It’s fair to say that the Nintendo Switch has been something of a hit.
With more than a 2.7 million consoles already sold and demand showing no signs of slowing, however, the device’s popularity is resulting in supply issues for Nintendo.
Now, in a bid to satisfy demand for its hybrid home-turn-portable console, Nintendo is reportedly going to extreme lengths.
The company is shunning traditional cargo ships in favour of aircraft to freight the consoles around the world – an extremely expensive, if not more efficient, method.
A Nintendo spokesperson has confirmed the unusual and costly move, stating: “We carried some of the Switches by plane in March to serve our customers more promptly.”
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Praise of the console from other parties has also played a part. Speaking with Forbes, GameStop’s Senior Director of Merchandising, Eric Bright revealed that interest in the console has vastly exceeded expectations.
Part of the Switch’s success can be pinned on the consoles launch title, Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The open-world epic is quickly being lauded as one of the best games of all time, and is now being backed up as a Switch-based big-hitter by the recently launched Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
The console is proving so popular, in fact, that the new Mario Kart has racked up the franchise’s highest ever day-one sale, with more than 459,000 copies of the game shifted on last Friday’s release date.
While Nintendo’s recent foray into air-based deliveries has been helping to meet early demand, the company is still struggling to keep up with interest. Still, there are worse problems for a manufacturer to have.
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Have you already snapped up a Switch? Share your thoughts on the console below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.