Jay
This post was inspired by our disastrous day travelling to Smyths Toys.
For decades the big electronic and gaming companies have released their video games consoles and we all rushed out to purchase one.
If you were really unlucky the shops had sold out and you would have to wait a few days, weeks or even months before the shop would restock them. But they always did, and once you had waited you eventually managed to get your hands on the games console even after a bit of a wait.
I remember when Nintendo released the Super Nintendo in my country back in 1992 there was a bit of panic buying at the last-minute for some people, but people got the console in the end. I also remember the much-anticipated follow-up the N64 and then came the GameCube and then the Wii. The Wii remember was sold out for weeks at one point back in 2006. But People managed to get their hands on one in the end. Everyone was happy. We all loved Nintendo.
Fast forward to 2016…
Nintendo announces the release of the NES Classic mini and we all go crazy nostalgic. They then drop the bombshell that they are only manufacturing so many units.
Even before the console is released it is sold out literally everywhere by pre-order.
The console gets released, but it’s ompossible to buy because assholes buy them all up in bulk and sell them on Amazon and eBay at 3-4 times the value.
What do Nintendo do?
They announce they have stopped making the NES Classic Mini altogether! Yeah, thank you Nintendo.
Fast forward to 2017
Nintendo announces the release of the Super NES Classic Mini and we all go crazy nostalgic,. This time though Nintendo promises they will manufacture more units this time.
Again sold out everywhere by pre-order. The console gets released, but it’s impossible to buy because assholes buy them all up in bulk and sell them on Amazon and eBay at 3-4 times the value.
What do Nintendo do?
…. Let’s just wait and see. But I expect come early 2018 Nintendo will announce they aren’t manufacturing any more SNES mini classics!
I just can’t understand why Nintendo would do this, because they obviously don’t like making money. I thought they made their products and games for the people. That is why we loved Nintendo in the first place. That’s all changed now!
So, what inspired me to write this post?
I was lucky enough to purchase one of the Super Nintendo Classic Mini from Smyths Toys for my eldest son who really wanted the console and he really loved Super Mario. He was looking forward to playing probably the best Mario game there is – Super Mario World.
The only store I managed to secure one from was over 30 miles away from where we lived, but I thought it would be worth it. We get there and we were pretty excited, because we would be getting on our hands on a SNES mini any minute.
The store assistant took our order number and then came back and said “Sorry, this order does not exist” The manager came out and said there had been a problem in the IT department and they’d sold stock they didn’t even have.
I was pissed off and my son was devastated. We’d wasted a day to come to this store and we’d drove all this way for nothing and now had to drive home too, empty-handed and out-of-pocket because Smyths had taken my money and I’d wasted money on petrol driving there.
What did Smyths Toys do?
Basically shrug it off and send me an automated order cancelled email later that day, with no explanation or apology!
So, this is why we stopped loving Nintendo and we will never foot back in Smyths Toys again!
Update
I can confirm we finally managed to get our hands on a SNES Mini Classic from Smyths Toys in December. It was well worth the wait. Respect Nintendo!
