Nintendo NES Classic Edition Stocks And Availability To Increase Soon?
Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition stocks quickly ran out when it was re-released 31 years after its original launch. What was initially a sort of a throwback and a tribute to the good old 8-bit days suddenly became an obsession – everyone on the internet suddenly went crazy trying to get their hands on one. Now, the Japanese company has sold 1.5 million units, and as a result, it is increasing the console’s production.
During Nintendo’s recent earnings briefing, company president Tatsumi Kimishima confirmed the figures and at the same time apologized for the NES Classic Edition shortages.
“We apologize to our consumers and retail partners for the inconvenience caused by product shortages,” he said. “Some parts require time to procure, but we are working to increase production.”
Of course, with the increase in production, we can expect more stocks of the NES to make its way to retailers soon. It is unknown how long fans will have to wait for it to become available again, but at the very least, there is hope that more are arriving sooner than later.
As of now, stocks of the miniature console are still elusive. GameStop released limited stocks last week, and they were all sold out within minutes. Walmart also frequently made the NES available in short doses in the past, but as can be guessed, a ton of interested fans did not even get the chance to see it go live on the website.
Best Buy also has the NES Classic listed on its website, though it’s sold out. Target, on the other hand, may have some stocks in their physical stores. The retailer has advised fans to check their branches as the console will not be available on their website.
For those who cannot wait for the NES Classic to become available again, there are always other options – but they must be prepared to pay more than the original cost.
The NES Classic Edition only costs $59.99 – only if the buyer is lucky enough. As the console is hard to come by in major retailers, some have taken advantage of the situation to sell units for way more than its retail price.
There are a lot of listings for the NES on Amazon and eBay, but note that they are fulfilled by marketplace sellers. A unit can sell for $100 and up, though one can consider himself extremely lucky should he be able to purchase one for less than double its original price.
Third-party sellers in Walmart are also in on this profitable business. An NES Classic Edition unit sells for about $160 and up, depending on the seller. If it’s any consolation, though, all of them offers free shipping.
CNET also reports that there are some NES stocks over at Chunk Toys and Player’s Choice, but they have it for around $200. Newegg has the console at its most expensive price on this list at $210 — still, it’s nowhere near the $5,000 NES console that was sold on eBay months ago.
The console has 30 titles in it. Some 8-bit classics include Super Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. Nintendo has already announced that there are no more games coming apart from the original titles, so why is everybody suddenly willing to spend $60 and up on a package of 30 old-school games when they are available on emulators?
Nintendo sells 1.5 million NES Classic Editions and apologizes for shortages. https://t.co/NSRXI0SvbV pic.twitter.com/fmO9n5XdG7
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) February 1, 2017
What propelled the fans to go crazy over the NES Classic Edition remains a mystery. Is it the nostalgia? Or is it the “limited edition” tag that comes with it? Would No Man’s Sky have fared better if Hello Games released a limited amount of copies? Unfortunately, no one knows the answer.
[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
