Nintendo is inviting select users of its My Nintendo service to try out the upcoming Nintendo Switch console before its release in March.
First reported by Go Nintendo and since independently confirmed by IGN, invitation emails have been sent out, asking chosen users to sign up for a ticket. A copy of one is below:
A Switch trial email.
A follow-up email provided to IGN explains that the Switch will be taken on a multi-city tour of the US, and goes onto explain a little of what the preview events will entail:
"This interactive and engaging tour will let people of all ages experience Nintendo Switch for the first time, play select launch games in very original and surprising settings and participate in impromptu competitions. Each of these unique settings will highlight the different ways Nintendo Switch can be played."
It's unclear exactly how users are being chosen at this point, but it seems likely to be based around their address corresponding with the tour locations. According to an event FAQ posted on NeoGAF, they are:
- New York – Jan. 13-15
- Washington, D.C. – Feb. 10-12
- Chicago – Feb. 17-19
- Los Angeles – Feb. 24-26
- San Francisco – March 3-5
To our knowledge, only the New York event has begun being ticketed at time of writing.
It's likely those who attend the events will know a fair bit more about the console than we do right now - they follow both Nintendo's live reveal broadcast of the console, and a series of invite-only press hands-on events.
The Switch - a hybrid console that allows for seamless play as an handheld or home device - is due for release in March 2017.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor, and it all seems so real, all of a sudden. Follow him on Twitter.