Smash 3DS Is it me or is the Smash Bros Bundle sold out everywhere?

[Gamingboy]

I pre-ordered it from Best Buy's website just a few days ago and it looks like it's still available. Hopefully it'll come on the 21st like they said it would.... otherwise, well.. I guess I'll be playing ORAS a bit more than expected for a few days.

 

[ZeldaMaster]

Hey guys, best Buy seems to have it available! I literally just pre-ordered it from my local best buy yesterday, and they seem to have it online as well up for pre-order.

 

[Phenomiracle]

The bundle has been available on Amazon periodically, only to be sold out within a few hours or so.

I've settled for simply preordering the game. I'll buy the GCN adapter separately; I've got three GCN controllers already. I knew that the bundle is available on Best Buy; I simply don't want to run the risk of not having the game on Day 1. I trust Amazon over Best Buy.

 

[otter]

my best buy preorder said it would come 4 days after release. do they not ship things before release day?

 

[PKNinja95]

I just pre ordered mine from Gamestop like I always do

 

[otter]

I just pre ordered mine from Gamestop like I always do

local or online? both were out of stock for me.

 

[PKNinja95]

local or online? both were out of stock for me.

Local. But that was weeks ago lol.

I have no clue if it's out of stock locally, but online it is definitely sold out.

 

[Storm Eagle]

Same thing on Amazon.de. The bundles are all sold out. Only the standalone game is still available.

 

[The_Thumbs]

Fair warning to those who are picking up in store at like Best Buy or Walmart (or even some GameStops depending on the kind of scum that run some): I've heard plenty of stories of some places that don't hold reserves. I've heard stories of employees who lose trace or make understandable mistakes (my boss didn't get his Wind Waker CE because one of our employees sold it to a customer by mistake... or rather sold one of the reserves, and our boss decided to be the one to not pick up his copy, so not to screw any of the customers). I don't know what the true policy is at other locations. GameStop is supposed to be 48 hour hold for reserves (again, some places are run by people who don't follow the rules). Regardless of what policy is, I've heard stories from every retailer that they won't always have one for you. You still want to do your best to go in as soon as possible.

 

[Fishbowl]

Wow, I had no idea this game would be in such high demand. I remember when Brawl came out, there were like shelves full of copies at the midnight release...
I've been holding back on preordering for a number of reasons, but it seems like my only hope of getting the game on midnight from a store would be to just preorder the game by itself and buy the adapter later.

Does the bundle come with anything else besides a ten dollar discount on the adapter?

 

[Dyce]

Wow, I had no idea this game would be in such high demand. I remember when Brawl came out, there were like shelves full of copies at the midnight release...
I've been holding back on preordering for a number of reasons, but it seems like my only hope of getting the game on midnight from a store would be to just preorder the game by itself and buy the adapter later.

Does the bundle come with anything else besides a ten dollar discount on the adapter?

Bundle comes with the game, a GC adapter, and a GC controller with a little smash icon on it. Overall, it's a savings of $10. I ordered my bundle on Bestbuy's website. I hope I can get it on the day of though...

 

[Zol]

where i live, anything that's not CoD, Halo or Assassins Creed doesn't get sold out that quick

but i pre-ordered this **** months ago in the off chance that changes.

 

[Tino]

It's a good thing that I preordered this thing earlier this month, otherwise I would only get the game first and then get the GameCube controller and its adapter later.

 

[HiPNoTyQ]

What's aggravating is that here in Canada, EB (Gamestop in Canada) has an exclusivity on the bundle, but the tards in charge didn't think to actually STOCK the stores. When you hold exclusivity over an item as hot as this, you'd better have 10x the amount you normally have. It doesn't take a business major to figure that out.

 

[Gidy]

Just called 5 gamestops... All sold out :*(

 

[Ceadda]

My Best Buy had ran out of stock for the bundle about a week ago, but they just restocked yesterday. If anyone still needs a copy, you can try with your local Best Buy.

 

[Fishbowl]

Just ordered the bundle online from Gamestop, they promise launch day shipping, but I'm not sure if that applies to customers who pay for only standard shipping..

 

[Naoshi]

Any idea when they'll restock the GC adapter itself on Amazon? Really putting a dent into my plans. At least I preordered the game and the Villager Amiibo

 

[31gma]

Glad I preordered mine on Gamestop before they went out. Could use that extra $10 on little groceries, every bit counts for a college student with an adequate disposable income.

 

[the8thark]

The game + adapter bundle is still available in Australia (EB games).
The game + adapter bundle is still available in the UK (Amazon)
So people who want it in PAL still have options for the time being. But the NTSC people might have lucked out if they have not already pre-ordered it.

 

[psykus]

Best Buy has the bundle up for preorder. I clicked store pickup and the store closest to me showed as unavailable but every other store still had it in stock.

