Rumors are swirling that stores are running out of Bonus Discs and that Nintendo is ending the pre-order campaign. What's going on?We've heard for the past week and a half all of the rumors and complaints from gamers and retailers alike that Nintendo is ending the pre-order campaign for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and that retailers like GameStop have run out of the bonus disc and are being told not to expect any more.
We've contacted Nintendo on the matter, and have been told in no uncertain terms that Nintendo is NOT cancelling the pre-order program. We repeat ... Nintendo is NOT cancelling the pre-order program.
However, this was not intended to be an indefinite program, and is supposed to be limited to pre-orders ONLY. As a result, it is entirely likely that once the pre-order discs at a retailer run out, that they will not be getting any restock. While Nintendo will not comment further, we have reason to beleive that Nintendo only ever intended to make the bonus discs once, and once they are gone, there won't be any more. In other words, it's "while supplies last".
What does this mean to you if you haven't pre-ordered yet? It means that you need to get going. These discs aren't going to last forever. Your best bet is to avoid a store like GameStop that is already claiming to have run out of the discs and focus on either large stores like Toys 'R' Us and Best Buy, or chains like EB that are smaller than the GameStop chains. Online stores seem to still have stock, but that can be risky, since you won't know until you receive it.
It's worth noting that as of Monday, all mention of the pre-order bonus disc was removed from Zelda.com, and replaced with the following statement:
"The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker preorder offer has been an incredible success! Due to overwhelming demand, it is possible that the special The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest Bonus Disc may no longer be available in your area."
More on this story as it develops.