It’s genius, really. Nintendo, the marketing masters that they are, have found a way to spread the word about the Nintendo 3DS beyond mere commercials and PR hype. They’re turning every 3DS owner into a potential walking billboard and/or demo machine.
Think about it. People who haven’t seen the device in person yet will be skeptical of how well the 3D comes off (it does, fairly well, too). And while they are sending around demo units to various places right now, they simply can’t reach that many people, especially in the mass market where they want to play. So what do you do? Encourage your user base to take their units with them. They’ll invariably want to show off their new toy to their friends, colleagues, family, etc. But how do you get them to take their 3DS with them wherever they go? That’s the beauty of what Nintendo are doing. Two features come to mind.
The step counter - Gamers by nature are obsessive compulsive collectors and number boosters. Gamerscore, trophies, in-game collectibles, you name it. We love increasing our stats, leveling up, and what have you. The 3DS features essentially a pedometer that counts how many steps you take in a day. Beyond just a number though, every 100 steps nets you a Play Coin, up to 10 a day. These Play Coins can be redeemed for certain in-game perks, depending on what games offer them. You can only carry 300 at a time, so hoarding is impossible, making you spend what you have, then going out and getting more. Sure, the main idea is that it will encourage you to walk around and get some exercise, but believe me, 1000 steps a day isn’t a heck of a lot. You’ll take your 3DS with you a lot more places to get those precious coins, which opens up more word of mouth/touch and feel advertising opportunities. I’ve already taken my 3DS to my day job more times than I ever took my DS Lite because of this.
StreetPass - Nintendo seem to be finally warming up to more connectivity. StreetPass allows your 3DS to search out for signals from other 3DSes nearby. When it finds one, the systems exchange information, whether it be Miis for your Mii Plaza, or game-specific things like having figure battles in Super Street Fighter IV, for example. This neat little feature again encourages you to take your 3DS more places, just in case you walk by somebody else who has one. More Miis in your Mii Plaza gives you more chances to play the Mii Plaza minigames that are available. I haven’t encountered anybody with StreetPass on just yet, but I’m anxiously awaiting my first one to see what happens. This means I’m taking my 3DS more places with me.
I know first hand that it’s working, and I have been showing off the unit to curious bystanders. Will it result in sales for Nintendo? Who knows, especially when they find out about the rather shallow selection of launch titles. But now they’ve seen it. The 3DS has increased its mindshare. As time goes on, people will remember it, and when an opportunity comes up, they may buy one. If getting your product out into the hearts and minds of as many potential consumers as possible is the goal, Nintendo may have just found a supremely effective method for doing so. And we’re all a part of it.
