
E3 is finally over and it's been a strong showing for Nintendo this year. We've seen lots of interviews coming out of the expo from Nintendo's top brass so far, and now it's the turn of Nintendo's Sales and Marketing head, the perfectly named Doug Bowser. Speaking to TechCrunch he had a few things to say on learning from the NES Classic Mini, getting Nintendo's brand out there and not focusing on VR for the time being.
Here's what he had to say on the NES Mini shortages:
We’ve learned a lot from the NES Classic. The NES Classic was originally intended to be a holiday item and obviously there was high demand. So we doubled down and continued to produce it as we went into the next quarter. But we decided we wanted to focus on other areas. So we’re not producing any more at this point. But we’ve learned a lot.
Bowser went on to discuss plans to ensure Nintendo's IP is in front of everyone's eyeballs on a constant basis:
We’ve got a strategy where we want to increase the number and frequency of touch points with Nintendo properties with consumers. We’re doing that in a couple of ways. First, the console business with the Switch — through our dedicated console platform. We’re also doing our mobile business. We’re doing it through licensing agreements, such as the Vans deal or the Uniqlo deal that we did this year. And we’re doing it with out of door experiential opportunities, such as Universal Studios.
Lastly, Bowser said it still wasn't the time for Nintendo to take the plunge into VR:
There’s obviously some VR opportunity on the floor. For us, that’s not our focus right now, but we always look at opportunities and where we can take gaming experience further. But we have nothing more to announce right now.
Head over to TechCrunch to read the full interview, and be sure to let us know your thoughts on these statements with a comment below.
[source techcrunch.com]
Comments 49
PSVR will be another niche from Sony, just like Moves and Eye Toy. Forgotten things...
If the NES Classic was meant as a "holiday item" they didn't communicate that well at all! As far as consumers were concerned it was another product on offer that no-one could get their hands on unless they pre-ordered very early on. Ninty should really learn to keep re-stocking items, the NES Classic, Amiibos & the Switch have all had shortages leaving money on the table when they could be making even more money out of these products.
I'm glad they're not doing anything with VR. Useless expense for a niche market.
Bowser working at Nintendo...
I hope they're sincere about having learnt their lesson. Doubtful though as they keep repeating the same mistakes. You couldn't buy an NES Classic Mini easily, the same can be said of the Switch now. Where was the lesson learnt? The same thing happened with Wii and that was over a decade ago.
Nintendo never said at the time that the NES Classic Mini was intended to be just a holiday item.
Should have known that Bowser was behind the nes classic shortage.
VR is a massive waste of time and money. The only thing that could work is augmented reality, but I don't see that being anywhere close to mainstream in the next 20 years. Bigger wraparound TVs with better depth perspective and clarity is the future.
Time to bin the goofy goggles.
@andisart He's a valuable member of the team and only occasionally locks Princess Peach up in his castle thus requiring Nintendo to call some plumbers for help.
"out of door experiential opportunities" You'd never guess he worked in sales and marketing...
I totally read that as VC not VR there - phew, lol.
I call BS. Nintendo is king of shortages. They do it on purpose.
They should focus their energy on the Switch, after all, if it fails, then there might not be another own platform (ie Sega). They should keep an eye on VR but not expend any of their resources on it at the moment. Maybe in a few years, when the Switch 3 has enough horsepower to run 4k, then they could make a head gear, so you can either run it docked, undocked, and in a headset (like Samsung Galaxy VR)
@WOLF13
Because Nintendo hates money...
Anyway, this what we've got at the moment isn't virtual reality, it's just strapping a screen to your face.
Doug Bowser says:
"Tough luck, Mario! Your NES Classic Mini isn't here..."
"Gwa ha haaaaa!"
I still have a raindrop of hope that they'll announce the NES Mini 2.0 (or someother marketable name) where this version can go online to purchase additional titles.
