Kotaku: Japan's Nintendo Switch Lines Are Hell

Zee_truly evil said:
How much do they cost?
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Friend bought one for about ₩500000 ($450ish) near launch with BOTW thrown in for free. Last time we were in the area they were going for $350-400 (depends on how good you are at bargaining). There's definitely a premium, but they're nowhere near rare. To be fair though, this is Korea so console gaming (and hell, handheld gaming outside of phones) is almost non existent.
 
-MB- said:
IMHO they really should have concentrated supply to Jpan, it is their most vital market, which they need to be successful in as fast as possible.
They need to seize that momentum to the max there to cement Switch as the de facto 3DS replacement.
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Japan and America. All other countries mostly havent been nintendo strongholds pretty much ever.
 
13ruce said:
Mass import from Europe they overstocked us:P
Only we strangely have a higher price tag in some places/countries than the supposed 299€ wich is dumb....
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Please no, they are still out of stock in France, amazon.fr say "available in 1 or 2 months" for both models.
 
cw_sasuke said:
lol...the market is more than the Retail Top 3 - come on dude.
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That Japan is the odd man out and that the rest of the market mainly buys the same stuff is not some new or controversial revelation.
Make your fps and you can sell it everywhere, make your open world game and you can sell it everywhere.
A Top10 wouldn't change the picture nor would a top20.
Lol indeed ... can't believe that i even have to argue about this ...
 
Y'know, I thought the raffle idea was a pretty smart methodology, but these lines are only this big because of the idea
and low Switch stock
. I think it's time to get on the first come, first serve train.
 
I'm surprised because they don't seem too hard to come by in the US. I've had multiple opportunities online (and even in person) to get one if I wanted. I'm surprised they are so supply constrained everywhere else around the world.
 
So glad to be out of the hustle of trying to get one of these fucking things.

Socivol said:
I'm surprised because they don't seem too hard to come by in the US. I've had multiple opportunities online (and even in person) to get one if I wanted. I'm surprised they are so supply constrained everywhere else around the world.
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Where do you live? They have sold out in minutes (usually accompanied by lines before stores open) everywhere in the Seattle area every single time there was a restock, across all retailers.
 
Socivol said:
I'm surprised because they don't seem too hard to come by in the US. I've had multiple opportunities online (and even in person) to get one if I wanted. I'm surprised they are so supply constrained everywhere else around the world.
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It's also supply constrained in the US.
 
And where I live (in Sweden) my local stores have a bunch of stock.
It wouldn't be hard to just walk into any store an buy one.
I do hope the stock improves in Japan. And even in the US if it's still bad there.
 
I would be so mad if I couldn't just order it online at any store, and get mine as soon as it arrived. Why the lines?? What happens if you walk up to a store and ask to reserve? They say "no, go wait in that line"? And does every store do it the same way?
 
Izayoi said:
So glad to be out of the hustle of trying to get one of these fucking things.


Where do you live? They have sold out in minutes (usually accompanied by lines before stores open) everywhere in the Seattle area every single time there was a restock, across all retailers.
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I live in Chicago and I've seen them many of them just on store shelves. A few months ago a Wal-Mart on the southside had like 7 just sitting in the case.
 
bytesized said:
Are Japanese scalpers a thing? With those lines I can imagine the desperation coould make people pay lots of money for one.
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Retail price in Japan: 32,378 Yen ($287)

Neon Red/Blue Switch - (76 bids, 1 day remaining)
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o193469642
42,660 yen ($378)

Splatoon 2 Switch Bundle - (62 bids, 2 day remaining)
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c608150712
51,000 yen ($452)

Splatoon 2 Switch Bundle - (58 bids, 4 day remaining)
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u153247516
51,000 yen ($452)

Splatoon 2 Switch Bundle, Splatoon 2 Pro Controller and Three Splatoon 2 Amiibo - (66 bids, 19 hour remaining)
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r199320361
66,000 yen ($586)

etc
 
AmFreak said:
That Japan is the odd man out and that the rest of the market mainly buys the same stuff is not some new or controversial revelation.
Make your fps and you can sell it everywhere, make your open world game and you can sell it everywhere.
A Top10 wouldn't change the picture nor would a top20.
Lol indeed ... can't believe that i even have to argue about this ...
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This thread is about Nintendo hardware sales...no idea what you are talking about. The demand for Nintendo hardware in countries like France or Germany isnt the same as in the UK for example....there are differences between european countries. Just like the Xbox is a non-factor in most mainland countries.
 
