Not content with just leaking details prior to the event, people are now streaming Nintendo’s mysterious Switch Online playtest on the likes of YouTube and Twitch.
Nintendo announced a mysterious playtest relating to a new feature for the Nintendo Switch Online service earlier this month. It kept further details under wraps, but noted places would be limited, and only up to 10,000 people would be accepted to participate. At this time, Nintendo asked successful applicants not to disclose details of the test publicly.
But, what with people being people, they did. It began last week, when a number of participants shared screenshots from documentation sent to program participants on social media. These images spoke of an almost MMO-sounding Minecraft-like game, featuring blocky worlds.
And now, people are once again ignoring Nintendo’s request that the playtest be kept under wraps, and are streaming the playtest. Users on reddit have linked to streams of the test, and confirmed once again that the game has Minecraft-style elements featuring building. “Minecraft + WoW + Nintendo Mii games but very barbones at the moment [because] it’s just a test,” is how one user described it.
“It looks to be part Minecraft-like, part shared social hub(?), with persistent worlds supporting a lot of players at once,” another added. One said from what they watched, the “vibes” of the playtest are “immaculate”.
The Nintendo Switch Online playtest kicked off earlier today, and is set to run for a little under two weeks, concluding on 6th November.
It is not just the playtest Nintendo is seeing its community bend the rules on, somewhat. There have also been reports of troublemakers at the Nintendo museum in Japan.
As noted by X user Genki, one recent visitor uploaded pictures of prototype consoles on social media, which were taken from an exhibit you are not allowed to take photos of. Meanwhile, another person reportedly tried to unplug controller cords to check for emulators during their visit to the museum. Sigh.
For more, our Katharine recently visited the Nintendo museum herself. You can read all about it in her feature: Inside the Nintendo Museum: a joyful celebration of machines, magic and the art of play. Our Ian also has a video about some of the Nintendo Easter eggs you can find at the museum, which you can watch above.