Yeah, that whole "Holiday Item" would have been nice to know. I decided to hold off until the hype died down by which time the shelves had been cleared and everyone scouring for one was like a cross between a starving wolf and a black market arms dealer.
Even though its actually the non-gaming wife of my non-gaming friend who was more annoyed at not getting one.
Of course if they'd claimed at the time that it was a limited run the scalping and supply problems would likely have been even worse.
@FX102A
Whenever they've talked about the discontinuation, they've used words like "for now", "at this point" "this year", etc. I think it will be back at some point.
I will believe when I am able to preorder an snes mini when it happens. Until then I am not getting my hopes up.
@Anti-Matter Respectfully disagree, for a start there are already more VR titles available now then ever released for Move.
It isn't going to sell hugely and I would agree that VR might not catch on but a lot of firms like Sony want it to succeed to open up new product lines.
Nintendo obviously isn't looking at VR right now, almost every game Switch has is multiplayer, even Mario they've hinted at having multiplayer. ARMS, Splatoon 2, 1 2 Switch, MK8D, the inevitable SSB4D. VR for the most part is a solitary experience or online multiplayer, that doesn't jibe w/ the current "1 Switch 2 Joy-Con" marketing.
Now, if a year from now they introduce SwitchPcket, a smaller Switch w/ a 5" screen and no Dock or Grip for the portable crowd focused on single player experiences, think kids looking to play the new Pokemon game they mentioned in the Spotlight, well then those smaller SwitchPocket might fit nicely into a VR helmet google visor type of device. But that "VR Visor" is at least 2 years away.
What they learned from NES Mini probably wont' help us out all that much. Either one, they dind' tmake enough, so they'll make a dozen more, nto enough to matter, or, they'll announce it as a holiday only device, making the scalper pick it up even faster.
What they SHOULD have learned is to open up pre-orders first, find out how many people pre-order one, and then make twice that amount at least. I don't know how many people pre-ordered, or tried to pre-order, a Mini last year, but I bet they made less than that.
So yeah, Nintendo is always learning lessons from their mistakes, but fixing them properly isn't really their strong suit. Kind of like how they are always "listening" and "hearing", but acting, not so much.
I bet that guy didn't even need an interview to get a job at Nintendo. His name just got him automatically hired!
"But we’ve learned a lot."
Lol. Doubtful.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE The Nintendo Switch being sold out everywhere isn't Nintendo's fault.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nintendo-battles-apple-for-parts-as-demand-for-switch-console-soars-2017-05-30
@Hikingguy
Preach. Nintendo has screwed this up a lot (amiibo was the last time it happened), but the NES Classic is at a whole new level of colossal brain fart.
In particular, I take issue with them being so conservative because in holiday 2016, there was no Switch, and they had very little shelf presence in the stores cause no one was buying a Wii U at that point. They could have sold mountains of these things.
Clearly didn't learn lesson from Wii or Amiibo, haven't learned for Switch, doubt they'll learn now...
Hopefully I'll be able to buy the cool new Amiibo they've recently announced.
Curious that they aren't interested in VR.
The switch is basically designed and has all the right things for a cheap, easy VR experience.
I wonder what it's like growing up named Bowser and knowing you will never ever be the coolest Bowser no matter what you actually do with your life.
Now, Nintendo claims to have learned a lot from the demand for the NES mini, but "people want to play all their games including the old ones in one place and not have to use three or four systems for it" doesn't seem to be one of them.
So sick of Nintendo excusing away their mistakes with an excuse that sounds like "we're a start-up company and learning a lot right now, don't worry." Same with their online stuff. Same with their "surprise of all the demand". I think it's almost always as simple as, in most cases, "we want an immediate and equal return on our money covering production, and don't to wait on overstock to sell". Some people say, "well they got gun shy over the Switch's sales," but this has been going on since at least the Wii.
Just like they learned from the shortages of the switch.
And amibo.
And various games.
And the Wii.
And the original NES
@ZachBeacon Red blue joy-cons! I want some today for my ARMS preorder and have looked for a month to no avail.
