We're at war, and this time it is round two. Nintendo won its battle against Sega, but now its GameCube faces foes in Microsoft's X-Box and Sony's Playstation II. Nintendo today faces the same problem it did in the mid 1990s: breaking the image it has established towards media and consumers. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) launch in 1994 lacked great commercials and games with punch; only their "Play it Loud" campaign spared them from certain failure. Nintendo, with its GameCube, has once again established a "kiddie" brand personality, despite a massive marketing campaign to not do so. The "18-24 year olds" console market was for Nintendo to capture, and it went about it wrongly.
             The console product itself has little faults. Its packaging could use a face-lift. A product molded after a large purple Lego is the root of the problem. Appearance is everything in an image-centered society as ours. Nintendo must stray from the square-like design towards something more fashionable. Most gamers like their consoles like they would their cars: sleek. Give consumers something they want to display, and do it with some strength. Black and blue should be the colors of choice. Games themselves are the other aspect of product. Nintendo is sorely marked by Mario and doomed with Donkey Kong. First generation gamers loved these characters, but we are now approaching, if not into our 20s. More mature and sophisticated games must be developed. Sports, role-playing, and fighting games do best in today's market. Recruit software developers gamers will know (ie Acclaim, EA, Capcom), and keep them on for the long haul. On the issue of price, Nintendo has done well with price skimming. Consumers who want the console early enough will pay dearly for it. There is always a huge frenzy in a console's introductory phase. Nintendo should consistently price dollars below co...