Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Nintendo Fans React To The Amiibo Situation And They Are Not Impressed
On Wednesday, Nintendo finally announced when the next wave of Amiibo figures will be available. The result was a mixture of elation and terror.
Talking with the other Amiibo collectors at Game Informer yielded two takeaways:
- We should try and purchase these.
- We are never going to be able to purchase these.
The situation was made worse when it was revealed that Nintendo would be repeating its most painful mistake from earlier Amiibo distribution. Three of the figures are limited to a single retailer.
The first to emerge (and rapidly disappear) was the Target-exclusive Jigglypuff. Many users (myself included) continued to click the bright red “Pre-Order” button with only errors resulting.
Next, GameStop (Disclaimer: GameStop is Game Informer’s parent company) saw its online systems crippled and in-store ordering grind to a halt. Amiibo fans waited in line for a longer-than-expected part of the afternoon to order exclusive figure Ness (and the others).
Finally, Toys "R" Us, possibly learning from the GameStop situation, opted to push its exclusive at an odd hour. Many woke up to find that Greninja was made available overnight and sold out in under an hour.
All of that is a commentary on Nintendo’s failure to fully stock the supply chain to meet demand. It could be a tactical move to drastically mitigate inventory costs over the long term and ensure that figures sold comes as close to the number produced as possible.
But what happened this morning shows a clear lack of cognizance of consumer frustration. Nintendo shared this via Twitter:
As you might expect, fans took this in the least flattering way possible. This reads as salt in the wound of those who attempted to ensure their orders for the upcoming wave.
Here is a sampling of some of the replies (but know that there are far more, and many use some colorful language):
@NintendoAmerica NESS, YOU MONSTERS
— Spooky Pogo (@pogobeta) April 3, 2015
.@NintendoAmerica the one that fixes the dysfunctional amiibo supply chain.
— SUPLEX CITY POLEECE (@itsdapoleece) April 3, 2015
.@NintendoAmerica Robin and Lucina you monsters
— - ̗̀new ̖́- Nega (@selfsick) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica Even the Easter bunny wouldn't be able to get his paws on an amiibo.
— Alex Berry (@AlexBurby) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica just stop with the trolling
— Jason Ekberg (@MrM0n0p01y) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica Please stop.... this is just rubbing it in.
— PIEGUYRULZ (@PIEGUYRULZ) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica You guys are just being mean, we all want Ness.
— Tyler McVicker (@ValveNewsNetwor) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica NESS. BUT YOU RUINED THAT DIDN'T YOU.
— Ken Landefeld (@DetectiveX) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica I don't even need to read the replies to know that every1 is asking for wave 4 pre orders and telling them to fix the stock
— Zach (@MiiFighter) April 3, 2015
@NintendoAmerica What about the children, Nintendo???
— Kristian Howard (@commonjrpghero) April 3, 2015
Nintendo will be reissuing at least one sold-out figure (Marth), but whether that will be a repeated practice or a one-off remains unknown. For now, the most devout Nintendo fans are feeling a little burned by the company.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
