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Klepek: Don't Reward Nintendo For This SNES Classic Pre-Order Bullshit
- Thread starter LordOfLore
- Start date
We should ask Goldilocks what to do. Not enough supply and consumers are unhappy, too much supply and retailers are unhappy. I believe a middle ground exists, it's Nintendo's job to find it.
If Nintendo lives in not-enough-supplyville and consumers for whatever reason defend them and don't get unhappy, Nintendo will stay there forever. It's important for us to make it known how much this sucks - and it's why Klepek's article is super important.
Amen, I'm in the same boat. Yeah I could get a emulator but I love the look of it and the snes controllers are awesome.
He's absolutely right, but much like anything in demand, I'd rather have the item go up at random times than anything.
Wario64's twitter notifications are the greatest of all time. I got lucky being up for the Best Buy preorder and I missed all the madness.
If this is bad, I can't imagine if anyone ever tried getting a pair of J's or Yeezys during prime time. Sites brought to their knees, and way worse than this.
Wario64's twitter notifications are the greatest of all time. I got lucky being up for the Best Buy preorder and I missed all the madness.
If this is bad, I can't imagine if anyone ever tried getting a pair of J's or Yeezys during prime time. Sites brought to their knees, and way worse than this.
Ninja Scooter
Member
I don't think they give a shit. And It makes me wonder how much autonomy NOA has even in something like this. Like I could totally see "We said it was limited edition and this is all we are making an that's it!" being some stubborn, dated ass NoJ shit and there is nothing NOA can do about it but spin as best they could and grin while they do it.
Here's the thing: This isn't the press calling Nintendo out on anything, this is one guy ranting.
Everyone in this thread agrees there is an issue here with the SNES Classic, even if we all see it differently. There is so much speculation about the supply chain and what Nintendo is doing intentionally or unintentionally, but that's all it is: speculation. Patrick Klepek has the platform, the expertise, the resources and presumably some of the connections to go deeper than just wondering why this happened to figuring out just how it happened. He could sit down and get to work, speak to people either in Nintendo's supply chain or something like it for contrast, and clear up some of this confusion as to whether this is ineptitude, an understandable shortage or something anti-consumer cooked up by some guy in a boardroom. He could speak to sources inside the company and get a feel for whether this is strategy or a repeated series of mistakes. We could treat this industry as something where every story doesn't have to be a review or a leak. We could get some honest to goodness journalism here, and inform ourselves.
Instead, he hammers out a few hundred words about how he can't buy the latest toy, and in doing so makes it perfectly clear he has no objectivity on this subject, undermining his credibility and ensuring he won't ever give this story proper shake. Thus posts like this:
completely miss the point.
But ultimately it won't matter for Nintendo. They'll continue to just sell out of what they decide to make regardless. And yes, Klepek probably wouldn't have written it if he did get a pre-order, so it does come off as a bit salty. This isn't a defense, just the reality of the situation without all the crazy conspiracy theories about artificial scarcity and anti-consumerism.
The core is to find a real solution that satisfies consumers and retailers, while discouraging scalping and bundling by dubious retailers. Perhaps the idea of doing a made-to-order style of pre-ordering would work, but it'd also take retailers out of it, pissing them off. Sony had a similar problem with PSVR, only because it's a niche product instead of a big nostalgia product, the complaints weren't nearly as severe.
Honestly I'm at a loss for what they can do, because any solution I've considered ends up pissing someone off. Maybe this is just a problem they've already considered and realize that this is the best they can do.
FalsettoVibe
Member
Wait...you thought it was a good idea to respond this way to a mod? lol
Anywho, Nintendo is trippin with these pre-orders. That know what they're doing......
OrbitalBeard
Member
Yeah, you're probably right. And it really sucks knowing that items like this from Nintendo will likely be a nightmare to obtain for a long time to come.
