Amiibo. The very word is enough to strike fear into the heart of many a video game enthusiast. From battles over retailer exclusive figures to paying exorbitant prices on eBay in order to acquire out-of-production figures, it's been rough out their for hardcore Nintendo fans.
Nintendo simply can't keep up with demand for their Amiibo toys, and their apparent inability to shine any light on the situation makes it even worse. Fans for months have gathered to attempt to decipher Nintendo's messages and patterns on when the next wave of figures might be available or if older figures may ever return, all because Nintendo refuses to be more open about their Amiibo plans.
It looks like the might be finally changing now. In a lengthy Facebook post, the company apologized for Amiibo shortages, telling fans they understand the frustration:
"We appreciate the enthusiasm that our fans continue to show toward amiibo," Nintendo writes. "Sales for the product have exceeded our expectations. We understand how frustrating it can be at times if consumers are unable to find certain figures, and we apologize for that. We're trying to meet the demands of our fans and consumers by increasing the amount of amiibo we manufacture and ship to retail. We may continue to see consumer demand outpace supply levels for certain characters at times, but we will do our best to prevent that from happening."
In addition to promises of increasing the amount of Amiibo being manufactured, Nintendo says they are making plans to bring back some out-of-stock Amiibo.
"As our library of amiibo continues to grow, some figures will be easier to find than others," the post reads. "We are constantly looking for the opportunity to reissue amiibo and are already making plans to bring back some currently out-of-stock amiibo figures. Stay tuned for details."
Increasing production and bringing back hard-to-find figures is a huge step forward, but will still lead to problems if Nintendo isn't more transparent about Amiibo announcements. Thankfully the company addressed that in the statement as well, promising more frequent updates about Amiibo.
"Nintendo plans to make it easier for consumers to know when new amiibo are on the way, through Nintendo press announcements, timely updates on our social media channels and working closely with retailers," the post reads.
Nintendo admitting there is a problem and discussing the multiple ways in which they are going to address it is a definite step in the right direction. Let's just hope the company makes good on their promises. For everything Amiibo, be sure to check out our ultimate Amiibo guide.
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