There wasnt 3000 people in line, was it? Isnt it like that you just register for a ticket and then check the board later on for result? Souns like the most pleasant line to me, no huge waiting or anything like that.
 
No fights, that's not even rare Jordan or Yeezy tier. Hell that's not even major city Black Friday, just some thirsty ass long line
 
Stock in America seems real hit or miss. For instance I'm in the LA area, and if I lived in Orange County or Inland Empire it seems like it would be pretty easy to find one according to istock, but in LA proper and the San Fernando Valley you seemingly have to show up as the store opens on the day a shipment comes in.

Also, it looks like anyone in places like Montana, Idaho and Wyoming should bank on basically never getting one. There are regularly days where there doesn't appear to be stock anywhere in their state, and these are huge states.
 
I've had so many opportunities here in California to get one. Have even gotten two, only to then return them. Someone should be getting these and scalping them in Japan if these lines of thousands of people are real.
 
cw_sasuke said:
This thread is about Nintendo hardware sales...no idea what you are talking about. The demand for Nintendo hardware in countries like France or Germany isnt the same as in the UK for example....
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The buying behavior and taste of those countries is much more similar between them than between any of them and japan.
It's incredibly unlikely that the Switch sells in one western country and flops everywhere else.
In contrast to that such a scenario is possible for Japan, because of it's unique taste/market.

there are differences between european countries. Just like the Xbox is a non-factor in most mainland countries.
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It's a "non-factor" because there is a better (in their opinion) alternative available.
PS4 and One are 2 products for the exact same audience, Switch is not.
 
That is because its 海の日, a Japanese national holiday. This is one of the rare occasions both adult workers and kids have off. This is the reason the line is ridiculous.
 
Ryuelli said:
Friend bought one for about ₩500000 ($450ish) near launch with BOTW thrown in for free. Last time we were in the area they were going for $350-400 (depends on how good you are at bargaining). There's definitely a premium, but they're nowhere near rare. To be fair though, this is Korea so console gaming (and hell, handheld gaming outside of phones) is almost non existent.
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Thanks. I always wondered why console gaming hasn't taken off in Korea .
 
The problem here is opportunity cost.

Sure, they're selling a lot.

But they COULD have sold twice as many units already, IF they were properly prepared. Most of those sales will come through later, some might not.
 
Last I checked there still seems to be a lot of stock in Australia.

Don't think Nintendo has much hold here. Come for a holiday and pick up a Switch
(and a spider bite)
on the way.
 
There are tons of Switches on store shelves and online in Australia. Why not just import them if people really want them? They're region free. I've seen them go for as low as $373 ($US290) instead of normal price of $469 ($US365)
 
Why go to such.. lengths ... instead of playing something else until stock recovers. Sometimes I don't get people. I wouldn't get into a line with 3000 people just to buy a fucking console. This is just crazy.

Just... I don't know.. whip out your Vita
 
mandiller said:
There are tons of Switches on store shelves and online in Australia. Why not just import them if people really want them? They're region free. I've seen them go for as low as $373 ($US290) instead of normal price of $469 ($US365)
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Do you know the size of Japanese market comparing to Australia and what demand these "tons" would satisfy in Japan?
 
mocolostrocolos said:
Get your shit together, Nintendo.
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Import them via a dimensional portal?

Apparently they underestimated originally the demand at this stage of the console's life, and there's nothing they could do now more than the prod. bump they already announced.
 
RedZaraki said:
The problem here is opportunity cost.

Sure, they're selling a lot.

But they COULD have sold twice as many units already, IF they were properly prepared. Most of those sales will come through later, some might not.
Click to expand...
That is not what opportunity cost means
 
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