I feel like there's a way to handle pre-orders directly without pissing off retailers. Make the entire process only enticing to consumers who are truly determined to purchase one. Charge them a non-refundable $100 price immediately. Or heck, make it $200, but you get $100 of it back after the item ships. The hardcore Nintendo fan will go for this, but the average consumer likely won't, which means retailers will still sell most of the product during the holidays. And if scalpers want in on the action, great, because Nintendo will produce however many are pre-purchased during a window of time, so they're not going to be able to re-sell nearly as many units.
Hey, are you saying these people with Nintendo avatars aren't fairly judging this situation?
DudeWithNoName
Member
Nintendo purposely limiting these like this is the opposite of building goodwill with consumers. For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Nintendo" is this NES/SNES and to some extent Switch fuckery.
And yes, I am salty. Which is exactly my point.
And yes, I am salty. Which is exactly my point.
But how do you do that without cutting retailers out? Do you create a whole new specific retail chain system across multiple retailers, similar to cell phone activation sites? If so is the money and manhours necessary to develop such a process worth it for these rare niche products? As others have said, maybe they looked into all this and realize that people complaining on GAF and Twitter about supply issues don't really cause enough of an issue when the demand is stupid high.
It's one hell of a conundrum and I don't agree that it's something as simple as "just make more."
OrbitalBeard
Member
Yeah, I don't pretend to think it's an easy fix. But I feel there has to be a better way and as much as I understand how important retail is for a company like Nintendo, it kind of drives me mad that retail is likely one of the primary reasons why Nintendo can't just do a big 24 hour pre-order window themselves on their site. Like, charge me for the item immediately. Take it out of my bank today. I don't care!
But like Ninja Scooter said, it's also possible NoA wouldn't be given permission by NCL to do something like this even if they wanted to.
I feel one legitimate way to make this less of a problem is to just make both the NES and SNES Classics permanent products, not limited run items. If I knew I could get one of these things eventually, I'd be fine waiting. Like, I was lucky enough to get a Switch at launch, but if I hadn't, at least I know I'd be able to get one someday.
TheSadRanger
Banned
Ya but what are the solutions? You would need to put an exorbitant amount on the market otherwise scalpers are going to keep buying them up.
If Nintendo needs to put up that many units to keep scalpers off then it's obviously not worth it since you will end up with excess stock that does take up space in stores which retailers hate.
The only viable solution I think would be to just change the format completely and make it a service based system which is a whole other ordeal.
I don't think there's much Nintendo can do, the situation is too screwed up with too many people trying to scalp these things.
BudokaiMR2
Member
I don't really understand the logic behind how a pre-announced date and such would reduce scalpers. Wouldn't that just make it easier for them to organize and get more stock for themselves?
In any case, I am just glad that it seems like Japan is going to be doing this right. Though we still don't know when the pre-orders will actually start.
In any case, I am just glad that it seems like Japan is going to be doing this right. Though we still don't know when the pre-orders will actually start.
ShadowKingpin
Member
Says the guy with a Mario avatar. Good god, did you even take a moment to read the article, or are you just attacking because Nintendo can do no wrong? They fucked up, BIG TIME, and they have deserved to be publicly shammed for their artificial scarcity and poor handling of their hardware launches for a very long time.
Yeah, that's a head-scratcher. You should be removed for treating anyone like that 'round here in my opinion. To do it do someone who volunteers to keep this place clean and has a bit of power is just baffling.
His message, what it sounded like to me, was let everyone know so they could all at least have a chance in some kind of battle royale (hanging out too much in the Dragon Ball Super OT...). This kinda feels..."unfruitful" (? I'm not good with words anymore) since your chances against the bots in a fair match are, from what I understand, really not good.
The biggest complaint for the NES Mini was no pre-orders, so this time Nintendo established a pre-order date. That obviously didn't work either so I'm trying to be optimistic about constant shipments after release but I'm not holding my breath.
They're kinda in a damned if they do damned if they don't situation.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Yeah, this is my biggest issue. Just make the Classics a long term product line!
Agreed. Is it really that different from the NES launch? The difference there was Klepek was able to get one.
This time he wasn't, so he got upset. Frankly him advocating piracy when many games are available for sale on WiiU or 3DS is a bit surprising to me.
