For the first time ever, Nintendo will run an ad during the Super Bowl. The 30-second spot, which along with an extended 90-second version can be seen here:

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The ad also features a new song by Imagine Dragons called “Believer” that premiered worldwide Jan. 31.

The star of the ad, which is scheduled to run during the game’s fourth quarter on Feb. 5, is Nintendo Switch, which combines the power of a home console with the mobility of a hand-held video game system.

The star of the ad, which is scheduled to run during the game’s fourth quarter on Feb. 5, is Nintendo Switch, which combines the power of a home console with the mobility of a hand-held video game system. People can play on their TVs at home, then grab Nintendo Switch and continue playing seamlessly wherever they go.

The ad also shows off The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which breaks conventions to become the next defining moment in the classic franchise. It offers the most immersive world that Nintendo has ever created and sends players on an adventure they will never forget.

“The most anticipated video game system and video game of the year will be seen on the biggest stage of the year,” said Nicolas Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Marketing. “Nintendo Switch will change how, when and where people play games. It’s only fitting that we’re changing how, when and where we advertise those games.”

The soundtrack to Nintendo’s ad, “Believer” by Imagine Dragons, is available now on iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon mp3 and Spotify, and is part of an upcoming new album from the band. This is not the first collaboration between Nintendo and Imagine Dragons, whose members are longtime fans of the video game company and The Legend of Zelda franchise. At The Game Awards in 2014, the band closed the show by performing a medley of music from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask with veteran Nintendo composer Koji Kondo.

The extended cut of the ad demonstrates the versatility of Nintendo Switch by showcasing the system in a variety of locations where home video games are not traditionally played, from a classroom to a kitchen to a laundromat. It also shows a number of upcoming single- and multiplayer games for the system, and how Nintendo Switch introduces fun new ways to play.

The names and launch timing of Nintendo Switch games featured in the extended cut include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (March 3), 1-2-Switch (March 3), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April), ARMS (spring), Splatoon 2 (summer), Just Dance 2017 from Ubisoft (March 3) and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers from Capcom (launch timing TBD). Nintendo Switch will be available at a suggested retail price of $299.99.

Source: GBAtemp Inbox

 

[duffmmann]

pokemon company, different than nintendo

Part owned by Nintendo, and you can't deny that that ad was obviously made by the same marketing team.

 

[thorasgar]

pokemon company, different than nintendo

KFC different than Taco Bell

 

[duffmmann]

I definitely believe these are all made by the same marketing team, I'd be shocked if they weren't:

 

[osaka35]

Part owned by Nintendo, and you can't deny that that ad was obviously made by the same marketing team.

KFC different than Taco Bell

*shrugs* legal differentiations and technicalities i suppose. 1/3rd nintendo ownership of the pokemon company, 100% owners of nintendo. they probably use the same PR, agreed.

 

[player594]

But Nintendo bought into pokemon didn't they. It's not like it was their original idea.

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[duffmmann]

But Nintendo bought into pokemon didn't they. It's not like it was their original idea.

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They didn't have the original idea, but they funded the original idea, hence the part ownership.

 

[player594]

But still not theirs. I believe ownership belongs to whomever had the original idea.

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[Sonansune]

just dance with joy-con? it's like the copy cat mini game in 12switch.

capture camera is way better

 

[osaka35]

But still not theirs. I believe ownership belongs to whomever had the original idea.

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it's still split, and nintendo was there at the ground floor, so it's not unreasonable to think nintendo has the most clout with the ownership and direction of the franchise. As financial backer, they could have bought at least half of the ownership from the beginning. but it's oddly complicated. Here's link a that explains how exactly confusing it actually is.

http://toucharcade.com/2016/07/28/who-owns-pokemon-anyway-its-complicated/

 

[player594]

Doesn't really matter. I never could get interested in pokemon. I tried the new Moon on 3ds but still bores me. Give me FF or Deus Ex any day. Just my taste though. Don't hate.

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[MushGuy]

That is where I always play my portable consoles.

And my Wii U.

