Nintendo's UK website is teasing an upcoming announcement for the Nintendo Switch.
The message that we've been given relating to the announcement is rather brief and can be widely interpreted.
Tune in to discover a new interactive experience for Nintendo Switch that's specifically crafted for kids and those who are kids at heart.A quick visit to the /r/Nintendo subreddit has brought the Japanese version of the announcement to our attention which, when translated,, presents a slightly different message:
2018年1月18日[木]の朝7時より、 Nintendo Switchを活用した「新しいあそび」を、このページで紹介いたします。
From this morning on January 18, 2018 [Thursday] I will introduce "New play" using Nintendo Switch from 7 o'clock on this page.Between the two, we have a clear similarity between the terms "new play" and "new Interactive experience". The Japanese version seems to drop any information about it being "specifically crafted for kids", although that might not be indicative of the content; it could simply be due to the different way things are marketed in Japan versus the Western world.
Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima has stated that the company is aiming to ship 20 million Nintendo Switch units this year as reported by Nintendo Everything. Speaking to Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, Mr. Kimishima has indicated that one of the tasks the company is facing is to add more users who are not traditional gamers. His overall comments seem to emphasize a focus on "new ways to play".
Beyond this general sentiment, we can't be quite sure what Nintendo has in store. Speculation on the topic goes far and wide as to whether it's new hardware, new software, or both. Is Nintendo diving into the world of virtual reality? Will they be launching some kind of social media or online interactive experience? Unfortunately, we don't have very much to go on beyond a general idea of what Nintendo hopes to do in 2018.
You can tune in to youtube.com/nintendo at 5:00 PM Eastern Time to see the announcement, whatever it may be.
What do you think Nintendo will be announcing tonight? Do you think it will be hardware, software, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments below!
