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[WordAssassin]

It's odd, because the extended cut does a much better job imagining all the places you might use it undocked.

Both cuts are fine IMO it's just strange to start it there. It's a versatile machine and the commercial shows that in spades I'm just really surprised they opened with it being a handheld.

I wanted to disagree with you here, but I really can't. I feel like the commercial is relying on people treating Zelda as a "console" game to get the whole "home console" message across. As you pointed out though, people who haven't been following this might get the impression that it is a tablet that can be docked.

I honestly can't decide whether or not that's a bad thing for them. Products like the Microsoft Surface have IMO changed the public perception of what "standard" devices are. Your average consumer might not even know that you can still buy a traditional desktop PC right now.

Yeah I don't know if it will hurt them in any way I was just really surprised to see them do a total 180 from the message they've been pushing since the reveal. It's one thing to go "Oh so it's a GameBoy I can play on my TV" and another to go "Wait holy shit what just happened he took that thing out of the TV and can play on the go?"

It works both ways, and it makes sense to have it in HH-mode first in this scenario. A user would be more likely to use the system in HH-mode when they wake up, and shift to dock-mode when they settle in a room.

The thing is, if Nintendo's message is "this is a console you can take with you", which it is, then opening the ad with it in handheld mode is a terrible, terrible way to get that across.

This is going to be played at the height of the Super Bowl. Millions of people are going to see it, and for many of them, it will be their first introduction to the Nintendo Switch. Instead of them seeing someone playing Zelda on a console, and having that "OH SHIT" moment when the person gets off the couch and slides the JoyCons into the Dock and then pulls out the screen and keeps playing, they're showing someone plug a GameBoy into a TV to continue playing on a bigger screen. That it's a GOTCHA moment, and it's the opposite of everything they've been saying about it being a console you can take with you, NOT a handheld you play on TV.

Again, who knows if it will hurt them or their message in any meaningful way, and of course showing someone just waking up and grabbing their Switch in handheld mode is suited for that particular situation, but it should not have opened with that if Nintendo wants people to see it as a console you take with you. That could have come later in the ad. The hook of all the previous Switch marketing has been that moment where the player gets up off their couch and, holy shit, takes the console apart and it has a screen and they just keep playing. That moment is totally lost in this commercial.

But, as a Zelda-centric commercial and not a Switch-focused one, it's totally fine. The problem is it's going to be both to a ton of people who don't know what the Switch is.

 

[ekgrey]

Most people who buy pick up trucks don't haul giant trailers or drive off road or winch stuff. But those things are in truck commercials.

I was agreeing with the comment you replied to but you make a good point. Hmm. Like pretty much everything to do with the Switch, I have very conflicting thoughts. I just don't know what to think about any of it yet.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

The extended cut 👏

Their marketing is working overtime to compensate for the underwhelming presentation.

Also, there really does seem to be a huge disconnect between execs and the marketing department. It is a portable first device in all of the promotional material, despite Nintendo execs constantly insisting the opposite.

 

[Not]

The extended cut 👏

Their marketing is working overtime to compensate for the underwhelming presentation.

Also, there really does seem to be a huge disconnect between execs and the marketing department. It is a portable first device in all of the promotional material, despite Nintendo execs constantly insisting the opposite.

It's them covering their asses about not making any actual consoles for 5 more years

 

[LegendofLex]

Then why put out a Super Bowl ad if your audience is so targeted?

Zelda is probably the brand in Nintendo's stable that's underperforming the worst relative to its market potential. (The genre it's in has exploded over the last 10 years, but the series' sales have contracted.) So I get why Nintendo would focus on it. Worked wonders for Pokemon last year.

I agree that the opportunity they're missing is to show off the console's value to families. But I think that value is going to be built up slowly over time anyway. Zelda's value to gamers - not just people who play games now but anyone who's ever played them - is the punch behind Switch's launch.

The extended cut ��

Their marketing is working overtime to compensate for the underwhelming presentation.

Also, there really does seem to be a huge disconnect between execs and the marketing department. It is a portable first device in all of the promotional material, despite Nintendo execs constantly insisting the opposite.

The focus of their advertising strategy is user stories. It makes sense that they'd show Switch being played in a variety of ways, and most of those varieties don't involve a TV.

 

[GifGafIsTheBestGaf]

that was a good ad

 

[Paul Gale]

Excellent commercial. On top of this, the new, nearly 5 minute Nintendo UK trailer, is also great.

 

[ioriyagami]

Same here, each day that passes wounds me with sadness seeing USA collapse, while getting me closer to Switch's release. It's my relief.