Originally preordered just the game at Gamestop because they didn't have the adapter for separate preorder, now it's sold out so I had to find a bundle somewhere.

 

[LF2K]

Thought ahead and pre-ordered mine back way in July. It's a shame Best Buy opens later than everyone else, though.

 

[psykus]

Looks like Best Buy is sold out on bundles now.

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

Well my gamestop site still has the pre-order avaible

Its the adaptor alone thats getting sold out

So i got to switch to the bundle so i can use gamecube controllers

(Ps for those wondering was going to save a little money since im not in a rush for 100% 8-player none are computer players.)

 

[Hero_of_Time95]

GameStop employee here, going to do my best to explain what's happening.

When a company has something like a product, a place like GameStop will buy X amount from them. "Hey Nintendo, we're going to want about X bundles from you guys." Other times, Nintendo will be the ones setting the amount, "Hello GameStop. We're going to make X bundles, and you can have Y of them."

Now, this limit is sometimes known from the start, others it isn't. Depends how limited a run the item might be. A standard copy of the game won't have a limit till very close to release. GameStop will preorder as many as they can, because the producer will have lots of copies regardless (Call of Duty, Pokemon, etc).

Collectors editions and special bundles are of a more limited supply. GameStop watched the numbers, and put a halt to it when it hit too many. The company won't be sold out completely probably, it'll hold onto some extra to help with customer issues, to sell them as extra in locations that have a good shot at it... or a number of other reasons.

I can't speak for other retailers, but this is likely how it'll be there as well. A limited product like this typically has a limit of course. X people preordered, that's all X of the bundles.

Now, not all hope is lost. Some people might cancel their preorder last second. It's a tough window... but if someone cancels after the shipments, a store might have an extra copy. If they cancel too far before the launch, chances are your local store won't see that copy, and it'll instead get shipped elsewhere. They might also cancel at time of pick up, or there are going to be people who forget to pick up their bundles as well (usually a GameStop holds a product for 48 hours after release, but some stores might hold onto it for longer, like my store likes to do).

Another potential solution GameStop I know has is something known as "Web in Store". Essentially it's like making an online order, but while in the store. This particular service has its own stock (that I think is just linked with the website's stock). Sometimes with rarer items, we'll have extra ones there. Can't find a thing in store, perhaps we can order it for you type of deal. Free shipping can take a week, and I don't know how upcoming stuff will work with that. I personally am not sure if we have the bundle available on that service as of right now. Sort of like the Zelda Monopoly sets, it's something that'll just come and go as quantities change.

Of course things like Amazon will have a chance to have stuff change on the fly as well.

If you're desperate for one, don't be afraid to politely talk to your local stores. See if they know if they'll be getting extras (not a lot of places do it, but some stores will do fake preorders on rarer stuff to make sure they get an extra or two), if your name can maybe be added to a list, or if they have some web in store type options (I'll try to remember to check Thursday when I work).

Now, with all this said, I don't know how lucky you can get. Where I work, we're out of 3DS copies of the games with none on the way in the next two days at least by the looks of it. This happens to be the for a standard version of the game on the better selling console. If you're not sure you can get the bundle, make sure you preorder the standard game and any extra accessories you might need. A preorder is never final. If you preorder the stuff separate, but you get lucky and your store has an extra bundle, you can get your money back on those extra accessories and such. What you put down is always your money after all. The worst that'll happen is that said employee you're working with as you cancel them will have a bit of a lower performance number, but the cooler employees will totally understand why and not be mad about it.

I don't just have a bad feeling about how many extra copies the standard game will have, I have a feeling that both adapters and controllers will be rare at first. If Nintendo is failing to meet demand for the 3DS version of the game, I can't imagine they're going to ship out a bunch of the controllers. I know it sounds like I'm trying to sell for GameStop, and I'm really not. Go to Best Buy for all I care (well, they're preorder system isn't the best from what I hear, but I can't speak from personal experience). The point is, if there is something you want, something that's niche like the controllers, it won't hurt to secure you get one.

One final word... holiday times can be rough. One year when we had collector Zelda bundles (the one with the sweet gold remotes) our bosses were down our throats to sell them. Didn't matter what sob story the customer had, we were to sell them after at 48 hours (I think some stores caved and sold sooner than that). Sadly the hands get tied at times, and we can't do crap about it. If you have a fancy bundle, try your best to get there that first day (I'm sure most on this site are hyped enough to make that happen). It doesn't happen often, but one holiday a few years back it did, and I just want to be fair and upfront with you guys.

Wow! Sorry I've rambled this much! Just wanted some tips and such out there for you all. Best of luck to those who didn't get the prorder of the bundle, hopefully you'll get all your Smash wants and needs this holiday. November 21st can't come soon enough!

