True Confessions Of A Marketing Intern

Mii World

Nintendo has made a huge comeback, thanks in no small part to the advent of the Mii (http://tiny.cc/PLlG2).  A Mii is an avatar a user can create on the Nintendo Wii console.  Nintendo has done a phenomenal job integrating Mii avatars into new product offerings and adding Mii components to older games.

The biggest limitation facing the Mii right now is during avatar creation.  There are a limited number of forms to choose during creation and avatars are only customizable within the confines of these forms.  While this does pose some restrictions on avatar customization, Nintendo has still allowed the user to have a certain amount of freedom; for example, I have seen avatars with upside down heads.   This may have been a calculated move by Nintendo as they are often positioned to a younger audience.  Limited customization will simplify ease of use and reduce the learning curve.  They may increase future profit potential by allowing users to purchase avatar accessories and forms, similar to what is currently available in Second Life.

Nintendo has done an amazing job integrating avatars with current product offerings.  Most of their new games allow the user to play with either a traditional Nintendo character or with a Mii avatar.  They also integrate the Mii characters into the aesthetics of the games.  A great example of this is with Mario Kart (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/51172).  Mario Kart is a race car game that has been a part of Nintendo’s product offering since the Super Nintendo.  Mii characters are integrated into the aesthetics of the levels.  You can often see one of your friends in an ad on the side of the road during gameplay or operating one of the obstacles in the levels.

Nintendo’s integration efforts are not limited to new games.  Included on the Wii console is a Nintendo store where a user can purchase older Nintendo games online.  Nintendo has included Wii integration into most of these games.  A great example of this is with Dr. Mario.  Dr. Mario is a popular Nintendo game that has been around since the original Nintendo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Mario_(series)).  It is very simple to play and has remained one of their most popular games.   The Wii system includes Mii avatars as doctors helping Dr. Mario fight the germs in the game.  While they do not affect gameplay it is fun to watch an animation of your friend’s avatar on the screen while you are playing the game.

By integrating Wii avatars into most games Nintendo has increased the popularity of the Mii.  The 15 minutes or so that is required to create a Mii was originally a deterrent for me.  I did not create my first Mii until I realized how integrated the Mii is with the Wii product.  This also encouraged me to get many of my friends to create Miis.

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface on how Nintendo has effectively created a virtual world using Mii avatars.  I would love to hear how you have been affected by the Mii.  Let me know your most and least favorite aspect of this virtual world.

Tags: marketing, Mii, virtual world, Virtual Worlds, Wii

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 8:42 am and is filed under Virtual Worlds, Wii's Mii. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.