Nintendo 3DS (thread twooooo)

[Brad]

This will be great for retailers.
"Please can I have a 3DS?"
"Do you want a New 3DS?"
"Of course I want a new one"
SOLD

Or in Game:
We can sell you a used new 3ds for a fiver less?

[importaku]

The answer is no, if you actually go to Nintendos own website they have very clear lists of what each console can or can't do. If the consumer is too stupid/lazy to read then tough luck. On the back of the console boxes in the shop they also list the specs of the consoles & compatability between versions and the games, on the game boxes they have little charts (on Jpn games anyway) of which versions of the hardware that certain game will work on.

On the other side of the argument you could say in tv & print advertising they don't exactly do great on showing what the differences are, it was more evident with the WiiU, can't say i have seen much evidence as i really don't watch tv or read magazines but i know when the WiiU was first released there was confusion about what it actually was as i saw it online on various forums.

Although again, if you goto Nintendos own website it's clearly explained, i suppose it's the lazyness of the average consumer. If you don't bother reading the boxes then don't come complaining when you buy something that doesn't work as you bought the wrong version.

It's about time people started taking responsibility.

[Dogg Thang]

The answer is no

Okay, cool.

It's about time people started taking responsibility.

Does that extend to Nintendo?

[importaku]

Maybe better print & tv adverts from Nintendo for the average clueless consumer, in a simple & easy to understand format.

Maybe Nintendo has been overestimating their consumers abilities. Heaven forbid they go online & look up some info on the ?100 purchase they are about to make.

[Dogg Thang]

Okay, that's fair enough too. But in your opinion, have the names been an issue at all?

[importaku]

For me personally, no i have never been confused with the naming of any console. But to be fair gaming is my hobby so i read up on the stuff i like so with Nintendo stuff im very well informed.

I can't see it from the side of the average on the street consumer as im not one of those anymore, there will probably be confused people yes, but there are probably confused people with any hobby they are not familiar with. The thing is though when anyone starts becoming interested in gaming they are all at the same level, nobody starts out as an expert, you learn about things over time. You go out & do the research, back in the day with no internet it might have been a lot harder to get decent info but considering Nintendo has websites for the main regions it's not as excusable nowdays to claim ignorance of not knowing what a console/handheld can do or can't do.

My goodness i never though't i'd be debating about this kind of stuff LOL

[Dogg Thang]

Well at this point, it's less debating and more a sort of Q&A! Okay, so assuming that your second paragraph is still referring to the name issue, that one appears to be a yes but the names are obviously not an issue for you personally. I would expect that - generally we're well up on what's going on, although I must admit personally that it was quite a while after the announcement before I knew exactly what the WiiU was.

Okay so which is better: a fixed rate or variable mortgage?

[QualityChimp]

"This is for the 3DS, you know that, right?"
"Oh I only have the 2D one..."
"The 2DS? Well that's OK."
"Yeah, the lite one."
"Oh no, that's the wrong one."
"But it's 2D, like not 3D like the 3DS."
"Yes but..." etc.

I really chuckled at this! :-)

I imagine getting the console sorted and then having to explain the difference between Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros, New Super Mario Bros, New Super Mario Bros Wii, New Super Mario U and New Super Luigi U!

[kryss]

Okay so which is better: a fixed rate or variable mortgage?

Yes, definitely.

[sj33]

It is actually the role of the marketing department to clearly and accurately convey information such as, y'know, information about the product. Customers can do their own research, but it misses the point - companies need people to buy their products more than individual people actually need to buy them.

It's not about people being stupid or lazy. If the marketing fails to explain to people why they should buy that product, they're failing at their job. If a person already owns a 3DS, the marketing department's job is to convince people to buy the New 3DS.

[Nu-Eclipse]

It is actually the role of the marketing department to clearly and accurately convey information such as, y'know, information about the product. Customers can do their own research, but it misses the point - companies need people to buy their products more than individual people actually need to buy them.

It's not about people being stupid or lazy. If the marketing fails to explain to people why they should buy that product, they're failing at their job. If a person already owns a 3DS, the marketing department's job is to convince people to buy the New 3DS.

Correct.

We can all laugh/scoff at customers less knowledgeable than us not doing said groundwork/research about said products but perception is everything at the end of the day. It is ultimately Nintendo who are hurt if customers don't purchase their products, not the other way around.

The perils of the Wii U emphasise this perfectly.

[Asura]

back in the day with no internet it might have been a lot harder to get decent info but considering Nintendo has websites for the main regions it's not as excusable nowdays to claim ignorance of not knowing what a console/handheld can do or can't do.

No-one's disagreeing with you, really. Certainly none of us here would make this kind of mistake. Still, here's a sketch which I think amply shows part of the problem:



The sketch is an over-the-top exaggeration, but that's the point. Nintendo PR's job is to try and choose branding that removes this kind of issue.

All of this could've been avoided if they'd given it a genuinely new name. Even something similar like "The Super-3DS" would've done the job. It's the use of the word "new" in this case which is poor.

[importaku]

Surely they must have focus tested these kinds of issues in Japan? When it is released over there we will be able to see just how well it does despite it's odd naming, although im guessing a lot of people that already own a older 3DS will be upgrading over those totally new new neeeew people coming in first owners, so they will have some idea at what they are buying (i'd imagine)

[Asura]

Surely they must have focus tested these kinds of issues in Japan?

This is a bit of guesswork, but I think the rules for branding in Japan and the rest of the world are quite different, especially with "loan-words" like "new", and terms like "3DS".

I might think Nintendo's terminology isn't great, but on the scale of unnecessary complexity that runs from 1-to-Kingdom Hearts, they could be doing a lot worse.

[importaku]

In Japan gaming is more integrated into society it's literally everywhere nowhere near the same level in the west. Im wondering if Japanese gamers are more clued up than their western counterparts it would be interesting to find out.

I certainly know their gaming magazines are on another level compared to the ****e that passes as magazines over here.

Those Mario games could do with been more simple in naming lol, didn't realise till Mr Chimp listed them all. Maybe time to start adding numbers to them again