Nintendo’s amiibo stock shortages are widely known throughout the gaming community, prompting jokes and memes across the amiibo-hunting community. As a negative side effect to the low stock, amiibo are being counterfeited or “scalped” at exorbitant rates. While Nintendo is trying to make amends with their loyal fanbase, Disney Infinity producer John Vignocchi has a few harsh, indirect words for his Japanese competitor.
Speaking to Game Informer’s Ben Hanson, Vignocchi let loose on Nintendo when prompted:
Hanson: Given the turbulent release of Amiibo characters, are you doing anything to prepare for the high demand for Star Wars figures?
Vignocchi: There is never an intention to create a shortage of any figures. It is irresponsible and rude to your hardcore fans. They don’t want to create frustration or the hunt. So they will be stocking the shelves well!
With E3 on the horizon, we can expect more amiibo news to be coming soon. What do you think: was Vignocchi’s comments too harsh, or is Nintendo simply abusing their fans?
Yes, I was reading about that over on Smashfaqs earlier. It’s a valid point and Nintendo has been handling the Amiibo situation rather poorly. I feel bad for all of the people who haven’t gotten the FE Amiibos yet and can’t unlock the charcaters in that new game that came out. I don’t buy Amiibos anyway, but it’s still a sad situation. You wouldn’t catch that from Micro$oft or $ony.
As a collector myself, I agree to a point. I have the full set — to my wallets dismay — but at this point I feel like the availability issues is only a substitute for not having an actual game that works well with it.
The fun of amiibo shouldn’t be the collecting and tracking of the toys, but how they are integrated into the games that we were promised.
But I think that’s part of the problem. In the Project Treasure game, you can unlock Lucina, Ike, and Marth by scanning the Amiibo’s, but Amiibos like Lucina and Robin are pretty rare and overpriced right now. Nintendo will reprint them or bring out the Amiibo Cards soon, but it still takes time and it’s sad for the people who have the games at the ready. I was tempted to buy all of the Amiibo’s at some point, more to look at than to use, but I probably won’t go that far. I still want to get at least 1-4 though so I can team up with my family in a 4 vs 4 battle thanks to the 8 player mode. I also like the idea of having an Amiibo to train against even if you’ll probably stay ahead of it in the end.
Honestly if you’re good at the game and train your amiibo like so, it’ll end up out performing you to a god-like extent. They put up seriously tough fights!
Yes, but partially due to the fact that their physical stats are artificially enhanced by the time that they reach level 50. Still makes for a fun training partner though!
I can’t decide if I like that about them. At least it teaches you not to mess up, since doing so will result in bigger punishes (%-wise) and earlier deaths.
Enhanced as in with the power ups? I personally don’t use them at all and the amiibo still ends up really challenging
I would have preferred if they didn’t do that, but I still love the concept of an Amiibo for sure. I really need to pick one up, I’ll probably just head to Gamestop and pick up the coolest character that they have in stock. Preferably Mario, Fox, Mega Man, Captain Falcon, or Pac Man.
5 of those won’t be in stock.
Yeah, I’m glad someone big actually had the eggs to say it… maybe Nintendo can actually hear this.
Uhhh his response never directly mentioned Nintendo. This is clickbait trash, as mynintendonews sometimes releases. He essentially said, well it is rude to understock your product, so we won’t be doing that.
I think that isn’t reading between the lines though — he could have simply stated “There will be more Star Wars figures than hot cakes and we will be handing them out like crazy!”
Instead, when asked about how his figures will relate to amiibo’s quantity, he gave a pointed response about how not having enough stock is rude and irresponsible.
TLDR: He said the rude and irresponsible part for a reason, and its not to make Nintendo sound good.
Sound like he mad because amiibo stay sold out and not wack ass disney toys.
That was my thought exactly. Sounds uber jealous.
Yeah, Disney is totally jealous because it’s not like they’re selling any of their figures or their games aren’t selling so they have no reason to release a new Infinity game….oh wait.
He’s absolutely right, and he’s entirely qualified with his position and experience to make such a statement.
It sounds like he is saying he cares that you can get the characters you want because it is the respectful thing to do. He doesnt sound the least bit jealous.
The Disney Infinity toys don’t sell out, becahse they are kept well stocked…
I’m pretty sure if they limit it to 10 Yoda’s to every store they would sell out in seconds as well.
Yep, he’s basically right. Amiibo is Nintendo’s way of screwing over its most loyal fans. It’s not a good situation.
I don’t think it’s really a shortage problem but more so a scalper problem. Just look at some of the rarer (LOL) Amiibo on that auction site.. Some of them have over 60 of a single ‘rare’ Amiibo! The scalpers is what makes me not have a desire to get any of them beyond the two I have right now…
No, it’s a shortage problem that Nintendo purposefully created, all in order to drive up artificial demand to create a greater perceived value of their company.
I can confirm this. I was number 8 in line at one of the few targets in my area that actually got the fe characters. Everyone up to at least number 10 in line wanted Robin and Lucina. How many did the have? 4 of each… Considering they had the numbers to sell more than twice (probably three times the stock) before even opening the door either they are absolutly retarded when it comes to their fans or they are creating artificial demand. This is wave 4 not 1 or 2 there is no port strike give me something better than “please understand”.