I would not want to be you the day you finish Zelda BotW...

 

[Version 3.0]

Have you played Wario Ware or any other minigame party game???

Yes, I'm a fan. I think I own every WarioWare game (6 of them). None of them tell you not to look at the screen.

 

[Crazyorloco]

I would not want to be you the day you finish Zelda BotW...

By the time he finishes it they'll be more games to enjoy. Zelda games are pretty long.

 

[Daschysta]

This is actually pretty huge. I'm convinced the Pokemon go ad had an effect on the phenomenon it ended up being. Some people seriously watch the superbowl for the commercials securing this ad amd ponying up for it is a big deal. Now follow it up with some more bits like their fallon preview and they'll be in good shape on terms of mindshare, best for a console launch since the wii. Alot more people will know what the switch is after the game. Good job Ninty!

 

[Not]

I would not want to be you the day you finish Zelda BotW...

At which point he'll probably retreat back into hard drugs

Better make a sequel with the same engine, Nintendo

 

[rekameohs]

Marketing department continues to deliver with Switch. Hopefully the top brass also know what they're doing.

 

[marc^o^]

I would not want to be you the day you finish Zelda BotW...

You're trying to say Switch has no game. I'm excited by most games it has, the little ones, Bomberman, Tetris, Street Fighter, Arms, all these multiplayer titles I will play with people close to me. Switch is a social platform, and it's exactly what I need now.

 

[Good Guy Gone Bad]

Why on god's green earth would they do this? Have you ever seen a commercial, that didn't feature a 1-800 number at the end or specifically advertise a price-drop/black friday sale, do this?

Yes?

Every single car commercial that has ever existed in the history of mankind.

A relevant gaming commercial would be this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dQyq5krdXI which does not specifically advertise a price drop or black friday sale.

 

[PeterGAF]

Also, there really does seem to be a huge disconnect between execs and the marketing department. It is a portable first device in all of the promotional material, despite Nintendo execs constantly insisting the opposite.

Only because the Nintendo execs aren't ready do discontinue the 3DS. The 3DS is still selling well. Once the 3DS's life is over and Nintendo discontinues it (about 2 years or so) the Switch will be marketed as their handheld replacement. Maybe we'll even get a smaller model without the dock. I think we all understand that they're not going to make another standalone hand held.

Obviously the marketing team is going to make a big deal about the portable nature of the system. It's the "big thing" that separates the Switch from its competition.

 

[Spinifex]

I showed this commercial to a non-gamer who has a super casual interest in gadgets / gaming. She watched it relatively nonplussed until the bit where the guy docks it and is now playing on the TV and literally said 'woah'.

Nintendo might really hit this one out of the park, but they do snatch defeat from the jaws of victory better than anyone else.

 

[ggx2ac]

This is actually pretty huge. I'm convinced the Pokemon go ad had an effect on the phenomenon it ended up being. Some people seriously watch the superbowl for the commercials securing this ad amd ponying up for it is a big deal. Now follow it up with some more bits like their fallon preview and they'll be in good shape on terms of mindshare, best for a console launch since the wii. Alot more people will know what the switch is after the game. Good job Ninty!

There was no Pokémon Go ad for the Superbowl. It was just an ad celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pokémon.

 

[Otnopolit]

Nice to see some positivity about the Switch picking up again!

 

[Jubenhimer]

Agree to disagree on Metroid Prime 3 and the Galaxy games. The pointer and waggle there hurt my enjoyment of those games. The GC prime games were better IMO with their traditional controls, and I'd have liked the Galaxy games more with just standard controls and the pointing to collect and shoot stars bits removed.

You're actually one of the few people I see complain about the controls of Galaxy and Metroid Prime. It's fine to not like them, however, many will argue that the pointer controls in the Prime games for Wii obliterate the GameCube control scheme due it's speed and precision that can't be replicated with an analog stick.

I just have a dislike of motion controls. Gaming is my complete veg out and be a lazy turd mode after long days of work, excercise etc. I want to slouch in my recliner and move minimally.

That's a fair argument, and I agree that not every game works well with motion controls. But to get rid of them entirely just stifles the creativity of the developers, and also handicaps the Switch for when the inevitable Nintendo VR arrives. It's okay if you don't like them, but more options for developers and gamers should always be a plus.

For the casual stuff, it's just whatever to me. I certainly don't meant stuff like Splatoon. I just have zero interest in Wii Sports, Just Dance, 1 2 Switch type of games. And I get Nintendo does their own things and has to as there's really no room for them to chance the core gamer market and that their games just don't appeal to a lot of Sony/MS fans that are just into the big AAA stuff with realistic graphics/art styles.

