To revitalize sales, Nintendo Introduces Toys That Roam Virtual Realm
________________________http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/22/technology/nintendo-tries-to-energize-wii-u-sales-with-amiibo-toys.html?_r=0
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Summary -
This article goes into the marketing and effects of Nintendo's new line of NFC figures, known as Amiibos. It also discusses past ventures of video game developers into the toyToLife market and how Nintendo's is supposedly different. There are also a few different quotes and analysis from experts on the state of Nintendo.
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-"Nintendo, long a leader in the video game industry, needs a new sales hit. The company reported a profit in its most recent quarter, but losses had piled up in recent years as consumers turned to less expensive games on smartphones and other mobile devices."
-"“It’s a great idea, but it’s limited to Wii U owners,” he said, predicting that Nintendo would gain only about a 10 percent share of the toystolife category. Disney and Activision figures can be used on all consoles, including the Wii U."
-"Nintendo should strive to be more forwardthinking, he said: “Their strategy is looking in the rearview mirror to see what got them there."
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Nintendo has been struggling because of the failed third party console, the Wii U, as indicated by the first quote. It's main problems were lack of third-party support, unattractive marketing, and not enough iconic launch titles. Nintendo seems to have realized and attempted to fix two out the three problems because their recent marketing strategies have been praised by many and they are finally creating the software that people were expecting at launch, such as super mario 3D World and Smash Bros.
I disagree with the final two quotes more than a butcher disagrees with a vegetarian. The second quote states that the amiibos being limited to the Wii U will be its fault because the demographic these figures are directed at are obviously small children (6-12), which are the most likely to have a Wii U. The third quote is partially true because eventually Nintendo will run out of things to look back on, but for now the public wants classic Nintendo products re-imagined, judging by how specific games are selling. Also since some metros use NFC similar to amiibos, it has been shown that they can be used to open metro gates, which is awesome and hilarious, if it in fact works.
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Week One
Week One
Overall a very interesting article. It's amazing how in a world where the population has access to free entertainment, they have consistently craved and consumed the more expensive products from Nintendo. This is largely due to the marketing of the company's products.
ReplyDeleteIt would be awesome to know examples of how these products are marketed (commercials, billboards, etc).