ShadowKingpin
Member
This right here. Nintendo limiting the item is the biggest issue by far. They knew it was going to be a huge hit, yet they went with this stupid way of thinking anyway.
GillianSeed79
Member
Journalism isn't that easy. No one at Nintendo, their supply chain, or retailers are going to talk to the media about just how much Nintendo sucks at providing supply for its products. A piece like that would weeks or months of investigative journalism IF you got lucky and had a cooperating source.
Reptars Revenge
Member
Yep Nintendo is by far the worst company I buy shit from.
Ive said ti a few times in these threads but 2 solutions
1. Be transparent and communicate. Let people know you wont be discontinuing these in the foreseeable future and that they will continue to make shipments for the year. This way scalpers will have less of a demand due to the availability of the consoles, if not immediately then in the coming months.
2. Actually make enough to meet demand AND do not actually discontinue a highly sought after product that is going to make you a ton of money.
This is literally only a problem because of Nintendo themselves.
ShadowKingpin
Member
Would it make sense to have it order-only and shipped based on people who have already paid? Instead of stocking in-store, they make only what people pay for and ship it directly, that way, excess inventory won't be too much of an issue and scalpers should theoretically be kept under control. All of this while not making the Classics limited. I don't know, but maybe I am making it sound far less complicated than it really is?
Heavy_D206
Member
Sony and Microsoft have no problem keeping the stores stocked with their consoles, but Nintendo continues to fail over and over. It's actually kind of amazing how incompetent they are.
My guess is that it's about contractual obligations. Nintendo doesn't own all of the IP and were selling these games for pennies on the dollar (at least for NES). If I had to guess, companies were willing to sell the product in very limited quantities but not so many that it cuts too much into the higher margin VC sales.
Like when companies allow people to make shirts or posters but demand limited quantities.
Maybe I'm wrong, but something like that seems more likely than "we don't want money".
Sony and Microsoft make one console and have the capital to make major orders from many factories. The Classics line are just nostalgia products on the side with the Switch and 3DS being the main hardware Nintendo produces with far less money.
BTW Sony did have problems stocking the PSVR.
outunderthestars
Banned
Again. I went over three months without seeing a single 3DS in a retail store. During that time I visited stores dozens of times. NOA is absurdly bad at what they do.
Nintendo has billions of dollars in cash, and little to no debt. They have more than enough capital to produce the 3DS line, The Switch, and the Classics. I know you are a Nintendo superfan, but come on. This is a level of corporate apologist spin that borders on absurdity.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Its sold out now
the article is too late
the article is too late
Sure, but this thread is loaded with people coming in with praise for Klepek (either of the unconditional or the I-like-Patrick-but-I-don't-like-this variety) so why he needs journalism to be easy isn't clear to me.
And I am sure there are plenty of people at Nintendo who want the truth about this matter to come out, although they'd be foolish to say anything on the record. People at Nintendo have risked their jobs over far less.
Team Filler
Member
Yes, it's speculation, but it's being based on a pattern in Nintendo's release history of these items and those similar (amiibo, limited edition systems such as the Majora's Mask 3ds and its ilk).
And sure, Patrick could use his connects and such to try and speak with people inside Nintendo, and he can do that still, but when considering how opaque and uninformative the company almost always is with regards to these situations, it's understandable if he feels like a loud and snarky hot-take is the best way he can force some kind of explanation or change. Non-committal spin is seemingly the traditional method of communication from the company, so anything that gets them to deviate from that is appreciated, in my opinion.
A solid start, but so many people are acting like Nintendo is reinventing the wheel here. They're shipping a commercial product, albeit one this is very popular. This has been done before. There are ways to manufacture, distribute, and sell popular devices. As I've said before, Nintendo isn't some quirky start-up - they have a 50 billion dollar market cap. They are a major corporation with an astounding amount of resources. They don't deserve sympathy or understanding. They continually drop the ball on this stuff time and time again, never learning from their mistakes. None of this shitshow needed to occur at all.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
People are surprised when limited editions turn out to be, in fact, limited? Is that not part of the point?
