After Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition, trying to find that damned thing has been very trying. So much that many people have given up until looking for one until Nintendo gets a handle on their stock. Now that Nintendo has released both the price and the release date for the Nintendo Switch, many wonder if will suffer the same issue.
Most places have sold out of both the gray and neon-colored systems. Not to mention that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Master Edition, you can’t find that thing anywhere. It’s crazy out there and is very reminiscent of what we saw with the NES Classic Edition. I really hope it doesn’t, I’m sure you don’t as well.
Will the Switch end up being exactly the same?
Apparently not, per Nintendo of America’s boss, Reggie Fils-Aimé. In a recent interview with Wired, Reggie has gone on record stating that the Nintendo Switch will not
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.
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.
In the same interview, Reggie also takes a moment to reinforce that the Nintendo Switch can and will co-exist together. So any concerns that you had about the Switch and 3DS co-existing can be squelched.
3DS has a long life in front of it. We’ve already announced games that will be launching in the first couple quarters of this year. There are a number of big games coming. And in our view, the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch are going to live side-by-side. You’re going to be meeting different price points, you’re going to be meeting different types of consumers, you’re going to have the newest, freshest content available on Nintendo Switch, you’ve got a thousand-game library available on Nintendo 3DS, plus some key new ones coming. They’re going to coexist just fine. We’ve done this before, managing two different systems.
I think there’s a sense that Nintendo Switch is a portable device. It is portable. But at its heart, it’s a home console that you can take with you on the go.
The Nintendo Switch releases on March 3rd, 2017, and is priced at $299.99 in North American. Pre-orders are selling out fast and you may not be able to find one store shelves once release date. I’ve got my pre-order and I know several others of The Outerhaven team do as well.
While you’re at it, be sure to check the entire interview over at Wired.com.
