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[beje]

Just Spain had like three times as many places for the Tour than the whole USA and one month ahead? That's SO Nintendo of America!

Spoiler

I really do feel bad for you

Spoiler

We also had Zelda OOT, Kid Icarus and Resident Evil: Mercenaries

 

[Father_Brain]

How do they not do it at Nintendo World, and instead they do it at Grand Central? It sounds like the store is useless...

Well, I've never been to Grand Central, so I guess it's a good chance to check it out.

The aim of a major marketing campaign, especially for something as significant as a new hardware platform, is to spread awareness and positive word of mouth amongst people who were previously unaware of or uninterested in the product. The people who come into Nintendo World are significantly more likely to be aware of or already inclined to buy Nintendo products. Putting the pods in a public area like GCT casts a much wider net, which is the aim here.

I'm sure there will be major pre-launch and launch events at NWS as well, though.

 

[Phenomic]

Four* cities? This is the global effort to get 1 million people playing the 3DS before it comes out? Why do I feel like Nintendo is always trolling everyone.

I swear at E3 he made it seem like they would have units going all over the United States so multiple cities and people could get their hands on this.

 

[Truth101]

I'm not going to any of these events, I want to keep the experience fresh for the midnight launch. Haven't been so excited in ages.

 

[The Technomancer]

Hm, I need to get down to Chicago some time over spring break.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Why do these sorts of things have to be held exclusively in the most dense, jam packed downtown clusterfuck of a location inside the biggest cities in the country?

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Y'know, Louisiana was the first stop on the Pokemon tour in 2000 when they first demoed Pokemon Stadium in 2000. Where I got my first legit Mew.

These days they seem to have forgotten about us.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Big woop, they have them behind the counter of every game shop in my town, and pretty much every town in the UK

Spoiler

3D's pretty good

 

[seady]

Finnnnnally their lazy ass is moving with only 2-3 weeks left till release……

….and all we have is this tiny tour with only 4 cities??? Nintendo you are such a cheap bastard. Didn't you say people NEED to see it in person to understand it? Are you even trying to let people see it?

 

[1-D_FTW]

Four* cities? This is the global effort to get 1 million people playing the 3DS before it comes out? Why do I feel like Nintendo is always trolling everyone.

I swear at E3 he made it seem like they would have units going all over the United States so multiple cities and people could get their hands on this.

At the event in January he actually said there would be in-store kiosks 8-10 weeks before launch. Reggie is such an empty mouthpiece. Iwata says Americans too dumb to figure out slider. Don't wan't negative first impression. Reggie, your plan is canceled.

Spoiler

Kind of like my pre-order on Amazon

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Finnnnnally their lazy ass is moving with only 2-3 weeks left till release……

….and all we have is this tiny tour with only 4 cities??? Nintendo you are such a cheap bastard. Are you even trying?

They're trying to let PKMN breath, didnt that tour have more stops anyway.

 

[seady]

I gotta say, Nintendo's marketing effort is probably even cheaper and weaker than some obscure publisher like Natsume and D3. It's almost like they don't want to spend a penny on anything.

 

[Like the hat?]

going to be like 10 minutes away from that chicago one this sunday. debating if I should go, or if I should just save my first experience for launch day.

 

[EMBee99]

Since I commute in via Chicago Metra, I guess I can swing in early and play 3DS everyday! Woot!

Still debating my preorder, hopefully this will solidify my anticipation.

 

[kaskade]

I think I'm going to be in NYC monday, not too far from Grand Central(which I've never been to). I'll probably stop in and check it out.

 

[plagiarize]

I gotta say, Nintendo's marketing effort is probably even cheaper and weaker than some obscure publisher like Natsume and D3. It's almost like they don't want to spend a penny on anything.

or it's like they wanted to get the pokemon launch out of the way first.

 

[Dreamwriter]

Odd that they'd skip their own hometown of Seattle, one of the big video-game centers of the country. And only 40 stores getting demo units nationwide? That seems a bit crazy.

 

[daffy]

California gets two places? Way to make the rest of America feel bad Nintendo :/

 

[PoliceCop]

Politewings and Steel Diver should have been packaged together. They could have called the collection "Boring".

-Policecop

 

[Mutanthands]

Politewings and Steel Diver should have been packaged together. They could have called the collection "Boring".

-Policecop

Well, that was...random.

On topic, we live about 60 miles away from
Santa Monica and the 3rd St Promenade, and I don't see us going out our way to check it out. I'll go in fresh on the 27th.

 

[blamite]

I could easily go to the Chicago event, but if they're only going to be showing launch games, I don't think I'll bother. Kid Icarus, Starfox, or OoT demos, and I'll be down there in a second.

 

[Brazil]

Politewings and Steel Diver should have been packaged together. They could have called the collection "Boring".

-Policecop

You should've known going in that anything that's polite is probably boring.

 

[FoneBone]

Odd that they'd skip their own hometown of Seattle, one of the big video-game centers of the country. And only 40 stores getting demo units nationwide? That seems a bit crazy.

They're not talking stores, they're talking their own events. Gamestop stores nationwide will have demo units by early April.

 

[PoliceCop]

Well, that was...random.

On topic, we live about 60 miles away from
Santa Monica and the 3rd St Promenade, and I don't see us going out our way to check it out. I'll go in fresh on the 27th.

My comment was perfectly apropo. I'm talking about games they're going to show. I just wish that Nintendo bundled them together and gave that product a catchy name.

-Policecup

 

[Why would you do that?]

