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[cormack12]

Nintendo chose to offer direct preorders to customers that:

Opted in to receive Nintendo communication
Had played above a threshold of hours on their current Nintendo Switch
Had been a subscriber to their online membership for no less than two consecutive years.

How do you feel if Sony or Microsoft apply a similar sort of logic to cut down on scalping. What metrics do you think are fairest?

 

[Windle Poons]

Well I got an order with the big N and only met one of those criteria so not sure it worked or not?

 

[LRKD]

Absolutely, like yeah it's not 'fair' if someone who wants one, doesn't get one on account of, maybe he only plays single player switch games, and doesn't want to be annoyed by a billion email ads. But it's far fairer than the switches getting bought by scalpers.

besides, sooner or later it'll be easily accessible, and lets be real, day one consoles are terrible anyways.

 

[jshackles]

Sounds fair on paper, but I met all the criteria but didn't get offered a pre-order. I'm soundly in the "not fair" category so far.

 

[proandrad]

Do we know if you need to have Nintendo online to be chosen, or just to be able to checkout at purchase? Like, can you just buy a year of online if you get an email?

 

[bender]

Sounds fair on paper, but I met all the criteria but didn't get offered a pre-order. I'm soundly in the "not fair" category so far.

I thought the first invitations were going on on May 8th?

 

[Celcius]

Yeah Nintendo's not sending out the invitations until May 8th, what do y'all mean you weren't selected?

 

[proandrad]

I thought the first invitations were going on on May 8th?

I think UK people go their emails.

 

[jshackles]

I thought the first invitations were going on on May 8th?

Good to know. My vote remains "not fair" though until it happens

 

[BlackTron]

Had been a subscriber to their online membership for no less than two consecutive years.

How many months in a year again?

 

[BlackTron]

I think it's a little lame with the NSO, but really, it's not a bad anti-scalp measure. It won't be impossible to get one just because you didn't make the cut, you can try at other stores.

It's better than PS who wouldn't even tell what the conditions were, just hope.

 

[BlackTron]

Sounds fair on paper, but I met all the criteria but didn't get offered a pre-order. I'm soundly in the "not fair" category so far.

Nintendo's pre-order date to buy direct was always May 8.

Preorders across the board have been delayed from April 9. It may be before May 8, it may not.

This frankly cancelled a strange situation where you would have been able to preorder at retailers before Nintendo direct. And if Nintendo won't guarantee to even offer one, it means don't wait if it comes to that. Preorder at a retailer and maybe if Nintendo then sends you an invite double up for safety.

 

[BlackTron]

Does anyone else remember when you could preorder something just by asking in Gamestop? Even a massive time before it came out? And they tracked you with a little paper card system LOL

 

[GateofD]

its fair.
there's plenty of other retailers to attempt pre-orders

 

[San Dan Glokta]

How the fuck has it settled.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

If anyone thinks that's not fair, I would like to hear what you think would be a better way. What would you do in order to make sure they end up in the hands of fans who want to actually own and play the thing, instead of getting snatched up by scalpers?

 

[Deerock71]

They can do whatever the fuck they want. So can Sony and Microsoft.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

I really like it. And Nintendo probably likes it as it cuts out a seller so they can take the full money.

 

[BigBooper]

It's a good start. Ensure real fans get first dibs.

 

[Fbh]

At least on paper it seems like a good system to cut back on scalping.

 

[Shaki12345]

Well, I got one so it's fair

 

[Horseganador]

It would be fair if everyone had the same opportunities to reserve it. Setting conditions like a cult to see who is the biggest fan is absurd. It's as if Sony or Xbox forced you to pay for the online subscription to have the chance to buy a simple controller like Nintendo does.

 

[tr1p1ex]

doesn't matter. you can get the console anywhere.

 

[Neff]

Sounds fair on paper, but I met all the criteria but didn't get offered a pre-order. I'm soundly in the "not fair" category so far.

Once you meet the criteria, you're randomly selected by the computer to receive an invite to preorder. Simply meeting the criteria alone doesn't guarantee an invite.

 

[Ribi]

The fan base is rabid [redacted] they know they will preorder that shit from them directly because they fiend for Nintendo nostalgia

 

[Robb]

Anything to combat scalping is great in my book, but the subscription criteria sounds excessive to me.

 

[falling into hell]

Very fair I was chosen. Although I'm not sure if I even fulfilled all the criteria.

 

[LakeOf9]

Yeah, I guess. Reminds me of the conditions Valve set for ordering the Steam Deck in the launch period

It's at least one way to combat scalping and make sure the system ends up with people who'd actually want to play it.

 

[Codes 208]

For most yeah. Gives me time to (maaaybe) try preording from Gamestop

But its nice to have a back up plan this time around

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

I personally don't like their criteria, but it is their business. And I am unlikely to get one at launch anyway.

They still need to show me some things to put me at ease. They haven't done this yet.

 

[Puscifer]

Does anyone else remember when you could preorder something just by asking in Gamestop? Even a massive time before it came out? And they tracked you with a little paper card system LOL

I found one years ago for duke nukem forever lol

 

[Codes 208]

Yeah, I guess. Reminds me of the conditions Valve set for ordering the Steam Deck in the launch period

It's at least one way to combat scalping and make sure the system ends up with people who'd actually want to play it.

The one nice thing this time around is we're not dealing with a shortage on top of a high demand release, and that many retailers are battling against scalpers

That + the more mixed reception of the switch 2 reveal has me to believe finding a switch 2 at launch will be easier than the first and especially less stressful than the ps5/XSX

 

[InterMusketeer]

I encourage any measures that prevent scalping. The subscription requirement feels a bit strict to me though. Doesn't really matter to me, because I was able to secure a pre-order elsewhere.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

It would be fair if everyone had the same opportunities to reserve it. Setting conditions like a cult to see who is the biggest fan is absurd. It's as if Sony or Xbox forced you to pay for the online subscription to have the chance to buy a simple controller like Nintendo does.

They are targeting people who are most likely to pay scalpers otherwise. If you are lukewarm about Switch2 then you wouldn't pay above msrp. This is not about who is the biggest fan, but trying to fight scalping.

 

[Hollywood Hitman]

I dunno but time to get pre order dates back, let's do this

 

[nbkicker]

Nope as someone who easily met all the three bits to get a chance to buy one and I never got a email, so seems fair but obv Nintendo still messed up in the execution, but i got a preorder else where so not to fussed now