Nintendo: Wii Only Console for Family

Nintendo announced its marketing plans for the next-generation Wii console Monday, saying it would focus on the console's wide cross-generational appeal in its advertising. Nintendo aims to position the Wii as the only new game system that all members of a household can enjoy.

"Wii introduces new ways to play to expand both the appeal of games and the audience of gamers, and our marketing campaign is central to that," remarked Nintendo America marking vice president George Harrison.

The company has a three-prong marketing strategy to promote the console. The first would involve hands on experiences, including in-mall kiosks, a concert tour, and hosted events with urban influencers in fashion, music, and media.

Buzz for the console would be built up using the company's Wii MySpace page, and through countdown events to be held at Toys "R" Us in New York's Times Square and at GameStop at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.

The company has forged partnerships with 7-Eleven, Pringles, and Comedy Central. 7-Eleven and Pringles would give away 711 and 100 consoles, respectively, through contests involving Slurpee and Pringles Snack Stack products. Both would promote the console through promotional materials.

Also, Comedy Central will give away one Wii every hour Thursday through Sunday during Thanksgiving weekend, and the console will be featured in network-produced viginettes of reality TV show spoofs. A grand prize of a Scion made to look like a Wii will be given away at the end of the weekend.

In other Wii news, Sonic Solutions announced that Nintendo had selected it to provide the DVD software to allow for viewing of the discs in a future version of the console. Such functionality is expected to appear in the second half of 2007.