Companies like Nintendo have been around far before social media. But, how does such a successful company adjust to the world of social media? They do so by joining them- and a lot of them, as a matter of fact. Nintendo currently has a following of millions of people between their multiple social media accounts, all of which differ from platform to platform.
Nintendo’s primary Facebook page brought in 4.5 million likes. The make-up of the content on this page is primarily advertisement posts that redirect users to their main website. These include special looks at product growth and development via visuals such as pictures, gifs, and short videos. These include links to their “Nintendo Direct” videos, which announce new games and consoles, short videos covering launch parties, and even giving a chance for fans to win big by displaying their holiday sweepstakes.
To reach a wider audience, Nintendo shares content from their other niche Facebook pages. In one instance, the main Facebook page shared a gif from their dedicated Nintendo switch page, advertising their new Snipperclips Plus: Cut it out, Together! game, while hyperlinking the caption to their online store.
A screenshot of Nintendo’s Facebook advertisement for their new Nintendo Switch game.
Comments on the Facebook page range from only a handful to a few hundred, depending on which Nintendo fans they’re reaching out to. This particular post received 180 “reacts” and 1 comments, which is on the small end for Nintendo. This game has a smaller following, because it’s a new concept to the Nintendo world, coming out exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. As a simplistic puzzle game, this title didn’t stand out compared to other open-world Nintendo games with well-known universes, such as Mario and Legend of Zelda.
Comments on this post included supportive ones, such as Michelle Cong’s “Having so much fun playing this game with my Hubby.” However, others don’t seem to be into this new game. Jarell Dove was unimpressed, commenting, “I guess it does add to the Switch’s Library of games? I guess.” Adrian Hoback, a user who played the game, added, “I tried the demo of this game and I like it a lot. Just wish it had online to it.” This comment would be a perfect chance for Nintendo to reply on, whether it means telling him they’re working on an online version, or quickly commenting an apology, sympathizing on his wishes for an online multiplayer. However, Nintendo doesn’t comment on their fans’ reactions or criticism.
However, Nintendo seems to get a lot more attention when they post on topics such as Pokemon, which has been a staple in gaming since 1996. When sharing a post from their Nintendo 2DS & Nintendo 3DS Facebook page, they advertised the New Nintendo DS XL Poke Ball Edition.This shared post received 3.8K “reactions” and 502 comments. Although Pokemon fans loved this concept of a Pokemon- themed handheld, many questioned the practicality and purpose, including user Jeremy Sheer. He pointed out, “Why would anybody buy this one [?] [T]he Nintendo 3DS is on its way out?” Another user, Raza Mohammed, stated “Aren[‘]t Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon the last Pokemon games for this system and the 3DS…” Other comments praised the Pokemon-themed handheld, including user Kendall Gabbard. She stated, “Got one for my kiddo for his birthday! I can’t wait to give it to him. But it’s so cool I might have to buy one for myself too.” Another user by the name of Rangel Contreras added, “This was the best upgrade for my DS that I’ve ever had, the quality of life changes are great, and the button to the pokeball is great for those who fidget a lot.”
A screenshot of a shared post by Nintendo of America, advertising the New 2DS XL Poke Ball Edition on their Facebook.
Although Nintendo has many Twitter accounts, I decided to focus on their @NintendoAmerica page because of me living in the states. Their Twitter page has 8.34 million followers, and updates about once or twice a day, which is a lot more active than their Facebook page. Although they use this page to also promote their products, they use it more to celebrate Nintendo culture and support their game designers and partners.
An example of celebrating Nintendo culture is acknowledging their history and anniversaries. This helps promote nostalgia and good memories with the company. An example of this would be their post where they celebrate the 10th- year anniversary of their Wii game Super Mario Galaxy.
A screenshot of the 10th anniversary of Super Mario Galaxy on @NintendoAmerica ‘s Twitter page.
With an amount of 5.5K retweets, fans commented wondering when HD remakes of Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 would make an appearance and many others commented on similar game titles in the series, comparing the Galaxy games to other Mario installments such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 3D World. The amount of attention towards multiple games in the franchise shows that the Nintendo Twitter has a highly engaged community of people who are hardcore Nintendo fans.
With the newest release of the Nintendo Switch, the Twitter page sometimes pays homage to the people who helped make it a success, such as (one of) Snipperclip’s creators who was ecstatic when he finally received the Nintendo Original Seal of Quality sticker on his games.
Snipperclips creator Tom Vian, sharing the unbelievable news of earning a Nintendo Seal of Quality on his game.
@NintendoAmerica retweeted his post, acknowledging his success while simultaneously giving him credit for the game and redirecting more traffic to his Twitter (for those who didn’t already know the face behind the game). His post got 345 comments, all congratulating him on a job well done, including praise of the game itself. Studio Octane (@StudioOctane), another studio who makes games for Nintendo, commented, “Seriously, we LOVE this game. You deserve every ounce of praise and acclaim this game receives. Well done, very well done.”
