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Is anyone else waiting for Japanese Nintendo Switch preorders?

P

putarorex

Member
I got my preorder at the local Wonder Goo this morning (live about an hour outside Tokyo). Only six people in line. That is pretty low compared to what I remember for other consoles (20+), but maybe everyone is ordering them online.
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Before anyone chimes in with NINTENDO MANUFACTURED SCARCITY HURR DURR, watch this: https://youtu.be/9SEmO33srNk

Sony shipped less PS4s at launch than Nintendo is shipping Switches, and that console was hard to find for months, and nobody accused Sony of deliberately restricting supply.
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Maxinas said:
Hopefully this gives Nintendo the go to get more Switches out for launch.
Click to expand...
It's not as easy as making a decision or pressing a button. A console has many electronic parts from different suppliers and some of them have a physical limit on how many they can produce per day/week/month. I'm guessing Nintendo is having them made as fast as possible.

For example the LCD display is being sourced from a single small Japanese manufacturer. You can't expect a company like that to suddenly ramp up production overnight and meet a close deadline. Manufacturing plants have maximum capacities, and supply chains are complicated.
 
K

kubus

Member
Article is bullshit. Its sold out online but for example at the Geo I was at just now they still have half of the stock remaining. I waited outside for 3 hours but it wasnt needed, only 8 people showed up before opening hours. Hearing the same report from others. Of course at the big stores in tokyo like Yodobashi Akiba there are gonna be lots of people, that doesn't mean it's the same eveywhere else.

It's way too early to say if the Switch preorders are already sold out or whatever that "article" is implying.

Edit: Actually on twitter the reaction is the exact opposite: Still plenty of preorders available everywhere, not much of a "preorder war". People commenting they didnt have to wait in front of the store after all...
 
M

Maxinas

Member
Naked Snake said:
It's not as easy as making a decision or pressing a button. A console has many electronic parts from different suppliers and some of them have a physical limit on how many they can produce per day/week/month. I'm guessing Nintendo is having them made as fast as possible.

For example the LCD display is being sourced from a single small Japanese manufacturer. You can't expect a company like that to suddenly ramp up production overnight and meet a close deadline. Supply chains are complicated.
Click to expand...

Yeah i figured. I'm hoping they don't leave people hanging for months like they did with the Wii at least, that is if the Switch turns out to be in high demand after launch.
 
K

Kimawolf

Member
So the situation is it sold out online in minutes, and is sold out in the major centers and cities, but in smaller towns there are preorders available?
 
S

SalvaPot

Member
kubus said:
Article is bullshit. Its sold out online but for example at the Geo I was at just now they still have half of the stock remaining. I waited outside for 3 hours but it wasnt needed, only 8 people showed up before opening hours. Hearing the same report from others. Of course at the big stores in tokyo like Yodobashi Akiba there are gonna be lots of people, that doesn't mean it's the same eveywhere else.

It's way too early to say if the Switch preorders are already sold out or whatever that "article" is implying.

Edit: Actually on twitter the reaction is the exact opposite: Still plenty of preorders available everywhere, not much of a "preorder war". People commenting they didnt have to wait in front of the store after all...
Click to expand...

This is the case pretty much always, big dedicated stores sell-out first, retail stores like wal-mart second, small or mom and pop stores last. If the pre-order don't last the full day then we can say it has huge demand.
 
T

tsumineko

Member
Kimawolf said:
So the situation is it sold out online in minutes, and is sold out in the major centers and cities, but in smaller towns there are preorders available?
Click to expand...

I'd say so. I have absolutely no doubt I could walk down to my local Tsutaya and get a preorder in.
 
T

Tadaima

Member
Go to Bicqlo (Shinjuku).

It opened at 10 and I walked in at 10:45 and picked one up with guaranteed launch day collection. No lining necessary.

There are other people reserving Switch, but it's not busy at all.

Given this is a flagship, and a store which is typically popular with foreigners and which locals try to avoid, supply (for reservations) is most likely to exceed demand here.
 
O

Oare

Member
Kimawolf said:
So the situation is it sold out online in minutes, and is sold out in the major centers and cities, but in smaller towns there are preorders available?
Click to expand...

Nah, it's not even sold out on Yodobashi online.

The situation is: sold out to F5 scalpers on Amazon in a matter of minutes as usual, and enthusiasts in lines in Akihabara as usual.
 
V

Vinnk

Member
Woo Hoo! Got mine. Amazon. Red/blue version. Around 9:03 local time this morning.

But like a minute or 2 later I reloaded the page and they were gone. And the scalper prices were up.

Was worried I missed it but got my conformation email.

My wife was on the Yamada Denki site on another computer (as a backup) but that site crashed (overloaded) before she could put one in the cart.

Madness.
 
M

mujun

Member
I got one on Yahoo Shopping around 9:45.

It's sold out but I don't think that's a very good indication of anything personally.

I'm expecting it to become available for pre-order again a couple of times at least before March 3rd.
 
FingerBang

FingerBang

Member
Tadaima said:
Go to Bicqlo (Shinjuku).

It opened at 10 and I walked in at 10:45 and picked one up with guaranteed launch day collection. No lining necessary..
Click to expand...

Good to know, might take a look at it next time I want to preorder something. I don't live far.

tsumineko said:
Yodobashi's servers are too borked to sell out :D
Click to expand...

THIS!

At 9 AM I opened Yodobashi, Rakuten Books, Amazon and Bic Camera.

Yodobashi just crashed and I gave up, so I moved to Rakuten Books and at 9:01 I had my console preordered.

But seriously, something must done with those damned scalpers. I know you can't really make it illegal, but all big websites should prohibit people from selling their preorders, starting with Amazon.

I remember trying to get a PSVR here, failed 4 times to preorder one and had to buy it from Europe (paying the same as retail price in Japan, 2 days shipping included) but you can still get one at double the price or more...
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Wait, I just realized that Japan's price is equivalent to around $262? Making it the cheapest price worldwide by a good margin. I'm kicking myself for missing it on Amazon by a couple of minutes. (shipping price would have been the same to me from anywhere, got forwarding addresses all over)
 
K

kubus

Member
Naked Snake said:
Wait, I just realized that Japan's price is equivalent to around $262? Making it the cheapest price worldwide by a good margin. I'm kicking myself for missing it on Amazon by a couple of minutes. (shipping price would have been the same to me from anywhere, got forwarding addresses all over)
Click to expand...
It's actually $282. You forgot the 8% consumption tax.
 
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