 

[migles]

soo much pretty people... too perfect... such a perfect world nintendo did in this commercial lol

anyway, at 1:15 is that kid laundering his nintendo switch? come on, he took it from the washing machine!!!
and just after that at 1:21 there is something so wrong here... the tablet is facing to the camera, there is a bunch of people in the back, what a awkward thing.... how do they know who is wining? thye just see 2 people poiting at each other, so awkward... seriously.. i know the game is made to look at each other face but come on, i don't even think it works well "on the paper" how does it work well in real life? maybe if you have a stage and a huge screen in the back, 2 oponents are called to the stage to fight... it's seems a great entertainment in a bar that they used to do karaoke or something...
but not how the video shows it, blagh...

 

[player594]

soo much pretty people... too perfect... such a perfect world nintendo did in this commercial lol

anyway, at 1:15 is that kid laundering his nintendo switch? come on, he took it from the washing machine!!!
and just after that at 1:21 there is something so wrong here... the tablet is facing to the camera, there is a bunch of people in the back, what a awkward thing.... how do they know who is wining? thye just see 2 people poiting at each other, so awkward... seriously.. i know the game is made to look at each other face but come on, i don't even think it works well "on the paper" how does it work well in real life? maybe if you have a stage and a huge screen in the back, 2 oponents are called to the stage to fight... it's seems a great entertainment in a bar that they used to do karaoke or something...
but not how the video shows it, blagh...

Me thinks your putting way too much thought into this.

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[BORTZ]

I kinda wanna wait to see it during the superbowl itself.

 

[thorasgar]

I kinda wanna wait to see it during the superbowl itself.

I am always taking a piss during the good ads.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Source: GBAtemp Inbox

What the heck does this mean?

 

[Xzi]

Huh, neat song, but I don't think they did that good a job with the commercial. It really looks like they're pushing the "wii" aspect of the Switch, with the motion/party games. I can't see that catering to the dudebro or older 30-somethings that watch the Super Bowl.

The Pokemon Super Bowl commercial they did last year, or was it for the Olympics? I forget. That one was pretty good. This one...doesn't really get me motivated to buy a Switch at all.

Eh, it was pretty much exactly half-and-half motion control games, which is about half of what they have coming out for Switch in the early days anyway so it makes sense. If none of those games sell worth a damn they might drop the adverts for them, but I think ARMS will be a surprise hit and 1-2-Switch has already sold way more copies than I would've expected it to.

Also worth noting of course that the 30-second spot that will actually air during the Super Bowl only shows Zelda. The longer commercial is for running elsewhere after the Super Bowl.

 

[foob]

Compliments to the ad agency.

Perfect song to generate excitement. Song complements the video well. 300x better than the reveal video. "I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been." That is what's needed to convince those ulimately underwhelmed with the Wii / Wii U approach (millions of them). There were some hints of Wii-esque crapola in that video, but they were brief, and I guess they had to show the breadth of what the unit is capable of.

Beginning of the video perfectly shows the unit is portable.
The ending showing the parts sliding in was very effective.
There is no way it will sell only around 13 million after several years like the Wii U, even if the third-parties abandon the platform. It will sell more & sell faster, if games go to plan.

I think Nintendo have some big weapons to save any disasters:
* low cost of manufacture (so they can reduce prices easily if need be). I suspect this to be far cheaper to manufacture than the PS4 or Xbox One
* they can produce "home console only" and "portable unit only" units in future, to further reduce costs (and at lower prices again) once the Switch brand has been well-established.
* they can drive home portable local multiplayer incessantly, which the competition can't do
* they need to drive home how different it is to the Wii and why people should get one, so this is hybrid portable is the last (?) 'gimmick' they have in their bag.

Advertising like this is a very good start.

 

[duffmmann]

Doesn't really matter. I never could get interested in pokemon. I tried the new Moon on 3ds but still bores me. Give me FF or Deus Ex any day. Just my taste though. Don't hate.

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I don't see how that's really relevant to the question of if the Pokemon ad last year counts as Nintendo's first Super Bowl ad. I still think it does. It would be like if there was a Kirby commercial, I'd consider that a Nintendo commercial as well even though he's only a second party character. He's still part owned by Nintendo and like Pokemon is iconic as a Nintendo franchise.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

What the heck does this mean?

It means GBAtemp has a press email that they get stuff sent to