The aim of a major marketing campaign, especially for something as significant as a new hardware platform, is to spread awareness and positive word of mouth amongst people who were previously unaware of or uninterested in the product. The people who come into Nintendo World are significantly more likely to be aware of or already inclined to buy Nintendo products. Putting the pods in a public area like GCT casts a much wider net, which is the aim here.

I'm sure there will be major pre-launch and launch events at NWS as well, though.

Hmm. I guess that makes too much sense. I hope the word of mouth is strong on this one.

I could easily go to the Chicago event, but if they're only going to be showing launch games, I don't think I'll bother. Kid Icarus, Starfox, or OoT demos, and I'll be down there in a second.

Yeah, I'm thinking about not going unless they have non-launch games, only because Grand Central is in such an awkward place compared to where I live (which is sort of why I've never been there).

 

[Dreamwriter]

They're not talking stores, they're talking their own events. Gamestop stores nationwide will have demo units by early April.

I disagree. They talk about their 4 big events, and then in addition to those there will be "sampling opportunities" - aka demo units in stores - in 40 locations. If they were just like the 4 big events, they wouldn't have talked about them as separate things, and would have had a list of all 44 locations.

 

[FoneBone]

I disagree. They talk about their 4 big events, and then in addition to those there will be "sampling opportunities" - aka demo units in stores - in 40 locations. If they were just like the 4 big events, they wouldn't have talked about them as separate things, and would have had a list of all 44 locations.

"Nintendo Mobile Teams" aren't usually associated with regular in-store kiosks, but hey, believe what you want.

 

[MoogPaul]

Nintendo to America: move out of bumble fuck. As a jaded New Yorker, even Houston counts as bumble fuck to me.

See also, Nintendo hates red states.

 

[Bentendo]

What about the 19,425 other cities and 47 other states in the US? I mean, sure they chose some of the largest cities in America but this still only covers around 16 million people in a country with well over 300 million. Surely they could have managed more than FOUR cities.

 

[FoneBone]

Nintendo 3DS Demo Squads... sampling opportunities at more than 40 locations in cities nationwide

PATIENCE.

(or move to a real city) [/fauxsmug]

 

[PKrockin]

offering sampling opportunities at more than 40 locations in cities nationwide.

Oh GAF..

edit: beaten by a country and a western mile

 

[dakkumauji]

Woo, an event happening in SF. And hell, even during spring break, fun times.

 

[Glix]

Grand Central?

Thats crazy and awesome! What a good idea! Lots of non-gamers will get to check it out.

 

[Anth0ny]

Canada gets shafted yet again...

 

[sixteen-bit]

humbug, nothing around me
I know a guy who imported one, I guess I could just look at his

 

[chronos4590]

Hot damn i might have to miss a class and run to Grand Central. And why not the nintendo world store as well. Then again that store barely has any room in it.

 

[Thoraxes]

Ah cool, i'm on spring break next week and i'm heading back home to Chicago so this is great news. I'll probably go check it out this Saturday or Sunday if I can help it.

This is my first time actually being able to go to one of these, so I look forward to it!

 

[Luigi87]

Canada gets shafted yet again...

Indeed..
I mean, they likely will have an event for Canada, the week after 3DS releases =/

 

[DJ88]

I came into the thread thinking "surely this is a tour to get as many people as possible on board with the 3DS, and surely Miami will be on the list of cities." "There's no way Nintendo would screw something like this up and only go to like four cities right?"

WRONG!

 

[GDGF]

They picked good cities.

Savannah should have been on there though, dammit.

Or at least Atlanta!

 

[- J - D -]

Awesome I live not far from the San Francisco location. Might have to make a short trip to the Pier sometime next week.

 

[zeioIIDX]

Fuck, I used to go to the Ogilvie Transportation Center all the time on my way to and from downtown Chicago...and now I live 15 hours away!!

 

[Barrett2]

Just got back from Grand Central Station event.

They had a ton of demo units, not too many people playing games, since it was still just commuters.

Impressions:

- SF4 looks amazing. Best graphics and best 3D. Played surprisingly well.

- Pilotwings is very pretty, seems fun

- Steel Diver was cool. Very gimmicky, but I could see it being solid as a launch purchase.

- Games like Madden, Lego Star Wars, etc., seemed to be shitty. Just up-ressed DS games with questionable 3D effect. For example, I had to hold Madden 6 inches in front of my face or the 3D was just blurry / double vision.

- System itself seemed very heavy, but it's tough to say for sure since it was connected to the cable attached to someone.

[/URL]

 

[Edag Plata]

Lego Star Wars is that bad? I was hoping this would be the version I would get.

Also, my friend is at the demo in NYC right now so hopefully I have some more pictures to share.

 

[FoneBone]

Heading over to Grand Central sooooooon... my body is ready

 

[Barrett2]

Lego Star Wars is that bad? I was hoping this would be the version I would get.

Also, my friend is at the demo in NYC right now so hopefully I have some more pictures to share.

It's not that it was bad, moreso that in 2011 I would expect the game to look better.

Honestly, same with Nintendogs. It really didn't look that much different, IMO, from the original.

 

[civilstrife]

I think they're saving their marketing dollars for Christmas. It's bound to sell out at launch anyway.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

4 locations on the same days is a tour?

 

[plagiarize]

Politewings and Steel Diver should have been packaged together. They could have called the collection "Boring".

-Policecop

politewings sounds like a game that teaches women how to be 'proper'.

 

[Ellis Kim]

Going to the San Francisco one in a few hours.