Topic: Nintendo's Pre-Order System is Broken

When Nintendo decided to introduce the pre-order system which has already been successfully employed by the likes of Sony and Microsoft to their Switch platform, I rejoiced in the fact the system was keeping up with competition.

In this highly accessibly digital world we live in, it was another tick in Nintendo's box. Look after your consumer base and in turn they will look after you.

However Nintendo are still missing a crucial part of the pre-order puzzle.

Pre-orders aren't unlocking on time.

Without going too deep into the physical vs digital argument, one thing can be agreed upon - both have their advantages. Let's side with a few of the positives digital games bring to the table:

• The game is inside your system removing the need to worry about media (in the Switch's case, those tiny cartridges). So long as your machine is with you, so are the games.
• You don't need to travel anywhere to get the game you want. Hate trains, traffic and people in general? Check out digitally.
• It can download and install itself onto your system while you sleep, eat, workout, work or study so it is guaranteed the title is yours the microsecond it drops.

Well, it seems you'll need to scratch that last one if you're a Switch owner.

One of the biggest draw cards for many is hype. A game you are dying to own is on the horizon and you want it. Bad.

It was inevitable that console companies would try and make scratching that hype itch more appealing.

They add extra carrots like season passes or pre-order incentives including extra content or in some cases, early access. On the most part, it works. Despite this fact, people are willing to hand over the full price for a game knowing full well they walk away from the transaction empty handed. Why?

They know the second that light turns green, the game is preloaded and theirs to sink their teeth into.

In my opinion this is the biggest draw card of a digital pre-order.

Hell, even physical pre-orders operate on the same objective. The game is yours the moment that shop opens.

So can anyone tell me why this is so painfully hard to process for Nintendo?

Twice now, I've received what is a digital equivalent to a slap in the face by pre-ordering through the Switch eShop.

The first time was with Sky Rogue. Being a fan of titles such as TFX in days of yore, I knew this was a title I would enjoy. It was never my intent to pre-order it, but I saw the option browsing the shop and thought, "Why not? Great to see you're doing this Nintendo old chum. Consider this a thank you token!".

So you can imagine my surprise upon loading the game up the morning it was supposedly released and being greeted with the customary, "I need to check with mum and dad if you can play this game" message via the Switch.

"Sure thing little buddy. The date checks out so feel free and check to see if WHAT THE ACTUAL [EXPLETIVE]?!?!"

Another message pops up saying something along the lines of, "Sorry - can't launch the game as you're not allowed to play it yet. Wanna launch the eShop to double check the release date? Idiot?"

So I did, and guess what. The date was right! The system wasn't.

Eventually the game unlocked later that night.

Pre-ordering wasn't a thing again until Capcom announced the Streetfighter 30th Anniversary collection.

HYPE.

I suck at fighting games but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. I'm more of a fighting game groupie that can play but looks at you funny if you want to discuss zoning, super cancels or buffers.

I've grown up with Streetfighter and along with SNK's works, it's something I hold dear in my heart as far as franchises go. Especially the Alpha series.

So when SF 30th was announced, let alone on Switch - I was there.

"Let's try the pre-order system again. I'm sure the Sky Rogue incident was just a wrinkle. A company as massive as Nintendo surely have their ***** together by now."

WRONG.

It is the 29th of May, 2018 and it is currently 10am and the game is STILL locked out for me.

This is certainly the last time I ever pre-order through what is an absolutely ballsed up archaic system with ZERO incentive to the consumer.

Nintendo innovate with ideas but still can't seem to lock down simple things everyone else does better. Strangely enough, the core of their shortfalls are the online section.

Chat facilities, eShop's crummy layout, pre-orders.

If you wanted to class Nintendo as a person; to me they are like the eccentric genius who's ideas are so crazy they work, however put them in a room with other people (my metaphor for the online realm), try to encourage them to be social and they just crumble.

Dear Nintendo,

I get it. You're a trailblazer. You want to embrace different. It works for the most part. But imitation is a form of flattery. Take what works for others and implement it for your online stuff. Please.

/rant.

Okay first off, language.

Secondly, of the countless games I have pre-loaded digitally not one has failed to unlock at midnight UK time. This is news to me. In fact, the few games pre-loaded on Wii U and 3DS also unlock on time (So this isn't a new system for Nintendo as you claim)

Games are released at both 12:00 AM and 11 AM. If you open the EShop currently you’ll notice that the game hasn’t been released to the general public yet. Street Fighter should open in about 8 hours.

Where are you anyway...?

I'm at Indonesia and have to handle with it unlocking at US' time, as usual. It's the same even for Sony's...

Now my only tiredness is that they decide that some titles are unlocking at midnight, some titles are unlocking at 9am...

jeezus, unlock everything the same time please.

@YummyHappyPills - I wish I could say the same thing but it is currently 12:40pm here in Perth, Australia and whilst there is no problem buying and downloading and playing the game on PS4, it is still locked out on my Switch. The question is why? Surely time zones are hardly a unique concept are they?

