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Editorials 
Part 2 - Nintendo Coward
- By Brett
Fulesday
The Mom Factor.
Huh? What? The Mom Factor?
In Part I, I made light of Nintendo’s decision to not feature coverage of Conker’s BFD in Nintendo Power magazine. Specifically, by referring to actual “original content” printed in “Player’s Pulse” – the magazine’s letters section – throughout the most recent decade, I tried to demonstrate why Conker had as much chance of appearing in NP as, heaven forbid, Sonic had of appearing on a Nintendo platform in 1992. Given the demographics of NP’s target audience, and given the subject matter found in BFD, N had no choice but to forbid Conker from appearing within 50 feet of the magazine.
However, at editorial’s end, I made reference to some enigmatic factor known only as the “MF,” or the second reason as to why N banned BFD coverage.
Ergo, I repeat, the Mom Factor.
Yep, moms nationwide are responsible for Conker’s absence. True, moms do make yummy beef stew, review words for spelling class, and splurge on the occasional N64 game (or, better yet, the AGB); yet, for all the good that moms accomplish, there is the bad for which they are responsible.
Bad in the sense that they pick, as a birthday gift for your friend, the board game “Clue.”
Bad in the sense that they publicly question whether or not a new pair of slacks fit well in the crotch.
Bad in the sense that they are the ones who telephone Nintendo representatives and let them know that unwholesome images should not appear on the cover of Nintendo Power. You see, back in 1988…
…December 1988, to be exact, Konami planned to release Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since the latest Belmont saga featured an outstanding mix of gameplay, challenge and, most significantly, sound, NP’s editors rewarded developer Konami’s efforts by giving the game “cover treatment” on the magazine’s second issue…ever. Thus, Castlevania II graced the cover of NP’s September-October 1988 issue.
Since N wanted NP to make a splash with its loyal consumer base, NP’s editors – in those days – wanted the covers to be unique and “cool.” For example, the cover of the magazine’s inaugural issue featured a poorly dressed clay model of Mario – flawed, but innovative. Moreover, the cover of the magazine’s second issue featured “Simon Belmont” decked out in full vampire-slaying regalia. Whip attached to belt, Simon carried a weapon of some sort in one hand…
…and Dracula’s preserved noggin in the other. Not to be overlooked were such props as a solitary eyeball, a hand, a skull, and an unidentifiable bodily organ. Apparently, NP’s editors failed to foresee what effect stray body parts would have on the imaginations of eight-year-old children. Needless to say, moms felt the effect firsthand.
According to a mid-90s edition of Nintendo Power, this artistic cover generated more customer service complaints than any other cover. Now, think of the last NP cover that featured something of comparable graphic detail.
Stumped?
That, my friends, is the power of the Mom Factor.
You might wonder why I speak of the Mom Factor in a much more reverential tone than I spoke of the “Player’s Pulse” letters. Fact is, NP’s editors cannot control mothers to anywhere near the same extent that the editors may control which letters see print time. In addition, losing the support of mothers would have much more of an adverse effect on sales of Nintendo products than would losing the $19.95 associated with a one-year subscription to Nintendo Power.
Don’t believe me?
Just think of how many times your mom “chipped in” some funds to buy a Nintendo product. Just think how many times Santa brought you the Nintendo product(s) for which you whined for months on end.
That, my friends, is the power of the Mom Factor.
In terms of the content featured in Nintendo Power, N cannot just decide to make the company’s magazine more “mature.” If N opts for maturity, then it is 1988 redux, and the potential loss of goodwill would be staggering. That said, the company could very well junk the “Player’s Pulse” section and readers would not (better not) lose sleep. And do you know what?
With the GameCube and “more mature Mario” on the horizon, Nintendo will face this dilemma every 30 days.
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| "True, moms do make yummy beef stew, review words for spelling class, and splurge on the occasional N64 game (or, better yet, the AGB); yet, for all the good that moms accomplish, there is the bad for which they are responsible." |
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