OK Nintendo’s entry in the figure market is bumpy to say the least. But the supergiant who’s been doing that for years gratuitously bashing the newcomer is really not classy.
Or, Nintendo can have some thick skin, take his words to heart and admit that they’ve fucked up and work on it. And no, what they’ve done so far hasn’t been good enough. Saying that, “we underestimated the popularity and we’ll work on it” is generic appeasement to try to damage control. We’re at Wave 4, and Nintendo still doesn’t have their shit in gear. That’s not cool. It’s incompetence.
They already admitted that but you too busy to bash to research it. Iwata has said that plenty of times. Who really knew how popular they would become. Not even nintendo knew that.
Don’t let the title mislead you. He didn’t bash a single thing. He was speaking of Star Wars figures and not purposely creating false demand by limiting their production.
I think that isn’t reading between the lines though — he could have simply stated “There will be more Star Wars figures than hot cakes and we will be handing them out like crazy!”
Instead, when asked about how his figures will relate to amiibo’s quantity, he gave a pointed response about how not having enough stock is rude and irresponsible.
TLDR: He said the rude and irresponsible part for a reason, and its not to make Nintendo sound good.
I actually think it’s pretty cool – it gives Amiibo some real value. Then again, I don’t collect them, so I haven’t experienced any of the frustration associated.
Yep, that about describes it. Waiting to get in on the Amiibo still… as soon as everyone has what they want. But that will take a LONG time because Nintendo can’t handle their stock!
It is ridiculous the way Nintendo has been handling Amiibo stock. They’re doing it on purpose then they’re lying to us. So they bite the hand that feeds them? Wonderful. All I want is ONE amiibo – Ness. EarthBound is my all time favorite game and I just want this ONE amiibo but I will NOT pay a scalper $50 for one. Scalpers are a huge part of the problem but they wouldn’t be if Nintendo kept their products in stock. It’s downright insulting to have been a Nintendo fan for nearly 30 years and having to be treated this way. I know people will be jumping down my throat and gloating how they had no problem getting whatever amiibo they wanted – good for you. Some people like myself have jobs and don’t have time to check stock every day and just happen to get it at the right exact time.
They already admitted that but you too busy to bash to research it. Iwata has said that plenty of times. Who really knew how popular they would become. Not even nintendo knew that.
Stop copying and pasting a stupid argument. Yes, they have said that many times. But they still haven’t done shit about it. Actions speak louder than words.
If your going to act like getting Ness is that important to you, the you would do whatever it takes. That means showing up on opening day. I have a job too. I took the day off to go compete in the Nintendo World Championships, and get wave 4. Dont be such a baby. Its not right to blame nintendo for your lack of comitment. You cant expect Nintendo to just gamble on amiibo. “LETS JUST MAKE 5 MILLION NESS TOYS AND HOPE THERE’S A MARKET FOR THEM” Not to mention that retailers give them such a small space to work with that nintendo came up with its stock figures based on that tiny shelf space. There are 100 legitimate reasons for the shortage of amiibo. Nintendo just trying to piss you off is not one of them. You need to rethink your attitude.
Some people actually act responsibly and don’t ditch work for a toy.
Nintendo should offer their wares on their online store. So tired of hearing that retail stores just don’t have the shelf space.
You just gave the STUPIDEST argument ever. Amiibo collectors should take off of work just to go buy them? Fanboy much? Nintendo has been selling Amiibo for like six months now. The newest waves have no excuse for being understocked. Fans should NOT have to take off work to buy a figurine. Personally, I’m not a collector, but other fans are, and they shouldn’t have to put up with this crap. Well Nintendo screws up, fans have every right to call them out on it. Don’t be a fanboy.
It’s really only frustrating in the US where’s there’s exclusives and lines to pre order. In Europe if you pre order in time online you’ll almost always get them 99% of the time. You can even pick them up in store. And by “in time” I mean 2-3 months ahead. Haha, you didn’t think it was gonna be THAT easy did you? Yes Nintendo were idiots for thinking these would only appeal to kids of course adults and collectors want them. It’s fucking Nintendo.
Yes as they make 300 more fucking figures for disney infinity go fuck yourself Vignocchi
Well considering nintendo has over 40 characters, have to share shelf space with 2, and soon 3 other figure series it starting to get crowded. I agree about the demand, but not everybody is going to sell like hot cakes. Disney has done very similar things in the past…
Nintendo has no problem getting shelf space in stores. They have their own spaces in Target, Wal-Mart, Toys ‘r Us, Best Buy, you name it.
Even if shelf space was a problem, Disney too has had over 40 figures and I can either still find them in the store, buy them online from retailers sites, or go to Disney’s online store. Nintendo has no right to make ANY excuses concerning amiibo.
I guess he didn’t get his Rosalina amiibo.
