Video gamers of all ages can appreciate Nintendo’s Mario series, and with Mario Kart being one of the most popular games across their platforms, it seems like a win-win for their soon to be released Mario Kart 8. So why have they partnered with Mercedes, a luxury vehicle company? While it may be that gamers want something more realistic than their standard go-kart style cars, the question begs another; is this just another marketing scheme? This past June Nintendo announced a quarterly loss despite the fact that the Wii U sales had tripled. The company’s overall operating loss of 9.47 billion yen (roughly $93 million U.S.) means there will be a lot of pressure on Nintendo’s holiday quarter to impress and help the company make up its sales targets.
The release of Mario Kart 8 DLC, which is only on the Wii U platform, launches in the US in November 2014 and includes 6 new characters (including Link from The Legend of Zelda!), 8 new vehicles, and 16 new tracks. What does Mercedes have to do with it? They are partnering with Mercedes to promote the automaker’s new GLA crossover, and will hopefully help Nintendo’s $93 million dollar loss not seem so dreary. So what does this mean for consumers? Besides the urge to go out and spend $31,300 and up on a 2015 benz, it might mean the start of a whole new marketing strategy: placing ads and campaigns where they don’t belong.
So, is this partnership a good idea? According to Mercedes-Benz CEO Kintaro Ueno, the campaign has exceeded the company’s expectations.“[The commercial] was quite a talking point, bringing a lot of people to the showroom,” Mercedes-Benz Japan president and chief executive officer Kintaro Ueno commented. “This is a new market segment for us, but it has exceeded our expectations. I can say that it’s going well.” While this may be good news for Mercedes, I’m having a difficult time seeing how this will benefit Nintendo and future games from the company.
http://autolocksmithseattlewa.com/nintendo-and-mercedes-combine/
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