Maybe because of something like this?
"I may ditch my other consoles for Wii U."
"It's the best system that ever came out in the entire world"
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Three new U.S. Wii U commercials
- Thread starter axisofweevils
- Start date
Maybe because of something like this?
"I may ditch my other consoles for Wii U."
"It's the best system that ever came out in the entire world"
Not even 3rd parties forget families when it comes to Nintendo systems....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67KSlbAgSig
EagleBurnn
Banned
Didn't you see that nice suburban American family with two kids have fun?! How can you not want the WiiU now?!
metalslimer
Member
They're quickly spiraling and headed towards Sony level bad advertising.
And by god did they make these on a 30 dollar budget they look cheap as hell.
Well, I suppose we'll find out. However, they could be launching these commercials not as a tactic to sell consoles now, but rather build an image for the Wii U that can be used this fall when the games come in. If there is one thing these commercials do well, it's putting it in your head that this is different than the Wii, and new, and it's for families. While this may not sell consoles now, it can be useful later in selling new software for the console so people understand the features of the Wii U.
Nintendo could very well be building an image for the Wii U so that it can better communicate its messages later.
The fact is that we don't know what the intended purpose of these commercials are, and we do not know how successful they will be. Do I personally like them? No, I would not buy a console based on that advertisement. However, I could completely see mothers and fathers thinking differently, especially when more software comes out.
metalslimer
Member
Desperate 2006 nintendo put together what will be looked back at as one of the top gaming ad campaigns of all time.
"Family compensated for participation."
ArchedThunder
Banned
The fact that they are trying to stress that it is a new system shows that they at least sort of understand the problem with the Wii U... but man these commercials are bad. I hope that when games like Bayo 2 come out they do some add campaigns that go in the opposite direction of "it's a console for families!" to "look we have non 'family' games!"
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=536727
This thread is a good read if you somehow don't believe me about how much of Nintendo's kiddie image still sticks to them 10 years after the fact.
I don't know anyone who would take time off work to be in a commercial and not be compensated for it.
flipswitch
Member
They're all actors.
BoosterDuck
Banned
Where's Joel McHale
Well, isn't that really what a new console is? An upgrade over their previous hardware.
What hardcore market? The hardcore didn't buy the N64 or the GameCube.
metalslimer
Member
I dont give nintendo one single bit of credit. They launched the freaking 3ds in 2011 with a similar looking system, similar boxarts, and there was massive confusion. They had to explicitly say the 3ds was a new system. So what did they do when making wiiu? Make the console look like a larger wii and not even show it. How the hell are they so incompetent? At least make some different mistakes not even 2 years later.
perfectchaos007
Member
All comments on those videos are now disabled. I wonder how bad they got before Nintendo shut them down?
Oh really? Who would've thought that...
Though based on their performance in these ads that's debatable ;D
Silent_Ocarina
Member
I have to say that, as cringe-worthy as these are to us, they are a slight improvement. The fact that something like this is even necessary speaks volumes, though. Nintendo absolutely overestimated the appeal of Wii U to the market that bought a Wii. Wii U hardly has an identity of its own.
Probably was never allowed in the first place.
Those commercials are something alright. Well it's not like GAF is the intended target audience for them. I'd hate to be the guy who has to sell the console right now.
SolidSnakex
Member
I'm not sure that they were desperate in 06. They had a console they was very different from anything else on the market. Both in price and in how it played. That allowed them to push it toward people that their competition couldn't. So they had to think outside the box with their advertising. That's why there was a sudden focus on ads that showed families and friend playing together instead of just scenes from a game.
Right now they just seem to be confused. Which I guess we should've seen signs of that when they hopped on stage and starting talking about how the Wii U's name showed that it's a console for core and casual gamers. You tend to see companies pick one or the other initially and then eventually try to fold the other one in once that initial fanbase is satisfied. Nintendo is showing just how hard it is to bounce back and fourth trying to make both of those audiences happy.
shinra-bansho
Member
There's nothing wrong with targeting the demographic they've chosen - even though the product offering and price don't really match that intended audience well.
I just find the ads bad from the perspective that they look cheap and canned.
A lot of people's definition of marketing on here only extends to print and multimedia commercials.
Do you realise how hard it is for a company to release a product with no marketing whatsoever?
SolidSnakex
Member
I'm surprised that they haven't disabled ratings. That's more damning than what would be found in the comment section.
I'm talking about the small child being payed to do his goofy dance.
Hehe. Cringeworthy.
It wouldn't make me decide differently, but I would like to watch that commercial.
It wouldn't make me decide differently, but I would like to watch that commercial.
This is really the issue. We've gotten to a place where we add a number to a system or rename it entirely to signify that it's not an "upgrade", and we add a word or something to a system name to let you know it's an alternate hardware change of the same system.
Example. PS1 slim, ps2 slim, ps3 slim, ps3 super slim, Xbox 360 slim, GBA:SP, GBA Micro, DSi, DSi XL. These are all names of a HARDWARE ALTERATION of an existing product.
So when Nintendo decided to name their Wii successor console Wii-U, that creates brand confusion. Name it something else or put a freaking number after it. Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, the number tells you it's different. N64, GameCube, Wii. Different names also tell you it's different. Going from Nintendo Wii to Nintendo Wii-U doesn't fit with Nintendo's track record or any other track record of system naming conventions.
Scofield94941
Member
I was pretending to not know anything about Wii-U when seeing that and I still saw it as an add on. They say, look at the awesome new graphics, then show new super mario bros wii u which looks just like the Wii style graphics (to the noob casual)
Deus Ex Machina
Member
DR2K
Banned
His other console was a Wii most likely.
You mean Scott Moffitt, their current EVP of Sales & Marketing? Yeah, another great choice by Reggie to fill his old spot. I think Cammie Dunaway could be doing a better job than that turd.
People can say all they want about NCL being to blame, but when Reggie can't find a decent marketing man when he's spent years BEING a marketing man, you wonder who's the most incompetent in this scenario.
Dion Blaster
Member
Many Nintendo videos seem to not allow comments. None of those NSMBU expert videos allowed for any comments.
I would have loved to see what youtubers think of these commercials.
Nintendo created this identity crisis and they are not doing anything about it with these ads.
You want to name your new system Wii U, fine but you better focus on teaching that this is a new console first and than talk about the gamepad.
All I see is the gamepad at the front with a system that looks very similar to original Wii on the back.
You want to name your new system Wii U, fine but you better focus on teaching that this is a new console first and than talk about the gamepad.
All I see is the gamepad at the front with a system that looks very similar to original Wii on the back.
ambientmystic
Member
A wise decision on their part. Too many racists/xenophobes/idiots/trolls post in the comments section of youtube, and they'd have to spend too much time moderating the comments. Bear in mind that those videos are also meant to be family friendly.
The thumbs up/thumbs down numbers are a great way to gauge general public perception instead.
Especially when player 2 and 3 are still holding Wiimotes.
Square Triangle
Member
I wonder how they were compensated, it's not like there are any games to fill a fruit basket.
Oni Link 666
Member
Damn, I saw this on Nintendo Everything and thought they were alright. Then I came here and saw that they are actually horrible and desperate. Thanks for setting me straight, GAF.