I’ve been pretty busy preparing for the launch of the Wii U, but since a lot of what you see on NCharged right now is related to the new system, I decided to write about something other than the upcoming system… Sort of. Today, I’m gonna talk about how many consumers are absolute idiots, but companies need to keep that in mind when marketing their products. Especially with video games.
When I say people are dumb, I really mean it. Without the internet, or that nifty iPhone, a lot of you probably couldn’t get through your day without some serious trouble. Without awesome websites like Nintendo Charged, a lot of you gamers wouldn’t even know the difference between a good and a bad game. Seriously.
It’s practically the same thing with new systems. I still meet a lot of uninformed gamers who still think the Nintendo 3DS is just a Nintendo DS, or that the Wii U is just a new controller. Who’s fault is this? The consumers or companies? I would say it’s a mix of both, but the fact that consumers are so dumb doesn’t really help at all.
I’m afraid a lot of consumers will miss out on the Wii U until next year, just because they aren’t paying attention. Once Nintendo’s Wii U marketing explodes on TV and social networks, I’m sure it will receive record-breaking sales though. This is a great and revolutionary system, but not just for its new controller. Nintendo has been marketing the Wii U GamePad more than the actual system’s amazing power, which could end up hurting sales until consumers start showing their friends the system.
With the Nintendo 3DS, although the glasses-free 3D is awesome, it’s not my favorite thing about the handheld. Sure, for the first month so, 3D was the coolest thing about the system. That went away pretty quickly after I found how much content and attention to detail most developers put into their N3DS games. The 3DS is a handheld powerhouse, and in my opinion, the best on the market. Close to 2 years after launch, and we already have great games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Resident Evil: Revelations, Kid Icarus: Uprising, New Super Mario Bros. 2, and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
This year, 3DS owners have more great games to look forward to, including, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Code of Princess, Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward, Scribblenauts Unlimited, and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate. These are just a few of our favorites, and you can expect reviews on these before the year’s end. What I’m trying to say, is that one of the best things about the Nintendo 3DS is the crazy amount of franchises that are finding their way to the handheld.
Back to the subject. Now with a little over a month until the launch of the Wii U, we’ve been incredibly busy covering it, and I’m sure Nintendo has their hands full as well. That leaves us a few questions… Will Nintendo succeed in bringing the Wii U to homes all over North America, or will consumers be too dumb to understand its greatness until we face a shortage like with the Wii? You decide in the comments.