Topic: Eurogamer: SNES Mini is a thing, coming Holiday 2017

[Soren]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-04-19-sources-nintendo-to-launch-snes-mini-this-year

The SNES mini (or, to continue Nintendo's official branding, likely the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System) is currently scheduled to launch in time for Christmas this year. Development of the device is already under way, our sources have indicated.

No brainer really, but I do wonder if enough goodwill has been lost already to where people just won't care enough about the thing like they did with the NES Mini. The jokes will write themselves though. I can't wait to not get my hands on one of these...


Also I hope Nintendo wasn't waiting until E3 to announce this cause that would piss me off.

[Enner]

Already drafting my laments at being unable to purchase one.

[lolmonade]

I forget, was E3 when the NES Classic Mini was announced?


I won't lie, i'd buy this in a heartbeat if 1) I can find it, and 2) if it includes only 20 games, provided it's a library of essentials.  I have some fondness for the NES, but the SNES is really the prime years of my youthful nostalgia, and there's just such a great slate of games for that system.




I also wonder if they'll ditch the USB charge for a more proprietary cord, given the way people ended up using it as an in to mod the NES classic mini.

[UncleBob]

Folks will mod it no matter what.

I want a Game Boy Classic. :/

[Soren]

Folks will mod it no matter what.

Yup. No amount of proprietary garbage on Nintendo systems has stopped the modding community from getting inside the hardware so far. Also, we can lay to rest the idea that either piracy or the Switch VC were factors that contributed to the end of NES Classic.

[Adrock]

Wasn't the NES Classic Edition powered via a USB port? If Nintendo used a proprietary AC adapter, that would certainly discourage modding though it would probably drive up the price a bit.

I'm pretty much just expecting not to be able to get my hands on one of these (assuming reports are true). It's mildly annoying, not infuriating. I'd just want it for collecting purposes.

[lolmonade]

I'm not saying it'd stop pirating, i'd just be surprised if Nintendo didn't change the charge method away from USB in order to discourage it or raise the barrier to entry for modding.

[Ian Sane]

And why should this things existance have to mean the end of the NES Classic?  Does this play NES games?  No.  Could someone be interested in both?  Yes!  Actually the two would compliment each other quite well.  My elementary school years coincided with both systems so if I wasn't already a collector the combination of the two would be a nostalgic dream.

Why give a **** about this?  If you want one, you won't get one.

[lolmonade]

And why should this things existance have to mean the end of the NES Classic?  Does this play NES games?  No.  Could someone be interested in both?  Yes!  Actually the two would compliment each other quite well.  My elementary school years coincided with both systems so if I wasn't already a collector the combination of the two would be a nostalgic dream.

Why give a **** about this?  If you want one, you won't get one.

Prefacing my comment with the re-iteration that this is just rumor currently:



My guess is it's a matter of utilizing a limited number of production lines Nintendo has currently made available to itself.  Setting up another supplier or production line isn't a decision that can be made with a snap of a finger, it often includes adding more equipment (production lines, molds, etc), people, or other resources.  That adds to the cost of designing a potential SNES classic, material cost of the actual product, and given the fervor the NES classic had, MAYBE they will be allocating more production time to ensure there's consistent stock of the theoretical SNES classic.

[Adrock]

I was under the impression that the NES Classic Edition's entire existence was to distract everyone from focusing on the fact that there was ****-all on Wii U. Making headlines for having a sold out product is much better than making headlines for having a product it can barely give away. Sure, it can make headlines on both counts. At least one is positive.

These nostalgia machines are easy money for Nintendo, but there are no long-term benefits besides scoring some goodwill points. Nintendo can merely hope 'member berries translate into Switch sales. I'm not saying I agree with the strategy, just suggesting a possible explanation. Nintendo also doesn't like having a lot of extra inventory. I remember hearing that Nintendo originally intended this to be an extremely limited release, didn't expect it to be so popular (because *confusedjackiechan.jpg), then added an extra production run.

I think there's room for both. Nintendo might get people interested in Switch and the eventually return of the Virtual Console through Classic Edition hardware, but some people just want to play the old games, and $60 is an impulse buy; $300+ is not.

