Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo Gets Suggestive with DS Marketing
miller60 writes ""Touching is good" is the suggestive theme of the launch campaign for the Nintendo DS handheld, which appears designed to help Nintendo go beyond its kid-friendly image and appeal to older gamers. It's also advertising in Maxim with a campaign titled "How To Score." The company says the campaign represents a "different, bolder approach for Nintendo.""
If I recall correctly, Nintendo has been trying to push the "We can appeal to mature audience" thing ever since it announced on GBA SP. So the above wouldn't be so new
:)
As for the slogan "Touching is good", let us remember that in the middle age, you used to get your hands cut off for touching
There's a downside to touching, sometimes:
Is it good touch or bad touch?
"Wow. Now THAT'S a lot of angry Indians." - Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer
"Touching is good" is the suggestive theme of the launch campaign for the Nintendo DS handheld, which appears designed to help Nintendo go beyond its kid-friendly image and appeal to older gamers. It's also advertising in Maxim with a campaign titled "How To Score."
Such childish references to sex can only appeal precisely to kids. Older gamers don't need sex in advertisements because they can have real sex any time. I assume that they know that the culture in Japan and the attitude towards sex is completely different than that in the United States. (An outrage caused by a piece of breast during softball, anyone?) Neither the nonchalant attitude towards lawsuits in general remains insignificant. Have they done any studies to assure them that they will not get sued by mothers concerned that their children are being bombarded with produts with sexual overtones? I really hope they know what they are doing because I really wouldn't like their prices to increase to cover the expences of frivolous and irresponsible lawsuits.
Sincerely,
Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
"Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
Well, I don't think one will be able to if they try to hit on a girl with one of them in hand.
It's advertising in Doctor Who Magazine that'll give Nintendo the real edge. ;-)
(Entirely true, an advert for NES Classics is the only non-Doctor Who related advert in the magazine for at least the last year).
10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
20 GOTO 10
The "touching is good" ad only closes with that line. The rest of the ad is about precise control using the touch screen, not any sexually explicit or suggestive message at all.
I guess with some people, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail, right?
MORTAR COMBAT!
Well, somehow I don't think Nintendo's goal of more mature themed games will even touch their 'core' characters; Mario won't ever use a chainsaw to gib people, Pikachu will never be a cold & vengeful mass murderer (he could be however, if you think about it), Link would never be a regular in a red light district, and there won't ever be a transparent armor mod for Samus.
The old core characters could coexist with new, more 'colorful' ones, if Nintendo could take a risk and allow such games.
Maybe they could be like Disney/Touchstone/Miramax; create a sub-company that would rebranded (and understood) as a company that tends to have more edgy, provacative games. Call it "Games for the M and up."
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
So I can expect Pokemon Miller and Pokemon Budweiser some time soon?
I admit I did like the maxim advertisement. Only thing is, I had no idea it was for a Nintendo DS. I kind of caught me by surprise. Here i see a chick telling me why touching is good, why two are better than one, etc. Finally, at the bottom is the little nintendo name. Go figure.
This is hardly Nintendo's first attempt at "suggestive advertising":
"Octorocs, Tectites, and Leevers too
But with your help our hero pulls through!"
Sick!
This only strengthens my belief that Sony PSP has already won this round.
What? Oh, we're only supposed to post comments like this when the story is about the PSP. Sorry, new here.
It's just ever-so-slightly suggestive. It's definitely not enough to get them sued or anything.
Because by the looks of things the round will be nearly over by the time Sony steps into the ring.
Oops, too late. The original game had a code that allowed the player to see Samus under her armor...
Those who complain about affect & effect on
Seriously, the original metroid let you play with Samus unsuited (either by beating it in under 2 hours or with the JUSTIN BAILEY code). I'd've loved to see that in Prime.(Heck, for all I know it's there; I got sick of the game toward the end and refused to play through it on the harder difficulty levels. I really wanted to see the Fusion suit in full 3D too, but never bought a GBA.) Maybe in Prime 2. I 3 Metroid.
Those who fail to understand communication protocols, are doomed to repeat them over port 80.
Nintendo was the one game company that was above all of this. Sure, they have a special bond with a niche of gamers (kids). Nintendo is known for Mario, Quality games, and being a kid friendly company. There is a generation of 20 something women who are having children or will have them soon that grew up playing super mario brothers. Why not market to your niche and aim for the kid/family friendly audience? Why turn off these people with quotes like "Touching is good" and "How To Score."? Is this the handheld that mothers will want to buy for their children? Sure the kids might like it, but I think nintendo will be turning off more people than they attract with this sort of thing.
Plenty of adults will still buy your platform just for various Mario games, Metroid and Zelda. Plenty of kids will buy it for that reason too. There is no need for the raunch, they should focus on putting out quality games. If they want the adult crowd then they should focus on making a damn good rated 'M' game. But just saying things like "Touching is good" is likely counterproductive to their reputation.
The way adults are depicted in some commercials is quite disconcerting. The only good role model adult in these commercials is Ronald McDonald. Most other adults are portrayed as idiots who children should ignore. We need to take these advertisors (and advertising firms) to task for this poor display of judgement.
AnimeNEXT anime convention
Sombody who finds somthing offensive enough out of this statement clearly has a perverted mind and shouldn't even comment.
Really, you see more on the news then somthing like this so I really don't see why it matters? Sex sells, that's life, get used to it.
-Steve
Hmm. With taglines like "touching is good," it sounds to me like all the desperate gamers out there are already hooked ;-)
One of the first GBA commercials in Europe went along the same line.
> > Older gamers don't need sex in advertisements because they can have real sex any time.
> I don't understand. Please explain and cite references, HOWTOs preferably.
What the hell is wrong with you people! Sex is not that hard! Occasionally even a Linux developer can get laid. I know that this is only an anegdotal evidence. Do you want HOWTO? Here it is: Sex Tips For Ugly Virgin Losers by Eric S. Raymond himself (ESR of OSI, I kid you not). If he can get laid using those tips, so does everyone in the freakin universe.
Moderators: please mod this post up so every slashdotter could get laid today!
I believe Nintendo is realizing how much market they are missing, otherwise how can you explain these attractions shown on EGS 2004 in Mexico?
Click here for a clip.
Odd that "touching is good", when the thing has wireless capabilities. Hehe.
-bZj
.sig