Fans and hopeful owners of Nintendo's upcoming console Switch may have noticed that there's a bit of a concern around stock, with some retailers like GameStop in the US saying that their initial allocation of consoles has already been sold.
"The fact that this initial allotment has been completely reserved in a matter of a few days demonstrates gamers' desire for this fun and revolutionary gaming system," Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop, said in a news release. "We're working closely with Nintendo to get additional Nintendo Switch units, and will let our customers know when they become available."
UK retailer GAME has also highlighted that not all pre-orders will get their console on launch day: "At this time we have not received official confirmation of stock allocation. Until we have our allocation confirmed by Nintendo we cannot guarantee that every order will be fulfilled for launch."
From this, some may anticipate a supply issue for Nintendo's console, but Reggie Fils-Aimé, President of Nintendo of America, doesn't think this is the case, as expressed in a recent interview.
"What we've said publicly is that there will be 2 million units that will be shipped worldwide for the launch, essentially through month one," he started by saying.
"I know, because I read the boards and I read the comments, that there is concern about supply. From what I've read, the concern seems to stem from the lack of ability to buy NES Classic. So what I would say is this: Two million for essentially the first month is a huge number, especially when you look and see that this is not peak seasonality. This is essentially the first three weeks of March. Our focus is making sure that the consumer who wants to buy a Nintendo Switch can buy a Nintendo Switch. That's how we build our supply chain, that's how we think through the amount of product that's available."
"What happened with NES Classic is that was a situation where the global demand was well in excess of anything we had anticipated, and that's what created shortages. The good news, at least for consumers in the Americas, is we're going to continue to make the NES Classic available. With the ongoing level of supply, the ongoing demand is going to be met. We know the concern."
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Thanks, VG247.