NINTENDO- GAME BOY COLOR

History of Nintendo Manufactured by Nintendo Co. Ltd of Kyoto, Japan. The Name Nintendo means Leave Luck to Heaven. Fusaiiro Yamauchi started the business under the name Nintendo Koppai in 1889 Firstly, Nintendo was a company that produce decks of 48 cards. Produce innovative products such as baseball throwing machine, love tester and Ten Billion Barrel puzzle before venture into video games.

NINTENDO- GAME BOY COLOR

History of Nintendo 1983- Introduced first home console Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) 1989- Released Game Boy, a portable version of game that had potential in terms of graphics and interchangeable games Introduced few games such as a) Super Nintendo b) Game Boy Advance c) Nintendo 64

NINTENDO- GAME BOY COLOR

Game Boy 8-bit handheld video game device It was released in Japan ( 1989), North America (1989) and Europe (1990). Created by Gunpei Yokoi (Software Engineer) for Nintendo Entertainment System.

The first Game boy was associated with puzzle game Testris.
Manufacture and market hardware and software game systems

NINTENDO- GAME BOY COLOR

Game Boy History (1993)- Original Game Boy offered in various colors including blue, red and yellow (1993)- Game Boy Pocket introduced (1994)- Super Game Boy launched enabling gamers to play Game Boy games on TV via the Super Nintendo System (1996) Original Game Boy released with new improvements (1997) Game Boy Pocket was released

(1998) Game Boy was added with new features camera and printer
(1998) Official Game Boy Color launched in Europe and North America

 Released in June 1996 in Japan, North America , Europe and other countries. Last home console which uses ROM Cartridges to store games . The retail price was US 199 and marketed with the slogan of Get N or get Out . The console was released in at least eight variants with different colours and sizes. Named as Time Magazines Machine of the year for 1996.

 Control the games and produce it s own games each year Build a security chip into the console and licensed 3 party developers to develop specific games for their marker needs. Emerge of Sony Play station (1998) , developers swift to Sony Play station due to more profitable Nintendo had focus on the Game Boy business

EVOLUTION OF GAME BOY

Game Boy Classic Game Boy Pocket Game Boy Colour

Game Boy Advance

Game Boy Micro

Game Boy Advance SP

NINTENDOS RIVALS
MICROSOFT SEGA SONY

X-BOX

3rd Party Publisher

Play Station 2

X-BOX 360

Play Station 3

SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS

Leader in the worldwide US15 billion in retail video game industry

Manufacture hardware and software systems Nintendo 64 named Time Magazine Machine of the Year in 1996. Control the games that ran on its games machine keeping the 3 party developers under thigh control. New game boy color would display sharp and vivid color graphics. The screen is not backlit which means the batteries can survive until 12 hours compare to other products Super Nintendo Entertainment system launched that provide gamers to play using the system.

SWOT ANALYSIS
WEAKNESS

Both Hardware and Software sales had declined (1992- 1996)

3rd party developers supports for Game Boy was waning. Reluctant to invest for Game Boy. Budget allocated to Canada was small compare to North America. The price of the Original Game Boy was high and different .

SWOT ANALYSIS
OPPORTUNITIES

Game Boy Printer and Camera helps to capture the kids and teens market segment.
Retailers had open to buy concept which encourages products with high demands. Sega and other competitors lacked new exciting software for their handheld hardware.

SWOT ANALYSIS
THREATS

Emerge of Sony Play Station causes 3rd party developers to focus their development to Sony.
Sega aggressively promoting it games sales in Canada rather than in United States. 3rd party was spending less at Canada market due to the size of the market was small. In late 1990s a few stores have delisted Game Boy as the sales expectations was not meet by Game Boy.

TARGET MARKET
Focus on Teens who have own a Game Boy PROs
If teens adopt, help to increase the sales among kids who are normally aspired to use the same product. Teens tend to purchase using own money making their purchases all year round and not only during peak hours. Teens owned a Game Boy they will be more curious and eager for new products with new technologies and features.

CONs
If the target market are teens who have owned a Game Boy it will make them to think the product are suitable when they were kids and not sophisticated to meet their gaming needs. If teens never adopts then perhaps kids will not adopts also. Teens already have Game Boy and few games which make them to think the product as old technology Teens prefers handheld machines which give greater speed and complexity.

TARGET MARKET
Focus on new kids/ users PROs
Convince new kids/ users that Game Boy is a cool product and it will become a Gotta Have products for new users. Kids normally are eager to have a game product.

CONs
Teens will have a mindset that this is a Kid product. The sales of Game Boy will only increase during peak hours such as birthday, holidays and etc. Difficult to convince kids to accept product as a cool product.

TARGET MARKET
Game Boy- Nintendo has dominated the handheld gaming market and focused on a demographic of 5 to 17 year old males. Nintendo -Pokemon card game (1996) ,players to collect the cards of their favourite Pokemon, adding a new aspect of the gotta catch em all! catch-phrase employed by Nintendo. A Pokemon card tournament A collection of game boy games

MARKETING COMMUNICATION
DEMONSTRATION CENTERS (CANADA)- to try latest hardware and games. TOURS IN CANADA- People are expose to latest games PARTNERS- Work with McDonalds and Famous Players Theatres to promote.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION
DEMONSTRATION CENTERS PROs
Generate product awareness when kids and teens visit the stores. No staff required to monitor the displays and it can be easily operated. Low cost compare to other methods. Increase the products exposure to other target segments such as adults, females.

CONs
No feedback on the product features to the kids and teens. Most sales clerks have limited information about Game Boy Color hardware and Software. Competitors have similar concept of communication which causes direct competition.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION
MALL TOURS
PROs
Nintendo reprehensive is highly knowledgeable gamers and would show game insight and tricks that will attract kiosk visitors. Incentive such as temporary Nintendo Tattoo and contests will provoke teens and kids to try the product Teen and kids spend a lot of time at mall. Parents together with their kids will be in mall and this attract purchase of the product. The time mall visitor will try the product will be 6- 8 minutes.

CONs
High in terms of cost. US 10,000 per visit. Mall selection problems Staff limited

MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Cross Canada Tour
PROs
N

CONs
High in terms of cost. US 10,000 per visit. Mall selection problems Staff limited

PRICING STRUCTURE
Original Game Boy- Price different in Canada and United States. Price in Canada is High.