Nintendo's Supply Problem
This piece was initially published at GoNintendo.com on March 6, 2023. Click here to read the original.
Nintendo has a problem. Granted, Nintendo has quite a few problems, but there is one problem that’s persisted over the years…one that’s been plaguing them since the late 80s and has been a thorn in the side of many. When a new Nintendo product (game or system) hits retailers online or in stores, they seem to vanish just as quickly as they arrived. Resellers and scalpers are jacking up the price, and when you try to buy said product honestly, it seems that no one has what you’re looking for. Nintendo has a supply problem.
The most recent evidence of the Nintendo supply problem came when Metroid Prime Remastered hit store shelves last week on February 22nd. While stores like GameStop had pre-orders of the game for customers, walking into a store and getting a physical copy seemed impossible without the pre-order. Stores were sold out, and people online were saying that retailers only got a handful of copies, leading to the game going for over $100 online. Sure, you could buy the game digitally, but those who want a physical copy were screwed. If you were to search for the game on Amazon, there was no mention of a physical copy even being available; only the digital version. Nintendo’s official website currently says the physical copy is sold out and no longer available. Hopefully this changes after some time passes, but it’s not looking good for Nintendo. The worst part? This has happened multiple times in the past, yet fans keep finding themselves here.
Many a retro fan remembers the Fall and Holiday season of 2016. It was the year when Nintendo gravely misjudged the demand for the NES Classic edition, which was practically more valuable than gold at the time. Scalpers and resellers had a field day with fans who wanted to play NES games on newer TVs. When news broke that Nintendo was discontinuing the system in April 2017, the backlash was severe. As a matter of fact, the uproar was so severe that Nintendo walked back the decision and made more systems in 2018. In an interview with Business Insider, Doug Bowser (before he was Nintendo of America President & CEO) said that “Nintendo does try to have a set plan in place, but when demand ramps up it takes some time to catch up.” Later in the article, he claims that Nintendo, “learned their lesson,” with the NES Classic and made new plans for the SNES Classic. To be fair, the SNES was more readily available, even months after the launch day in North America. While the re-issues of the NES Classic was the right move, it still begs the same question. If Nintendo has learned its lessons from the Classic consoles, why haven’t they implemented the same strategy with games like Metroid Prime Remastered? Also, why can’t Nintendo keep certain items in stock when you have to be a member of their online service just to buy them?
The N64 wireless controller, only for NSO Members, STILL out of stock on 2/27/23 The Nintendo 64 has one of the most iconic controllers ever made. Love it or hate it, there is no denying that when you see that three-pronged controller, you feel something. When Nintendo announced that they would be releasing a wireless N64 controller for the Switch, many wanted it. The catch is that you need to be a member of the Nintendo Switch Online service to snag one. You might think that if you have to be a part of a certain membership (especially a paid membership), getting a controller shouldn’t be a problem. After all, Doug Bowser said that Nintendo learned their lesson with supply issues. Well, sadly, you would be dead wrong, for even over a year after its initial release, the N64 controller is constantly out of stock on Nintendo’s website. There have been a few restock windows here and there, but the controllers are always gone in mere minutes.
While not getting the N64 controllers still annoys many a fan, there is some silver lining to this whole thing. While the supply problems persist on launch day, given time, most items become more widely available. For example, I was able to get a physical copy of Metroid Prime Remastered from my local GameStop. I called ahead of time and they were able to hold a copy for me. I briefly talked to the store clerk, who told me that some of the reasons why the game was delayed were because of the shadow drop and the recent storms. While the surprise release of the game caused fans to jump for joy, retailers were panicking as they immediately had to get orders in. Along with this, Mother Nature had other plans for those living in Southern California. Our recent storms caused delays up the wazoo, thanks to multiple road closures and flooding. Thankfully, all is not lost when it comes to getting a physical copy of the game, but you may have to wait just a little bit longer.
So what can Nintendo do to help relieve these supply issues? An obvious answer would be to overcompensate on launch day, but that brings financial risks. Atari tried making more games than there were systems back in the early 80s, which helped lead to the crash of ‘83. The sad truth is that there is no good answer when it comes to games and hardware. Shipping delays happen and the only time when a hardware shortage is to be expected is when a new console is first released. However, the one unacceptable thing is not being able to buy an N64 controller freely while being a paid member of the service. Nintendo products are hard to find on initial release, as this has happened time and time again. That said, the NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers have been stocked in the store with no issues a month or two after the release. Why it’s so hard to get an N64 one a year plus later still baffles me.
While there are still many problems with Nintendo getting their products into the hands of those who want them, they have learned a few things from their past blunders. For Metroid Prime Remastered, there is no timed discontinuation like with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. In other words, if you can’t get a copy now, you should be able to get one shortly. As far as we know, there are also no plans to take the game down from the eShop.
Getting a physical product to the masses has improved somewhat with a few hiccups along the way, yet the most wanted item on their online service is still constantly out of stock. It feels that when Nintendo makes progress in one area, they take a few steps back in another. All we can do is voice our displeasure with certain things online and hope the situation improves. Hopefully Nintendo gets the hint and becomes more transparent with timing on product restocks, as turning to scalpers and paying overinflated prices is not an answer.