The Twitter also updates fans via exclusive content. Nintendo retweets exclusive content from other Nintendo partners. For example, they retweeted a post by @Pokemon, giving a link to an interview with Game Freak‘s Kazumasa Iwao and Shigeru Ohmori , regarding the new Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon games.
Nintendo of America’s retweet of an exclusive interview with Game Freak via Pokemon’s Twitter page.
By retweeting content such as this, Nintendo keeps the interest of the ginormous Pokemon community, raising excitement for the newest Pokemon games that launch on November 17th, 2017.
YouTube
Nintendo’s YouTube page has only 3,241,892 subscribers, and uses this platform to show case game-play of new installments, tease new games with trailers, and most excitable, post their Nintendo Direct videos, which announce new titles and consoles to the Nintendo community. Within the last year, their most popular videos had to do with their latest console, the Nintendo Switch. Their most popular upload to this date is “First Look at Nintendo Switch”, released on October 20, 2016, with almost 34 million views for a video that’s only 3:37 long.
In this video, they show what the new console looks like, along with its features. This includes the multiple way the controller(s) can be used, two ways the game images can be displayed (via TV or Switch screen), and how portable the console is. The Switch brought a whole new concept to consoles, advertising itself as a portable console; small enough to be brought around, but more powerful than a handheld (not to mention its inherited 2-player controller design).
Nintendo’s most viewed YouTube video, giving potential customers a first look at all the console has to offer.
Most comments are of users shocked about the console already having been out for a year. Others commented their excitement about the (now released) game Super Mario Odyssey coming out, showing their enthusiasm for the future of the console. One user by the name of Black Lamb commented, “Looks like I’m selling my Xbox One”, getting likes from 845 people agreeing with him. Even popular YouTube gamers like “videogamedunkey” commented their excitement and impatience for he console and games to be released by saying, “[W]hen are they gona [sic] show that Mario?”
Nintendo really shines on this platform. As a video game company, their fans and customers rely on visuals to understand what’s to come. As consumers, they want to make sure that they’re going to like what they buy, and showcasing these details into a visual format may sway potential customers into their favor with exciting footage as opposed to announcing new things articles or pictures.
Nintendo’s Instagram has 3.5 million followers, being on the lower side of their social media fan count. This platform takes advantage of it being a picture-based app. Instead of just putting advertisements and updates (which they do sometimes), they post many seasonal posts, figurine pictures, cosplays, and even pictures of company workers. This is the more lighthearted side of Nintendo’s platforms.
This past October, multiple pictures were posted in celebration of Halloween season. They took one of their products, Amiibos, and placed them in front of festive props such as jack-o-lanterns and candy.
Besides seasonal pictures, they post pictures of the Nintendo crew, launch parties, and even very lucky customers.
Nintendo celebrates their first North American sale for their Nintendo Switch game “Super Mario Odyssey” by taking a picture with the (very lucky) customer.
Nintendo uses this platform specifically for more celebratory purposes, not necessarily just for promotion or elaborating on new releases. This gives fans a more up-close look at their events, the people who work for them, and even support the American fans by taking note of Western holidays (Note: Nintendo is originally a Japanese company).
Fans gather in New York City at the Super Mario Odyssey launch party, greeting their new favorite hero duo- Mario and his hat Cappy.
Each of these posts gets somewhere from a threshold of a couple hundred to a couple thousand comments, all varying in content. Some display their friend codes so others can play with them, while others comment on the image or talk about games coming out for a specific platform pictured in the post. As opposed to Twitter, these aren’t straight-out discussions regarding specifics on consoles or games pictured, but rather generic comments such as user belllatonezzan’s “I love Mario games and Princess Peach”, and eglipsey’s “Dude imagine someone just handing out Amiibos on Halloween”. This platform is used by many different kinds of fans because the content of the posts aren’t specifically geared towards their product lines. It’s more generic, “cutesy” content. This platform is more about having fun with the Nintendo universe.
Improvements for Nintendo
Nintendo uses its multiple platforms to convey different messages among their diverse fan base. I believe Nintendo does particularly well building up excitement from its customers. However, I think that they should be directly replying to some comments, showing their support and care for their fans, customizing a somewhat personal experience (which m at result in loyalty).
Their Facebook doesn’t update daily (more like once or twice a week). I think they could benefit with having a more consistent presence. Their Instagram and YouTube are more consistent, and I believe they really shine on these platforms. Instagram gives a playful touch to their photos while YouTube gives an immersive experience of their products. Although I give them credit for retweeting other game developers, I think their main focus should be on supporting their community members- everyday folk. Without fans and customers, no company would survive.
Wordpress by Kat Strysky 