Fans aren’t just buying a console, they are buying into a feeling.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Nintendo has always done things a bit differently to the other big players in the market. While the rest of the gaming world chases realism, specs and cinematic spectacle, Nintendo has been playing a different game. Why have ultra-realistic graphics and sprawling epic narratives when you make Paper Mario?!
For Nintendo, it's all about emotion, imagination and elegant design decisions. It’s why their games are often remembered long after you turn the console off.
So when the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its flagship games were revealed early in April, it rose a few eyebrows. The Switch will come in at over £100 more expensive than the previous generation, at £395.99 ($449.99 in the US – see how to preorder Nintendo Switch)
And with the price of a Switch 2 game reaching £75 / $90, the new console very much comes at a premium. Add in the economic uncertainty and looming concerns around tariffs, and you’d think that Nintendo has a challenge on its hands.
But has that pricked the hype bubble? Not even slightly… Nintendo has already stated it’s not going to be able to meet pre-order demand from Japan. So why the excitement, despite the price. Put simply, it’s because fans aren’t just buying a console, they are buying into a feeling. And Nintendo knows that better than anyone.
Why sell hard, when you can sell to the heart
GameChat on the Nintendo Switch 2 (Image credit: Nintendo)
It’s been eight years since the original Switch console came out, so excitement for the new generation was already high. Now, a series of ‘Switch 2 Experience’ events is drawing big crowds, giving gamers the chance to get their hands on the console before the official launch.
Many of those attending are already going to be fans of Nintendo to begin with. In fact, they are likely to have already made the decision to buy - despite the cost! But it acts as a reminder of what makes Nintendo really stand out, and what they have always done brilliantly:
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It’s the obsession with designing a great gaming experience, it's careful community building and truly sweating the small stuff, though never to a fault, when it comes to product design. These factors have set Nintendo apart as a brand, and has seen their consoles retain a special place in the hearts of both casual and hardcore gamers.
A level up in community building
Now You're Playing Together ft. Paul Rudd – Nintendo Switch 2 - YouTube
Nintendo’s marketing efforts of late clearly show the brand recognising its own strength in bringing people together. The Switch 2 Paul Rudd advert, an homage to his nineties Nintendo ad, is exactly the kind of niche reference that hardcore fans will appreciate, while not being so niche that it will put off the more casual fan base.
The strapline for the new campaign has changed slightly but significantly from its 90s counterpart: they’re no longer ‘playing with power’. They’re ‘playing together’. That’s what gaming is all about at its core – especially when gaming with Nintendo. Many a friendship has been born out of endless matches on Smash Bros or competing on Rainbow Road on Mario Kart.
A different kind of gaming experience
As I said earlier, Nintendo isn’t in the game of selling cutting edge graphics or the fastest-frame rate. They’re selling the chance to play in the same room as your friends. And in a world where gaming has largely shifted online, that perhaps matters more than ever.
During the pandemic, online gaming hit a peak, giving us a sense of escapism when we needed it most and a vital way of staying connected with friends. Nintendo’s online experience is notoriously sub-par, but it is making an effort to change. The Switch 2 will have a GameChat feature, allowing voice chat during games. While it’s great to see the brand taking steps to improve online play, that’s never really been what Nintendo’s consoles are about. Local play will always be the key part of the Switch’s appeal.
It’s easy to play in the same room as your friends. That’s the fundamental reason why the Switch has been able to hold its own against consoles with objectively better graphics and online play like the latest consoles from Xbox and Playstation. Often these have exclusive rights to new games too – PlayStation’s Spider-Man series, for example. Nintendo has Mario, sure – and that is significant, don’t get me wrong – but the brand has stayed competitive because it provides a stronger overall, maybe even “purer” gaming experience.
Part of that superior gaming experience comes from Nintendo being masters of product design. The new Switch looks immaculate. Nintendo has always prided itself on how its consoles look and feel, and the trailer video for the new Switch demonstrated this - the attention to detail over intricacies like sound design, how things click, shut, slide. They could easily be overlooked, but these are defining aspects of the user experience.
The Joy-Con controllers on the old Switch, for example, are attached to the screen with a rail system and a locking mechanism, which you push into place with a satisfying click. But on the new console, they’re going to be magnetic; much smoother, simpler and less likely to be dislodged accidentally. Sure, a small change, but these micro decisions can totally redefine the experience entirely.
The increased size of the SL and SR buttons too are evidence that Nintendo hasn’t just made a beautiful product - it has taken a really considered approach to the user experience.
Game over - for everyone else
The hype around the new Switch is justified - and the price was never going to dent that. Emphasising in-person engagement through the Switch 2 experience events, Nintendo is delivering a great brand experience - and has proved that product development and emotional connection are intertwined. Improved specifications aren’t what keep players coming back - it’s the joy you get from gaming with your friends.
I think Nintendo’s example is proof, to businesses in all sectors, of the enduring power of a great brand, and crucially, just how impactful great design thinking can be in driving sales.
And when the Switch 2 finally does come out in June, you’ll see me at the front of the queue. See you on Rainbow Road!
Niklas Mortensen is chief design officer at Designit. He’s passionate about end-to-end human centred experiences driven by design and technology.
He’s a designer by education, strategist by experience and a nerd at heart. For two decades Niklas has overseen a range of projects; consulting with businesses ranging from small start-ups to large brand owners. In recent years, he’s worked with clients such as the Nobel Peace Center, Telenor and DNB among others.
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