There’s a new Super Smash Bros. for 3DS commercial for Japan. The ad introduces the game’s Mii Fighter function — how you can create your own fighters for the game. To do so, customised Miis of Japanese pop group AKB48 appeared in the ad. Online in Japan, some were not happy about this.
AKB48 is probably the biggest (literally) girl group in Japan. Thus, by including them in the commercial, it’s easy to show off the Mii’s customisation feature. More or less, folks know who these people are. On Saturday, still images showing AKB48 members fighting Nintendo characters hit 2ch, Japan’s largest forum.
There might have been some confusion. Some, but certainly not all, gamers seemed to think that Super Smash Bros. for 3DS starred AKB48. Well, they can if you create their Mii Fighters. Hell, anyone can star in the game.
“I hate AKB48, so I’m not buying this,” wrote one commenter. “Foreigners are probably thinking, ‘Japan is so messed up,’” wrote another. “This is the same Nintendo that is worried about money…” quipped yet another, seeming to indicate that the company had to hire the group for this commercial. “Who’s the idiot that came up with this idea?” blasted one commenter. Of course, some commenters just seemed to be piling on Nintendo for the sake of piling on Nintendo.
Other commenters tried to stress that these were customised characters — something that is very clear in the final ad uploaded to YouTube on Sunday.
Then, as Japanese site My Game News Flash pointed out, some people on Twitter also criticised Nintendo after apparently seeing the commercial, saying Smash Bros. “had sold its soul” or that the simply the group’s appearance in the commercial “made them lose the desire to buy the game.” Vocal folks weren’t happy about AKB48 being used to show the Mii Fighter function. Yikes!
AKB48 appears in a lot of ads — a ridiculous number of them. Like this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, uh, this and more. Perhaps, you can understand why some folks in Japan rolled their eyes after seeing AKB48 popping up in a Super Smash Bros. commercial and had a knee-jerk reaction.
Nintendo has long used idols — whether that’s boy band or girl band members — to sell its games in Japan. It’s not surprising that the same is true for Smash Bros.
スマブラにAKB48が参戦決定！ → 批判殺到ｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ [Hayabusa]
Comments
4 responses to “Japanese Pop Group Causes Super Smash Bros. Criticism”
I too hate akb however, as long as they don’t have tie in character and music dlc I’m fine.
They already done that ad with Lincoln and Elijah Wood as Mii Fighters, it’s really not that different or something someone should care about.
Oh man, another ‘some people on 2ch have opinions!’ Article. Do you think people in Japan have news stories about what some kid on NeoGAF has to say?
Not because of this, no…
Don’t care, want the game. They could use the ghost of Stalin to sell it & I’d still buy the bloody thing.
Nerds overreact as always. Keyboard cowboys would bitch & moan but will buy a copy anyone because their identity is tied completely to their consumption.
Well, this is probably pretty similar to Justin Bieber or One Direction showing up in a commercial for Skyrim or Fable, so I can understand some people’s anger…but at the same time I wouldn’t go flame people on the internet about it. Companies need to make money (Duh) and they’ll do what it takes. As long as the game is still good (and doesn’t include this girl band as ACTUAL characters), I’m on board.