At the end of the 2000s, Nintendo was riding high: the Wii had sold more than any other home console in its history, it had won the war against PS3 and Xbox 360, and, on top of that, the famous “Wiimote” had been copied by all its competitors. As if that weren’t enough, the DS had become the second best-selling console of all time (only behind the PS2). Everything was going well, everything was in order. The next step was simply to continue the success.
Wii… ¿U?
The first trailer for WiiU, released at E3 2011, made no sense: more than a new console, the public perceived it as an accessory for the Wii in the form of a tablet that mainly served to allow other people to use the television and apparently draw on the console. You couldn’t take it on trips, it wasn’t useful for many things, no one saw a real utility in it, and it was hard to understand why, if the graphics didn’t make a giant leap, we had to get a WiiU.
Its slogan was “How u will play next,” which frankly sounded like the first idea that the marketing team came up with: using “u” as “you” and hoping that people would remember the jingle. The phrase, along with the new controller, filled the streets of New York, video game stores, and online ads. Everyone knew that the WiiU was coming. The question was whether, after seeing a marketing campaign that focused on the supposed “new way to play” instead of the games themselves, anyone was really that interested. And what the hell, take a look: the ads were terrible.
The result, as we now know, was disastrous: the console barely sold 13 and a half million units throughout its lifespan, just a bit more than the PS Vita and Game Gear, but by a hair. Fortunately, four years after its launch, they came out with another surprise: Nintendo Switch, a kind of improved WiiU where the marketing actually worked. Instead of focusing on the things you could do with it at home, it focused on being able to take it in your pocket, play with your friends in the park, take it on trips… It was the same concept, but much, much better. And it was a hit. Oh boy, was it a hit. After 152 million consoles sold, there was only one question left: What next?
Switch 2: The Revenge!
The strategy was the same as with WiiU: if something improves, don’t break it. Switch 2 is basically the first one but with improved controls, better graphics, a next-generation touchscreen, and, above all, a showcase of games, games, and more games. WiiU tried to win over Nintendo fans with a New Super Mario Bros, which at the time already looked outdated, and with versions that had the same graphics as Wii Fit and Wii Sports, in addition to a strange Reversi game. But the presentation of Switch 2 already hinted at a new Mario Kart with up to 24 players, a Donkey Kong where you can break everything in your path, a new Kirby, iconic third-party games, and even the arrival (finally!) of Silksong.
Nintendo has taken a decade and a bit, but it has understood that the key to selling its consoles is not selling experiences with its controller, but with its exclusive games. After all, why would you want a Nintendo console if not to enjoy its franchises, which you can’t find on PC or anywhere else? Moreover, in this case, it is so confident in its potential success that, despite having a slogan (“All together, anytime, anywhere”), in most places all it has needed is the Switch logo and a “2”. Those who know, know.
In marketing, sometimes less is more: if in the Switch 2 trailer they had been showing families and families happily playing Super Mario Odyssey or Splatoon 3, probably no one would have bought the console. Why would they, if it’s exactly the same? Instead, and being a much smaller innovation than WiiU, the public has perceived it as a must-have, something you have to own: the console that dominates the living room, but now with controllers that connect magnetically! With the successor to the Wii, they tried too hard to be liked. With the Switch, they have shown confidence (almost arrogance) and flexed their muscles. And the public, having been cured of fright, has had to agree with them.