(P.S. Amiibo's can preordered too. So those who are collectors and don't want to risk losing their chance to get a sweet figure because some mom thought it would be cute for their kid, perhaps consider dropping 5 on one of those as well (or in my pathetic case, like 8 or so since I'm getting a double or two probably as well).)

Hi! So I am very upset. I pre-ordered my bundle way back in July, all was set. But now they emailed me and something happened with my card and they canceled my preorder. Soooooo....am I too believe that gamestop is now sold out of the product I bought in July, and there is nothing I can do about it?? Ive been trying to repurchase it for two days, and every time I try, it doesn't say it's sold out, it just gives me an error and throws me out. I am very frustrated. Please help!

 

[Naglfarii]

GameStop employee here, going to do my best to explain what's happening.

When a company has something like a product, a place like GameStop will buy X amount from them. "Hey Nintendo, we're going to want about X bundles from you guys." Other times, Nintendo will be the ones setting the amount, "Hello GameStop. We're going to make X bundles, and you can have Y of them."

I mean, I kind of expect gamestop to not have enough stuff and then chide you for not preordering and then try to sell you a guidebook like the internet doesn't exist. but best buy and others having no stock seems a lot weirder. could be they underestimate the appeal of the wii u bundles since its wii u

 

[the8thark]

Hi! So I am very upset. I pre-ordered my bundle way back in July, all was set. But now they emailed me and something happened with my card and they canceled my preorder. Soooooo....am I too believe that gamestop is now sold out of the product I bought in July, and there is nothing I can do about it?? Ive been trying to repurchase it for two days, and every time I try, it doesn't say it's sold out, it just gives me an error and throws me out. I am very frustrated. Please help!

If I was you I'd have went into the store I preordered the game from as soon as I got that information and demand to keep the pre-order of what I paid for. That is totally unacceptable. Don't go aggro at them but be very very firm, in the I am not taking any **** from anyone style. And see what they will do for you to rectify the issue.

You deserve better customer service and you should demand it.

 

[Naglfarii]

If I was you I'd have went into the store I preordered the game from as soon as I got that information and demand to keep the pre-order of what I paid for. That is totally unacceptable. Don't go aggro at them but be very very firm, in the I am not taking any **** from anyone style. And see what they will do for you to rectify the issue.

You deserve better customer service and you should demand it.

or give up on it and go to best buy on black friday and get that incredible wii u bundle with donkey kong, 3d mario world, and smash bros all in one package

 

[the8thark]

or give up on it and go to best buy on black friday and get that incredible wii u bundle with donkey kong, 3d mario world, and smash bros all in one package

If that bundle still exists when you try to buy it on Friday. Always a risk on major sales days of it being sold out. But that is another option, and a nice one if you're into those other games as well.

 

[SSBBDaisy]

Yea when I first found out about the bundle (which was when they first announced it) I couldn't get it pre ordered because no company had it in their systems yet even game stop. I tried to pre order it in October and couldn't find anywhere that had available pre orders I was desperate and then I tried best buy and I got my preorder for it and found out why they had it. Apparently, Best Buy and Best Buy only (oh and Amazon) are the only companies in the U.S. that were allowed to do an infinite amount of pre orders.

But now my pre order is up for grabs because I canceled it.

 

[ApocGamingCenter]

Having the same issue here

 

[The_Thumbs]

Hi! So I am very upset. I pre-ordered my bundle way back in July, all was set. But now they emailed me and something happened with my card and they canceled my preorder. Soooooo....am I too believe that gamestop is now sold out of the product I bought in July, and there is nothing I can do about it?? Ive been trying to repurchase it for two days, and every time I try, it doesn't say it's sold out, it just gives me an error and throws me out. I am very frustrated. Please help!

I presume you pre-ordered it online? That's a weird situation by the sounds of it. I'm guessing this problem didn't come up until now, because they didn't ship it till now. Though if something happened with your card, you might not have 'bought' it technically. Were you charged back then? Does your bank at all reflect what has transpired? Hard for me to say exactly what is going on in your situation, as us on the store level are pretty disconnected with the online portion of the company (even our instore online orders operate differently).

Not sure why you're currently having problems. It does appear it is available online (not sure if shipping options exist at this very moment to get day 1 through shipping without paying a ton for it though).

For both issues, it'll be rough, but try contacting customer support. I do request you try not to be too agitated with them, as so far it doesn't sound like anyone is actively trying to screw you on their end. However, if you explain the situation (and as with any customer care service, hope you get someone who is a nice person), hopefully they can help you out some. If the issue was your bank denying the purchase though, that is technically not on GameStop. Be sure to check bank statements and such to see where your money is of course. You might not have been charged back then, or your bank might have refunded you the money.

