Everyone's talking about demographics in terms of age. Well theres another category that has a huge amount of potential: girl gamers. It seems that Nintendo's targeting them specifically for the NDS. The japanese ads both feature a female using the device. It's also more hands-on (literally) than just about anything else in the market right now. I know know very few girls that are into gaming. But those who do generally like DDR and puzzle games. The DS definitly fits this kind of criteria. Just a thought..
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Nintendo Targeting Females?
- Thread starter LowTecky
- Start date
Oni Link 666
Member
If they are then they totally missed the boat with the stupid midget commercial for Pikmin 2. If they had just shown more Pikmin in it they might have gotten some more women to play it.
<my girlfriend> Man, when he puts it that way I guess I definitely am going to get a DS...LowTecky said:
... man , fuck him, I'm gonna go play Silent Hill.
ps: Not sure why using females in advertising now is somehow trying to appeal to a different demographic, especially since most videogame ads have used female (real or fictional) models for the last twenty years.
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
perhaps...
my cousin is a Nintendo fangirl (tho youd never think shed play videogames if you look at her). And she hates on xbox and ps2...its funny to me.
peace
my cousin is a Nintendo fangirl (tho youd never think shed play videogames if you look at her). And she hates on xbox and ps2...its funny to me.
peace
PkunkFury
Member
I think they are trying to target female gamers, it goes along with their mantra of new ways of playing attracting new gamers. Females are the last untapped area in the gaming market. Games like the Urbz, Sprung, and Super Princess Peach are some of many that may be targeting a female market. Also applications like Pictochat and Ping Pals add a social element to gmaing that has attracted a lot of female gamers to online chat games like those found in Yahoo.
Unfortunately NOA and their terrible ad agency just don't understand. Graphics are not going to hurt the DS, and lack of analouge stick will not hurt the DS. It's these god awful "mature" sex comercials that will kill the DS in America. They are targeting an older audience that the forthcoming softwere line up clearly doesn't support. The only two games I see people targeted in these commercials being interested in are Metroid Hunters and Madden. They are advertising so blatantly to the wrong market that they will turn off the potential buyers from other markets. Nintendo should advertise a lot more like apple, make themselves look like the cool niche alternative becuase that IS what they are. These sex ads speak poorly for what they are really trying to do.
Unfortunately NOA and their terrible ad agency just don't understand. Graphics are not going to hurt the DS, and lack of analouge stick will not hurt the DS. It's these god awful "mature" sex comercials that will kill the DS in America. They are targeting an older audience that the forthcoming softwere line up clearly doesn't support. The only two games I see people targeted in these commercials being interested in are Metroid Hunters and Madden. They are advertising so blatantly to the wrong market that they will turn off the potential buyers from other markets. Nintendo should advertise a lot more like apple, make themselves look like the cool niche alternative becuase that IS what they are. These sex ads speak poorly for what they are really trying to do.
PkunkFury
Member
lockii said:
Well Nintendo claims to be trying to find a new gaming demographic with all of these strange peripherals and unique ideas. Why, then, advertise to the exact same demographic that practically every game company has been pitching their products towards since Lara Croft?? it makes no sense.
If they are really trying to find a new audience, they should have the balls to advertise towards a new audience.
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
bitwise said:he said nintendo fangirl. Probably not of datable age
shes 21 in college.
I didnt even know she was into videogames till recently when she asked me over the phone what I was doing and I just said playing paper mario 2, and then she asked if she could borrow it because she loves gamecube, blah blah and what other games i got, etc...then the bias kicks in and she starts hating on xbox and ps2 stuff...blah blah
and no, you cant have her number, she goes out with some jerk.
Pedigree Chum
Banned
Just today, talking to a girl at my workplace. "I want a pink GBA:SP, they're so cute!".
Women are already paid subscribing customers on PC parlor gaming sites most notably Yahoo, Pogo (EA), and MSN not to mention selling millions of the SIMS 2 the last month or so. I'm sure they're going to leverage this audience into cellphones if they aren't working on it already.
GCN certainly is doing the most to get them on consoles, but it's a losing battle.
Handhelds is is different story. Nintendo already has girls from the last decade thanks mainly to Pokemon. That's why it shocks me that they aren't getting a Pokemon game out there for DS sooner. The problem will be to get these girls to pay up for a DS before or in addition to a cellphone as they get older.
Without content like Pokemon or RPGS at launch, these commercials with a female voice to entice women are a waste. It's obvious that it's aimed at guys.
GCN certainly is doing the most to get them on consoles, but it's a losing battle.
Handhelds is is different story. Nintendo already has girls from the last decade thanks mainly to Pokemon. That's why it shocks me that they aren't getting a Pokemon game out there for DS sooner. The problem will be to get these girls to pay up for a DS before or in addition to a cellphone as they get older.
Without content like Pokemon or RPGS at launch, these commercials with a female voice to entice women are a waste. It's obvious that it's aimed at guys.