiplayer title, something the games industry pretty much revolves around these days, and something the Wii U is short on. And having played it, I can vouch for it being damn good fun. I always assumed they were going to push it hard, I just didn't realise that they were going to push it this hard. Good for them.
 
Ulysses 31

Ulysses 31

Member
Stilton Disco said:
I was impressed to see they were actually advertising this at the Cinema when I went to see Fury Road last weekend. Nice to see Nintendo trying again!
Click to expand...

Advertising as in posters/banners or commercials before the movie?

And if so is it a commercial that's on YouTube?
 
E

E-phonk

Banned
They have a lot riding on it, it's the game that has to push their console sales until the september-december periode.
It's also a unique game, and something "new" which makes it a wildcard.
 
A

Android18a

Member
Huh, Chandra Nair? He worked on Cube magazine and was later the editor on ONM after the reboot when Wii came out, I think. It'll be interesting to see what the marketing is like for this, I haven't seen any around my travels just yet.
 
G

Gaiaknight

Member
Bronetta said:
Seeing as its like the second retail release from Nintendo all year, they better.

Did they even release anything else besides Kirby and the Rainbow Curse this year?
Click to expand...

Kirby and the rainbow curse
Mario Vs Donkey kong tipping stars
Mario Party 10
Captain toad for those in europe
Xenoblade X in japan

3ds

Code Name Steam
Fossil Fighters Frontier
Legend of Zelda Majora's mask 3d

i learned a long time ago during the wii drought years that nintendo expects there fanbase to own both of there systems that way there is software gap for nintendo fans.
 
K

KHlover

Banned
I've alwaya been saying that Splatoon received the same level of marketing attention as their regular big guns. Unlike TW101 they're properly pushing this one.
 
O

oti

Banned
Yesterday I went to a Splatoon event in Hamburg and asked a couple of NoE representatives about this. They said Nintendo expects great things from Splatoon and that the response has been positive whenever they've shown the game. They also held a competition yesterday, third best Splatoon player was an eleven (or maybe thirteen?) year old girl. You instantly get what Splatoon is about, that combined with the great art style and Nintendo has a hit on their hands.
 
A

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
Jay Sosa said:
At least no one can blame marketing when it bombs. Don't get me wrong, I would be happy for Nintendo if it's successful..I just don't see how.
Click to expand...

Well at least in Japan is shaping good in terms of pre-orders and first shipment. better than Xenoblade X so far, and could debut higher than Pikmin 3, DK Trofical Freeze and other games.

Bronetta said:
Seeing as its like the second retail release from Nintendo all year, they better.
Did they even release anything else besides Kirby and the Rainbow Curse this year?
Click to expand...


Cap Toad (decent debut), Mario Party 10 (that did pretty well in EU, still charting), Kirby (not so great debut)
 
E

EdwardTeach

Member
Anecdotally one my daughters 5 year old friends came round yesterday, and asked to play Splatoon (whilst mimicking paint gun usage) I told him that it wasn't out yet and asked how he had heard of it : "adverts on tv".
 
J

Joqu

Member
It has got a pretty positive buzz going on around the internet, way more so than the Wonderful 101 ever had if you want to compare the two. Look at the top youtube views for each game for example, it's a pretty big difference.

it's still on the Wii U so it'll never be an enormous seller but I really don't think it won't be a success for the system it's on. Nintendo's taking that in account too guys, don't worry.
 
Breakfast at Noon

Breakfast at Noon

Member
Cartoon Network it is on twice for every batch of comercials.

Well once for splatoon and once for MK8 DLC (never seen DLC advertised before on tv)
 
T

Taker666

Member
NotLiquid said:
The rare occasion where its impossible to blame Nintendo for not marketing if the game doesn't sell.

Still I'm honestly surprised that they're actually pushing it this hard. Usually you imagine that Mario is top of the marketing barometer and so far Splatoon, a new IP, is outdoing it.

Ever since reveal I'd fear the release day as another TW101 style tragedy in the making but now I'm just looking forward to how good it'll be rather than how bad.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that.

Nintendo still don't seem willing to pay for shelf space at retail ... and as far as I know they still don't offer product on sale or return in the UK (which most publishers do). Those two major issues will hold back any Nintendo software release. I honestly wouldn't have a clue where I could pop in a buy a Wii U or 3DS game in my area these days.
 
K

KHlover

Banned
ManThatYouFear said:
Cartoon Network it is on twice for every batch of comercials.

Well once for splatoon and once for MK8 DLC (never seen DLC advertised before on tv)
Click to expand...

Well in MK8's case you get half the content of the full game for about the quarter of the price. It makes sense to advertise that.
 
O

Ohnonono

Member
I am in the US and my son of 7 talks about this game CONSTANTLY. I know what it is, but I had no idea how he found out. Apparently it is easy to watch Nintendo Direct stuff on the WiiU and he watches the Splatoon video a lot. Pretty neat because it looks like a decent game to play with him.
 
N

NotLiquid

Member
Platy said:
Does it mean that it finally counts as a new Nintendo IP ? xD
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Well the Iwata Asks made it clear that this was basically EAD's first "brand new character-driven IP" since Pikmin. They are definitely treating this as the next big thing.

Taker666 said:
I wouldn't say that.

Nintendo still don't seem willing to pay for shelf space at retail ... and as far as I know they still don't offer product on sale or return in the UK (which most publishers do). Those two major issues will hold back any Nintendo software release. I honestly wouldn't have a clue where I could pop in a buy a Wii U or 3DS game in my area these days.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking UK exclusively here. The marketing push worldwide has been pretty big on Nintendo's part.

But on the subject of shelf space, that isn't just something Nintendo can automatically fix on their own accord. Retailers don't just stock things on the forefront based on publisher whim, they stock predominantly what they know is going to sell.
 
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