Same in France, definitely glad I pre-ordered one in January just to be safe.
Good luck finding one.
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So how bad is the Switch stock situation?
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Same in France, definitely glad I pre-ordered one in January just to be safe.
Good luck finding one.
PSFan
Member
Underpriced? I don't think it works that way. Do you really think Switch would still sell this well if Nintendo priced it at $399 or $499 and without a pack-in game?
JoshuaJSlone
Member
Probably not, but there must be some 300+ price where demand and supply would more closely match. Of course they'd be in a bad place if that equilibrium price changed drastically after the first few million thirsty dopes were taken care of, like 3DS and Wii U.
Charles Brandon
Member
The theory is that scarcity creates 'buzz'. People want what they can't have. If it's sold out it must be good, right? It gets in the news and stuff. I'm sure there is mileage in that.
Late January early February was when they got the stock situation settled in the US I believe.
Birgitte2004
Member
I know people who bought a Switch because they found one and it was rare...people who didn't even want one before it released.
If the Switch wasn't rare, they wouldn't have given it a second glance.
You don't need math to show that under-shipping a product works, if it's the right kind of product. Whether it generates a significant amount of money is much harder to answer, but there can be no doubt it generates some.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I don't think it's a stretch to suggest that limited quantities can add to a sense of urgency. I firmly believe that some fence-sitters may -- in a moment of panic -- see a unit on the shelf and think "holy shit I better act now or I may not get another chance!" However, the counterpoint just becomes "how many of these types do you get vs. how many customers are you currently losing because they legitimately want a console but can't find one." If I can't find a Switch right now, that means I can't buy Zelda, a pro controller, extra JoyCons, a charging grip, and digital software from the eShop. Assuming they're deliberately undershipping this, they're losing out on money right now. There's also the chance that I might lose interest.
I should clarify that by "I" above there, I was speaking as a general consumer. I actually already have a Switch. But anyway, the way some people talk the easy cheat code way to release a successful product is to just ship as little inventory as possible. Maybe they should sell something like 10 Switch units a day from only one location in the country. Then it would be super in demand! We agree that's a terrible idea, right? But just think of the demand! By the time it came to your neck of the woods, people would probably be beating each other to a bloody pulp to be one of the ten people who got one that day! There's your news story!
I find this kind of argument hard to believe, unless their plan is to scalp it or give it to someone else as a gift. Would these same people have bought a $300 digital camera or necklace just because it was selling out? The people buying these Switches for personal use are doing so because they are interested in it. If the scarcity is having an effect, it's probably only the timeline of purchase. Someone buying it purely because it is selling out is either a reseller or a rare exception.
I did this with the Wii back when it was super hard to find. Walked into a Target one day and they had a in-stock sign in the electronics section. Impulse buy because of it. I would say with 100% certainly I wouldn't have bought it because I wasn't even thinking about it until I saw the sign
One thing that I think people often don't take into account that people can lose interest. Just because something is hard to find doesn't mean people will retain their interest for it.
You saw the sign advertising the Wii and bought it. Not seeing your point. So if you saw a sign advertising the Wii in general but it wasn't hard to find, you wouldn't have bought it then or ever?
Flying Toaster
Member
Just because you yourself would not impulse buy does not mean that others would not. I had co-workers during the Wii drought days that were PC gaming only that purchased a Wii because Fry's electronics just happened to have 2 come in. Did they want the Wii? At the time it did not matter to them really. People like this do exist.
It sounds to me like you had gamer friends who were interested in a gaming system who decided to buy it when they had the chance when maybe they would have otherwise waited a little longer.
Hoho for breakfast
Member
I just bought a Switch but wouldnt have if they were readily available.
And of course it's Nintendo so I had to buy the best controller overpriced and separately. And it's a portable so I had to buy a screen protector. And it's got a shitty battery so i had to buy an external back up, which didn't include the necessary cables so there was yet another $18.
All told I'm at about $460 spent and still don't have a case or a stand for the damn thing.
All on impulse. Of course I would have bought one later on for Mario but the scarcity pushed me to just do it now.
And of course it's Nintendo so I had to buy the best controller overpriced and separately. And it's a portable so I had to buy a screen protector. And it's got a shitty battery so i had to buy an external back up, which didn't include the necessary cables so there was yet another $18.
All told I'm at about $460 spent and still don't have a case or a stand for the damn thing.
All on impulse. Of course I would have bought one later on for Mario but the scarcity pushed me to just do it now.
Exactly my situation, too. No intention of buying a Wii when it first released. Thought it was underpowered, too gimmicky, and no DVD playback to justify the price - seemed like a toy. Didn't realize it would become so rare.
Was at a Walmart one day and saw a Wii behind the glass. Felt like a boss carrying it out of the store.
(got a few glances, so what if they cared. I got one!). Gave it to my younger bro, then fell in love with it later. Today, I own a red Wii I still play today - trying to beat Skyward Sword right now, and looking for a copy of Twilight Princess. BotW got to me
Hoho for breakfast
Member
The Wii was an entirely different beast. It was a cultural phenomenon like tickle me elmo or beanie babies. I had this 65 year old guy I worked with who knew someone in another state where they had a store that got consistent restocks of Wiis when they were super hard to find.
