A huge test for a not-so-secret Nintendo Switch playtest is underway by the company itself — and this could have significant implications for the massively multiplayer gaming space.
Earlier this month, Nintendo recruited up to 10,000 potential testers for an online title of some sort. Now that the test is underway, the game’s website was datamined and leaked, revealing to the world that the Super Mario studio is putting some sort of sci-fi sandbox through its paces.
According to the leaked details (still up on Reddit this morning), the goal of this 2.2 GB game – codenamed “Rockstock” – “is to work with others to fully develop a massive, expansive planet by utilizing creativity and farmed resources. As you progress across the planet, you’ll discover new lands, enemies, and resources that will become essential to your journey.”
User-created content is the name of this game (well, not literally) and is no doubt a big part of this test, as is the “mass multiplayer functionality and gameplay on [the company’s] servers.” It sounds a bit more like Roblox than a genuine MMORPG, but it’s worth eyeballs – and it’s a big deal for fans who’ve always wanted Nintendo to go hard on large-scale multiplayer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly in light of Nintendo’s threats, one of the tweets about the leak has already been pulled down from Twitter:
The content for the Nintendo Online Playtest Program leaked almost immediately.
Game – "The goal is to work with others to fully develop a massive, expansive planet by utilizing creativity and farmed resources. As you progress across the planet, you'll discover new lands,… pic.twitter.com/ilOY5FpYdN
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) October 21, 2024
