Catch Pokemon for Big Macs in Japan

[Keane Ng]

Catch Pokemon for Big Macs in Japan

Nintendo and McDonald's are partnering for a promotion that allows Pokemon players in Japan to receive free burgers for collecting digital Pokemon stamps on their DS.

True story: Last week I went to Burger King solely for the purpose of buying a Kid's Meal so I could get my hands on the Pokemon cards they were packaging with the food. I thought that was pretty neat, but this Nintendo-McDonalds partnership is looking to take Pokemon-fast food cross-promotions to a whole new level. By collecting digital Pokemon stamps at McDonald's, DS owners will be able to trade their "Pokemon" for free burgers.

Though I'm not entirely sure how it works in detail, the promotion seems rather like the "sandwich cards" you get at delis like Subway, where if you buy a certain number of subs and get your card punched for each one, you get a free sandwich. Except, obviously, instead of punched holes, here you're collecting Pokemon.

Seems that some McDonald's branches in Japan are going to feature WiFi hotspots dubbed "Nintendo Zones," and you just need to bring in your DS and download a Pokemon stamp, and you're all good. Collect eight of them to earn yourself a cheeseburger, or save up sixteen and you'll have enough for a Big Mac.

Besides "only in Japan" and "great, now I'm hungry," the main thought this news brings to mind is how this promotion is the complete opposite of what I thought Nintendo was going for with the PokeWalker [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92264-Train-Pokemon-While-Walking-In-Gold-Silver-Remakes], the pedometer revealed last week that lets you train your Pokemon while you walk. That, on some level, must have been to promote physical fitness, as Nintendo would nowadays. This, though, can only promote the consumption of unhealthy foods. Oh well. If you're really burgin' I guess you can always power walk to McDonald's.

[Via Japanator [http://www.japanator.com/elephant/post.phtml?pk=10172]]



Permalink

 

[D_987]

Very clever - it'll get a lot of publicity and encourages children to play Pokemon.

 

[headshotcatcher]

Thats kinda sad, I'd use it though

The pokewalker is ACTUALLY sad though, not having to play entirely ruins the game..

 

[El Poncho]

Pokemon is seeming more appealing to me again, we should all buy it and we can get free food!

 

[WrongSprite]

Fucking.

Win.

Why is it just in Japan? =[

 

[Altorin]

This is... not good, lol.

The next generation in japan will have an abundance of sumo wrestlers.

Kind of an odd deal for the "Healthy Alternative" Nintendo is fostering in the states.. maybe that's only for this side of the pacific.

 

[Legion]

The Japanese seem to have an art for marketing.

Strange though, as I thought healthy eating was strongly promoted in Japan.

 

[A random person]

Why haven't we (America) done this yet? We're the fast food capital of the universe, you'd think executives would be all over this.

 

[Hazy]

Oh, for a minute there I thought they were stuffing bite-sized toys within Big Macs >_<
Thats pretty clever, and will undoubtedly get more sales for both Pokemon and McDonalds.

 

[minarri]

I'd be too embarrassed to try using that service.

Also I doubt my tiny McDonald's is really going to do that, but then who knows?

 

[squid5580]

Why haven't we (America) done this yet? We're the fast food capital of the universe, you'd think executives would be all over this.

Not only that here in Canada our Mcdonald's play zones are jam packed with Nintendo gear. Seems like a good fit

 

[Cousin_IT]

...tomorrow im gonna have to go get a big mac meal now

 

[RICK BO]

So now kids just tape their pokewalker to the side of the washing machine and sit outside mc donalds until they have enough for some greasy, sweaty, undercooked, soggy-(Yes, I used to work there)-flavoured shrink-burgers.

 

[stormcaller]

Between thisand the pedometer, I'm sure Japanese kids are fucking confused.

Maybe they should walk to their local Maccas'?

 

[Pendragon9]

Very clever Japan. Just when I thought you couldn't throw another curveball, this comes out.

 

[randommaster]

Thats kinda sad, I'd use it though

The pokewalker is ACTUALLY sad though, not having to play entirely ruins the game..

The pokewalker isn't some magical device that plays the game for you, it's just another daycare, but instead of walking around in the game, you wank around in the real world.

This is... not good, lol.

The next generation in japan will have an abundance of sumo wrestlers.

Kind of an odd deal for the "Healthy Alternative" Nintendo is fostering in the states.. maybe that's only for this side of the pacific.

Well, you have to remember that if you want a burger RIGHT NOW, then you have to go to eight different McDonalds since there's probably a time restriction on this. Also, McDonalds isn't nearly as popular in Japan as it is in the U.S. while the DS and pokemon are very popular.

This annoys me personally because Japan is also getting a WiFi Jirachi event in a few days, which is just one more thing to miss out on.

 

[joystickjunki3]

I wish I was in Japan right now because I could totally go for a Big Mac right now. I don't give a shit about Whoppers, to be honest.

 

[LoopyDood]

Hold on - Why the fuck is the meat red?

I think that image just turned me off of McDonald's forever.

 

[Trivun]

Oh boy, I was into Pokemon when I was a kid then gsve up on it, now I'm into retro gaming I've gotten into Pokemon again, for a friend's birthday tonight we went on a fancy dress pub crawl with Pokemon as the theme

Anyway, this seems awesome, it's Pokemon (which is always good) and burgers combined. What could be better than that?!?

 

[I III II X4]

Hold on - Why the fuck is the meat red?

I think that image just turned me off of McDonald's forever.

It's the blood of the pokemon no doubt. What else would Mickey D's be doing with them?

Kangaroo meat is expensive, after all...