[Update-9:02AM, Jan 18] - As it turned out, our predictions were far off from the announcement. The company unveiled the Nintendo Labo, a series of cardboard pieces that can be made into several fun items such as a robot, piano, and an RC car among many others. Check out the details of the Labo here.
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Nintendo is making a huge announcement on a new kind of interactive experience for the Switch. The company hasn’t revealed any details besides that the “new way to play” will be primarily targeted at younger players. The announcement will be made on Dec 18, 7AM Japan time so that will be at 5PM EST/2PM PST today. The tease was revealed by Nintendo of Japan in a Tweet posted below:
The UK website of Nintendo described the announcement as: "Tune in to discover a new interactive experience for Nintendo Switch that’s specifically crafted for kids and those who are kids at heart."
It seems that Nintendo is really pushing the “surprise announcements” lately, as with the release of a Nintendo Direct Mini a few days ago that revealed several games coming to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS, check out our coverage of the Direct Mini here.
Although the Direct Mini was focused on games, Nintendo’s upcoming announcement will be more about a new way to interact with the Switch, as the company said in their tweet that the new feature will be “specially crafted for kids and those who are kids at heart”. What could this mean for the Switch? Here are some theories as to what it could be.
First, Nintendo may be introducing a new version of the Joy-Cons that could introduce bigger buttons that would make it easier for kids to play. Currently, the Joy-Cons can be difficult to use, especially when detached to the console, given its small design, making it challenging for kids. Or will Nintendo finally redesign the Joy-Cons with themes from classic games like Zelda and Mario?The company could also announce a new version of Amiibos that will make it more interactive and fun to play that could also be interactive on its own, even without a Switch.
On the other hand, Nintendo may be introducing the long-awaited Virtual Console on the Switch that will let players play classic and much simpler games. Even though the Virtual Console may appeal more to older gamers who have nostalgic experiences with these games, this could be Nintendo’s way to introduce older games to a younger generation. Besides, Nintendo said that the announcement is also for “kids at heart” so it’s a possibility, but is also a long shot at the same time because the introduction of a Virtual Console is technically not a new way to interact with the system.
Lastly, and this could be unlikely, will Nintendo introduce a full overhaul of the Switch? It's possible that Nintendo would make it more kid-friendly by introducing new color options that would be more attractive to younger people that will also include the bigger Joy-Cons I mentioned earlier.
Whatever the announcement may be, the good news is that we only have to wait for a few more hours before Nintendo unveils this exciting announcement. What do you think Nintendo is up to? Share your predictions in the comments below.
