Nintendo fans pick apart Switch reveal video
And find not all is as it seems.
Late last week, Nintendo Switch was unveiled to the world via a slick trailer. Now, new information has surfaced after fans picked apart the video in minute detail.
One of the actors from the trailer's Splatoon section, Twitch streamer Dickhiskhan, has broken his silence via a GameExplain interview. The trailer was shot in mid-September amid tight security, and actors were filmed holding dummy units.
Gameplay footage of Nintendo Switch software was then added in post-production, he continued. (Dickhiskhan plays the bearded Splatoon player near the end of the trailer seen wearing a red tank top).
While the camera trickery may be surprising to some fans, others had already noticed how the gameplay had been pasted on to the Nintendo Switch unit. For example, in this shot the screen's bottom corner can just be seen overlapping the actor's arm:
Nintendo fans who noticed the effect were fairly split in response - some complained the trailer didn't actually show real units in the wild, while others said the video did its job of illustrating the system's concept months before final units were ready.
The trailer concludes with the advisory: "Game footage not final, graphics and features subject to change."
Actors were given hands-on playtime with Splatoon's Wii U version so they could accurately mimic its controls for Switch. They were also told Switch's name right before recording took place. Before this, the console's name and logo had been covered up by black tape.
Eurogamer contacted Nintendo regarding the trailer's production and asked how it was all put together.
"This video is all about explaining how the Nintendo Switch works," a UK spokesperson said. "We wanted to convey in a self-contained video how Nintendo Switch represents a new era for video game systems enjoyed in front of a TV, by letting gamers play anywhere, anytime, with anyone they choose. It adds the mobility of a portable system to the power of a home gaming system.
"At a later date, before the March launch, we'll be talking about things like exact launch date, and of course, the games. You shouldn't assume what you saw on the video represents actual game footage and further specifics on first-party games will be provided later."
All in all, Nintendo's reveal puts together the system's core message well - there has been no repeat of the confusion around the initial Wii U unveiling. Questions still remain around the Switch's launch date, price and line-up of software, but what we're really waiting to hear are technical specs to see if the system's final version matches up with trailer's gameplay.