Liliana Eileen
Member
Can a mod please say what the ban message was? lol
what's the best way to do this? I'm sure there's genuinely some really difficult hurdles to clear when trying to predict how many to make of something like this
Or is it that Nintendo will never be able to solve this because they believe in a limited run series for anything completely new they manufacture?
Or is it that Nintendo will never be able to solve this because they believe in a limited run series for anything completely new they manufacture?
The veruca salt surrounding the NES and SNES classic systems has handily settled argument wether limited supply creates demand. They have generated holiday season frenzied demand in September for a system that most will play a few times and park on a self.
I'd like to say I'm above it, but here I am in the shit clicking links and and calling stores all while hating myself for being caught up in such and obvious ploy. But I need to have it because well other people want it...
I'd like to say I'm above it, but here I am in the shit clicking links and and calling stores all while hating myself for being caught up in such and obvious ploy. But I need to have it because well other people want it...
On top of which, they literally JUST had the alpha version of this release last year and saw how popular it was so even if we assume the NES classic wasn't making them money or whatever other excuse people used to justify that decision, the fact that they didnt ensure that wouldnt happen with this in order to make the most profit is even more baffling to me, especially when you add a never released game with it to boot!
Its truly one of the most baffling decisions Ive ever seen in video games.
OriginalPoe
Banned
Thing is, I didn't really want the NES because I never really played the NES.
I want one of these real bad because I played my SNES like nothing since. My childhood console for sure.
Nor do I think they are asking for it. Let them run their business how they see fit if they are such a successful company. I'm sure they are very pleased with how this is all turning out. It's potentially low risk profit the way they are doing this and that is very useful to a company that just took a massive risk in the Switch.
Bunch of armchair CFOs in here. Nobody knows what agreements they have with their manufacturing houses or supply chains. Nor does anyone know if the actual product is even profitable to them outside of the buzz and brand recognition it generates. They've got a lot smarter people making these decisions than you and I. Sure they are probably overly conservative but they also just got burnt on the Wii U and 3DS supplies. The NES was successful, but many companies have made the mistake of thinking a fad was a trend.
All that being said they could communicate better to alleviate the scalping problem.
IF they cant determine how to sell this and that the demand will be sky high after the NES classic just last year, they absolutely do not have smarter people running this business than casual gaf posters who took micro and macro economics. Like Im sorry they should know what agreements need to be in place, and how to determine that with price and everything else to turn a profit. People are paying 300+ for the NES classic online. Raise the price if you arent turning a profit outside of brand awareness.
mariachi507
Member
Having it known in advance of what the time pre-orders went live would not have helped the scalper problem at all, it would have been worse. I've gotten lucky with Nintendo + Amazon twice this year (Switch and SNES) since I'm a nightowl, but I realize not everyone can do that.
It's on retailers for what time they decide to put their orders up.
It's on NIntendo for not making enough of these things.
It's on retailers for what time they decide to put their orders up.
It's on NIntendo for not making enough of these things.
Team Filler
Member
Obviously a limited edition isn't going to be available in perpetuity, but at the very least it would be nice to have a better chance than literally only seconds of availability to acquire said items. These things are widely advertised and marketed, and should be at least supplied in a similar fashion. It also doesn't explain why trying to get amiibo can still be such a fucking nightmare, or are all amiibo "limited editions" as well?
Someone upthread had mentioned that Patrick probably wouldn't have said anything if he had been able to score a preorder, and I completely disagree. I managed through pure luck to preorder 2 US and 1 UK SNES classics, and I'm still really fucking salty about how things have gone down so far. Nintendo said they were going to be better prepared for Classic demand this time around, that there would be more supply to meet demand. Yet, nothing they've done so far with this shows that to be the case.
Exactly, there's a lot to the backend of this.
Plus, if they wanted to cash in on the mobile-invigorated nostalgia, it's not clear to me you want a super nostalgic console out there.
The SNES classic is a dead end product (no new games to sell on it) that probably makes little profit. I think they'd be better off converting those mobile fans to dedicated consoles.