Nintendo has shown that it's not afraid of seeking celebrity endorsements for its consoles, with a particularly cringeworthy Justin Bieber Christmas advert used to promote 3DS last year. The latest famous icon to lend their support to Nintendo is Uggie the dog, famous for his performance in popular movie The Artist.
Naturally, Uggie's interested in Nintendogs + Cats, not to mention the StreetPass opportunities and his appearance fees, sure to buy quite a few bones and jewel-studded collars. We've attached Nintendo's press release below with full details: beware the dog references.
In a move that’s got tails wagging from Hollywood to Manhattan, Nintendo of America is teaming up with Uggie, the talented Jack Russell terrier known to moviegoers as the canine co-star of The Artist. Starting today, Uggie will sink his teeth into a memorable new role as Nintendo’s first-ever “spokesdog,” spreading the word about the interactive fun of nintendogs™ + cats for the Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system.
To help celebrate February as Responsible Pet Owners Month, Uggie will lend a paw by showing how the game includes valuable tips on how people can maintain happy, healthy relationships with their furry friends in real life. Though he previously announced plans to retire after this year’s awards season, the chance to team up with Nintendo was too doggone good for Uggie to resist.
Uggie is no stranger to the spotlight, having appeared in numerous television commercials and films during the last decade. As Nintendo’s spokesdog, he’ll appear alongside his owner Omar Von Muller to promote nintendogs + cats and the Pearl Pink Nintendo 3DS system, which offers a wide range of wireless features and entertainment experiences that can be enjoyed in 3D without the need for special glasses. In particular, Uggie and his owner will show consumers how nintendogs + cats can not only provide players with an adorable, customizable companion but also teach them skills that can translate to real-world dog or cat ownership. With February as Responsible Pet Owners Month, it’s the perfect time for this partnership.
“Uggie didn’t have to sit up and beg for his role as Nintendo’s spokesdog,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “It’s truly our pleasure to work with a star of Uggie’s magnitude, especially to help animal lovers and portable gaming fans discover the fun of nintendogs + cats.”
With nintendogs + cats, players can use the Nintendo 3DS system’s built-in touch screen, camera and microphone to interact with their dog or cat in amazing ways to form a lasting friendship. Players can feed, train and care for their choice of more than 27 breeds of puppies, and can also care for a variety of lovable kittens. If they take their Nintendo 3DS systems when going out, players can exchange Mii™ characters, puppies, kittens and presents with other nearby players via a wireless connection using the StreetPass™ feature. Nintendo will soon be adding a free playable demo of nintendogs + cats to the Nintendo eShop, so players can download the game and check it out at no cost.
Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.
For more information about nintendogs + cats, visit http://nintendogspluscats.nintendo.com.
Comments 21
Yo quiero Nintendogs!!
aww i wanted first comment...
@1: Hey that's offe- wait, now I wonder what happened to that Taco Bell dog.
Anyway. I'd rather listen to what a dog has to say than that Beaver kid.
Dogs are actually very good at selling stuff.
@Morpheel: You'd be surprised how often celebrity endorsements work
Guess he's holding the leash now
Yikes. This is just embarrassing.
^I couldn't even make it through the first paragraph. Too much pain...
Uh oh, this sounds like colossally bad timing.
http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/06/10333229-artist-dog-star-has-mysterious-illness
WHAT? methinks nintendo has taken a hit...
A dog talking?
@Wario [ Content Deleted ].
I agree with the third news tag. 'WTF' indeed.
What's he going to do, bark the Mario theme?
NINTENDO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! You put Nikki on a silver platter only to toss her in the bin?
Nikki and Uggie can both be mascots. Like Boxy, the AR Box. Those 2 Puma's on the Photo and News Channels, and the Parakeets seen on the 3DS Photo and Sound app. The only difference is that Uggie is famous, and what makes a more perfect valentines gift than a pink 3DS and a game a dog recommended you to get?
D'aww. Still beats Reggie
@Lordlz: "You'd be surprised how often celebrity endorsements work "
That largely depends on who the celebrity is and the target audience. For me (31 yr old male), every time I see Justin Beiber's face on a product, it makes me want to go find the nearest trash can or toilet so I can ralph in it! Seriously, the boy has no talent at all...
remember back in the old days when nintendo had adverts on TV that showed actual game play? watching a few seconds of mine cart carnage from DDC is what made me crave that game, not anything a talking dog or reggie says.
now if they only made him a character in that game, THEN I'd buy it
Well, I never heard about or saw a Justin Bieber commercial advertising the 3DS, and I'm glad!
..."Though he previously announced plans to retire after this year’s awards season, the chance to team up with Nintendo was too doggone good for Uggie to resist." We can retire before our 11th birthday? Well 11 in dog years is supposedly 77, so nevermind.
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