NINTENDO GOES CRACKERS THIS CHRISTMAS WITH £5 MILLION MARKETING BLITZ!
25 October 2004 - Gamers everywhere are in for a festive treat this year as Nintendo celebrates Christmas with its strongest ever hardware and software line-ups along with some fantastic Nintendo bundles to drive hardware sales. So no matter what your taste, Nintendo has an ideal Christmas present for everyone this year.
Nintendo GameCube:
This Christmas, the gaming giant is set to continue the success that Nintendo GameCube has enjoyed throughout 2004 with a 20% lift in year on year sales. A selection of exciting bundles will be launched this Christmas giving more people the excuse they have been longing for to buy a Nintendo GameCube.
The Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Platinum Pak offers everyone the chance to get their hands on a platinum coloured Nintendo GameCube, platinum controller and a copy of the hugely successful Mario Kart: Double Dash!! The Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Platinum Pak launches in the UK on 5 November and is estimated to retail in the UK at around £79.
You'll also get the chance to bash your bongos this Christmas too - the Donkey Konga Ultimate Bongo Bundle includes a Nintendo GameCube, controller, a copy of musical rhythm action game Donkey Konga and a set of DK bongo controllers for the estimated UK retail price of £89.
Donkey Konga launched exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube on 15 October and is supported by a £750,000 marketing drive consisting of PR, TV, advertising and sponsorship as part of its 'Nintendoism' campaign. Promotion for this game includes adverts on both Terrestrial and Satellite TV as well as sponsorship of Takeshi's Castle on Challenge TV. The game is also being heavily sampled at over 300 retail outlets including Game, Gamestation, HMV, Virgin and Toy R Us.
Launching on 26 November, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the eagerly anticipated sequel to last year's smash hit Metroid Prime. The marketing campaign kicks off with a targeted TV campaign supported heavily by a series of tease and reveal print adverts. PR support for this game will include a launch party as well as a postcard teaser campaign for press.
Nintendo GameCube also has some great third party titles for Christmas including Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Activision), GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (EA), Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Ubisoft) and The URBZ Sims in The City (EA).
Game Boy Advance:
The hugely popular Game Boy Advance has cemented its position as the world's number one hand held console. Sales have trebled (pre price drop month vs. post price drop month) following a recent price drop in the UK to around £69 for the stand alone console.
On 29 October, Nintendo becomes the first publisher to actively target female gamers with the launch of the Game Boy Advance SP Limited Pink Edition. The pocket-sized gadget with the flip top lid and integrated front lit screen has already become the 'must have' gadget and now for the first time, Nintendo is encouraging girls to get involved. Already a hit with Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer and Christina Aguilera, the Game Boy Advance SP Limited Pink Edition is small enough to slip into handbags everywhere and offers girls hours of entertainment - wherever they are! On the bus, on the tube, in the hairdressers - girls will be able to play their Game Boy Advance SP Limited Pink Edition whenever they need entertaining.
Fans of The Legend of Zelda series are already eagerly awaiting the Zelda Limited Edition Pak, out on November 12th which includes a limited edition gold coloured Game Boy Advance SP and a copy of the game The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and is estimated to retail in the UK for around £89. Link's latest adventure is supported by a heavyweight print campaign in children's media supported by multi-channel TV adverts.
Mario returns to Game Boy Advance on November 19th in the Mario Limited Edition Pak - giving gamers the opportunity to buy a limited edition Mario themed Game Boy Advance SP complete with a copy of the great new puzzle platform game Mario VS. Donkey Kong.
Game Boy Advance owners are already able to get their hands on two great new Pokémon titles - Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen. Both games come bundled with the new Game Boy Advance wireless adaptor that enables players to link up and chat, trade or battle without cables for the first time ever. The launch was supported by a £1 million marketing blitz consisting of over a month of TV and cinema advertising as well as print adverts. In the run up to Christmas, a two week campaign on Satellite and Children's TV in addition to further cinema activity during the winter's big movie releases will serve to remind people about the game.
On top of all of these fantastic first party titles available this Christmas, Game Boy Advance owners will be able to get their hands on fantastic third party games like Need for Speed Underground 2 (EA), Shark Tale (THQ), Finding Nemo: The Continuing Adventures (THQ), Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Activision) and WWE Survivor Series (THQ).
If that wasn't enough Pikmin 2, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Tales of Symphonia on Nintendo GameCube and Super Mario Ball and Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on Game Boy Advance are also being launched in the run up to Christmas. These games will be supported by creative print advertising campaigns running several weeks before launch.
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For further information, please contact Simon Watts or Rebecca Strickland
at the Nintendo press office on 020 7307 3103. For the latest information and images register on the Nintendo Extranet at: www.nintendo-europe-media.com
About Nintendo
Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 1.8 billion video games worldwide, created such industry icons as Mario® and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda® and Pokémon*. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64, NINTENDO GAMECUBE, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system which has sold over 150 million units. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.
About The Pokémon Company
The Pokémon Company UK Representative Office, based in London, UK, manages and oversees the Pokémon franchise in UK, Europe and Africa, which includes licensing, merchandising, TV animation, theatrical releases, home video entertainment and publication. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 for the Game Boy®, the world's best-selling video game system. The Pokémon franchise is now a worldwide phenomenon. Since Pokémon was first introduced into Europe in October 1999, 24.6 million Pokémon video games have been sold across Europe, making it the fastest selling video games ever. Pokémon merchandise has generated over $15 billion in worldwide retail sales to date. The Animated series is broadcast in more than 68 countries. The trading card game, fuelled by organized play programs in 47 countries, has spurred global sales of 13 billion cards to date.