[Mop it up]

I like the SNES a lot more than NES, so this would appeal to me more than the NES one and I might actually want it depending on games. There's also a higher chance it would have some games I don't already have.

If Nintendo learned anything from the NES Classic then there should be more units available, unless it's still just an advertising vessel for their systems and the VC.

[ejamer]

I'd be more interested (probably) in an SNES Classic than I was with the NES Classic because it would probably include more games that I don't already own multiple times...


But I have absolutely no confidence that Nintendo will handle the release well or manage stock levels in a way that allows normal people to buy at retail instead of from crazy scalpers. If this even ends up being real, that is.

[Ian Sane]

If Nintendo learned anything from the NES Classic then there should be more units available, unless it's still just an advertising vessel for their systems and the VC.

If the NES Classic was unique in its lack of units I could see Nintendo learning from it, but they've had supply issues since Amiibo debuted.  It's a chronic Nintendo problem they seem unwilling or incapable of fixing.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think it's a problem (or at least Nintendo doesn't consider it one), I think they're doing this intentionally. They don't want an excess of units on store shelves and they want to limit their manufacturing footprint, so they are purposely keeping supply low.

[Ian Sane]

I don't think it's a problem (or at least Nintendo doesn't consider it one), I think they're doing this intentionally. They don't want an excess of units on store shelves and they want to limit their manufacturing footprint, so they are purposely keeping supply low.

Nintendo is so slow to address pretty much any issue at all that I'm pretty sure they don't consider the vast majority of things we consider problems to be problems at all.  Doesn't mean they're not.

They've been gun-shy on manufacturing for a few years now... but they're doing so in an idiotic way.  Any special editions for games are the same way: get extremely lucky or buy from a scalper or don't get it.

[NWR_insanolord]

But you look at special editions of other companies' games that end up sitting on shelves months after they came out and upsetting retailers who have to deal with that. Nintendo's doing what they do with those kinds of things specifically to avoid that situation. They could certainly do better, but they're purposely erring on the side of low supply.

[Ian Sane]

But you look at special editions of other companies' games that end up sitting on shelves months after they came out and upsetting retailers who have to deal with that. Nintendo's doing what they do with those kinds of things specifically to avoid that situation. They could certainly do better, but they're purposely erring on the side of low supply.

If they didn't discontinue the NES Classic I wouldn't be cynical about this.  I think they're being too cautious with their supply but if the attitude was that they were going to make sure everyone that wants an NES Classic will get one, though much slower than we would like, that's kind of lousy but still acceptable.  But now we really should assume that the SNES Classic will also get cancelled before demand is actually met.  In that case Nintendo isn't really pleasing their customers.  Instead they're just filling the pockets of scalpers with mainstream appeal products being manufactured as rare collectables.

The idea is supposed to be to not make too many items and exceed the actual demand.  With the NES Classic they probably could have sold at least twice what they made.  If they're leaving demand on the table then they're not doing this right.

[Evan_B]

You mean a (small), fat SNES Emulator with some of the bet video games of all time on it?

SOLD!

[Soren]

They could certainly do better, but they're purposely erring on the side of low supply.

I would say this is an understatement, but that would be an insult to understatements.

[Evan_B]

By "this is an understatement," do you mean "I'm a pessimist?"

[rygar]

I don't think it's a problem (or at least Nintendo doesn't consider it one), I think they're doing this intentionally. They don't want an excess of units on store shelves and they want to limit their manufacturing footprint, so they are purposely keeping supply low.

If it was intentional, Nintendo would have foreseen the possibility of what happened to its customers. I would love to know what they valued the risk at.

[Evan_B]

By "risk" do you mean "proposition to weed out the weak members of the fan base in order to pave the way for a more refined, glorious, and good looking consumer base?"

[nickmitch]

So, the Switch isn't going to have any holiday releases?

[ShyGuy]

I feel like I need to have the first mini, or I won't be able to understand the sequel.

[UncleBob]

While not a 100% accurate history, anyone who thinks Nintendo is trying to help scalpers or drive up demand by creating false shortages needs to go read David Sheff's Game Over - in particular, the chapter on the Game and Watch in the US and how Nintendo felt they got screwed by retailers on unsold units.

Really, anyone who wants to try and analyze anything Nintendo does should read this book.