Playing Nintendo v18 – Good Omens

When I started this column back in May of last year, there were a number of reasons why I decided to call it Playing Nintendo. Foremost among them was to nostalgically reflect upon the generation I grew up in, a time when “˜Playing Nintendo’ was the universal expression for playing video games, and to explore what Nintendo would need to do in order to effectively bring those words into common use among the masses again. The truth is, the thought of Nintendo once more becoming a true cultural phenomenon seemed nothing more than a distant daydream at the time. A lot of difference nine months can make.

Sure, with Iwata and Miyamoto at the wheel on one side of the Pacific and Reggie disrupting things on the other, we knew there was hope. Still, no one could have predicted the phenomenon the DS has become, especially in Japan.
As awesome as the David and Goliath success of Nintendo’s Little Dual Screen Engine that Could against PSP is, however, I can feel something bigger happening under the surface, something that started (and, to an extent, faltered) with the vision behind GameCube and has the potential to change the world as we know it with Revolution.

What I’m talking about is the holistic bird’s-eye-view approach, the “˜Blue Ocean Strategy’, if you will, that the company is boldly pioneering in the video game industry. We’ve heard Reggie and Iwata go on and on about it countless times, and that’s all fine and well, but in order to make such a strategy really work, candid, attractive, cool, effective, and consistent brand communication is essential, and as I’ve gone on about before, Nintendo has been sorely lacking in that category outside Japan for nearly as long as I can remember.

Fortunately, though, despite the occasional misstep, things appear to be steadily, even quickly, getting better in the way of brand image and communication in lands outside of the direct control of Iwata and Miyamoto. First of all, consider the massive changes that Nintendo Power recently underwent, both visually and content-wise. What’s really awesome is that the magazine has finally achieved what it never was able to before ““ being cool, unpretentious, candid, incredibly attractive, interesting, and informative all at the same time. The old Nintendo Power was lucky to achieve ONE of those qualities in a good issue. As far as visual layout goes, the new NP strikes a perfect balance between sophistication and fun, which happens to be the same balance the company needs to find in all communication with consumers in order to reach the widest audience possible. Long story short, well done, NOA.

Next up, good vibes are coming from NOE. Remember the Revolution themed new year’s greeting card Nintendo France sent out? Talk about cool graphic design. Even though it uses a sort of graffiti motif, it doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard to be cool. Somehow, it just feels right. Let’s hope this is a sign of things to come. Also, though all we’ve seen is issue one, credit should be given to Nintendo’s new official UK magazine. It’s clean, cool, and it projects a positive image for the company.

Now, for the sweetest examples of all, we naturally have to go back to the Land of the Rising Sun, the territory where Nintendo has always seemed the most confident and comfortable with its identity. There truly is too much to mention: DS box art, the Mario and Zelda 20th anniversary promotions, the Revolution video, the Electroplankton exhibit…the list goes on and on. Let’s take a look at perhaps the most recent example of perfect brand image communication by NCL ““ the promotional brochure, or picture book, or whatever you wanna call it, that found its way to GAF a few weeks ago.

Frankly speaking, the brochure accomplishes more good in a few short pages than NOA has in years. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be a widely circulated promotional item, but still, it has a great effect on everyone who sees it. What did you feel when you first looked at it? I was rather dumbfounded – like, mouth hung wide open, nice line of drool flowing, etc. The minute it was posted over at YakYak.org, a forum made up of mature, highly jaded gamers, members were all chiming in on just how slick it all looked, and how much they wanted one of the brochures for themselves. One look at it immediately makes one realize, even subconsciously, something like this: “Wow. Here’s a company that knows what it is, and is absolutely proud of what it is. Slick design all around, I want a piece of that.” My favorite individual aspect is probably the line-up panoramic pic of all the Mario characters. Looking at it, especially in the sleek context in which it appears, one feels that no age requirement is needed to enjoy the games in which they star, and that it’s become a cast as classic as Mickey and friends, Looney Tunes and Peanuts. Best of all, Nintendo didn’t feel the need to replace its “˜kiddy’ characters with gun-toting badasses just because the brochure targets an older audience. Right on.

We’re seeing a pattern develop, one that extends beyond the confines of Japan, and I couldn’t be happier about it. It’s popping up on all fronts, from the sleekest hardware design around with Revolution and DS lite, to the coolest printed materials used to promote products and improve brand image. If Nintendo, all the world over, makes this pattern a rule for communicating with consumers and combines it with groundbreaking products that build on the success of DS and sell through the roof, what was merely a daydream of mine nine months ago just might become a reality before we know it.