So with the recent detailing of Nintendo's NFC Featured Platform/Nintendo Figurine Platform (I like the later name better personally), I was thinking about it's potential. Obviously the fact that it's not just for a Nintendo Skylanders but is it's own platform with multiple games is a good thing, and the whole "save data to it, train the character" thing could have interesting gaming applications, but then I thought of an interesting application for fans. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of waiting for Nintendo to make a Star Fox game and an F-Zero game. With Smash coming out, Nintendo would have to be pretty dumb not to make figurines for all the Smash characters, and even if they don't integrate it with Smash, they'll probably eventually make figurines for all their major IPs they've ever had. So let's say they make a Fox figurine and a Captain Falcon figurine. Now let's say that we start an Operation Rainfall type of movement, except instead of sending them a bunch of meaningless signatures, we put our money where our mouth is, and mass buy a specific figurine? The movement could announce what IP they're pushing to get a new game in, spam twitter and facebook to get attention like usual, so that Nintendo knows the message is from them, but then, to actual show Nintendo the money, literally, they go out and mass buy a figurine of a character from the IP in question! This has several advantages:
1. Everyone who participates gets a figurine of a character they'd probably want anyway.
2. Rather than a signature they'll never see again, they get something physical they can use, thus providing a better incentive to participate, kind of like with a Kickstarter campaign.
3. Nintendo gets money, and money talks.
4. Nintendo gets free marketing research, in the form of a smaller scale measurement of how much an IP is valued.
5. If it works once, it could motivate Nintendo to work more closely with their fans.
I can already see people saying "but not everyone will want to shell out money for this!" To that I say:
1. Again, they're getting something for their money that they most likely want anyway, this just gives them more incentive to buy it.
2. It probably won't be that much. The Pokemon Rumber U figurines were originally $4 each. They seem to have gone up since, probably because they're no longer produced since the game sold like crap, but they were originally only $4.
3. If people won't shell out that tiny bit for this, then obviously they don't really care that much or want the game that much, and thus Nintendo is RIGHT to not make the game. Whether the campaign succeeds or fails, participants get something they can use, and Nintendo gets a better idea of where the money is at in the gaming market at large.
And to anyone that says Nintendo doesn't listen to their fans, if Operation Rainfall, little more than a bunch of signatures and social network pestering, can get us Xenoblade, and Operation Moonfall gets Nintendo to acknowledge the want for LOZ:MM3D and repeatedly hint that they're going to make it, then why wouldn't actually giving Nintendo REAL MONEY that they can hold in their hot little hands RIGHT NOW work even better?
So let's say that this is a viable tactic. What would people want? Keep in mind, it's obviously limited to established IPs, and only ones Nintendo makes into figurines, at that. But we could petition Nintendo to make a particular figurine! It'd be much less costly and risky to make a figurine than a new game, and Nintendo would probably quickly catch on that it's a good measurement of fan interest once a first campaign is successful, assuming people who bought the figurine go out and buy the game, which they probably would, considering they care enough to spend money on this endeavor, so they're not averse to spending money obviously. So yeah, what would you want to see? I'm sure some will say Star Fox and F-Zero, but this could also be used to push for Metroid Wii U, if Nintendo starts getting cold feet on that, or an honest to goodness Wii U Fire Emblem, or if we can persuade them to make the figurine for it, Captain Rainbow Wii U! (haha, that might be a stretch).
Another option...if Nintendo pisses us off with a decision about a franchise, we can boycott the figurine >:) What's that Retro Studios? You're making ANOTHER DK? FUCK DK! BOYCOTT!
