GameStop and Target cancelling some Switch pre-orders due to shortages

Some gamers who pre-ordered the Switch at GameStop and Target have had their orders cancelled due to console shortages.

[Moonman]

It's time to ship more Nintendo.

[bouzebbal]

this is a supply trick so people can jump on any open pre order in the future.
in 2 days, they will announce they have got 10 more, and 1000 will pre order and 1000 will get their machine.
don't get fooled by this

[nitus10]

Pre-ordering hardware is different to pre-ordering games.

Nintendo has a habit of undersupply for their hardware (eg. Wii, WiiU, Mini NES to name a few). For the Switch, if you don't pre-order you will basically miss out and you will have to wait for the next shipment unless you are one of those people with more money than sense who will buy from a scalper at a very much inflated price.

Hopefully, the people who want the Switch will get it within two shipments but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[mikeslemonade]

All my preorders still in tact

[1L4stCh4nce]

As a former employee, consoles of any brand, are limited stock. Usually, preorderers plus 5-8 extra systems is common per store.
I'd also disagree with nitus10 to some point. They were many times in the 5.5 years I worked there, that I had to turn customers away for games were didn't have. Many of these games were Nintendo products. There were other games that had a huge shortage, one of memory being Dead Island.
I agree that many times it is Nintendo limiting their products to create demand. Hell, look at the Amiibo launch. That was a nightmare for collectors and game enthusiasts.

[TheUndertaker85]

It is. That's why Nintendo is stating that stock will be limited and preorders sold out.

This same story goes to show that two outlets "oversold stock" and preorders for the Switch are definitely inflated plus inaccurate.

It's hard enough for one outlet to do this by mistake as they do have numbers available to them concerning what kind of allocation is available.

[indysurfn]

That's what they keep saying about the Wii that it was a supply trick...But they keep forgetting. The wii (not wii u)
sold over 100 million systems! Some people also said it about the PS4, and ''no way they will beat PS2 sales" every time we look up it is breaking another ps2 milestone on the same time line.

There are More than two countries now that they are claiming sold more SWITCH's then even the PS4 sold during pre order. Not just hugh store chains, but COUNTRIES!!!

[XanderZane]

They said they were shipping 2 million before the MArch 3rd launch, but that was most likely worldwide.

[xxchicago33xx]

This really shouldn't surprise people. Nintendo creates artificial shortages to drive demand for every system they release. They run their marketing and supply chain like a 17 year old kid in his first economics class.

[xxchicago33xx]

Why the disagrees? Fanboy much...go ahead and pop every system Nintendo has released into Google since the original NES and tell me this isn't either an inept supply chain or marketing tactic.

[jaymacx]

Whether they do it or not its not exclusive to them. The only Nintendo system that was ever hard for me to get was the NES classic, due to there not taking preorders. The themed consoles like the Majoras mask New 3ds was hard but those are made to be limited.

[quent]

Like what Sony is doing with the PSVR or are they just that popular ?

[captainexplosion]

I really doubt thats what Sony is doing. PSVR isn't popular enough to do that. I just think they are genuinely having problems making the thing.

[Death]

Just like PSVR. Unless of course you believe the fans that claim Sony is inept at making hardware.

Nintendo is launching with 2 million consoles like PS4 and Xbox One did. Preorders have been selling at a very healthy rate which indicated demand was high and supply was going to be low. Last week Nintendo ordered an increase in production to offset the high demand. http://www.nintendolife.com...

[Kaneki-Ken]

PlayStation said that they had manufacture problems

[XanderZane]

They were having problems getting the components for the PSVR. This is why they can't make them fast enough. This is what Sony is saying anyways.

[Apex13]

Like they did the Wii U and the 3ds.

Stop quoting articles and making them your own.

[jaymacx]

What does some retailers canceling orders have to do with nintendo? Target is known to cancel orders like crazy (main reason is they do multiple checks on your funds and if you don't have the amount it gets canceled.. best thing to do is use a Red Card) . As for Gamestop Sometimes their system gets buggy and allows more orders than is allocated and the overage gets canceled (online ordering) . Base your argument on facts instead of using the popular nintendo creates shortages for everything stock related.
As for NES classic edition that is all Nintendo.
Amiibo had some issues. Some Nintendo and some due to that port strike. Now Amiibo are not hard to get.

