I was recently reading about the upcoming release of the Nintendo 3DS, a handheld gaming system with glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. The article I read took a potshot at Nintendo for offering an “Aqua Blue” model in addition to the standard black version.
When I first bought a cell phone in Japan, I noticed an ad for another phone emphasizing the 30+ colors in which it was available. When I mentioned this to someone, they responded that they wanted to buy that specific phone because they didn’t like the color of their current phone. I’ve heard and read various comments by people saying that they bought a new gaming system or phone because they preferred the color of the newly purchased device. Nintendo makes a killing in Japan off of people who buy a new DS each time they release a newly colored model.
The factors that affect my own decision to purchase a device are as follows (in order):
1. Functionality
1a. Actual features (including storage space, available applications, etc.)
1b. Ease of Use
2. Cost
3. Cosmetics
3a. Durability of build
3b. Sleekness of design (compactness)
…
3p. Color
I appreciate the ability to choose the color of a device, especially if I’m going to be spending hundreds of dollars on it. However, were the company to only provide one specific color, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Perhaps if I cared about having a room where all the devices were the exact same color, I might think twice about buying “the wrong color”. But when it comes to a portable gaming, music, or communications device, can you really go wrong with black? Would the lack of a flashy color keep you from buying any specific device? Does that really matter to you?
What do you think? Would you buy something that had fewer helpful features or a higher price solely because you liked the color?
