The 2015 World Championship E3 event was filmed and aired as a taped production on Disney XD, which has recently increased its programming around competitive gaming. and Splatoon 2 are uniquely positioned to benefit from this trend.” “Bringing back the World Championships will strengthen Nintendo’s relationship with its customer base, as a growing percentage loves to either watch or participate in competitive gaming,” said van Dreunen. A Nintendo spokesman said more details about the exact games will be announced closer to the event. And while you wait your turn, why not see what else they have available?”įollowing the format established in 1990 and updated in 2015, the Nintendo World Championships event in New York City will challenge regional winners across a variety of new and retro Nintendo games. “By having a low barrier for folks to come to the store and give it a try, Nintendo maximizes the reach of this marketing effort. “ Mario Kart is one of the most accessible Nintendo games from a competitive standpoint,” van Dreunen said. My Nintendo members who are one of the first 200 to check in daily at each location will receive a My Nintendo pin as an added bonus.
Plus, visitors who are My Nintendo members will be able to check in using their My Nintendo QR Code at any of the qualifier event locations to receive 100 Platinum Points. “This will have a low impact for Best Buy.”Īnyone who visits these regional events at Best Buy will be able to try demo versions of Super Mario Odyssey, which launches on October 27 for the Nintendo Switch system, and the Metroid: Samus Returns game for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, arriving on September 15. “ Mario Kart 7 on 3DS isn’t exactly the most compelling esport in the world, and 3DS players are mostly younger, so their parents make the purchase decision,” Pachter said. Michael Pachter, video game analyst for Wedbush Securities, doesn’t see this marketing activation helping the big box retailer as much. “Improving brand awareness in the run-up to the holiday season is always helpful, but it also further weakens the competition if Best Buy is more closely associated with the most popular console currently in the market.” “Considering the difficulties that specialty retailers like GAME (UK) have had with the slow trickle of Switch units making it to their stores, it is a smart move for Best Buy to align with Nintendo,” Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research, said. Shane Kitzman, senior communications specialist at Best Buy, told AListDaily that hosting the qualifiers in 2015 was so much fun that the retailer jumped at the opportunity to do it again in 2017. Shane Kitzman, senior communications specialist at Best Buy
The player with the best time trial entry in each age group will qualify for the Nintendo World Championships. Meanwhile, the second age group, 13 and older, will play as Bowser on the Game Boy Advance “Bowser Castle 1” course. The first age group, 12 and younger, will play as Mario on the Nintendo DS “Luigi’s Mansion” course. The focus for this year’s competition is Mario Kart 7 on Nintendo 3DS and players will be divided into two groups based on their age. Starting on August 19, eight Best Buy stores around the US will host two-day qualifying events. Best Buy last partnered with Nintendo for a competition leading up to the 2015 World Championships, which were held at E3 2015.
The October 7 event in New York at Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom will mark the culmination of eight regional events held exclusively at Best Buy retail locations across the country. Nintendo is once again trying something different with its Nintendo World Championships.