So he has all these people at the place I work asking him to contact his friend to pick up some Wiis to ship to him, and then in turn sell them to everyone else. And he was selling them to people that were both young and old. Even though he sold them for cost plus shipping, many people still gave him an extra $20 or so on top. It was insane.
The Switch is not that. At all. I'm not saying it's impossible for it to become that, just that it isn't that right now, even though it is fairly scarce and people will be impulse buying it.
So he has all these people at the place I work asking him to contact his friend to pick up some Wiis to ship to him, and then in turn sell them to everyone else. And he was selling them to people that were both young and old. Even though he sold them for cost plus shipping, many people still gave him an extra $20 or so on top. It was insane.
The Switch is not that. At all. I'm not saying it's impossible for it to become that, just that it isn't that right now, even though it is fairly scarce and people will be impulse buying it.
M_A_C
Member
True, because everyone and their grandma wanted to play Wii Sports. You think Grandmas care about Zelda or 1-2 Switch?
Just picked a Switch up at Target BTW. Glad I got another one!
titiklabingapat
Member
All this 'manufactured demand' talk is a bit funny considering there have been consistent restocks over the last 7 days.
dragonyeuw
Member
That happened to me with the NES Mini. I wouldn't care now if I walked past a pile of them stacked high to the ceiling. Some items are 'impulse' buys and the Mini definitely had a window of opportunity to attract or lose me as a potential buyer.
PcPlasticFuzz
Member
Nintendo uk store has Grey and Neon in stock for anyone interested??
(Seriously, I don't get the point of excitedly purchasing a product and then acting like you resent having bought it.)
Buggy Loop
Member
Nintendo should really really have a Switch Sports ready for holidays, not that mario will not carry the sales, but for the Ellen degenres and Oprah of this world to hype the thing, nothing beats casual sports. Joycons are basically made for this!
phantasmic_glaive
Member
True.. but to be fair, that is the situation right now and they are losing money. I am one of the consumers you described in your top paragraph. I want to play Zelda, bad! But I refuse to play it on Wii U, and the only thing I want to play more than Zelda is Persona 5. P5 comes out next week.. after I get that, I'm gonna wait on the switch.
I know the PS4 had shortages when it came out, but it didn't seem this bad. The Switch situation is borderline ridiculous. If we start seeing units by the time MK8
comes out... can't help but to scream Ninty did it deliberately. Only because gaming is all they do or have to worry about. I still love em tho
back to what was posted about Target stock yesterday...I used the item page on their website to track inventory, walked into one store at 11:45am and bought a Switch. Went to another store and picked up a second Switch at 12:15pm, all of which had been available since the stores opened. It's not hard at all if you put a little effort into it.
grtkbrandon
Neo Member
You do realize that how many units a store may or may not have is not at all relevant to how much effort a consumer puts in to find one, right? It's not like they will magically appear on the shelves just because someone got off their butt to visit a store.
Oh get the hell out of here with this "it's not hard if you put a little effort into it" shit.
I've called every GameStop in the area, tried every Best Buy, and every target. There's nothing here. I've been doing this for two and a half weeks now. In the suburbs I tried Walmart (there's pretty much no Walmarts in Chicago)--nothing.
So you either live in the middle of nowhere or just got lucky and live an an area where they got a restock because if people don't have a Switch it's not for lack of trying.
Edit: a junior. Of course
True.. but to be fair, that is the situation right now and they are losing money. I am one of the consumers you described in your top paragraph. I want to play Zelda, bad! But I refuse to play it on Wii U, and the only thing I want to play more than Zelda is Persona 5. P5 comes out next week.. after I get that, I'm gonna wait on the switch.
I know the PS4 had shortages when it came out, but it didn't seem this bad. The Switch situation is borderline ridiculous. If we start seeing units by the time MK8
Only because gaming is all they do or have to worry about. I still love em tho
Blame them for what? Not overproducing units?
PSFan
Member
Most people put their effort into working their job to earn the money to buy the Switch. Actually buying it, should be a matter of walking into a store, asking for a Switch and paying for it, with no effort involved really.
Not all locations are alike.
True.. but to be fair, that is the situation right now and they are losing money. I am one of the consumers you described in your top paragraph. I want to play Zelda, bad! But I refuse to play it on Wii U, and the only thing I want to play more than Zelda is Persona 5. P5 comes out next week.. after I get that, I'm gonna wait on the switch.
I know the PS4 had shortages when it came out, but it didn't seem this bad. The Switch situation is borderline ridiculous. If we start seeing units by the time MK8
Only because gaming is all they do or have to worry about. I still love em tho
So Nintendo not meeting demand in March is proof of an artificial scarcity tactic, but if they increase the supply moving forward (which they in fact announced weeks ago) to meet this demand next month, it's also proof of a deliberate under-shipping scheme. Cool.
