With the 3DS, Nintendo realised they had a problem. Admitting that it would be hard to recreate the sheer mass-market appeal of the 3DS, despite being backwards compatible with the software, Nintendo realised that it was going to be hard for the 3DS to tread the path its forerunner did, and break the boundaries down once again, opening the console to a whole new audience.
As Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said, "...For the market penetration of Nintendo 3DS, we have no optimistic view about the challenge we will face. We do not have such an optimistic view that the device [...] will be naturally accepted and become mainstream again"
Not content with resting on their laurels, this got Nintendo thinking. The main selling point of the system - although undoubtedly not its only feature - is its 3D graphics. The problem with this is that it's very hard for Nintendo to let you experience the 3D for yourself, without actually having the system in front of you. As Iwata-san continued, "The existing marketing approaches to convey the appeal of software by TV ads, print media and Internet web pages, cannot communicate the attraction of Nintendo 3DS directly to potential consumers. Of course, we can install interactive units at retail outlets, but those who are not interested in Nintendo 3DS may not bother themselves to visit the retailers, so this cannot be an effective tools to convey the appeal to them."
And he certainly has a point. So, Nintendo have decided to go about promoting the 3DS in a slightly different way - by using you, the 3DS's owner, as a way of getting the machine in front of your friends and family. If they could think of a way to encourage every 3DS owner to keep the console on them at all times, then they'd reach every marketer's dream, of having a viral, word of mouth campaign, from the people on the streets.
The Solution
What Nintendo came up with was a thing called StreetPass. If you're familiar with Nintendogs, or Dragon Quest IX, you'll be familiar with the concept here. When you have your 3DS on you, and in sleep mode, it'll be constantly sending and receiving information, and other interesting items, to other 3DS's around you. However, unlike on the DS, there's no need to be running a game, or even have a game in your 3DS - all of the information to be transferred is stored in your 3DS's internal memory, and data can be exchanged for several games in just one chance encounter.
Whenever you pass another person, who has a 3DS on them, you'll automatically receive a copy of their Mii, and a basic profile about that person, telling you where they're from, and what the last game they played was. Whether this will be expanded, to let you add them as a friend, check what other games they've played, and track their achievements across games remains to be seen, but we're certainly hoping that Nintendo ups their online service with their new console.
But rather than just being limited to telling you a bit about strangers you'd otherwise know nothing about, the 3DS will also exchange other information with users when it's in sleep mode. Whether it's sending an receiving parcels on Animal Crossing, letting your puppy or kitten meet others on Nintendogs and Cats, or a variety of other uses, you'll be able to receive bonuses, leaderboards, or other goodies for every game you've played, without even pressing a button. By incentivising you for keeping your 3DS on you, and encouraging you to get it out in public, to see what you've received, Nintendo are hoping the 3DS will go viral. And, looking at what they're planning, we think there's a pretty good chance it will!
Battling figures, Street FIghter style.
Only a few games have been confirmed to use StreetPass - Namco Bandai's Ridge Racer, an arcade racing game, will let send your times on games to other players, and also download a "ghost" of their performance on that track, so you can race against them and attempt to beat them. However, possibly the most complete application of StreetPass is Street Fighter IV, which will contain a brand new mode, which sees you battling figurines with people as you pass them in the street. Sounding as though it'll work a bit like Top Trumps, you'll start off with a meagre collection, but the more times you battle someone, the more figures you'll earn, and the better team you'll be able to put together.
In terms of real world examples, however, Nintendo are staying pretty tight lipped. Although the idea seems interesting, we can't say we're not a little bit sceptical as to how well it's actually going to work, until we see some more real game examples. For instance, how easy is it going to be for these 3DS's to communicate when you walk past someone? Will it be able to send and receive enough data in the time it takes for someone to walk past? It seems unlikely - so will it be a service that's restricted to buses, trains, and other places where you're likely to be sitting near someone? Also, how will the "always on" internet affect the battery life?
A lot of questions need to be answered, but it looks like Nintendo are on the right tracks, when it comes to getting the 3DS in the public eye. The only question is, does it have the software line-up to appeal to people who bought the DS - and will those people be willing to shell out to buy a new console, rather than being happy with what they've got?
