If you’re going to E3 this year, consider bringing your Nintendo Switch along. The company announced it will be giving out collectible pins to anyone seen playing their Switch in and around the convention center during the event.
According to the announcement, the pins will be handed out by roving Nintendo reps while supplies last. These are made exclusively for E3, so they’ll be hard to find outside the convention center. Pins are a frequent giveaway item at booths, and this is likely to be in high demand among the attendees. Plus, bringing your Nintendo Switch is a fine way to pass the time while you wait in lines.
Public-facing promotions like this are part of the changing face of E3, as it becomes a hybrid between an industry press show and one made for consumers. Last year the convention opened its doors to the public for the first time, a trend that is repeating this year. Nintendo has been leaning into taking its messaging directly to fans for years–first by ending its stage presentations in favor of pre-filmed showcases, and then by hosting exhibition tournaments. This year the focus is Super Smash Bros, complete with its own tourney.
E3 2018 will take place June 12-14 in Los Angeles. Most of the big announcements will be packed into the days prior with press conferences from EA, Microsoft, Bethesda, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Sony all spread out across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Nintendo’s showcase will debut Tuesday morning, just hours before the show opens.
