Nintendo has been subjected to a bit of flak this week from fans who are finding it hard to get their hands on the new Nintendo 3DS XL, Majora’s Mask 3D, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and a handful of amiibo that have been unavailable since before they launched. VentureBeat talked to several analysts to try and discover their thoughts on Nintendo’s problems and whether or not it truly is a supply issue that Nintendo can do something about, or if it’s out of their hands.
They asked Michael Pachter to comment on the availability of Nintendo products and why they seem to be perpetually sold out, but Pachter stated he had “no clue” why Nintendo products seem to sell out. Instead, they turned to IDC research director Lewis Ward for a comment. According to Ward, Nintendo doesn’t see sellouts and unavailable products as a bad thing.
“I don’t think Nintendo views it as a bad thing that certain items sell out. I’ve sat down with several Nintendo executives over the years who’ve said in passing that this or that is currently sold out, and they say it with a twinkle in their eye rather than with contrition.”
So Ward acknowledges that Nintendo executives believe that these sell outs definitely help keep their products in the minds of consumers who want them, but can’t access them. Iwata seemed baffled by the actions of scalpers in the most recent financial meeting, where he brings up in passing that several sold out figures are being sold at premium prices on sites like eBay, which is something none of the executives seem to have thought about.
Amiibos are performing especially well in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Some figures are sold out and are being sold at online auctions at premium prices — something which none of us had predicted.
So Pachter has “no clue” why Nintendo products sell out, while Iwata himself admits that the company under-estimated demand for its products and it has created a haven for scalpers to make tons of money selling what little supply is available. The demand is certainly there as well, as despite the new Nintendo 3DS XL being sold out in stores across the country, it sold nearly three times that of the original XL model when it launched in the United States.
Nintendo has products people want, but through a combination of factors outside their control, as well as their own arrogance that sellouts serve to further their business, consumers are having problems getting their hands on the newest games and systems they want. If you want to read the full analysis and what the other analysts said about Nintendo’s stock problems, be sure to check out VentureBeat.
