Chapter 351: Nintendo Power I
After months of not being able to overtake Creed Games in the shadows, it would seem that Nintendo was ready to try something else.
Which was to try beating Creed head-on.
They sure acted quick and before long, their strategy for the whole thing was laid out as can be.
It made a whole lot of sense that even Alexander could tell where they were going with it.
Admittedly, he found it to be quite elegant and effective.
As it turns out, they truly were lobbying to shelve their NES to comic book retailers. The usual comic book retailers that Creed is dominant in.
Setting up camp in the enemy territory can't be any more obvious than that.
It sure was quite the move. Quite the bold move.
Of course, their boldness is without grounds.
They actually had solid foundations that helped prop their camps up.
Which even Alexander found to be very cumbersome to be up against.
After all, he was actually going up against a strategy that he was quite proud of.
The low-price alternative. Or offering an alternative at a much lower price.
In a twist, Nintendo actually had their NES prices at $140. Which is a very, very stark contrast against the Creed Chaos System with its $200 price tag.
They were actually starting this console war off with a price war. Color Alexander to be mildly shocked.
Wasn't this the tactic behind the monumental success of stuffed Hobbes?
He sure had been cheeky with piggybacking on high-priced Teddy Ruxpin and eating up the market that Ruxpin could have had.
Wow. To think that it was now out to get back at him.
As it turns out, WoW, or Worlds of Wonder, was actually the one facilitating the whole thing.
Alexander checked and their whole Teddy Ruxpin comic book may have been pivotal in it.
Probably a catalyst to allow them an opportunity of lobbying their true merchandising goal... the NES.
Of course, that may not be the case but it sure did look that way.
In any case, if this new NES tactic was to work out well as Hobbes, then it would be akin to swiping the momentum that Creed Games had opened up.
Another textbook move he used against good old Nintendo. Which is likely to be used against.
Alexander didn't know who the mastermind of this whole plot was but said mastermind sure did do some case study on Creed's business moves.
Granted, none of them were revolutionary or original but it kind of disconcerting to be on the receiving end of it.
Anyways, comic book retailers will most probably jump the gun on this Nintendo offering.
They already saw the benefits of selling the console from Creed, what's stopping them from benefiting extra by selling another console?
Alexander really saw the crux of Creed's supposed comic book store dominance with this one.
Granted, he could probably pressure these usual partners to lock out Nintendo but that is more damaging than good.
Besides, Alexander wasn't a fan of such decisions and it sure would be interesting to keep tabs on whose flaky and whose loyal.
It can be considered as better insight and serve as a good guide for the renewed comic booking exchanges to come.
It had to be noted that the bust of the current boom is looming near and it sure would be interesting to be petty once in a while.
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Then again, Nintendo's grand strategy didn't actually stop there
Instead, they actually sought to lobby traditional retailers as well.
It would seem that messing with Creed's retailing options wasn't enough, Nintendo and WoW actually took the chance to do what Creed hadn't done yet.
Appealing and forcing their way into much-merchandized stores like Sears, KMart, Toys R Us, and so on and so forth.
They clearly weren't kidding around.
Especially when Alexander remembered how the NES got shelved in these establishments in the old timeline.
It was this very Worlds of Wonder that became the crucial retail sales distribution partner for Nintendo.
WoW sales staff simply had to leverage their hit toys, Teddy Ruxpin and Lazer Tag, in ultimatums to coerce retailers to buy the Nintendo Entertainment System.
This was the type of aggressive retail injection that propelled the NES into the smash hit status it had, allowing Nintendo to resurrect the American video game industry in the process.
In the end, Nintendo let go of WoW in light of its inflated ego and stronger hold in the North American market.
WoW was kind of a lost cause as well and ultimately dissolved or folded into Nintendo's mix.
Anyways, that soured partnership was a matter for later. As of current, they seem like quite the duo that can take things on when they go hand-in-hand.
Hand-in-hand against Creed, that is.
It probably won't be long before their targeted retailers buckle under the pressure of not being able to shelve talking teddies and the NES would be available to a much wider public.
Coupled with their mostly successful New York operations and regular attendance in Consumer Electronic Shows... it is more than assured.
Without a doubt, they weren't just invading comic booker hotspots. They went beyond that towards the true hotspot where general Americans skim and shop.
Effectively messing up the Creed Chaos System's market and also getting a leg up on it.
With this move of theirs, Alexander found another thing that his company had been deficient in.
The eagerness for a wider market.
In all actuality, Creed can actually go for what they're going.
Pressuring non-comic retailers and probably be better with it.
The Top Gun toyline, Autobot toyline, Decepticon toyline, good ol' Hobbes, Watchmen toyline, and just collective Creed Toys selection.
Even without the pressuring, some major retailers had actually shown interest in the Chaos units and GameKeys.
Especially with everything Top Gun still being a hot commodity, with Flight and Fight having been recognized as an unconventional sequel.
Then again, Alexander wasn't really that enthused with those courses of action.
It wasn't because he wasn't that eager enough.
He just happens to lock his console availability tight in the comic book niche for certain reasons.
The issue of mass production being the one to blame for the bulk of it.
Hardware partners were getting there but nuances such as the transceiver and the software being quite the tricky thing to disseminate.
They may seem like a giant of video games and game consoles with all that they've managed to achieve so far, however, it's best to keep in mind that Creed Games and the faculties supporting it are still starting out.
Not unlike Nintendo with their console producing seniority and their NES already being a 4-year-old tech considering its Famicom roots.
Alexander couldn't help but think that Nintendo may really have the upper hand on this one.
This clearly means that this console war was not off to a good start. For Creed, that is.
If Nintendo and WoW really double down on things that Creed still can't get around with, then this whole war may truly be in their favor.
Low pricing. Retail usurpation. Optimized mass production resources.
Just what else could Nintendo have power over Creed on?