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WiiU and Exposure

Lord_Cathaseigh

Like a sir.
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Do you feel Nintendo has done a good job of advertising the WiiU? With 2 months till launch, have they drummed up enough support? What improvements would you like to see?

I think they can definitely improve. I can remember all sorts of talk about the original Wii: from the Ellen episode where they gave one way (a whole year before it released?), to your Grandparents asking if you wanted one, and even talk about what it can do for rehab. With the WiiU, its like noone (that I know) knows it exists.

I honestly think if they had left the Wii theme behind, it would stand out more. A next-gen console that sports a tablet-inspired controller and a great library. Pretty intuitive, right? By keeping the Wii motif, they've managed to make it look like a suped-up Wii, instead of a new console. And most people don't want to spend another $250 for another Wii when there's is just fine.

I've heard people say that keeping the Wii theme will help people who started off on the Wii, which in a way is true; but I honestly think that the Nintendo name is more important. There was never a Wii64; there was a NINTENDO 64. There was a NINTENDO Entertainment System. There was even a Super NES. And honestly all the cred that the Wii got is nothing compared to Nintendo's.

EDIT: Minor typo: Helen should've been Ellen.
 
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Ventus

Mad haters lmao
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May 26, 2010
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Akkala
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Hylian Champion
I don't feel Nintendo has a good job of advertising the Wii U. I mean, all I see is a couple ads at the gamestore, but nothing on TV or any other spot I frequently visit (not even ZD/DGN).

Improvements I'd like to see? Nintendo should grab some TV spots on many channels and advertise on YouTube and other sites. That will be its path to success.
 

Cfrock

Keep it strong
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Liverpool, England
I can only speak for the UK but Nintendo hasn't really put on a huge marketing campaign over here. Although, I think that in the next few weeks they will step it up a lot.

Before the 3DS came out you couldn't turn on the TV over here without seeing it. They advertised the hell out of it and had a widely publicised tour of the British Isles to demonstrate it and show it off. I know they have a similar tour planned for the next month for the Wii U so I think when that gets underway we'll see a slew of advertising for it.
 
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Hanyou

didn't build that
I honestly think if they had left the Wii theme behind, it would stand out more. A next-gen console that sports a tablet-inspired controller and a great library. Pretty intuitive, right? By keeping the Wii motif, they've managed to make it look like a suped-up Wii, instead of a new console. And most people don't want to spend another $250 for another Wii when there's is just fine.

I've heard people say that keeping the Wii theme will help people who started off on the Wii, which in a way is true; but I honestly think that the Nintendo name is more important. There was never a Wii64; there was a NINTENDO 64. There was a NINTENDO Entertainment System. There was even a Super NES. And honestly all the cred that the Wii got is nothing compared to Nintendo's.

The Wii was such a success even beyond the typical gamer demographic that I can't imagine them not continuing the brand. Nintendo means a lot to gamers; the Wii means a lot more to pop culture, and that's important.

To my knowledge, early reception of the WiiU is largely positive and it's already seeing plenty of preorders. I'm sure they know what they're doing. That said, I'm not familiar with advertising at large so I don't really know what they are or are not doing.
 

JuicieJ

SHOW ME YA MOVES!
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Jan 10, 2011
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On the midnight Spirit Train going anywhere
Only someone living under a rock would think it hasn't been advertised well. The Wii U has been sold out via pre-orders, and this happened within 24 hours of the price announcements. That doesn't happen to something poorly advertised. It just doesn't.
 
While I believe Nintendo could improve its advertising campaign, the company has done and excellent job of showcasing its upcoming system's features and building hype via its Nintendo Direct conferences. The Wii was an unprecedented success and Nintendo looks to build on that momentum entering the eighth generation of home consoles.

As JuicieJ maintained, preorders for the system has sold out. Clearly Nintendo is doing something right. At this point, I don't believe the question is whether Nintendo has sold buyers on its system prior to launch but whether the company will be able to maintain consumer interest in the ensuing months, avoiding the sales dip the 3DS experienced summer of last year.
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Location
Grooseland
Only someone living under a rock would think it hasn't been advertised well. The Wii U has been sold out via pre-orders, and this happened within 24 hours of the price announcements. That doesn't happen to something poorly advertised. It just doesn't.

Yet I haven't seen a single TV commercial for it, or even an internet ad for that matter. Just imagine if they did advertise it more... :blank:
 

Lord_Cathaseigh

Like a sir.
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
I hadn't heard about the pre-orders selling out, but that doesn't mean I live under a rock :p I'm glad to see it's doing well, though. I DO think they should be busting out the whole ad shuhbang ASAP. Ads can make those great sales even greater. Celebrity endorsements, ad-spots, sweepstakes, social events, you name it. As long as they don't bring up "I'm not a gamer", I'm happy.
 

Cfrock

Keep it strong
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Liverpool, England
The first TV advert for the Wii U in the UK was aired last night.



One of the issues facing Nintendo in the UK was the general perception that the Wii U was just a new controller for the Wii (it was reported as such in newspapers after the original announcement) and this advert is clearly designed to dispel that notion. We're just a little over a month away from release and Nintendo's UK Tour of the Wii U will begins soon and so I expect the amount of advertising for it to increase a lot over the coming weeks.
 

Majoras_Wrath

Home Grown Hero!
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Location
Chicago
To be honest, I feel its only been showcased well on the internet. When the Wii came out I had my sources but I did not have internet at all. I would still be able to see commercials on T.V. and see a lot more things on television shows advertising it. It's not that I think they aren't doing a good job, it's that they aren't doing enough of it. Not everyone accesses the websites that talk about video games, so the casual crowd they aim for have a harder time hearing about the Wii U. They need a good commercial advertising what it is and how it works and what this is going to do for future gaming. Other than that, I think the publicity for gamers is excellent.
 

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