Case Analysis
The Nintendo Case Analysis revolves around Nintendo Canada’s President Peter
MacDougall anticipating the launch of the Game Boy Color which would become effective on
November 23, 1998. Essentially, the Game Boy Color was viewed as one of the most important launches in the history of Nintendo’s gaming industry since the product was also introduced in
North America and Europe respectively. According to the article, “Game Boy was arguably the most successful gaming platform in history, boasting sales of more than 70 million units during its almost 10-year life in a highly fickle and competitive market.” Hence, Nintendo gained significant access in the marketplace regarding the handheld games market, however, if additional innovative products were not marketed, then third party developers would gradually lose interest in the market itself pertaining to game offerings.
At the same time, Nintendo Canada competed against Sony PlayStation primarily for the teens and tweens market segment. Consequently, Nintendo discerned and necessitated the option to reinforce itself as the primary offering to its target market. This strategic implication would permit Nintendo to gain an immense market share in the handheld games market provided market segmentation was conducted under equitable circumstances.
Key Problem Identification
Peter MacDougall was faced with the challenge of ensuring that the Canadian launch for
Nintendo’s Game Boy Color was successful. Furthermore, he was cognizant that the Canadian market structure and strategy for the gaming industry would need to be different for the following areas: A. Target Market B. Product Positioning C. Marketing Communication Mix (i.e. product, price, and promotion) D. Marketing Mix Strategies
One key issue affecting Nintendo’s market share was when they strived to maintain a competitive advantage with larger retailers to purchase their product. As stated previously,