Nintendo's fashion-forward clothing boutique game Style Savvy just came out on November 2 for their DS handheld system and you know, I couldn't help but take a peak to find out what it was all about.  Now granted, on the surface this game is clearly marketed towards the pre-teen and tween demographics with its fashion stardom premise and its over-the-top cutesy visuals, but are there are some inherently more sophisticated elements of the game such as business ownership and supply management that interest me.
 
The premise of the game reminds me of MTV's reality fashion show The City -- minus the boys and cleverly planted drama.  Situated in a bustling urban city filled with fashion-obsessed characters and chic shops, you assume the role of an ambitious young entrepreneur who is determined to achieve stardom through owning a successful fashion boutique shop.  As the manager of a start-up called Strata your job is to help your customers pick out cool outfits that match their personality and moods all within their pre-defined budgets. 
 
What really caught my eye with this game is how much effort Nintendo put into the shop management component of Style Savvy.  Once you're given the funds to open your boutique, you'll need to customize the interior to maximize the shopping experience.  What this means is that the right interior design, aesthetics, and musical selection can dramatically effect the purchasing behaviour of your customers.  This requires the player to constantly think about customer experience optimization to maximize profit, which in turn allows you purchase even more pleasing decorations and props.
 

Another interesting facet of the game is the focus on listening to provide your customers with good service and to make sales.  Unlike the stereotypical male-oriented action games which measures success by how well you can defeat your opponents (generally through punching or shooting), to succeed at Style Savvy you need use your empathy and reasoning skills.  There are plenty of characters in the game that will come visit your boutique, and each will have different tastes, motivators and moods. Take the athletic character "Tia" for example, her bio says she's very active and likes to wear comfortable clothes; in order to satisfy her shopping needs you would likely suggest loose-fitting outfits such as cargo pants and a track-and-field jacket. 

 

I will freely admit that all of the above doesn't sound too manly, and rightly it should -- this is a pre-teen female targeted game after all.  Even still, the concepts sound intriguing, if not educational.  With so many mindless hop and bop games out there it's great to see full-on simulation game aimed at girls.  It reminds me of one of my all-time favourite sim games from my youth -- Lemonade Stand -- where the premise is to operate a lemonade business for 30 days taking into consideration supply management, the city's temperature and ingredients of your lemonade mix. The game was math-oriented but still a lot of fun.

 

If you're interested in learning more about Style Savvy, here's the official game feature list:

 

• You can stock your store with items from 16 different in-game designer labels, each with its own distinct style and price point. Style Savvy includes more than 10,000 items and a range of customers with a variety of styles and personalities.

• Every day customers who walk through the door of your shop tell you their shopping budget and the kind of clothing they want. If you make them look good, they’ll be back – or they might even stick around and spend more.

• Once you build up some cash, then it’s time for you to go shopping to stock your store. You can expand your inventory or start getting ready for seasonal changes, which are timed to the calendar of the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system.

• You can make a local wireless connection with up to three of your friends to host a fashion runway contest to see who has the best eye for fashion.

• If two players have Style Savvy game cards, they can connect their Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi systems locally to visit each other’s stores. Players who have broadband wireless Internet access can connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and walk around other players’ stores and browse their best wares. Players can find their favorite coordinates, download them and wear them.

• You can customize the look of your character with different head shapes, eyes and lips. Or you can modify your look by changing your hair color, getting a new hair style or adding makeup.
 
 style-savvy-01.jpg
 
 
To celebrate the launch of Style Savvy, Nintendo hosted a "Fashion Fest" challenge on October 29, 2009 at the JCPenny in Manhattan, NY.  Ten mother-daughter teams competed by searching the Charlotte Ronson department in the kids section of JCPenny to find the best ensemble that fits their style and taste, and within budget.  The winners of the competition were Virgina F. and her daughter, Dontaya M., and the two walked away with a grand prize consisting of: a $500 JCPenny gift certificate, a gift bag from Sephora, two Nintendo DSi systems, two copies of Style Savvy, and clothes and accessories from the event.
 
I managed to locate a news release which contained a couple of photos from the event and a video.  In the video can be seen/heard: Denise Kaigler, of Nintendo of America, fashion designer Charlotte Ronson, and Cynthia Maxwell, of JCPenney.  Check it out:

 


 

Style Savvy is a Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi game developed by syn Sofia and published by Nintendo.  It was released in North America on November 2, 2009.

 

To check out the official website of Style Savvy click here: http://www.stylesavvyds.com

Message Edited by PaulH on 11-05-2009 12:04 AM