The launch of Nintendo Switch 2 is on our doorstep, full of sound and fury, which means the click-paste of a million-consuming joys, and I appreciate it.
There are not many technological gadgets that generate this type of buzz, although I suppose that Nintendo can be dependent to create it. I still remember the Wii Mania, and the original Nintendo switch was also not to be of the “essential department”. This may be why, a few hours before the official launch, I rushed to the Nintendo store of the Rockefeller Center to take the temperature of the inhabitants. Did they line up for Switch 2 even if Nintendo has already set up a lottery system that said you could only buy only $ 449 consoles if your name was chosen?
They were … sort of.
At the back of the line, there were a pair of live women dressed like characters from Super Mario Bros. They told me that they usually spread by playing games. I asked if they and everyone were aligned to access the console. The couple, who never interrupted the stream, laughed and explained that the dozens of standing players shoulder on shoulder on the 48th Street were all online to have a chance to play Super Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2.
Under a large white tent, more than a dozen players held controllers with cables that served hidden switching consoles. The fact that no one could see the new equipment did not matter to enthusiastic players who all tried to sail in Mario’s chaotic world on dynamic 42 inch displays.
Besides the tent, Princess Peach and Yoshi defended photos, and Mario’s unconditional fans were in a hug.
Unlike the noisy space outside, it was completely calm inside the Nintendo store, where a DJ played the air and a pair of Nintendo Switch 2 windows was empty. I guess they were waiting until midnight to slide a pair of consoles inside.
Nintendo’s staff looked pleasant if it is a bit on board. I think they knew that the tenor could change at midnight, because desperate customers aligned themselves, whether or not they have the special pass.
I suppose that some will be spectators, hoping for an overview of the first owner Nintendo Switch 2 (maybe they want all the highest). Others could be leftover Mario Games, still there, trying to win the race.
There was purity to the whole scene. The excitement did not feel forced; There was no media threshing masters, trying to flush the crowd in anticipation of the big day.
Nintendo may have increased the price of the new most powerful console of $ 150 and invoices more for games, but I have the sense that consumers don’t care. They will line up for this console and probably sing its praise, whatever the shortcomings.
It reminds me a bit of the original iPhone days. There was so much excitement, and no Apple employees there to applaud and sing. Steve Jobs did not even show up in stores – he didn’t have to do so. The media was real.
Although it is not as intense, this moment Nintendo Switch 2 looks like a launch of another time, and I don’t know why, but that makes me happy.
