Not that this is a huge surprise, but a statement was released by the American video game retail giant GameStop in regards to the recent pre-ordering of the new Nintendo Switch. While many are still skeptical about the new system, the turn out to pre-order the Switch was overwhelming, with many of our local GameStop stores selling out within an hour or so after opening. I got to witness the excitement first hand, but was told that there was a bigger turn out for the Mini NES. Only the hardcore Nintendo fans seemed to be there that morning, myself and our editor Andrew included. Yet, has GameStop’s Nintendo Switch pre-orders sold out altogether? Or is this just the first wave of pre-orders like we saw with the Amiibo launches?
“The fact that this initial allotment has been completely reserved in a matter of a few days demonstrates gamers desire for this fun and revolutionary gaming system. We’re working closely with Nintendo to get additional Nintendo Switch units, and will let our customers know when they become available. We encourage customers to visit www.gamestop.com/switch and sign up to be get updates about the product and availability.” – Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop.
Now, the company proceeds to share that many other Nintendo Switch related products and games are still available to order on that same news release. Of course, GameStop is trying desperately to get more units available to pre-order. Considering that the Switch comes out fairly soon, I don’t think we’ll be seeing too many more units becoming available. From other press releases, Nintendo plans on shipping about two million units for launch day, but that number is more an estimation than anything and doesn’t take into consideration additional plans created from the past few days.
We also now know that Amazon is claiming to be sold out of Nintendo Switch pre-orders as well. As stock starts to dwindle, it will be interesting to see just how scarce the system will be in the months following its launch. I think Nintendo has a significant advantage with releasing earlier in the year; if the Switch had been released holiday season, it would’ve been a bigger problem for sure.
Now, Reggie Fils-Aime has shared his insight on the matter of distribution. All of this information comes from an brief interview with the American President of Nintendo by Gamespot. “We’re working to make sure that the supply chain [for Switch] is robust and there is a steady flow of hardware,” he said. “The one piece we can’t anticipate is the demand side of the equation but certainly from a supply, we feel like we’re going to be well-positioned.”
Either way, I consider myself lucky to live in an area that doesn’t get too worked up, as in the early hours of the day, there was only four of us patiently waiting for the mall to open. At our store, there were about 35 units available, with only 10 of them being the neon set. This hire than we had assumed and much more than previous launches. Luckily, I will be playing the Switch the day it becomes available. That’s exciting and I’ll be sharing my findings and thoughts with all of you here on Marooners’ Rock.
