NES Classic Struggles With Supply, Out of Stock Almost Everywhere

[Steven Bogos]

NES Classic Struggles With Supply, Out of Stock Almost Everywhere

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Did you get your hands on an NES Classic? If not, you may be waiting quite a while...

The NES Classic Edition [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167933-Nintendo-Announces-NES-Classic-Edition-Launching-in-November] was a great idea for all the nostalgia-ridden Nintendo fans. 30 classic NES games crammed into a cute little retro emulator box with a replica NES controller. At just $60, it's a perfect little holiday gift for anyone with a soft spot for Nintendo. If you can get your hands on it, that is. Due to being heavily under-stocked, the NES Classic is sold out pretty much everywhere, with no guarantee on whether or not re-stock will occur before Christmas.

Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Entertainment-System-NES-Classic/dp/B01IFJBQ1E?ie=UTF8&qid=1469654423&ref=spkl_1_0_2558842702] orders for the console sold out minutes after they opened at 2PM PT today, with the website stressing that "we have very limited quantities of this item." However, it also added that "we will be receiving additional quantities over the coming weeks" and it would notify customers when new stock arrives.

Meanwhile, for some bizarre reason, Nintendo did not make the NES Classic available for pre-order. So, many eager fans who rushed out to retail stores like GameSpot or Target found themselves out of luck, as just like with Amazon, the console sold out faster than you can say "Balloon Fight"!

So what can you do if you want a NES Classic for Christmas? Well, Best Buy [http://www.bestbuy.com/site/nintendo-entertainment-system-nes-classic-edition/5389100.p?id=bb5389100&skuId=5389100&ref=199&loc=TnL5HPStwNw&acampID=1&siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-QO9E90lXfZwDkaMg0iUpEg] hasn't started selling it yet. It hasn't said specifically when it will start selling it, but if you keep an eye on its website you may be able to get the jump on it.

Otherwise, your only option is to go with one of the many eBay scalpers [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=nes+classic+edition&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.TRS0&_nkw=nes+classic+edition&_sacat=0&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true] that inevitably pop up whenever something like this happens.

It seems like Nintendo didn't learn anything from the whole amiibo situation [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/139090-Nintendo-May-Restock-Certain-Sold-Out-Amiibos] at all.

Source: Polygon [http://www.polygon.com/2016/11/10/13590270/buy-nes-classic-edition-mini-nintendo-online]

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[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I would say they don't want their retro consoles to overshadow their next big release.

 

[tippy2k2]

Nintendo struggling with supply and demand?

I'm shocked! Shocked I say!!!

Wait...no, what's the opposite of shocked? Cause I meant that.

 

[mysecondlife]

Oh wow, those Amazon reviews..

Nintendo struggling with supply and demand?

I'm shocked! Shocked I say!!!

Wait...no, what's the opposite of shocked? Cause I meant that.

Less shocked?

 

[Transdude1996]

Oh wow, those Amazon reviews..

First half of the lower rated reviews: Nintendo should be prepared for this situation. It happens every damn time.

Second half of lower rated reviews: What's the point of this when the only games "worth" playing have been rereleased on the SNES, the GC, the Wii, the Wii U, the GBA, the 3DS, probably the Switch (Getting all the Nintendo systems out of the way), the PS1, the PSP, the PS3, the Vita, the PS4, and the XB1? If you're looking to extend your palette of NES games, you're better off buying the Retron 5, the Retro Trio, the Retron 3, the Retro Duo, the Retron 2, the FC2 Slim, the GN Twin, the Retron 1, one of those RetroPort adapters, one of those systems that is compatible with Famicom games and a 72-to-60 pin adapter,....................or even an NES.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

I just got back from working a shift at Target, where I work mostly in Electronics. This thing was literally the only thing I was asked about tonight, and I was asked a LOT.

My Target in particular had people waiting outside at 4 in the morning, and after all whole 7 were sold, some of the guys that bought them went right across the street to Best Buy to wait in line over there so they could sell them on eBay. After all, have you guys seen how much they are going for on there? Just for a small thing that sort of looks like an NES and can only play what's already programmed on it. I don't understand at all.

 

[LTD]

Someone on my local FB buy/sell/trade group is trying to sell one for $1,000. I realize I'm not the target audience for this (as I have the *entire* NES collection available on several devices already), but what would possess anyone to pay that much?

 

[Veylon]

Someone on my local FB buy/sell/trade group is trying to sell one for $1,000. I realize I'm not the target audience for this (as I have the *entire* NES collection available on several devices already), but what would possess anyone to pay that much?

It's like the tulip bulb craze. No matter how objectively pointless it is, some people just have to have it almost regardless of price.

 

[Geisterkarle]

Meanwhile, for some bizarre reason, Nintendo did not make the NES Classic available for pre-order.

