While we, the gaming world, often give Nintendo a ton of criticism (and rightfully so), they know their audience. Their latest announcement looks to expand that audience, and quite frankly, it is pure genius. Nintendo has revealed the My Mario line of products, aimed at small children and toddlers, which is now available at both the Nintendo New York and San Francisco stores, as well as select retailers.
My Mario products deliver a variety of products meant to introduce children of the world of Mario long before they pick up their first controllers. Offerings include a Mario themed building block set, various board books, stop motion animation shorts, and a simple smartphone and Switch app that will keep kids occupied for hours.
No, this isn’t meant for you and me… this isn’t for gamers. This is meant for the next generation of gamers. Long-story short: this is pure marketing genius. Mario already has appeal to children, and that appeal is about to start a whole lot earlier. Making products that are accessible to kids who aren’t ready for gaming yet simply creates a queue of potential customers for their video game products. The kids will grow up to love Mario and friends early, and then when they’re old enough to realize that there is an entire gaming universe to explore, they’re already hooked!