I mean, I kind of expect gamestop to not have enough stuff and then chide you for not preordering and then try to sell you a guidebook like the internet doesn't exist. but best buy and others having no stock seems a lot weirder. could be they underestimate the appeal of the wii u bundles since its wii u

Limited editions and collectors editions are as the first name implies, meant to be limited. Though a worker shouldn't be chiding you for not pre-ordering, it is still a frustrating lesson that some customers don't seem to learn. It wouldn't be so bad, but plenty of customers get offended when we don't have a rare item in stock, acting as if it is our fault. It's a problem that they could have solved easily, but chose not to. We get people who act like they shouldn't need to be pre-order something, that something will be there regardless, even though we insist it'll be fine. It's not always that same person, but it a lot of the times feels like that's the same person who then comes in, and acts as if "I didn't know I had to pre-order it!"

So yeah, some of us are just human and tend to err a tad bit when it comes to our feelings on it. We try to insist a person pre-order something. It's a service we can do that in the end doesn't cost extra money, can get them free goodies half the time, and just adds that bit of extra safety for being able to get the item. The customer will refuse, as if we're trying to rip them off. Sometimes, we truly do believe we're offering a nice deal, a legitimate gift or aid to the customer, only to be turned down. It's demoralizing... and then to deal with people who are upset, sad, or whatever because they didn't take our aid sort of feels sucky.

Again, we're human. I agree, an employee shouldn't chide you. However, we do have feelings, and we can feel threatened or insulted depending on the situation. We do what we can to help, only to be yelled at for not helping, and for not helping at the same time. Also try to remember we're a corporation with many employees, plenty paid just minimum. Where there are bad stores with employees with bad attitudes, that's not all of us. Some of us suited, but some of us are also not paid enough to be a 24/7 perfect person.

As for guidebooks, sometimes they're worth it to some. I remember always being low on Skyrim guides, because people really do appreciate the pictures and such for it. That being said, of course guidebooks are silly (specially for games like Mario Kart), but there are still people who wouldn't want to go online for that stuff. We're also required a lot of the time to push that stuff, as that's what the bosses want.

As for our low stock, I can't say if GameStop does that on purpose or not. Seems weird to limit your sales on a item if you don't have to. A lot of it is on Nintendo's side as well probably. I do hear that Best Buy has gotten access to extras. There is still a chance GameStop will have extras (for the sake of balancing sales, GameStop seems to enjoy segmenting stock and keeping a lot to the side to sell online).

If I was you I'd have went into the store I preordered the game from as soon as I got that information and demand to keep the pre-order of what I paid for. That is totally unacceptable. Don't go aggro at them but be very very firm, in the I am not taking any **** from anyone style. And see what they will do for you to rectify the issue.

You deserve better customer service and you should demand it.

They are normal people on the other end of the register, and for the most part are probably unrelated to whatever went wrong, so being kind a courteous is best. Us who are in the store do not send emails to customers. It sounds like he ordered it online, not in store though. Something happening to his card now, would not effect money he put down on the game. Either it's paid for in store, or her ordered online and the card only now was going to be charged.

You also do not need to "demand" your money back. A pre-order doesn't make it so you have to pick up said product, and doesn't mean we just keep your money if you can't get it. It's always "Your" money, you just have it down on a deposit. The person at the register might try to convince you to change it to something else, but it is still your money, and you can have it back.



Sorry if I'm sounding like a huge apologist. Again, in any of your situations, you might have the worst GameStops around. I've heard the horror stories, and know plenty exist. However, I think at times some people do forget that a regular Joe or Jolene is working behind the counter at any place of retail... someone who has very few hands in controlling a worldwide company operates, one who is able to make a simple mistake, one who will have a pretty bad day if they're yelled at or hated, just because a situation out of their hands came up.

 

[31gma]

Sorry if I'm sounding like a huge apologist. Again, in any of your situations, you might have the worst GameStops around. I've heard the horror stories, and know plenty exist. However, I think at times some people do forget that a regular Joe or Jolene is working behind the counter at any place of retail... someone who has very few hands in controlling a worldwide company operates, one who is able to make a simple mistake, one who will have a pretty bad day if they're yelled at or hated, just because a situation out of their hands came up.

Agreed, if anyone wants to get upset at someone, look at Nintendo for poorly anticipating the popular demand for the Gamecube bundles. That's why I never shoot the messenger.

 

[Samus Harang]

I was hoping for some kind of Wii U bundle but I guess that doesn't exist. Can you buy the adapter separately and how much is it?

 

[Snagrio]

I was fortunate to have pre-ordered a month ago. I walk in to the Best Buy not too long after they opened this morning (employees were just starting to put boxes full of ORAS and Smash copies on the shelves) and the guy at the pick-up counter told me there wasn't a single bundle left unordered there.

 

[TheLetsPlayGhost]

I can't find any nearby store that has a GC adapter in stock for the life of me.