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Nintendo's New 3DS Ad Campaign - "I Am Not A Gamer"

B

boiled goose

good with gravy
I think the ad was a bit silly. I think the point is not a bad one, but the delivery just came off wrong.

I really dislike the word 'gamer' in general.

I watch movies, TV, play videogames, read books, cook, ride a motorcycle.
I don't call myself a biker or a gamer or a book...er. I don't feel one hobby describes me or really captures who i am as a person, because each of those terms has some associations that don't quite fit me.

Kagari said:
Yes, but it's a case of "too little, too late."
Click to expand...

I REALLY REALLY believe that NOA specifically has not clue to how appeal to an audience that is not the casual gamer. Remember animal crossing being there for the core in 08? Remember NOA's terrible ability to promote or sell games other than the casual party games? Remember the metroid prime 3 ad? Remember arkham city being the title that Reggie shows off on e3 to attack core gamers? I really don't think they have a clue anymore. Their marketing staff is simply out of their element.


Dammit, have to use the word gamer >.<
 
G

GameCenterXDS

Member
amtentori said:
I think the ad was a bit silly. I think the point is not a bad one, but the delivery just came off wrong.

I really dislike the word 'gamer' in general.

I watch movies, TV, play videogames, read books, cook, ride a motorcycle.
I don't call myself a biker or a gamer or a book...er. I don't feel one hobby describes me or really captures who i am as a person, because each of those terms has some associations that don't quite fit me.



I REALLY REALLY believe that NOA specifically has not clue to how appeal to an audience that is not the casual gamer. Remember animal crossing being there for the core in 08? Remember NOA's terrible ability to promote or sell games other than the casual party games? Remember the metroid prime 3 ad? Remember arkham city being the title that Reggie shows off on e3 to attack core gamers? I really don't think they have a clue anymore. Their marketing staff is simply out of their element.


Dammit, have to use the word gamer >.<
Click to expand...

Yeah, one of the worst being not even mentioning Project P-100 at the conference last e3. NoA has seriously made enough blunders for it to be time for a serious overhaul of who's in charge.
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
This thread is full of baffling over-reactions.

I cant believe people are misconstruing the ad in this manner. Did anyone feigning outrage watch it?
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
hachi said:
Okay... now I think I'm gonna need a second link to explain that one. o_O
Click to expand...

You didn't catch the... "...but I'm not a rapper" after the people went crazy over his (bad lol) punchlines?

It is pretty similar to Nintendo's ad in the sense that he's doing an action but he said that he isn't the term used for people who like to do what he's doing in the video.

Get it???
 
D

Dragmire

Member
This ad is just about labels. Gamers aren't cool anymore. But she's saying she's something more specific. So it's just about getting rid of the gamer label and encouraging anyone to play. Cause honestly, no one wants to be labelled a gamer.


The rage that ensues after this ad is like poetic irony.
 
Jathaine

Jathaine

Member
JonStark said:
wrongnumber.jpg
Click to expand...

2000 and late but... YES!
 
S

Salsa

Member
eh... I interpreted the "im not a gamer" as in a "im more than that" kinda silly marketing way, like she's doing more than just gaming and she's immersing herself into the game (again, marketing). She followed it up with "Im a coin collecting champion". I think that's the whole point. As in: they could do another one with a different game and use "im not a gamer, im *insert whatever works for what you do in the game*"

holy overreaction batman
 
D

DangerousDave

Member
we.are.the.armada said:
videogames = gamer
books = reader

Yet, one has a negative connotation.
Click to expand...

That's the point.

You'll never see an ad of a bestseller book with someone saying "I love this book... but I'm not a reader", because a reader has a positive connotation.

In this case, Nintendo is giving a negative connotation of the "gamer" term. "I'm enjoying this game, but don't think wrong, I'm not a gamer". You know, no one in his sane mind would like to be labeled as a gamer.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
DangerousDave said:
In this case, Nintendo is giving a negative connotation of the "gamer" term. "I'm enjoying this game, but don't think wrong, I'm not a gamer". You know, no one in his sane mind would like to be labeled as a gamer.
Click to expand...

Or maybe they are saying that she isn't just a gamer and that she takes what she's doing in the game more seriously than a normal gamer would because she likes gold?

Heh, the amount of controversy over this video is REALLY silly to me.

Kind of hypocritical in the sense that the gaming community loves to make fun of people that we know of (e.g.: game journalists) but when something bad gets said about them (even if it's very minor) people go crazy & go in "oh no they did-ent" mode.

And even if Nintendo did make a commercial giving the term "gamer" a negative connotation, who cares? There are far more offensive terms that someone can be called that would actually make sense to get offended by.
 