[indysurfn]

I was about to disagree with your first point.....Then I remembered that for the xbox 360 they did that too me! And a friend of mine that worked at another Target told me you have to keep your bank account up all the time or you will be the first one they cancel.

At least you didn't say it was all Nintendo or none of Nintendo you get most balanced reasonable comment of this article award..!

[jaymacx]

@indysurfn thanks.. i try to be balanced or at least balance out these lopsided comments on here.

Come to find out that Gamestop canceling thing was just spammed from one user and became a story. Nowadays they love mud slinging without the facts just to get hits.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

No because GameStop is taking more pre-order than they have

[CyberSentinel]

While I don't doubt a shrewd pawn shop like "GameStop" does indeed do that, I also question Nintendo's manufacturing, for example the "new" 3ds xl is still in great demand, and almost impossible to find in supply. Even though Nintendo said that the 3ds will still be supported and co-exist with Switch. We shall see how long that remains to be true.

[Gemmol]

usually be 1 or 2 years before they stop for their handhelds, so if they support it still after 3 years I would be shocked

[jaymacx]

I understand your view.. the one thing i see is them being conservative and focusing their production on Switch right now.
They aren't trying to create demand for 3ds by not having stock . I just checked online and you can purchase new 3ds xl. It may not be all the color variations though.

[Summons75]

Gamestop shouldn't allow more than they are given... This is GameStop's fault. Then again they are probably trying to hide some like they do so they can sell them used for double the price, Xenoblade Chronicles anyone?

[windblowsagain]

Nintendo, shipping a hundred consoles is not enough.

250 should do it.

[Death]

Nintendo is shipping 2 million for launch. This has been known since October of last year. http://www.nintendolife.com...

[indysurfn]

Litterally DEATH put a comment with proof in the TITLE of the ARTICLE! And people are too lazy/unreasonable to even read even the TITLE?! Here I will quote it:
"Nintendo Switch Won't Be Sold At A Loss, Two Million Units To Ship In Time For March
Consumers will see system is different to the 3DS, claims CEO"

article is date OCTOBER 26 2016!

[shockwave4life]

Yeah no wonder why the switch is "sold out".......cause there's hardly any available! Typical Nintendo with nes classic and amiibos and practically all their consoles

[Death]

You mean hardly any of the 2 million launch consoles still available? It's incredible to see the insecurity on n4g.

[SR388]

Preordered my Switch in Oct so I'm cool

[indysurfn]

huh? I could not find anyone that would take a preorder in the states. Are you in Europe?

[SR388]

I am in the UK yes lol

[indysurfn]

@SR388 LOL! okay thank explains it. I have mine preordered the day of the announcement. But I could not find a single place before then.....But I kept hearing about places in Europe that's why I was curios thanks for the reply!

[Takwin]

I want one but can't find one anywhere.

[Wallstreet37]

Hope everyone that truly wants one, gets one.

[GrimDragon]

Lol Nintendo masters of shortages to bring up demand. So sick of their bs.

[deafdani]

Give me proof of this.

[GrimDragon]

Dude you dont have to go far on the inter webs to see the long history of nintendos bs.
Besides I doubt anything other than Nintendo admitting it will make you believe otherwise.

[Cy]

Manufactured shortages? On a Nintendo console?! No way!

Eat all the dicks, Nintendo.

[deafdani]

Proof? You and a lot of people love to parrot that theory of Nintendo driving up demand by intentionally constraining supplies... but I have yet to receive any single shred of evidence of this. Only fan theories.

[Elwenil]

Your fanboy is showing...

http://www.forbes.com/sites...
http://www.forbes.com/sites...
http://www.polygon.com/2016...
http://nerdreactor.com/2016...

You Nintendo fanboys need to understand a very simple thing. You can't spout off in one argument about how much money and influence Nintendo has and then turn around and try to tell people they have no control over how many products they can produce, stock and/or supply. If Nintendo can't guess how much demand they are going to have, if they can't determine how much production lead time they need before release to meet that demand, or they can't get the products put in a box and then stacked on the truck, then how on Earth have they managed to survive all these years and accumulate all this money? It's not because they have no idea how to make a product or ship it, it's because they know how to play their fanbase like a cheap pawn store fiddle.

