A German Nintendo Switch commercial features a gamer playing the console on a toilet, also offering up new footage ofMario Kart 8 Deluxemultiplayer gameplay.
For many, the major selling point of theNintendo Switchconsole is that it’s portable. The new Nintendo device features a portable tablet that lets players take their games on the go and although theNintendo Switch battery lifedoesn’t lend itself to extended periods away from the charging station, it’s perfect for short outings. For example, gamers can play it on their lunch break at work, when they’re commuting, or when they’re at the park. Nintendo even wants gamers to play with the console when they’re on the toilet, according to a new Nintendo Switch commercial.
In a commercial published to the German Nintendo Facebook page, the very first scene features someone playing the Nintendo Switch in ‘bathroom mode.’ The player seems perfectly happy playingMario Kart 8 Deluxeon the toilet, taking on a group of friends who race away in the living room, with at one of them using the Nintendo Switch Pro controller. In another scene, an entire class of students play away on their Nintendo Switch systems, zooming about alongside and against their classmates.
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The trailer also highlights the fact thatMario Kart 8 Deluxecan be played by up to eight players in local wireless multiplayer. It’s disappointing thatthe game won’t feature any new tracks, but at least large groups of friends can compete with each other at once.
Although the eight player multiplayer and the somewhat humorous toilet scene are the main talking points of the commercial, the advert also says a lot about Nintendo’s Switch marketing plans. Like theNintendo Switch announcement trailer, this commercial also seems to feature young, college-aged people rather than children or families, which were the target focus of the Nintendo Wii and the Wii U. It’s a curious strategy given that the Nintendo Wii was a huge success because of its cross-generational impact, but perhaps a hyper-focused marketing plan will help the company hits itNintendo Switch sales targets.
It also seems to suggest that Nintendo wants the Switch to oust mobile phones as the perfect toilet companion. The companydoesn’t want the Nintendo Switch to replace the 3DS, but it makes sense that Nintendo would go after smartphone and tablet gamers - the gamers who may want a more powerful gaming experience than the library of games offered on iOS and Android devices. Again, it’s unclear whether this will pay off for the company, but it will be interesting to see how things play out come the console’s launch.
