The Secret Selling Point of the Switch Scott’s Thoughts

It’s not what you think it is.

It’s not the games. It’s not the price. It isn’t the user interface or the branding.

The secret selling point is that the Switch is fun to use.
It’s physically fun to play with.

That dumb snapping noise that plays in all the commercials? It underscores one of the core benefits of the experience.

Seeing the hardware’s multiple configurations raises intrigue, then the tactile feedback received when sliding the pieces together does all the convincing.

Nintendo used to say Playing is Believing, but they advanced this concept a step further by creating believers before the console even powers on.

Who Nintendo’s Target Audience REALLY Is

They would probably say the whole cheesy “5 to 105” line…


#515 – Who does Nintendo have in mind when they are developing their newest games? Is it people like you? Much younger? Older players? That’s the question that Simeon and Scott are examining in today’s episode of Two Button Crew!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Nintendo Strategy – Does it Work?

Every single year I find myself wondering, speculating, and analyzing what Nintendo is going to release next. I’m about 0 for 300 in predictions. Two Button Crew recently posted something on Facebook that made me laugh, but also made me wonder why Nintendo operates the way they do. What I mean by that is they never do what anyone is expecting. They are probably the most unpredictable company I have ever known. Yet, they are probably the company I have given the most money to. What is the driving force (from a business perspective) behind Nintendo’s decisions and how they market them?

 

 

The biggest thing I can think of is innovation. To be innovative, a company has to be different. Nintendo cannot reform the gaming industry by following the same old formula. Unfortunately, this also means that some fans are going to be let down because Nintendo tends to take what they love and either leave it in the dust, or change it just enough so it doesn’t feel old. An example of this for me is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. I loved that game. I would love nothing more than a true sequel. Since that game came out, we’ve gotten Super Paper Mario, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and Paper Mario: Color Splash. Each subsequent game I just mentioned gets closer and closer to the formula that makes The Thousand Year Door, but none of those games kept my interest because of changes made by developers to keep the games “fresh”. Not all changes are bad though (I’m looking at you, Breath of the Wild). When Nintendo takes change and gets it right, that is when nothing else in the industry can come close. And it’s not just about software, the same applies to hardware. The Wii essentially revolutionized gaming, and the Switch so far is a success story as well. Nintendo is basically the cleanup hitter in the lineup. They hit more home runs than anyone, and they can hit them farther. Unfortunately, that also means they are likely going to strike out more than anyone.

The other thing that Nintendo doesn’t really seem to care about is competition. They are 100% independent when it comes to the decisions their competitors make. This is a very ambitious move, but not one that comes without risk. A company as large and with as big of a fan base as Nintendo can get away with this. They don’t have to keep making the same old games and systems because they don’t care about disrupting the status quo in the industry. People expect a new Gears of War game that does not stray far from the formula, because that is what Microsoft is good at making (I’m not saying it’s a bad series). There is very little risk for Microsoft here, because they can look at past sales, and without straying from the formula within the game, they can predict and model how profitable the game will be. My intent is not to start a console war, but in my opinion, no other competitor innovates like Nintendo. This is simply because other companies do not want to partake in the risk Nintendo takes on when they test the waters of the market.

 

 

I’ll always love Nintendo, and there are times when I’ll hate them. It’s just the way Nintendo works, and it will not change anytime soon because it’s how they operate. Innovation is what all companies should strive for, but Nintendo takes it to a whole different level.  It’s a business model that would drive most companies into bankruptcy sooner than you can say “Mario Kart”. Innovation is something that does come with a cost, but one thing I can be confident in is that Nintendo will be innovating the industry and making my favorite games and consoles for years to come.

Best Game Logos

Pop-quiz: Do you know what Scott and Simeon do for an actual living? The answer to one of their occupations is included in this episode!


Scott may be on the Two Button Crew show every weekday, but he also has a dayjob as a graphic designer. As such, there’s a lot he could say about graphic design and effective logos that accomplish a purpose and communicate a message. Today, Scott AND Simeon turn their artistic opinions to the logos of games past, and have collected the very best ones for us to see all in one place!

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Best & Funniest Nintendo Game Commercials

All that we need now in life is a Metroid Movie. Nintendo, we know you can do it – you’ve proven it!


Nintendo has had some of the craziest marketing campaigns ever seen on TV! These are a collection of the weirdest, wackiest, craziest commercials created by the Big N itself. You just can’t make this stuff up, but someone evidently did! We take you through the truly weird, the truly scary, and the truly disgusting in this episode of Two Button Crew. Sit back and join us for a trip down memory lane on this Throwback Thursday show.

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Switch: The Name, Branding, and Marketing

Just be yourself and try to have a good time.


Goodbye Wii Branding – Nintendo Switch is hailing in an all new era for the company. This new console is being marketed to adults, without a gimmick in sight. Let’s discuss!

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/