Nintendo needs to relaunch the Wii U
The Wii U is in a predicament right now. In a previous article I went into detail about the woes of the Wii U during the launch window. Although games such as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Lego City: Undercover have helped the Wii U in the past week, it is still not out of the dark waters. Nintendo should not be complacent, the Wii U is still young, and there is much work to do.
In my opinion the smart thing for Nintendo to do, is to relaunch the Wii U. Start fresh and start from the beginning. I think it is time for a relaunch.
Re-evaluate the Wii U Message
It is abundantly clear that Nintendo is having serious trouble getting the Wii U message across. Ever since the Wii U’s debut two years ago, Nintendo’s message has not been clear. You know when you have a problem when there are individuals who still think the Wii U gamepad is a peripheral add-on for the Wii.
What is the Wii U?
What is the advantage of the Wii U?
Why should I buy the Wii U? Nintendo should at least be able to answer these questions and sell them to potential consumers. Getting at least this right should be the first step for Nintendo. Marketing reboot
I have been very critical of Nintendo’s marketing campaign so far for the Wii U. Nintendo has not been advertising the Wii U often enough. Even when they do advertise the Wii U, the commercials are average. Im no marketing expert but I do understand the basics. In order to get consumers to buy a product they need to know it exists. This is an area I feel Nintendo is letting their console down. Advertise the Wii U and advertise it well.
Having said this, I think Nintendo should change their approach to the Wii U marketing. For starters get rid of the dub-step music. Next cut down on all the flashy lights. Just keep it simple. Show gameplay and show the capabilities of the Wii U. That’s all to it. I said it before, Nintendo Australia has a good commercial – I like it for the simplicity and it sell the Wii U message well.
Games, games and more games
Currently the Wii u’s software library is not compelling enough to sustain good hardware sales. Lego City Undercover and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate have done well to drive a surge in Wii U sales number. Nintendo needs more games like these, not necessarily system sellers, but high quality games that will make the Wii U an appetizing investment. Furthermore Nintendo needs to get the release schedule in order. I don’t want to wait months just to play my Wii U again. I don’t want to go through another game drought. I understand games don’t instantly fall from trees. But Nintendo needs to be more conscious of the release schedule, so to avoid another annoying game drought. One more thing Nintendo really needs to break their silence policy. When is Pikmin 3 coming? When can I play Wonderful 101? I want to see more of Wind Waker HD. Show me another trailer of Monolith’s X. I just want something to hold onto, something to get hyped for the future. Right now Nintendo isn’t showing the potential of the Wii U, and it is getting on my nerves. Bottom Line Don’t fall for the gloom and doom. The Wii U will be fine and it will be a success console for Nintendo. Nintendo needs to sort out a few issues and I have full faith that the can fix them. Remember never count Nintendo out. http://mii-gamer.com/2013/04/03/nintendo-needs-to-relaunch-the-wii-u/
