tl;dr: Five years ago, Nintendo unleashed an absolutely masterful barrage of marketing in the runup to the Switch’s launch on March 3, 2017. Those who remember the catastrophic Wii U marketing from 2012 were blown away that, this time, Nintendo managed a nearly perfect launch. Let’s take a moment to recall how Nintendo created unbelievable hype for the Switch, starting way back in 2015…
**2015**
After revealing the existence of their new, still-unannounced console (codenamed “NX”) in March 2015, Nintendo successfully prevented any major unauthorized leaks about the system. This allowed them to set the narrative, which at the time was “We’re going to make a Mario game for smartphones, but don’t worry, we’re still making a new console too!”
In March 2015, nothing official was known about the “NX,” other than that it was a Nintendo console. Many (correctly) speculated that it would be hybrid (for TVs and handheld), based upon Nintendo’s decision to combine their handheld and console development teams.
Throughout 2015, though, speculation about the NX went wild. There was an entire genre of articles in the enthusiast press (IGN, Kotaku, YouTube creators, etc) about Nintendo’s plans for NX, with ideas about touchscreen controllers, motion sensors, and more. Nintendo made no other major, formal announcements during this year.
**2016**
As rampant speculation continued, the first major marketing announcement for the still-unannounced NX came in April 2016, when Nintendo used Twitter to reveal that the then-untitled Wii U Zelda game (Breath of the Wild) would be delayed until 2017 and would launch on both Wii U and the NX. Months passed without any more official word about either the new console or the new Zelda.
In June 2016, at E3, Nintendo released the first real trailer for Zelda, which finally gave the title: Breath of the Wild. The playable demo, though, used the Wii U, and Nintendo said almost nothing about NX at E3.
Finally, on October 19, 2016, the rollout for the Switch began in earnest. Without warning, Nintendo tweeted that they would reveal their new console early the next day. It’s hard to explain how high the hype level was for this reveal–speculation and ridiculous rumors based on patent filings and active imaginations had been running wild for nearly two years. This was finally the moment that Nintendo would pull back the curtain.
The [October 20, 2016 Switch reveal trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5uik5fgIaI) was unlike anything Nintendo had ever done before, and it was a smashing success. This video is how Nintendo first unveiled the name of the NX as Nintendo Switch. Mainly set to a fun, uptempo American pop song, the video featured actors in their 20s and 30s (unlike Wii U marketing which centered on kids and parents). In an entertaining way, it clearly and concisely explained the central concept for Switch: a hybrid console for use on your TV and handheld. It’s a tablet with detachable, wireless controllers. Yes, this video was ridiculed a bit for the infamous rooftop Switch party, but the video also became the biggest story in gaming for the next several weeks.
Of course, the first video left many questions unanswered, most notably price and release date. In addition, some of the games showed off in the trailer were unconfirmed as actual Switch games. We also didn’t know details about the Switch hardware itself. Does it have a touchscreen? Do the controllers respond to motion? What is battery life like? Speculation around these questions swirled as the Switch got all kinds of media attention and buzz. Nintendo played coy, mostly.
About a week after the initial reveal trailer, they announced an announcement for January 12, 2017 where they promised to answer all of our questions. Then, executives like [Reggie and Miyamoto were dispatched for a surprise demo of the Switch on The Tonight Show in December 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TJ7IUNWGl4).
**2017**
By the time January 12, 2017 rolled around, speculation and hype around all the potential details hidden inside the Switch were again at a fever pitch. The event itself–[a live, Apple-esque press conference with slick videos and amped-up Nintendo executives](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsiRY521Nis)–was live-streamed around the world from Tokyo. This presentation explained the more obscure capabilities of the Switch: HD Rumble, the IR camera, the touchscreen, and motion control in the Joy-Con. By hiding these capabilities for the first few months, Nintendo was able to clearly explain how the Switch works to a mainstream audience. The message was not muddied or too complex for “average” gamers to understand. The release date for the Switch–March 3, 2017–and the price (US$300) was also finally revealed, along with what we thought was the launch lineup.
The January 2017 press event was a new move for Nintendo, the first time they announced a console without first debuting it at a major industry conference, and with a non-traditional, Apple-style stage presentation. The comparison with [Reggie’s Wii U speech at E3 2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKwldXyhSzU) is stark.
Even though Nintendo promised that the January 12 presentation would answer all of our questions about the Switch, many questions remained. Especially unclear was any discussion of the software features in the Switch, including Virtual Console compatibility and the relationship between the Switch and other Nintendo consoles.
Instead of answering questions about specifics from enthusiasts, Nintendo provided a steady stream of solid gold marketing nuggets, aimed at the mainstream consumer, between January 12 and March 2, 2017. They took the Switch on tour, visiting cities around the world to give players a chance to get their hands on the hardware and demos of the new games. Celebrity endorsements (and YouTube stars) came to play as well. Meanwhile, Nintendo made one new game announcement after the next, adding even more to the list of games revealed in the January 12 presentation, and they firmed up release dates for launch-window games like Snipperclips (originally “March 2017” and now “March 3, 2017”). The pacing of these events and announcements kept Switch at the top of gaming headlines nearly every day between January 12 and March 3. Hype built up yet again, as Nintendo gave out little bits of Zelda artwork and announced game after game, particularly from “indie” studios.
Meanwhile, the negative aspects of the console–the lack of any Virtual Console, for example–were revealed only at the very end of the marketing push, after excitement had been clearly established. The “bad news” was effectively buried by the timed embargoes for “Previews” of Switch reviews by major press outlets.
These negative aspects, and the dismal reception of the Wii U, led some to expect the Switch to fail. Many observers doubted that Nintendo would have success with a handheld/hybrid when smartphones and tablets had seemingly captured the “casual” gaming crowd. Others thought the price was too high, or that the system lacked features, or that it was underpowered and unable to power the kinds of games that would capture attention amid the explosion of movies and TV on streaming platforms.
Finally, as March 3, 2017 dawned, many retailers created midnight launches, and Breath of the Wild was one of the best-reviewed games in game history. The system became a hot commodity, and hard to find at retail throughout 2017. That scarcity has continued through most of the past 5 years, with demand often outstripping supply of the Switch.
Fast forward to today, five years later, and of course the Switch has been a tremendous success. It recently become Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all time, even outperforming the legendary sales of the Wii. A lot of this success came because of the fantastic marketing push at the Switch’s launch. Here’s to the next five years.
*This is a revised and expanded version of [a post](https://old.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/5x4nzq/nintendo_switch_launch_a_marketing_masterpiece/) I initially made on the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit on March 2, 2017.