Contextual YouTube advertisement for Wii
October 8, 2008 3:16 AM   Subscribe

A novel youtube page promoting Nintendo's latest platform game. The page itself adds context as the video progresses.
posted by nthdegx (24 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
OK, its an ad but a pretty neat concept. I wonder how much Nintendo paid to get a custom page on the youtube domain.
posted by AndrewStephens at 3:39 AM on October 8, 2008


Saw that a little while ago; very cool. Shows that Nintendo is in touch. Also means that neither Xbox nor PS can do the same.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:52 AM on October 8, 2008


For me, it's just another example of Google's manifest destiny--to turn the web into an advertising delivery platform. Yeah, I got a good handle on the obvious.
posted by sexymofo at 4:04 AM on October 8, 2008 [5 favorites]


Sexymodo, to me, that's everything advertising should be. It's entertaining, it shows off the product, and it's not intrusive in the least. I wish more ads were destinations to be sought out, and not stuffed in my face on public streets whether I like it or not.

Nintendo just keeps on showing that they may not be for the "hardcore" audience, but they have "fun" down to a T.
posted by explosion at 4:22 AM on October 8, 2008 [6 favorites]


er, "sexymofo."

"Sexymodo" is possibly entirely different.
posted by explosion at 4:22 AM on October 8, 2008


When I showed this page to my wife last week, her first response (after all the "Woah! What just happened?" shouting) was that she wants this game.

So Nintendo is doing something right!

Although, maybe they're not totally right. I've pretty much given up on the Wii. After the initial infatuation with Wii Sports, there hasn't been much there that I'm interested in. Mario Galaxy was fun for awhile, as was Zelda, but they were still the same old Mario and Zelda. The novelty of the controls was undercut by the retread of the story.

I've been keeping to the 360 since. I have Rock Band 2 (250 songs!) for parties, Megaman 9 for nostalgia, Civ and Braid for solo play, plus am looking forward to Fable II.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:52 AM on October 8, 2008


Try Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Yes, it's essentially the same as the rest of the games in the series, but the Wiimote adds a level of immediacy--you're actually aiming at that guy to get him, for example.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:56 AM on October 8, 2008


Fun thing on the side: you can click and drag the debris left on the page. (I was about to say, "Meh, why can't it do something about the YT comments," but that click-n-dragging extra bit made me smile.)
posted by not_on_display at 5:07 AM on October 8, 2008


That made me want to buy the game, so...well done.
posted by ColdChef at 5:15 AM on October 8, 2008


As someone who has the game and has enjoyed every minute of it, I cannot recommend it enough. It's like Wario Land 4, but on a home console. They even brought back Wario's original nemesis, Captain Syrup.
posted by Servo5678 at 5:40 AM on October 8, 2008


Edge only gave it 6, and I can't say I'm particularly drawn to the idea of shaking a controller while I play a platform game, just like I don't like the way karts jump in Mariokart - tacked on motion sensing gimmicks really turn me off. That said, the metacritic averages are a bit better. Funny that the ad, which I appreciate as novel (though I sympathise and agree with sexymofo's point), doesn't really make me want to play the game any more than the video does on its own (i.e. not at all).
posted by nthdegx at 5:54 AM on October 8, 2008


I remember seeing something similar within the past few months. It was like an e-commerce page full of household goods; I seem to remember there being a toaster involved. It's annoying me now that I can't remember it better. Anyone help me out?
posted by mandal at 6:27 AM on October 8, 2008


Mandal - I remember that ad too - but I think it's even older than a few months. I feel like it was floating around here at least a year or two ago (if that helps narrow your search down at all).
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 7:03 AM on October 8, 2008


I also have barely touched my wii (pun not intended but chuckles are permitted) in months, though yesterday I picked up the latest Tiger Woods game. IMO it plays much better with wii remote controls than it does for other consoles.

Before that, the last game I had fun with was Boom Blox. Before that... um... Galaxy?

I never liked any of the Metroid Prime games, though in general I play my FPS on my pc, not on my Wii or 360.

This game though, could warrant a purchase... assuming I'm not burned out on platformers after brute forcing my way through MegaMan 9. I'm about to start the Wily levels and I'm hoping my controller can withstand being hurled across the room a few times.
posted by utsutsu at 7:07 AM on October 8, 2008


Holy smokes that was cool... and I know what I'm ordering next from GameFly.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:22 AM on October 8, 2008


I've formally switched over to a netbook (Acer AOne) and while I desperately love my new little friend, I'm terrified that I'm going to sneeze and blow him to smithereens. I momentarily experienced some serious terror there that my new buddy was being crushed by youtube, or something to that effect.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 8:24 AM on October 8, 2008


Well done, Wii people! Or wee people, judging from the screen. I liked the "media is the message" aspect of it.
posted by misha at 8:53 AM on October 8, 2008


Does not work in Google Chrome, althought I might be the only one using that.
posted by geoff. at 8:56 AM on October 8, 2008


mandal: I remember seeing something similar within the past few months. It was like an e-commerce page full of household goods...

You're thinking of the HEMA ad, previously. Mefi's own Andy Baio called out the similarity.
posted by Pronoiac at 9:01 AM on October 8, 2008 [1 favorite]


The text of the post is a bit of a spoiler. :(
posted by jca at 11:11 AM on October 8, 2008


"The text of the post is a bit of a spoiler."

I considered that, but thought it was important to point out that it wasn't merely a video on YouTube that was the subject of the post. Apologies if I ruined it for you.
posted by nthdegx at 11:34 AM on October 8, 2008


I'm a little baffled by so many people saying this made you want to buy the game, but then like nthdegx, I find the motion addition gimmicky and annoying. The ad was cute, but no ad makes me want to buy their product. Just maybe watch the ad again.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:29 PM on October 8, 2008


The text of the post is a bit of a spoiler. :(

I'm glad for the spoiler; I wouldn't have clicked it otherwise. I pretty much never click on MeFi links that don't have some explanation for why the link is interesting.
posted by Nattie at 8:33 PM on October 8, 2008


SmileyChewtrain, Pronoiac – Ta very much.
(The older I get the more I assume that stuff I can remember must be recent.)
posted by mandal at 3:30 AM on October 9, 2008


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