Expect More SNES Units Than NES… Much More
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, in addressing the SNES classic pre-order fiasco, told people that NES stock was not manipulated last year. As of right now, half of Nintendo’s gambit is getting enough product on the market, while the other half is convincing consumers that they’re not purposefully understocking items like the SNES Classic and the Nintendo Switch. Hence, buyers should expect plenty of SNES classic consoles in stores by September 29.
When pre-orders for the SNES Classic went live in the United States, units were gone in a matter of minutes. Nintendo claimed that the console was gone quickly because of a bot that placed online orders faster than humans could. Not only that but a technical glitch simply led to pre-orders going live before intended. Hence why Fils-Aime says the problem was “outside our (Nintendo’s) control.”
And when the retro console does launch, Nintendo’s president said buyers shouldn’t have to pay more than the $79.99 retail price. According to him, there will be enough SNES Classic consoles to grab, so no one has to resort to auction sites.
“I would strongly urge you not to over-bid on an SNES Classic on any of the auction sites,” Reggie Fils-Aime told the Financial Times. This time around, Nintendo “dramatically increased” production of the SNES Classic.
Apparently, the company based their past manufacturing output on the success of other retro consoles that didn’t sell very well. Thus, they underestimated their own NES Classic. Not this time, however.
Although, Nintendo admits it is still facing a shortage of stock when it comes to the Nintendo Switch. The unexpectedly high demand and “multiple choke points” in the supply chain have led to a dismayed fanbase, most notably in Japan. Time will tell if consumers will fare any better with the SNES.
Good luck.