| JEMC said: But there is a problem, one that Nintendo themselves created, of perception: Nintendo makes toys. I know that's not true, I do know, but with their attitude and marketing towards everybody but specially towards the younger audience, they have put themselves in a situation where many parents would buy a Nintendo console for their younger kids because they see them as a harmless and entertaining toy, unlike Sony and Microsoft that don't hesitate to show that their offerings are the ultimate "gadget". And here lies Nintendo's other problem: the price of its machines. Remember how badly did the 3DS sold at 250 USD/EUR? And how badly the WiiU sold at 300-350 USD/EUR? It wasn't only because of lack of games, but also because consumers saw them as expensive toys. And that means that even if Nintendo had launched a WiiU with the power of a PS4 and with the same price, sales would have been bad, not as bad, but bad nonetheless, because consumers don't associate Nintendo with expensive. |
Tell you some secret - the Wii U didn't sell at 199 EUR !! I've got mine - a WindWaker HD premium bundle - for that price. I was worried to no end as I saw this offer three weeks after it was advertised....
But - the local retailer had stapels of them!! Even on the day Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze was released...
People didn't buy for 199 EUR. Instead they were looking for 399 EUR PS4s...
You're right in that Nintendo is seen as a "toy maker". But there lies Nintendos strenght: they need to embrace this to the fullest potential. The GamePad enables creativity on the user side never seen before in games.
So Nintendos challengers are not PS4 or XOne but the tablets. And Nintendo offers something here those devices can't: integrety and the good feeling that kids only see content suited to their age.
Nintendo sold a ton of DS via "Brain Training" to people who would never bought a DS otherwise.
Nintendo sold a ton of Wii via Wii Sports to people who would never bought a Wii otherwise.
Nintendo know needs a Wii U title to sell Wii Us to families as neither PS4, XOne nor tablets are a real alternative.