H

hachi

Banned
Bgamer90 said:
You didn't catch the... "...but I'm not a rapper" after the people went crazy over his (bad lol) punchlines?

It is pretty similar to Nintendo's ad in the sense that he's doing an action but he said that he isn't the term used for people who like to do what he's doing in the video.

Get it???
Click to expand...

Ha, well I got the connection to this thread, but honestly couldn't make heads or tails of the humor in the video itself. Maybe I need to watch a real rap battle show so I can understand the parody.
 
D

DangerousDave

Member
Bgamer90 said:
Or maybe they are saying that she isn't just a gamer and that she takes what she's doing in the game more seriously than a normal gamer would because she likes gold?

Heh, the amount of controversy over this video is REALLY silly to me.

Kind of hypocritical in the sense that the gaming community loves to make fun of people that we know of (e.g.: game journalists) but when something bad gets said about them (even if it's very minor) people go crazy & go in "oh no they did-ent" mode.

And even if Nintendo did make a commercial giving the term "gamer" a negative connotation, who cares? There are far more offensive terms that someone can be called that would actually make sense to get offended by.
Click to expand...

I don't see too much controversy, only people talking about an ad. I don't see boicotts or people burning 3DS cartridges, here.

I understand that Nintendo message is "You don't need to be a gamer to enjoy NSMB 2". If you say this sentence is not giving any negative connotation to the term "gamer". But if you say, proudly, "I'm Gabrielle Douglas and I'm not a gamer", you have the risk of annoy the big part of your current customers, that are gamers.
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
SalsaShark said:
eh... I interpreted the "im not a gamer" as in a "im more than that" kinda silly marketing way, like she's doing more than just gaming and she's immersing herself into the game (again, marketing). She followed it up with "Im a coin collecting champion". I think that's the whole point. As in: they could do another one with a different game and use "im not a gamer, im *insert whatever works for what you do in the game*"

holy overreaction batman
Click to expand...

Exactly how I see it too.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
hachi said:
Ha, well I got the connection to this thread, but honestly couldn't make heads or tails of the humor in the video itself. Maybe I need to watch a real rap battle show so I can understand the parody.
Click to expand...

The point the video is trying to make is that crowds watching rap battles will go crazy over the dumbest lines.
 
MisterHero

MisterHero

Super Member
we.are.the.armada said:
videogames = gamer
books = reader

Yet, one has a negative connotation.
Click to expand...
both can be called nerds

The vast audience of bookreaders have their own in-fights too. Some argue that Harry Potter books are for kids and it's unfair that they're so popular. Others make fun of people who read romance novels (ex: Twilight).

They are not above calling each other pedestrian. Ebert calling videogames unproductive does not make it so.
 
B

BomberMouse

Member
This is exactly the opposite of how it should've been.

The girl should say "I AM a gamer" and not reinforce the stereotype that you can't be a normal looking guy/gal and play some games.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
DangerousDave said:
I don't see too much controversy, only people talking about an ad. I don't see boicotts or people burning 3DS cartridges, here.

I understand that Nintendo message is "You don't need to be a gamer to enjoy NSMB 2". If you say this sentence is not giving any negative connotation to the term "gamer". But if you say, proudly, "I'm Gabrielle Douglas and I'm not a gamer", you have the risk of annoy the big part of your current customers, that are gamers.
Click to expand...

The fact that this ad is even being talked about so much just due to the "I'm not a gamer" line is just amazing to me. If it wasn't for the statement being pointed out to me before watching the ad, I wouldn't even have really noticed it being said.

Overall it's just a lot of hullabaloo about nothing.

It's not "super controversial" but I have noticed people (seemingly) being a bit upset by the ad today.
 
P

pargonta

Member
BomberMouse said:
This is exactly the opposite of how it should've been.

The girl should say "I AM a gamer" and not reinforce the stereotype that you can't be a normal looking guy/gal and play some games.
Click to expand...

yeah. 'I am a gamer', 'i'm not only/just a gamer'.. followed by the other attribute, that would be the correct phrasing.

pretty bad ad script imo.

ofcourse, she is playing a game, therefore she actually IS a gamer, so she's also lying to the camera due to the poor ad script (omitting 'just', alternate phrasing)
 
M

marc^o^

Nintendo's Pro Bono PR Firm
Bgamer90 said:
The fact that this ad is even being talked about so much just due to the "I'm not a gamer" line is just amazing to me. If it wasn't for the statement being pointed out to me before watching the ad, I wouldn't even have really noticed it being said.

Overall it's just a lot of hullabaloo about nothing.

