It’s been more than 25 years since Nintendo held a console launch where Edwin Flores wasn’t among the first in line.
The avid gamer was at the Times Square Toys R Us for the launch of the GameCube in 2001, and has been there at midnight to be among the first in the world to get his hands on the Wii in 2006, Wii U in 2012, Nintendo Switch in 2017 and its OLED upgrade in 2021.
“You have to live this,” the 50-year-old told CNBC Make It outside Nintendo’s global flagship store in New York City on Wednesday morning.
“When you’re in a place where everyone likes the same thing as you, it’s fun.”
Flores arrived to West 48th street at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, a little more than 24 hours ahead of the Thursday midnight launch of the hotly-anticipated Switch 2. And he came prepared to splurge, having been slowly setting aside money for years ever since rumors of a new Switch first began surfacing online.
“I’m going to buy one for me and one for my son,” he said, adding that he plans to pick up three games. “It’s definitely going to be $1,500 or more.”
The Nintendo flagship store in New York City.
View Press | Corbis News | Getty Images
Despite its $449 price tag making the console Nintendo’s most expensive one to date by $150, CNBC reports that the Switch 2 is forecasted to sell 10% more units than its predecessor did in its debut year. The original Switch retailed for $299 when it launched in 2017. It has gone on to sell more than 152 million units, making it the third-best selling gaming console ever.
“When they showed what the Switch 2 can do, if you follow the trends about gaming and portables, you know it’s worth the money,” Flores said. “It’s a no brainer.”
The new console promises a number of upgrades over its predecessor including better graphics, faster processing and a larger, sharper display. It is also compatible with all existing Nintendo Switch games and many of its accessories.
Outside the Nintendo store, diehard fans of the company expressed ambivalence about the higher price tag.
Christopher Peralta, 20, had hoped the console would be priced at $399, but feels that the extra $50 is justified. He’s been saving up for months by writing for a Nintendo-centric blog and saving money he received for Christmas and his birthday.
“I budgeted specifically for the console, about $500,” he said. “I’ve had this money saved up since December.”
If you follow the trends about gaming and portables, you know it’s worth the money. It’s a no brainer.
Santiago Reyes already secured a Switch 2 preorder from Walmart, but went to the Nintendo store Wednesday because he wanted a chance to play with the system before its release. The 25-year-old set aside $500 to buy the Switch 2 bundle that comes with ‘Mario Kart World’ pre-installed.
For Reyes, the ability of the Switch 2 to play games from the original Switch makes it a more attractive day-one purchase.
“I kind of expected the console price,” he said. “I feel like the $150 boost is pretty much fair compared to what it’s giving you versus the Switch 1.”
Nick Leccesse also joined the crowd outside the Nintendo store despite having a Walmart preorder secured. The 22-year-old pulled out all the stops to make sure he could get his hands on a Switch 2 on its launch date.
“I had an alarm set,” he explained of his preorder strategy. “Every store that had preorders, I had their site open. I was on a call with friends at the same time talking about who could get orders through and what sites were lagging.”
Leccesse said that the Switch 2’s $449 price tag “wasn’t a big deal.” But Nintendo’s announcement that it would sell ‘Mario Kart World’ for $80 — an increase from the current industry standard of $70 — was an unwelcome surprise.
“I think $80 games suck, they definitely do,” he said. “But it’s kind of a case of if Nintendo didn’t pull the trigger, Xbox would’ve. And if Xbox didn’t, PlayStation would’ve.”
“The fact that it took so long for [games] to go [from $60] to $70 that now the jump to $80 is happening so soon, it’s a shock for a lot of people,” he continued. “It sucks. It sucks that games are so expensive. But it’s kind of just the way the market is going, unfortunately.”
Flores, meanwhile, said he’s just excited to get to the midnight launch and, eventually, get some sleep.
“Maybe I’ll let the kids enjoy [the Switch 2] a little bit,” he said. “But after that, it’s my turn.”
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