@BinaryFragger I really think it was JUST a hype machine for something they intended for their new VC/online subscription service on the Switch and when that got delayed, with the Classic at such a low price point vs whatever the production costs were, the actual profit wasn't high enough to justify producing it for that much longer, vs putting their time toward new Switch stuff and 3-2Ds variations. I do have questions about all of that though.
@rjejr I don't think they'll release that pocket version for awhile. I don't think they'd wanna confuse the "it's totally a console first" message they've been trying to get across. I almost see them releasing a Switch Pro before that happens, then dropping down the price of this version as the cheaper just for portable option.
@Dang69 Well nobody knows what Ntinedo is going to do, not even Ntinedo, but I bet a lot of parents don't want to pay $299 for a Switch for their kids to play Pokemon, and millions of kids will want to play that new Pokemon game that guy in the Spotlight said was over a year away.
So, they can come up w/ a 2DS version of the Switch, like the GBA, or sell the Switch w/o the dock or Grip for $199, which they'll market as a Switch Portable.
At some point the 3DS game swill stop coming, Switch will start getting all of those shovelware Disney games that only kids play - when is Frozen 2 due out? - and Nintnedo should put out a KidSwitch then. You could be right about it being a ways away though, who knows when 3DS will die.
Online subscription Virtual Console confirmed. Pay 2 Play games.
R.I.P. VC.
@shaneoh
Shortages create a more frenzied demand. They can then sell whatever they put on the shelf. They will also make more money off the eshop. They aren't losing any money with shortages. People think so linear with business. Bigger profit isn't always about selling a specific item.
Still extremely bitter about thisbwhole situation. I remember being at a game store months before 6th release and you could preorder them. Kicking myself for not doing it. I figured it would sell well, but i also figured that Nintendo would continue to stock it. I still want one very bad. Fact is, I won't ever get one .
They said (Nintendo) that everyone who wants one (NES Mini) will be able to get one. No one remembers that?
@WOLF13
Yes but there was still a reasonably high demand for the mini when they discontinued it. They could have produced twice as many units and they all would have sold while still leaving reasonable demand for it
I'm just grateful there is one company not heck bent on frying my eye out of my head.
Of course VR isn't for Nintendo. Who wants Nintendo's overpriced version of Google cardboard.
VR has to be done right and so far Vive is the only true VR experience.
Phew! That was some in-depth interview.
If they've learned alot why is there no VC? It seems the NES mini proved there is a good amount of people interested in retro that are now being ignored.
Ten bucks says they've learned nothing.
@shaneoh
The margin for a mini isn't great for Nintendo. And u can't buy future games for it. The money is for hyping the Nintendo name. They will make a huge margin for selling far less games on the future VC. The mini was a marketing tool for Nintendo.
I do hope they don't focus too much, if at all, in VR. I still can't get what's so attractive about it, but then again, I'll admit that I simply dislike the idea of aislating myself from the world while I play.
Plus, they have been more careful with the Mini NES, they never said it was a holiday only product. I managed to snag one but I would have preordered if they said it was a limited edition.
I think Nintendo missed a trick here, there is huge demand for retro consoles and they know this when they were selling nes titles on VC for about £5.00 or whatever....
Why didn't they kind of open a new division at HQ to cater for the demand of the nes mini, it was never advertised as a limited edition item nor did they tell us it was only around for the Christmas period. So if they 'do' a Snes mini they will have triple production for it big time. Also they have the power to bring it back anytime they could make them Wii-Mini size and be able to connect to the Vc e-shop so you can download more games and content, if little old me can say this then why didn't they do it?
@Anti-Matter In my opinion, that's not true at all. PSVR has a lineup of games that I can't even keep up with. There are two people in this world: people who think VR is a fad and people who have tried dedicated VR. On the other hand, there's people who would love VR if it didn't make them dizzy. But no, I can firmly say that PSVR is not another eyetoy.
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