It's not "super controversial" but I have noticed people (seemingly) being a bit upset by the ad today.
Click to expand...
I recognize you! You are the Jimmy Fallon guy :)
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
marc^o^ said:
I recognize you! You are the Jimmy Fallon guy :)
Click to expand...

I see what you are trying to do.

The thread was pointing out something that could still be a problem with the system if nintendo didn't provide good ads. I didn't get offended by Jimmy's mistake (Why would I? lol) and neither did I talk about his mistake in depth.
 
F

Foxix Von

Member
At best? Nothing, the OP is very misleading.

At worst? Well if it does mean they're trying to distance themselves from the gamer crowd it makes me glad I bought a Vita.
 
F

Freezie KO

Banned
It's pretty simple. Ads are supposed to bring people in, not chase them away. And ads certainly shouldn't reinforce negative stereotypes people have about your company.

So whether or not people are justified in how they feel about the ad, it still failed.

Other wordings provided in this thread like "I'm not JUST a gamer..." seem to be a lot better.
 
E

EmCeeGramr

Member
i hope the next ad is bill trinen just dropping his pants and shitting on the word "gamer"

if "gamers" get shrill and upset at the idea of people touching game devices but not identifying their most interesting trait as the consumerist hobby they have, then imagine an actual insult
 
K

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
RandomVince said:
This thread is full of baffling over-reactions.

I cant believe people are misconstruing the ad in this manner. Did anyone feigning outrage watch it?
Click to expand...

Not outrage, but the ad itself is really terrible. NoA seems to think putting random celebrity X in + having them play a game is somehow appealing... it's really not. I fail to see how this is supposed to entice girls who don't already have the 3DS.

If anything, their approach to these ads comes off as obnoxious.
 
D

donny2112

Member
U

Uncle Rupee

Banned
I think it might be a good thing to say that you don't have to be a quote gamer unquote to enjoy playing video games. I can't believe the misplaced outrage. Anything to help to make gaming more mainstream and less stereotyped is a good thing.
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
Baconsammy said:
Did you watch both ads?
Click to expand...

I thought there was only one ad, so I went and found the other (its the artist one, I believe).

I still stand by what I said earlier. In fact, seeing both ads only reinforces what they are going for. The cries in this thread is a total over-reaction and the ads are not being dismissive of gaming as a hobby at all.

It would be akin to an ad for Contra and some guy playing it through saying "I'm not a gamer, I'm a commando!". Or imagine they did the same thing in a simulation type game, let's say Gran Turismo for sake of argument. "I'm not a gamer, I'm a professional driver".

People are missing the context here big time.

Kagari said:
Not outrage, but the ad itself is really terrible. NoA seems to think putting random celebrity X in + having them play a game is somehow appealing... it's really not. I fail to see how this is supposed to entice girls who don't already have the 3DS.

If anything, their approach to these ads comes off as obnoxious.
Click to expand...

It's no better or worse than most ads these days. The problem in this thread is that people are reacting to a message they think is in the ads, but is evidently and most certainly not in them at all, or even remotely so.
 
J

jmls1121

Banned
Uncle Rupee said:
I think it might be a good thing to say that you don't have to be a quote gamer unquote to enjoy playing video games. I can't believe the misplaced outrage. Anything to help to make gaming more mainstream and less stereotyped is a good thing.
Click to expand...

Stop being disrespectful to hardcore gamerz!!!1!
 
K

KillerTravis

Banned
"Play As You Are" should be the topic of this thread since that's the campaign Nintendo is trying to push, you don't need to be a gamer and know the polycount of the latest Crysis or the advanced gameplay mechanics of the newest RPG to enjoy your favorite videogame. At least that's how I understood it.

RandomVince said:
It would be akin to an ad for Contra and some guy playing it through saying "I'm not a gamer, I'm a commando!". Or imagine they did the same thing in a simulation type game, let's say Gran Turismo for sake of argument. "I'm not a gamer, I'm a professional driver".

People are missing the context here big time.
Click to expand...

Actually, this explanation makes a lot more sense.
 
B

Bgamer90

Banned
RandomVince said:
BIt would be akin to an ad for Contra and some guy playing it through saying "I'm not a gamer, I'm a commando!". Or imagine they did the same thing in a simulation type game, let's say Gran Turismo for sake of argument. "I'm not a gamer, I'm a professional driver".
Click to expand...

Exactly. That's exactly what I thought of a few minutes after watching the ads.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
I think non-gamers are pretty contempt playing their 99cent iphone games. Moving them from their cell phones with 99cent games to a gaming device with $39.99 games is a battle that can't be won. They would actually have a better chance converting super hardcore PC gamers to the 3DS than casual females.
 
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