It's cool. I'm not saying you need to play the newest from Angry Birds or Just Dance, but it's important for gamers to be more accepting of different types of games. Appealing to casual gamers is not only important for the growth of the industry, but it also lead to more diversity in the games that get made as well. Gaming has become a lot more diverse and accepted as a medium in the past 10 years, and I'd argue Nintendo's Blue Ocean Philosophy played a major role in that growth.

Anyway, screw it. I'm not going to waffle. I'll keep my preorder. If it's 2018 and I'm not liking it I'll just sell it off. If nothing else it should give me the 5ish games a year that are a nice change of pace from the stuff I play most of the time on PS4/PC that the Wii U/3DS combo gave me without having to own two devices.

Don't let my opinions influence your decision. The Switch has some flaws right now for sure, but it's in a much better position than the Wii U was, which already failed the moment it was unveiled.

 

[watershed]

Nintendo is going all in on the Switch hype. I really, really hope they deliver.

 

[HeySeuss]

I think it will actually benefit them with preorders being sold out because this commercial will generate interest which will lead people to find out that it's sold out already and word of mouth could make it a must have item for quite some time just like the Wii.

That's a bold strategy Cotton...

 

[Crazyorloco]

This is actually pretty huge. I'm convinced the Pokemon go ad had an effect on the phenomenon it ended up being. Some people seriously watch the superbowl for the commercials securing this ad amd ponying up for it is a big deal. Now follow it up with some more bits like their fallon preview and they'll be in good shape on terms of mindshare, best for a console launch since the wii. Alot more people will know what the switch is after the game. Good job Ninty!

Yeah I think if they put this on Ellen and Fallon maybe in the summer it'll continue the momentum.

The song selected just came out yesterday too . I wonder how they got together to work on this. Great work.

 

[Owari]

Well the music is horrible, but a great showcase of what the console can do. Basically confirming to the mass audience this is the Wii 2, and it's portable. This commercial I feel will really sell the average non-gamer a Switch.

Let's just hope the average superbowl viewer has terrible musical taste. (Honestly this type of music is perfect for the audience, it's a well chosen track, even though it's awful)

 

[jaypah]

Well the music is horrible, but a great showcase of what the console can do. Basically confirming to the mass audience this is the Wii 2, and it's portable. This commercial I feel will really sell the average non-gamer a Switch.

Let's just hope the average superbowl viewer has terrible musical taste. (Honestly this type of music is perfect for the audience, it's a well chosen track, even though it's awful)

Before your edit I was about to say you'd have to compare it to music in other commercials. I can't think of many songs from commercials unless it's the whole "simple instrumentation of well known song with breathy voice singing" type. I agree that this music is fine for a mass audience.

 

[CharminUltra]

Man, this commercial makes me wish I had pre-ordered a Switch.

Oh wait, I already did. Two of 'em!

 

[jimmytutron]

why does everyone hate the music :c i love imagine dragons

 

[BlastProcessing]

I think you missed it, because that was exactly my point: you don't need a Switch to playact Harry Potter. You can use a wand, or yes, just a stick. I fail to see why you'd want to be tied to a $300 screen that says "don't look at me".

Or, to put it simply, 1-2 Switch looks really stupid and useless. Only Nintendo would think removing the "video" from video game is a good way to sell a video game.

I take it you've never played Johann Sebastian Joust? These types of games can be fantastically fun. There is actually a pretty large field of indie games that are focused on the idea of pulling games away from screens. You seem to have lost sight of the fundamental joy of play.

 

[Not]

Man, this commercial makes me wish I had pre-ordered a Switch.

Oh wait, I already did. Two of 'em!

Can I have the one you don't want? I've got... *raises eyebrows up and down*

Spoiler

money

 

[Agent Unknown]

Wow, one of the best ads they have ever done, absolutely light years ahead in competence compared to Wii U marketing and it's about time they did a Super Bowl spot. Between this and things like the Jimmy Fallon demo, if they can keep this kind of messaging up then they have a good shot at making Switch into a must-have product in the public eye.

Edit: Just watched the extended version, too much focus on motion play, still a good ad but messaging isn't as tight and concise for the masses as it should be like the 30 second spot. Should've have just stuck with Zelda and the core concept of the system, let people discover the party games later if they want. I really hope on Monday my feed isn't filled with news posts about how all those people who saw the Superbowl ad are wondering if this is "a new Wii product?"

