The battle against scalping is a persistent one, but Nintendo has pledged commitment to join the fight. In the lead-up to the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, the industry giant gave assurance that it’s ready to combat scalpers and deal with launch shortages.
Speaking to Japanese publication Nikkei, company president Shuntaro Furukawa stated there are plans to avoid supply-and-demand issues the original console suffered when it was first released in 2017.
“We will take all possible measures based on the experience we have accumulated to date (regarding scalpers and the like),” he said, as translated by VGC. “We are making preparations.”
While Nintendo is keeping specifics close to its chest, the solution seems to involve making loads of Switch 2 units to discourage potential buyers from getting it at the marked-up prices that scalpers will latch onto.
“As a countermeasure against resale, we believe that the most important thing is to produce a sufficient number to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year,” Furukawa said at the time.
“In addition to this, we are considering whether there are any other measures that can be taken to the extent allowed by laws and regulations, taking into account the circumstances of each region.”
This comes after the recent announcement of a Nintendo Switch 2 Direct for 2 April, with a first-look trailer showcasing features like magnetic Joy-Cons, improved joysticks, new triggers, a dedicated ‘C’ button, a redesigned kickstand, and a bigger display, alongside support for backward compatibility.
The long-awaited console will arrive sometime this year, but an exact date hasn’t been announced. More information, including price, hardware specifications, and software launch lineup, are expected to be revealed in the upcoming live stream.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
Yonk
