We all know that next Monday BattalionWarsII will be hitting shelves. But has Nintendo pretty much left it for dead?

The official website launched today only half a week before the game hits stores. This in itself seems alittle odd considering sites often play a big role in marketing games.  The website being launched so late could negatively affect the titles launch appeal because not as many people have had a chance to check out the latest information on it.

Nintendo Power has been virtually the only magazine publication that actually has broken any news about BWII and even Nintendo Power hasn't really given it much coverage. Their haven't been any television ads that I've seen while the origional BattalionWars was advertised in the main GameCube commercials (Here in Canada).

 BattalionWars is what the third or fourth Wii title to be online, the games prediscessor is well known for lacking multiplayer. Everyone was ranting about how much they wanted to play the game with multiple armies and players. So with so much potential why isn't Nintendo pushing its online funcitionality and marketing the game more online. I mean it is the third Wifi game that I know of thats a big deal.

It would appear Nintendo hasn't just left marketing to the last minute but failed to market the game at all. With only days left till launch their is no marketing in sight. Did Nintendo pretty much leave BattalionWars for dead, could it possibly succeed without any marketing at all, will the hardcore installed fanbase be the only thing that keeps this title from being a complete disaster?

Me is Nintendo. I invest lots of money in a game to develop. then i decide to put it on the market but since i hate myself and all my money and games, i decide to try to destroy it. Right.

Nintendo seems to be an amazing videogame making company, but terribly sucky as far as marketing goes. They should take a page from microsoft who markets their games extremely well. No matter how good your steak is, you still gotta sell the sizzle.

Actually, Nintendo and Reggie Fils-Aime have won a couple of marketing awards lately, so the marketing trade publications seem to think that Nintendo's doing things right.

It got a 7.5 from ONM. Maybe it isn't that much of an improvement from the first one and, thus, only fans of the first one will actually enjoy it.

Thus, no need to market it, since the fans of the game know its coming, and will most likely buy it anyway.

For that matter, Fire Emblem releases one week after BWii. The game is only being 'marketed' to fans.

I agree.  Nintendo doesn't seem to really advetise any of their games anymore.  The most you will see is a few clips from some of them when they are advertising the Wii itself.

Maybe marketing for BWii is not worth the money.

I mean, even if the marketing campaign is successful, that would only lead to 100k more sales at the very high end, but they would barely make more profit on the game.

This way, they make the game for the ones that want it (and they will continue to make such games because they are important for the console's library) but they only market the heavy hitters because they are what people care about.

Just an idea, though.

As far as the wii itself, yes that's been marketed extremely well. But their games they seem to care less about. I never see commercials for Nintendo games, but I've seen a buttload of bioshock and heavenly sword, ect. They didn't do much of anything for metroid other than a streaming video channel for the wii, they haven't done anything for battalion wars, if you go to gamestop or EB all the cutouts, and wall advertisements are for 360 and PS3 games. They do virtually nothing to get the majority of their games recognized. Luckily many of them sell on name alone, but that doesn't work for all games.

@nintendo_fanboy

However, I will admit that Metroid Prime 3 could have benefitted more from advertising. It was never a huge blockbuster, but it is a million-selling franchise.

I'm a bit confused, though. People say they haven\'t seen commercials for Prime 3? I have seen tons of them, as well as Mario Strikers Charged. I haven\'t seen a single Bioshock. Maybe Heavenly Sword when I was jumping through Spike TV.

@The_vagabond7

Doesn't Gamestop choose what games to advertise, just like they choose what games to stock?

im would be more concerned with the controls for BW2. It still looks clunky and slow compared to MP3, even on beginner settings. I would seriously get it if controls were revamped for this game.

As for the marketing, yea I still don't get why nintendo doesn't try to expand the fan base for their games. There making tons of moolah yet they don't seem interested in selling their games. I still feel bad for Retro Studios pouring their heart into MP3, and not being able to sell over 1m because of a lack in marketing.