‘Splatoon’ Splatfest Gets Transformers Treatment
In collaboration with Hasbro, Nintendo is asking its Splatoon player base to settle the ultimate Transformers feud. Which bots reign supreme: Autobots or Decepticons? The second Splatfest this month has an official Transformers theme, where players can represent their favorite robots in disguise on the ink-filled battlefield. The fourth inktastic turf war begins Friday, August 28, 2015, at 9:00 p.m. PT and lasts until Saturday, August 29, at 9:00 p.m. PT.
.@Transformers is coming to #Splatfest! Battle as Team AUTOBOTS or Team DECEPTICONS for 24 hrs starting 8/28 9 PM PT! pic.twitter.com/jPw4TlAeQo
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 18, 2015
Nintendo has released free downloadable content for Splatoon on Wii U earlier this month that raised the level cap to 5o for players across the board. Two new weapon types called Sloshers and Splatlings have also been introduced as part of the new software update, along with over 40 new pieces of gear.Unfortunately for Transformers fans, it appears those Autobot and Decepticon t-shirts will not be staying with the player after the Splatfest ends. The branded t-shirts can be worn during the Splatfest only and must be returned once the competition concludes, as has been the case with all Splatfest events thus far. As always, players will get to take home some Super Sea Snails, with the winning team earning a larger share of the haul.
Do you think the new Slosher weapon in #Splatoon is A) slosher-ific B) bucket-astic C) amaz-ink D) all of the above pic.twitter.com/leJmSrgWIJ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 18, 2015
The Transformers theme marks the first Splatfest to include third-party product placement. The previous Splatfest put Team Marshmallows against Team Hot Dogs in a battle to decide what tastes best roasted on a campfire. Other turf war themes have been Cats versus Dogs and Waterslides verses Roller Coasters.
Parents who otherwise appreciate Splatoon for its unique, relatively non-violent take on the shooter genre may be taken aback by Nintendo’s sudden choice to bring subtle advertisements into the Splatfest arena. As reported by the L.A. Times, Hasbro has no qualms about product placement given their venture into television programming through The Hub network, now known as the Discovery Family Channel. With whole television shows dedicated to toy product brands like Transformers and My Little Pony, product placement in a 24-hour Splatfest could be brushed aside as a minor offense all things considered. What do you think about branded Splatfests in Splatoon? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[Images courtesy Nintendo]