If you really want to get nit picky, the Switch didn't launch with a pre-order system but I'm not here to say I know more about something than anyone else. Can we let a man have his rant please..?

I'm glad the WiiU and 3DS preloads worked for you. Really I am. I'm currently trying to gauge people's opinions on the Switch front however. Like I said, the same thing happened with Sky Rogue and the whole thing is just one giant letdown. Has this happened to anyone else, or has Nintendo decided to just take a dump on me twice for good measure?

I've put money down weeks in advance for the opposite of the privilege pre-orders are purported to offer.

Now instead, I am at the mercy of someone's draconian server clock which as you can imagine, is incredibly infuriating as I could have easily just gone out and bought the damn thing which will certainly dictate my habits going forward.

As it stands, my pre-order experience on Switch is absolutely pointless.

With the exception of YummyHappyPills who states the pre-order system has worked swimmingly for them on WiiU and 3DS, has this happened to anyone else? I've never pre-ordered on those systems so I can't comment on whether or not I am the unluckiest pre-orderer on the planet of if Nintendo may need to lift their game. I'm thinking more along the lines of column B.

Oh and apologies for the language. You can probably guess the state of my mindset right now. Current mood is not 'morning sunrise'.

@darkfenrir you're right. Streetfighter is showing 'RELEASED' on the store (PS4), yet when you go to purchase it, it shows up under pre-order. Go figure..

@Jawessome yup... At least ps4 store is quick to release. My experience was buying World of Final Fantasy on PSVita and it took them a week or so to finally allow vita users to buy it...

At least it's good game.

For switch, if you have your acc on US, the unlocking time will be at 11pm for 9am release, or 2pm for midnight (assuming if you are +7 timezone)

@Jawessome I didnt say the preload system worked swimmingly for me on Wii U and 3DS.

I said the preload system wasnt new to Nintendo as you claim because it existed on Wii U and 3DS.

What I said worked for me was the Switch preload system which has not once failed me.

So you say you're trying to guage opinions on the Switch front, I gave you mine, yet you somehow missed it.

I'm near Melbourne and it's 9:31pm, and Street Fighter 30th has also not unlocked for me. I've spoken to someone in the states who has it unlocked, so maybe there's an issue with this particular game. I'm also annoyed of course. Been waiting a long time for this launch.

@BadAstroZA yes it seems lesson well and truly learned. Not bothering with digital pre-orders from now on. It's 8pm here in WA and I'm not even going to bother trying again today. Kids are in bed and time for bed.

I know it's very first world problems what with people being worse off and here I am complaining that I'm not getting a video game on time, but people can gripe I suppose.

I remember having to wait till Monday for my Xenoblade Chronicles X copy to arrive and ended up missing my only pre-Christmas weekend to play it before I flew abroad for the holidays. Something that would have been avoided with the Switch. It was annoying, but looking back I’m not too fussed.

I think it's fair enough to be pissed about this. What I find surprising is it's still under Coming Soon in the store, and still has the pre-order purchase button (greyed out for me because I own it) so definitely something wrong.

it was the same problem with Megaman Legacy Collection 1+2. while North Americans could play it very early on release date - I had to wait till 4 pm till my Switch allowed me to play these games here in Germany. Don't why Nintendo don't release them simultaneously or at midnight in each time zone.

This is happening to me right now with My Hero One's Justice. It makes me pretty angry as i usually preorder in store and could have been playing the game by now. Currently, I have no idea when I'll get to play the game. What I know for sure is that I'll never pre-order on the eshop again.

@Dudrap1 as explained in this thread, preloaded games on the eShop don't unlock until the game itself is released.

If the game releases at midnight then that's when, however most games release digitally closer to 9 am-12 pm depending on your area.

@Yosheel if the system knows what region you live in, surely it can work out you’re in a different time zone and unlock things accordingly? Australia is ahead of the US in timezone so should be recognised as such.

Why offer digital pre-orders if you aren’t really providing any real benefit to do so?

@Jawessome different regions do have different dates. Australia doesn't depend on the US for their releases, as far as I know.

It only varies in regions within regions, due to time zones. The release happens at the same time, it just happens that Some Town, Canada it's 9am while Regular City, US it's 12pm at the same time.

In short, their system works as it should. It just happens that some devs decide to release their games digitally at 12 am while others decide to leave them at regular eShop update time.

Because it probably involves money.

So without knowing which title is meant to release at midnight (as pre-orders should), what's the point of pre-ordering on the eShop exactly? I'm yet to see any benefits at all.

@Jawessome because the game is preloaded onto your system. You'll be able to play the second it is released. That wouldn't be the case if you bought it on release.

You're buying the game beforehand and predownloading it so it's ready to play once it releases. That's it. The benefit is that you're buying the game.

I'm sorry those games unlocked late for you, but it's simply not the general rule everywhere. Whenever I preorder something, it's always available at midnight or by 10 am.