I'm confused!
I ordered my NES Classic on July 20, 2016 from amazon.co.uk! What exactly isn't "pre-order" about that?

 

[Bedinsis]

Nintendo, have you ever tried doing market research?

I mean you've been in the business since before I was alive, and you must've realized that the Amiibo situation turned out less then ideal.

 

[Vern]

My part time job tonight: Do you have the NES thing? All night. No, we sold out at 9AM, when the store opened, and there was a line outside.

I really don't get the hype over this thing, most people won't even be able to finish the games, NES games are NES hard. And there are very quick, easy ways to get all the NES games ever made online for free. I'm not encouraging it necessarily, but these are 25-30 year old games, most of them very hit or miss in the quality department. It really wouldn't have killed Nintendo to put EVERY NES game on it, it would take up around 20 MB if that, to only put 30 games on it and charge $60 seems like a scam.

Well, I guess I can still plug in my NES into my old CRT TV and play Gargoyle's Quest II if the mood strikes me.

 

[ShakerSilver]

Dang. I've never heard of people this excited over another crappy little plug-n-play device.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Nintendo understocks
And the joke is on you.

 

[munx13]

I cant really understand this. This is just a box with an emulator in it.

Nothing wrong with that, but for $60 I'd expect proper NES hardware inside and not a cheap SOC like the 8 billion Chinese knock-off plug-n-play famiclones.

 

[RaikuFA]

Meanwhile, for some bizarre reason, Nintendo did not make the NES Classic available for pre-order.

I'm confused!
I ordered my NES Classic on July 20, 2016 from amazon.co.uk! What exactly isn't "pre-order" about that?

In the US, you couldn't preorder it.

 

[step1999]

It really wouldn't have killed Nintendo to put EVERY NES game on it, it would take up around 20 MB if that, to only put 30 games on it and charge $60 seems like a scam.

Nintendo doesn't have the rights to every NES game, they would have had to negotiate with a ton of other developers to get them on there.

 

[Transdude1996]

It really wouldn't have killed Nintendo to put EVERY NES game on it, it would take up around 20 MB if that, to only put 30 games on it and charge $60 seems like a scam.

Nintendo doesn't have the rights to every NES game, they would have had to negotiate with a ton of other developers to get them on there.

And, even then, Nintendo co-owns a number of their games with other companies (Which is why numerous titles were omitted from their YouTube program).

Also, there's the fact that a lot of companies have gone bankrupt over the past 30 years, which is just one of the many legal issues they'd face.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

My Gameboy Advance SP makes this stupid little console more than redundant.

 

[LTenhet]

How surprising that Nintendo "can't keep up with demand".
Also just looking at this; there's been a mini Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with about 80 built in games, and the ability to play Cartridges, available for a long time, Nintendo could have at least given more built-in games.

 

[VirOath]

I just got back from working a shift at Target, where I work mostly in Electronics. This thing was literally the only thing I was asked about tonight, and I was asked a LOT.

My Target in particular had people waiting outside at 4 in the morning, and after all whole 7 were sold, some of the guys that bought them went right across the street to Best Buy to wait in line over there so they could sell them on eBay. After all, have you guys seen how much they are going for on there? Just for a small thing that sort of looks like an NES and can only play what's already programmed on it. I don't understand at all.

This is them planning a situation of false scarcity. Getting the initial launch of it to push the impression of the object being rare, when the next larger batch hits the store shelves the consumer base will not think twice about purchasing it outright. It creates a pressure on the consumer and implants the idea of it being on the shelf today not ensuring that it would be there tomorrow. Downside of this being lost potential profits to scalpers and lower revenue on that first batch.

The USA will be experiencing two massive swings in consumer sales before the end of the year: Black Friday and the Christmas Rush. I do expect the second batch to hit store shelves between those two upward swings in consumer sales in much larger numbers with a renewed marketing campaign and the groundwork laid by this launch to cause a sellout again.

Now, I would argue that such a thing wouldn't be required. Though such a device wouldn't have the largest draw to the heavy gaming enthusiasts because so much of the old software is available to the consumer base in a wide variety of ways it still holds a massive appeal to a rather large demographic. That is, the 30+ people with disposable income are being targeted with their own nostalgia in a package that they would want to have to either relive the past, or share that experience with their significant other or family.

I also do not believe for a moment that this is the full first production run. I am positive that there are a large amount of them sitting in a distribution warehouse waiting on their prescribed shipping date.

Call it a conspiracy theory if you will but I would rather bet on cunning rather than incompetence from Nintendo at this point. This is a mirror of the Amiibo situation for sure, but also remember that the artificial scarcity at the start of that project had the perception of rarity persist long after they increased their production and shipment batches.

And thank you to those that read through such a boring post about wacky business theory and marketing psychology.