Last year, Nintendo shook up the gaming landscape with the release of the NES Classic, a system that celebrated the legacy of its original gaming system, while at the same time offering a significant value – 30 games for $60. And it made for an ideal gaming time for young and old alike.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But the system wasn’t without its problems. It was very short in supply, and scalpers took advantage and got a hold of a number of systems, selling them for top dollar value. And just when we thought things were finally going our way in terms of getting one, Nintendo discontinued the system, with only small offers here and there when it came to getting a hold of one (like Thinkgeek’s recent offer).
And now the SNES Classic is nearly upon us, set to hit shelves on September 29th. But already, there’s a lot of hubbub regarding how there isn’t much faith in getting our hands on one. Even those that managed to get in a pre-order were let down, based on Wal-Mart’s recent culling of pre-orders. So now here’s the question – are there lessons to be learned from what happened with the NES Classic that Nintendo can apply to its forthcoming system? Absolutely. All it needs to do is a few simple things to assure that people can get their hands on one.
Having Plenty Of SNES Classics In Stock
First off, I’m sure Nintendo probably has a notion of how limited the stock was on its NES Classic Edition. It even addressed as such, promising to get more units put on shelves sooner rather than later. But it cannot make the same mistake with the SNES Classic. It needs to make sure it has an ample amount of systems ready for launch – somewhere around the two to three million range, to start. And before you go thinking, “Nintendo won’t make that many when it can’t guarantee sales,” just look at how quickly those Wal-Mart pre-orders cleared out. They are guaranteed to sell, and having that many systems on shelves will guarantee they move in a hurry – and make the company a good amount of cash.
A Fair Pre-Order System
This could be a long shot, since Nintendo doesn’t really control the pre-order system of retailers – that’s the decision of the retailers themselves. But, as you can see from Wal-Mart’s example, things can get pretty disastrous in a hurry. So Nintendo needs to come up with a system where it not only fulfills a certain amount of online orders for the system, but also works with retailers to have a number of units available to purchase in store. It could take a lot of work, but it would leave a lot less disappointed customers, and it would assure that, again, the SNES Classic is a hot seller. Again, we don’t need a scenario where people get mad at the retailers…even though Wal-Mart was pretty down in the dumps with customer service anyway.
Hyping the Collection
The NES Classic did very well when it came to sales, but Nintendo didn’t really do enough when it came to talking about the titles that were included. The SNES Classic would benefit tremendously from this, as it features over 20 different classics from the golden age of the system, from Donkey Kong Country to Yoshi’s Island to third party favorites like Super Castlevania IV and Contra III: The Alien Wars. For that matter, it also has StarFox 2, getting a release for the first time anywhere.
People are already excited about the system as it is, but Nintendo would be wise to release a 16-bit style commercial that hypes all of these games and more – and shows off footage from StarFox 2. It would effectively get more word out about the system, and create a bigger audience that would be interested in it. And that would give it more longevity. Which leads us to…
No Need To End the Party So Soon
Finally, there’s the most crucial lesson that Nintendo could learn from the NES Classic (pictured above) – not bringing the party to a conclusion so quickly. The company did note that the NES Classic wasn’t really a long-term product in its line-up, hoping to focus more on the Nintendo Switch. But the problem with that logic is that the Switch wasn’t available either, and the system went away just when people were trying to get it in stock. With the SNES Classic, it shouldn’t be so hasty. Make sure it sticks around for at least a year’s time, instead of ending it months after its production. Not only would it get a great holiday run for 2017, but it could also get one for 2018 before Nintendo finally shuffles it out the door. And with a better replenishment of the system, more people would be able to get their hands on it this time around, instead of cursing and waiting for an impossible combo deal – or worse yet, cheap knock-offs.
It’s a bit much to ask, especially when Nintendo isn’t trying to create competition for its Nintendo Online service for the Switch, but if it wants to assure great sales and customer satisfaction, it’ll follow these three simple steps to make the SNES Classic glow this holiday season – instead of becoming the stuff of eBay legend.