 

[Not]

Before your edit I was about to say you'd have to compare it to music in other commercials. I can't think of many songs from commercials unless it's the whole "simple instrumentation of well known song with breathy voice singing" type. I agree that this music is fine for a mass audience.

Whenever someone says "mass audience" in a sentence about entertainment preferences I only hear "white people control the most monetary assets in the US"

 

[Mushroomer25]

There was no Pokémon Go ad for the Superbowl. It was just an ad celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pokémon.

While it wasn't an official GO ad, I feel like that ad was a celebration of the same themes that made GO a hit. It reminded people Pokémon existed, fanned some nostalgic flames, and made it easier to capitalize upon once GO & S/M came out.

It's impossible to track the actual correlation, but TPC definely planned on the ad having an impact on their future releases.

 

[Fantastical]

While it wasn't an official GO ad, I feel like that ad was a celebration of the same themes that made GO a hit. It reminded people Pokémon existed, fanned some nostalgic flames, and made it easier to capitalize upon once GO & S/M came out.

It's impossible to track the actual correlation, but TPC definely planned on the ad having an impact on their future releases.

Well Red and Blue were also coming out right after the Superbowl last year.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Whenever someone says "mass audience" in a sentence about entertainment preferences I only hear "white people control the most monetary assets in the US"

I find this funny, when rap & R&B tracks have dominated the Billboard charts for years now. Imagine Dragons are in the wierd outlier of commercially popular modern rock acts.

Though at the same time, you're not exactly hearing Black Beatles or Bad & Boujee in Super Bowl ads.

Well Red and Blue were also coming out right after the Superbowl last year.

I don't think TPC spent Super Bowl ad money to push an eShop release of two GBC games. I have to imagine they intended it as part of a bigger campaign to make Pokémon relevant with nostalgic millennials. Which worked, beyond all expectations.

 

[Astral Dog]

Wait,this is a Zelda co.mercial

 

[Wandering Robot]

I really hope this all-cylinders-fired marketing Nintendo has pulled off so far makes a difference. This is another solid entry in that direction, but only time will tell.

 

[UltimaPooh]

With the thing sold out... this seems useless.

 

[Gaz_RB]

Is there anyway to get this and play Zelda at launch at this point?

 

[Owensboro]

Then why put out a Super Bowl ad if your audience is so targeted?

Superbowl adds aren't always about straight advertising, they're also about promoting brand recognition. Hell, there was a Maserati add last Super Bowl and I can almost guarantee that 95% of the audience watching was/is never going to buy one.

why does everyone hate the music :c i love imagine dragons

Music is just super subjective. I think it's perfectly fine with the music hits being big moments (docking the switch + boss smacks ground) and thematcially it's sticking to their portable AND home console message ("I'm tired of the way things have been" and "You make me a believer").

 

[Cerium]

Is there anyway to get this and play Zelda at launch at this point?

Camp out at a retailer and pray.

 

[brad-t]

With the thing sold out... this seems useless.

It's not sold out. Preorders are sold out.

 

[goldenpp72]

With the thing sold out... this seems useless.

You can build momentum that last despite being sold out, like Wii was. Not saying it will work but, Nintendo needs to have mindshare and hype going into launch sold out or not.

 

[Astral Dog]

With the thing sold out... this seems useless.

Sould out like Wii U or really sold out?
We will know by May

 

[massoluk]

Extended cut is amazing

 

[Astral Dog]

Wow, one of the best ads they have ever done, absolutely light years ahead in competence compared to Wii U marketing and it's about time they did a Super Bowl spot. Between this and things like the Jimmy Fallon demo, if they can keep this kind of messaging up then they have a good shot at making Switch into a must-have product in the public eye.

Edit: Just watched the extended version, too much focus on motion play, still a good ad but messaging isn't as tight and concise for the masses as it should be like the 30 second spot. Should've have just stuck with Zelda and the core concept of the system, let people discover the party games later if they want. I really hope on Monday my feed isn't filled with news posts about how all those people who saw the Superbowl ad are wondering if this is "a new Wii product?"

Tell them its the Zelda machine

 

[vaporeon]

That song really doesn't fit the extended cut for this commercial...like at all, lol.

 

[Agent Unknown]

Tell them its the Zelda machine

Might as well, that's what the 30 second spot does.

 

[-Horizon-]

I just watched the extended cut. That was good. That was real good. I liked it. Glad they're working in that click with the song.
And I think imagine dragons was a good choice.

 

[Rran]

While I really enjoyed the commercial, it's kinda funny that you could just replace the Switch with the Wii U in that setting.

 

[Dark Cloud]

lol Nintendo did it! It's good enough to get the exposure. That's all they needed to do.