New game consoles have become more difficult to obtain at launch, especially with the increased scalping and bot activity of the past few years As a result, concerns are swirling that the Nintendo Switch 2 will suffer the same fate as the PS5
Thankfully, Nintendo seems to be working to ensure that this does not happen, and stated as much during a recent shareholder Q&A Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that Nintendo is taking action to ensure that customers, not duffers, are getting their game consoles, aided in part by the global semiconductor shortage
Furukawa stated that he is not concerned about the semiconductor shortage, which was part of the reason the Switch suffered from duffers during the pandemic He added, "We believe that the most important measure against resale is to produce enough to meet customer demand, and this idea has not changed since last year"
This makes perfect sense By flooding the market with Switch 2 consoles, people will be able to get new consoles at retail prices In other words, the duffers cannot charge the exorbitant margins seen with the PS5
"At this point," Furukawa continued, "we don't think the shortage of parts will have a significant impact on the production of the successor console Nintendo should be able to mass-produce the new console without problems, and customers will not have to pay close attention to restocking to get their hands on a Switch 2
Nintendo has been accused of abusing the supply and demand mechanism in the past; whether it be with the first wave of amiibo or the NES Classic consoles, conspiracy theorists have suggested that the company is intentionally squeezing supply to keep hype (and demand) higher for longer
However, the company's own "supply" has been a major factor
But such instances can be easily explained without malice aforethought Perhaps Nintendo did not realize how popular retro games and miniature models of classic characters would become It could also be that they are proceeding cautiously because of the Wii U fiasco But regardless of the reasons for these shortages, Nintendo does not seem to want that to happen with the Switch 2
The next-generation console, which has been rumored for years and was initially expected to be announced sometime in 2024, is now more likely to be announced and released next year This is said to be deliberately to avoid inventory shortages, suggesting that Nintendo is not just saying what people want to hear
Therefore, it may be some time before the Switch 2 actually arrives Until then, all the latest news and rumors, including leaked specs, can be checked out at the Nintendo Switch 2 hub
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