The SNES Classic Edition is proving to be another smash hit for Nintendo. It's no surprise. Last year's NES Classic Edition was also a smash hit — perhaps even the must-buy holiday gift. That is, of course, until Nintendo screwed up its supply chain, failed to deal with scalpers, failed to deliver more stocks, and ultimately killed it.
SNES Classic Edition A Massive Success, But Will It Face Supply Issues?
The SNES Classic Edition, a miniature reiteration of the '90s original, seems to be doing OK. Though GameStop says it's now sold out — achieving that in just minutes — there were no reports of dramatic supply shortages.
What's more, GameStop has assured its customers that more stock will be arriving soon. Speaking to Siliconera about the console's successful launch, the video game retailer said customers shouldn't worry about supply problems.
"We're getting more very soon. Once we do, our customers will be the first to know!"
It's good to know Nintendo is keeping up with the demand, which is quite a change from its NES Classic Edition days, where because the console was extremely hard to find, scalpers were literally charging people more than double its price on eBay.
Nintendo previously stated that it produced significantly more units this time around to avoid repeating the unfortunate NES Class Edition scenario, but it didn't exactly specify by how much. From release to cancellation, the NES Classic Edition sold 2.3 million units, according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé, but this could have theoretically been higher if not for Nintendo's supply problems.
"We just didn't anticipate how incredible the response would be," he said after the fiasco. "Once we saw that response, we added shipments and extended the product for as long as we could to meet more of that consumer demand."
The company seems to have learned its lesson.
SNES Classic Edition
The SNES Classic Edition, a nearly palm-sized version of the original console released in the '90s, launched Friday, Sept. 29, for $79.99. It comes preloaded with 21 SNES games, including the previously unreleased Star Fox 2. Two-player mode has become much easier because the console comes with two classic SNES controllers — and the cables are longer now, too.
But all told, is it too early to be wishing for a Nintendo 64 Classic Edition? Maybe next year, who knows?
Did you manage to get an SNES Classic Edition? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
