Game Theory: Nintendo’s SECRET PLAN for the SWITCH!

A comedic mashup of the Nintendo Switch presentation where every snap triggers a Game Theory segment about the Switch.

• Host welcomes viewers to Game Theory • Nintendo marketing team may have confused the Switch presentation with the Nintendo Snap • Previous focus on Undertale, now shifting to the Switch system

Early feelings from fans, cynics, and developers about the Switch have been mixed based on what's been seen so far.

• Mario's canon height creates inconsistencies with Super Mario Odyssey's giant NPCs • If Mario is 5'1", NPCs in the game would be almost 10 feet tall • This raises questions about whether these characters are actually the same species as Mario

• The Switch is a portable yet large device that's somewhat of an oddball in the market • Graphics don't aim to compete with heavy-hitter consoles • Features innovative controllers with haptic feedback capabilities

• Nintendo built its name by setting trends rather than following them • Wii motion controls introduced controller innovation that influences the Switch • Super Nintendo introduced shoulder buttons; GameCube featured a carry handle

• Weird handheld controllers in contrasting colors • Feature HD rumble with ability to mimic tactile feel of objects • 1-2 Switch minigame demonstrates the technology by letting players feel virtual marbles rolling in a box

The Joy-Con controllers combine motion controls and haptic feedback that harken back to Nintendo's successful Wii-mote technology on advanced hardware.

• Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima stated in an interview that Nintendo is studying the feasibility of virtual reality on the Switch • Nintendo has secured a patent for a headset mount designed for virtual reality purposes • The patented headset mount resembles Samsung Gear and Google Daydream designs

Patent documentation reveals that Joy-cons can operate as hand controllers while the main unit is mounted to a VR headset accessory on the user's head, similar to commercial VR systems.

The Switch main unit includes acceleration and velocity sensors that track head movement, directly relating motion shown onscreen to user head position, matching how VR headsets operate.

• Switch at $300 would compete with Facebook, Google, Sony, and Samsung in VR space at a cheaper price • Combines home console and portable gaming with VR capabilities in one device • Offers VR experience at lower cost than competing phone-based VR hybrids

• VR creates an entirely new universe to look into • AR injects the real world with more interesting digital elements • Snapchat filters represent current AR success in consumer technology

• 3DS featured augmented reality games as a major selling point • Pokemon Go generated over 300 million dollars in the first few months and caused a major Nintendo stock price jump • Pokemon Go let players catch Pokemon in real life through a portable screen while walking

• Switch contains a sophisticated infrared motion depth camera in the bottom of the right Joy-con • Camera can differentiate between hand shapes like rock, paper, and scissors • Can detect object distance and is capable of recording full video for AR gameplay in the future

• Joy-cons are easily swappable, allowing release of peripheral Joy-cons with cameras if needed • Patent shows Nintendo tested projecting images and colors into player hands • Camera can sense the outside world and integrate it into Switch gameplay

Switch combines console, handheld, VR, and AR capabilities in one system unlike competitors who build separate devices for each purpose.

• Nintendo traditionally focuses on user experience rather than raw computing power • While Microsoft and Sony emphasize hardware specs, Nintendo pursues different directions • One system offering four ways to play represents a unique market approach

• VR typically demands 90 frames per second with low latency to prevent motion sickness • Switch's 720p screen and processing power may struggle with demanding VR • Augmented Reality is less demanding than VR and works well on lower-power hardware

Nintendo has positioned the Switch to offer complete gaming flexibility for the future, though specific AR and VR features weren't yet fully activated at the time of this analysis.

Nintendo has created one system capable of serving as console, portable device, VR platform, and AR device, offering comprehensive gaming capabilities competitors deliver separately.

Host humorously suggests Nintendo already has all the pieces in place to execute the VR and AR vision and jokingly offers to help implement the strategy.

Host is working on a theory about how Zelda: Breath of the Wild fits into the Zelda timeline and encourages viewers to subscribe for upcoming content.

• Classic Game Theory ending: "That's just a theory, A GAME THEORY" • Thanks for watching • Announcement of the host recording in a closet during production