To be fair, no one had been running out to the retailers to buy a Wii U and they still aren’t. Low stock early on made sense, yes. Maybe Nintendo played it safe, thinking, “none of our fans even bought a Wii U, maybe Amiibo will flop.” Now, though, they do need to keep up with demand. They should have a clear idea of how many they’ll need.
But then again, this is coming from the guy who barely makes any cash from the little amount sales that the Infinity figures make seeing how barely anyone touched the game.
Not including the 7 million plus copies sold and digital downloads, right?
>>>I couldn’t care less about Amiibo, I do care about the forthcoming war between us and the Disnians>>>
I bet you’d care if they made one of you.
>>>Not even then>>>
I wouldn’t call it “rude” but poorly? Yes.
This guy is an a$$hole. Hes just trying to stir the pot. Amiibo shortages as we all know were originally made worse by the port strikes on the west coast. But its also important to remember Nintendo went into this with a conservative mindset. They couldnt afford to throw alot of money into toys to life without knowing if it would yeild results. The result for us, the consumers, is that we are buying a product thats in high demand with short stock. Its not the end of the world, however. I know at least one person who has every amiibo, and ge might of had to stand in some lines, but he had them all. Nintendo has since done a good job of restocking and working with its retailers to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to get them.
No they haven’t.
Umm, no, they have GROSSLY underestimated the demand four times and are going on a fifth.
When I went to get Splatoon on launch (the same day Wave 4 launched) I went in hoping I could score a Wave 4 amiibo, any of them. The only one they had that wasn’t reserved for anyone was a Pac-Man. ONE Pac-Man. I’m lucky to have even gotten that one. The mess isn’t getting any cleaner.
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Shut up already.
I thought that was whole deal with collecting. It’s a given that there going to be shortages and scalpers but if that bothers you then stop collecting. This generation is full of babies and “gimme gimmes” that throw a fit if they don’t get their way. Grow a pair.
I agree to a point. Nintendo really does owe it to their fans to deliver enough amiibo to meet demand. A few shortages here and there at the launch of each wave is one thing. Not being able to find the full line-up of the first and second wave at this point is “irresponsible”.
On another note: Nintendo really does need to deliver with games that make full use of the figures. If there’s never a dedicated amiibo game and Nintendo pulls out on the Wii U before 2017, there are going to be a lot of disillusioned fans – this one included.
Definitely irresponsible.
Even the most die-hard Nintendo fan (like myself) can’t ignore that Nintendo has done a piss-poor job handling amiibo, especially for franchises outside of Mario and Zelda and such.
Exactly. You can go to the nearest gas station and get Mario, Peach, Link, Zelda, etc. but if you want characters like Pit, Marth, Villager, etc., you better hope you have the luck of the gods 3-4 months before launch during pre-order season.
I love Nintendo, and I love the amiibos too, but i admit, I agree 100% with this person.
Absolutely warranted. I’ve been a Nintendo fan all my life and it’s never been harder than it’s been in the last year or so. It’s not even just amiibo either. I got the Majora’s Mask New 3DS XL, but that was a genuine pain. As was the Skull Kid figure. It was also really disappointing to see the Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors, and Majora’s Mask collector’s editions make it to every region but America, and the way they handled the Club Nintendo closing was just disappointing. What I keep coming back to over and over again is that they don’t want fans for some reason.
Yeah, and imagine for people that live on south america, those collectors and especial editions are mega rare or(always) not event get here, its so disappointing
Yeah, I agree. Nintendo underestimated the popularity of Amiibo or Nintendo was completely lazy.
It’s a common business model and practice. They did it with the Wii as well. It’s an intentional creation of shortages to drive up the illusion of demand in turn creating real demand.
Nintendo knows its characters are popular. When people see these things are out of stock suddenly everywhere, word gets out that these are must-have items and you’ll be lucky to get your hands on one. So people start lining up every chance that they get and figures sell out.
It’s an easy way to create demand and make sure that your products are sold.
Wow, if thats true, this is a relly evil marketing..
He’s just pissed everyones buying the Amiibos & no one is buying those bad ass Disney Infinity figures. It’s a damn shame to because those Disney heros in figure form are totally BADASS!!
So… I take it you like the Disney Infinity figurines. The way you described them is usually how people would describe something cool.
Maybe if Nintendo gets enough criticism they’ll restock the amiibos. I love Nintendo, but this amiibo mess is ridiculous and any excuse they give is complete BS. I understand supply and demand, but I don’t think they understand that it’s having a reverse effect with some of their fans. They also promised amiibo cards, and still haven’t released those yet which I’m sure don’t take much time or effort to make. It’s like Nintendo is rolling in the money they have made with amiibo while giving up the middle finger, yet they have no idea how much more money they could be making.
I don’t think its his place to dog Nintendo like that. But unfortunatly, he makes a good point. Get it together Nintendo…
He’s right, Nintendo, you should be doing much better with the whole amiibo issue and I’m glad someone like the Disney Infinity producer is calling him you out on it. I may be selfish here, but I wouldn’t mind if Nintendo stop selling amiibo until they can handle the shortage problem much better and faster.