[deafdani]

@Elwenil:

None of the links your provided showed actual PROOF. Only claims, and speculation.

Call me a fanboy all you want, this doesn't change the fact that so far, there's not a single piece of real evidence supporting these claims.

Yes, this could very well be the case. Or it could be that Nintendo is just a very conservative company when it comes to production and they'd rather underproduce in order to avoid excess supply in case an article doesn't perform well in the market.

Nintendo already had plans to have 2 million Switch units ready for launch, and it still went out of stock. 2 million consoles is no chump change, especially considering it's releasing in March, not in November like the majority of game consoles.

For comparison's sake... Nintendo had 4 million Wii consoles ready for launch in 2006. Sony "only" had 2 million.

Another example: the Amiibo scarcity was ONLY in North America. In the rest of the world, you could find any Amiibo just fine, at regular prices. Why would Nintendo only apply this "artificial scarcity" tactic in one region? Makes zero sense.

Another example: the NES Classic Mini. You'd think that if Nintendo was intentionally driving up demand artificially, they would've restocked stores plenty of times already since it launched, to sell more. However, the NES Classic hasn't been sold in stores since November of last year. So I'm more inclined to believe that Nintendo just sold ALL of the NES Minis they produced, and they didn't expect to sell them all so quickly, and the reason why they haven't shown up in stores yet is because they need to make more, which takes time.

[DaFeelz]

Better not cancel mine. I got it paid in full and Zelda too. I'll be pissed. Don't do it to me Gamestop

[indysurfn]

I have the same as you, Has been heros and Zelda, and the Console are paid off. Now I'm looking for them to get some PRO controllers pre orders back on.

[Einhander1971]

Good news just hope the uk doesn't suffer the same fate, My preorder especially Lol.

[CrimsonWing69]

Oh but I thought Nintendo said there wouldn't be shortages... isn't that what good ol' Reggie said?

https://www.destructoid.com...

Yea, kinda like how the Reggienator said they're going to be getting that third party support with the Wii U. Hey, but all signs are pointing to Nintendo doing it right this time, right? riiiiiiggggghhhhhht...

[deafdani]

Reggie spouts bullshit all the time. Should change his name to Bullshittie Fils-Aime.

[indysurfn]

Maybe he though 2 million was enough for launch? It is a near record amount. Sony had 2.1 million for Launch window and Microsoft had 2 million at launch. So having 2 million sold before launch would make a person fell secure.

[aLucidMind]

Gotta love that artificial scarcity.

[Stevonidas]

Only on N4G will you find people arguing that Nintendo is creating an "artificial demand" for a product for which a high demand already exists.

[Elwenil]

Go to school, study business for 4 years, then work in business for 10 years and come back after that with an informed opinion.

[admiralvic]

But, is there really high demand?

A lot of people seem to forget that resellers pounce on things like this, the Nintendo Wii U was also sold out everywhere prior to its launch and after market sales aren't very high. A great example of what is and is not high demand can be found on eBay.

If the Switch truly had high demand, the reseller prices would be higher. I can quite easily buy one on eBay for $400, which isn't that much mark up, especially when you consider fees, shipping and time spent. I've also offered my preorder on Craigslist and I've gotten a few people willing to offer $350 to $360. If there was truly high demand, the prices would be higher.

On the other hand, there is clearly high demand for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Special and Master Editions. The special edition is going for $80~ and the Master Edition is $170~ above its MSRP, showing strong demand.

Furthermore, when you look at other consoles, you don't see the same shortage issues. I don't recall it being anywhere near as difficult to get a PlayStation 4 as a Switch or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild CE, nor do I recall there being a problem walking into a store to buy one on release. This is a product I would say was also high demand, at least higher than the Switch, yet this somehow isn't an issue.

TL;DR You only think it's high demand because the supply is low. This makes retailers sell out quickly, fans who want one going without and so forth. If the demand was truly high, the after market prices for the system would be much higher.