Version 3.0
Member
And attempting to sell your product to these people, instead of people actually interested in buying your console plus accessories and a continuous stream of games, is good business because...?
Yeah, I wish. I hit up basically half the retailers in the area last weekend looking for one and didn't get anything out of it.
tiebreaker
Member
Havr you tried Gamestop? Got mine there.
People keep saying this. But the people that "lose interest" were never really interested in buying one in the first place. All the people that have "lost interest" have not bought a Switch yet. Those aren't sales. Those are just people who didn't buy anything and probably never will.
Not seeing a Switch on the shelf isn't like having some ex-girlfriend you dated for three years and then ruined your life when she left you. Not seeing one on the shelf != a giant grudge.
To put it into perspective, I took that screen protector out of the box with the case in it, scrunched it up, and tossed it in the trash.
Amfilm or go home.
C.Olimar788
Member
The Switch scarcity issue is one I am willing to believe was accidental - Nintendo has been pretty open about putting out restocks and has been putting out a fair few of them as far as I've seen. The Toys R Us I work at got 25 at launch and 15 this last Friday, which, while not enough to meet demand of course, is infinitely better than what we got for, say, the NES Classic.
The Switch problem is likely also exacerbated by a number of things coming out near the same time that are also sought after. Pro Controllers, copies of Zelda, amiibo, cases... I can imagine Nintendo's production line being stretched pretty thin by just a slight underestimation of product popularity. This is also not helped by individual retailers holding shipments for whatever reasons - Gamestop's little bundles, for instance, and I know for a fact my store held some Switches from our last shipment to put out in April instead.
I haven't been able to get a Switch yet myself, but I'm sure they'll be easily available if we give it a month or so. I don't think Nintendo is trying to make this a Wii situation where you couldn't get the things until a year after launch unless you were lucky on the day of.
The Switch problem is likely also exacerbated by a number of things coming out near the same time that are also sought after. Pro Controllers, copies of Zelda, amiibo, cases... I can imagine Nintendo's production line being stretched pretty thin by just a slight underestimation of product popularity. This is also not helped by individual retailers holding shipments for whatever reasons - Gamestop's little bundles, for instance, and I know for a fact my store held some Switches from our last shipment to put out in April instead.
I haven't been able to get a Switch yet myself, but I'm sure they'll be easily available if we give it a month or so. I don't think Nintendo is trying to make this a Wii situation where you couldn't get the things until a year after launch unless you were lucky on the day of.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
Not to mention, what's the attach rate like for Twitchy McImpulse vs. Bob O'Dedicated? That guy who just snatched it up because of scarcity hype probably isn't going to buy 12-15 games for it over its lifespan. Why restrict everyone else for his sake?
Kenzodielocke
Banned
So I don't know how this thread talks about non US countries, but I ordered and paid half of the Switch at Gamestop (Germany). How long will I have to wait and does Nintendo really ship their stuff randomly ? I ordered the gray one, even if I liked the neon ones a bit more, since there seem to have more grays than neons on the market, is that a correct assumption?
That's a very simplistic and entitled line of thinking when you know you're talking about a brand new in-demand item.
There have been several people in this thread who were like "yeah I'm going to four stores today and if I don't find one then screw it". Well okay buddy, that's not how any of this works. Continue disappointing only yourself instead of doing the small things in order to succeed. Such as: reading previous posts on here, tracking inventory, getting tips from others.
Everyone has an off day from work where they can employ these strategies. They can find someone else to go to the store for them too. It's clear that some people just prefer to go kicking and screaming though.
thechristoph
Sir!
Is it known if/when Gamestop will offer the Switch outside of their BS bundles?
You can track these two links:
http://www.target.com/p/nintendo-switch-with-gray-joy-con/-/A-52052007?lnk=fiatsCookie
http://www.target.com/p/nintendo-switch-with-neon-blue-and-red-joy-con/-/A-52189185
1.make a mental note or take a picture of stock quantities on the 'find at another store' list before you go to bed
2.if there is any positive change in inventory (late at night or early in the A.M.) then those stores most likely received Switches. (unless it was a single return).
3.go to the store at opening. get there 15minutes early. or else get someone else you know to go there for you in order to buy one.
4.call and ask. It doesn't hurt to ask and employee if he can hold one for you for a few minutes and you will come pick it up on your work break. One guy held one for me today. Call when you can be right on your way.
http://www.target.com/p/nintendo-switch-with-gray-joy-con/-/A-52052007?lnk=fiatsCookie
http://www.target.com/p/nintendo-switch-with-neon-blue-and-red-joy-con/-/A-52189185
1.make a mental note or take a picture of stock quantities on the 'find at another store' list before you go to bed
2.if there is any positive change in inventory (late at night or early in the A.M.) then those stores most likely received Switches. (unless it was a single return).
3.go to the store at opening. get there 15minutes early. or else get someone else you know to go there for you in order to buy one.
4.call and ask. It doesn't hurt to ask and employee if he can hold one for you for a few minutes and you will come pick it up on your work break. One guy held one for me today. Call when you can be right on your way.
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