Nintendo Is Selling An Empty Splatoon 2 Bundle Box For Five Bucks In Japan

Nice, they can't get Switches in stores fast enough yet they can sell the boxes! Don't give them your money, this is a bit overboard.

Cue in ebayers selling these for 15$ lol

Definitely one for the collectors, like me. But I'd prefer if they included the Splatoon Joy-Con in the bundle, then I'd buy the whole thing...

Only in Japan... 🤣

I know there's been sayings of having nothing on a box and only have it for the nintendo label on it but this is ridiculous!

@olrodlegacy looking at that box art, it appears in Japan they are. But as per usual everyone else gets shafted

@Spoony_Tech I'm sure a cardboard box is easier to mass produce than the hardware normally inside it.

This is good for collectors I suppose.

Ha, that's weird. Come to think of it... I decided to go all digital for the Switch, as physical Nintendo games have become way too expensive in Brazil recently, but I'd totally pay five big ones for each game's box. There's something about having a rack filled with colorful boxes in your gaming space.

So scalpers can resell normal Switches as if they were the bundled ones?

You can put all your hopes and dreams of ever buying a Switch into it.

Guessing they don't ship to the US?

Wait what?

EDIT: I kinda want that box...

EDIT Part II the second Editing: Honestly I used to collect display boxes and standees so I really can't judge. There is a market out there for this. I swear though if I was a evil person I would try to scam a walmart with one of these and "return it" weighted down of course.

Can be used for trolling too :>
(Gifting the empty box with irrelevant stuff inside to think there's a console there)

This isn't a bad idea, some people would like this as a decoration on their shelf, though $5 for an empty box does seem a bit steep. The problem is Nintendo's history of under stocking. They'll probably make the system a limited bundle in Japan, producing about 10% of what they could sell, making this look like what it is, a troll.

So when do the empty Famicom and Nes Mini boxes go on sale?

For once we can say that the scalpers selling Switches for $500 are offering more value than Nintendo!

Goes to show the insane hype levels for this series in Japan. Nintendo needed Splatoon to be a success to give them confidence to branch out and try new IPs more often.

@rjejr "So when do the empty Famicom and Nes Mini boxes go on sale? "

Still got my originals, so I'm good!

It's funny, it was considered an eBay scam when people were selling the "XBox box". Now it's a licensed product.

Wow the drought is so bad Nintendo fans will buy ANYTHING.....

Aren't these for stores that want to display lots of stuff even if they know they won't have many copies available initially?

So that people will know they carry the bundle, and will place their order with them?

@sinalefa even if they do..what's the difference? there's literally no difference.

It is a nice box

There's no way I'd ever be interested in buying this, but I do know some people who would probably consider it.

People are saying this is weird but if you think about it as part of a gaming vlog setup it makes sense

Hmmm...

Can't wait for unboxing videos.

@manu0

They can still say the bundle is "rare" and charge even more, and since there is no difference gullible people wont feel burned

Welcome to Japan!

This just sounds depressing.

They are selling switch/splatoon bundle joy-cons as well and some stickers, huv the proof but cant seem to put pic's on this, (put a few on NL fb) 35,960 is the price which is just under £250 here
if you can send pic's on here be good to know.....oh and the joy con set (splatoon) and the Pro (splatoon) are both priced at 7,480 which is just over £50 here

Nintendo is the new eBay confirm 100%.

Oh damn even worse, Nintendo creates scarcity and them rip people off in eBay selling its own merchandise confirm.

Is a joke obviously!!

@sinalefa OMG! You are right.

@Pod This is the only theory I can think of that makes some sense. But it still seems a bit weird for them to charge that much, and sell to the public through the official store. If the boxes were being used for retailers to advertise the game (giving the illusion of plentiful stock) then you'd think Nintendo would be perfectly happy to give them away for - if not free - then the price of a cardboard box. Advertising is advertising after all, and a cardboard box is a pretty cheap way to do it.

why am i tempted to purchase this even though i am not interested in splatoon 2?

Bet those will be sold out everywhere as well.

Dann the hype is real

This is an amazing idea, I hope it comes to the US! When the Joycon concept was announced I was excited that it would make collecting variant consoles a lot easier and cheaper, but then I realized that it would mean I wouldn't have the whole box if I just bought new Joycons. As long as this has all of the inserts and stuff like that, I'd absolutely get one for each bundle that comes out.

@Maxz
While all of that is true, and I would have expected the same as you, I have seen Nintendo monetize some really bizarre things over the past five years, so empty display boxes doesn't strike me as THAT weird.

It really might just be for collectors, though. In japan, the boxes for quite many exclusive items are sold on through the internet by people who just want the content, to people who just want the box. (for whichever crazy reason)

Maybe Nintendo just wanted to get ahead of that game.

Lol

This box has a shot at outselling 80% of other games in Japan.

I have to say alot of things from, about Nintendo strikes me as weird., Yet thats why I'm a huge fan of the BIG N.. 🤔😊

Lol at the naysayers who said Splatoon won't sell.

They should release one with Mario Oddysey for Holiday season, so parents can troll their children putting empty Switch box under Christmas tree :D

On inspection, if really does seem like an empty box for customers who have a Switch but want to recreate the 'Splatoon 2 Switch Bundle' without buying a new console. All the bundle's contents (basically the Joy-Cons, the game, and some stickers) can be bought separately, and this box is intended as something to keep them in.

From the Official Store:

Recommended for Splatoon fans who already own a Switch:

・The stickers included in the 'Nintendo Switch Splatoon 2 Set' will also be sold separately.

●Important Points to Note upon Purchase

・The box shall be shipped in pre-assembled form. Assembly shall be carried out by the customer him/herself.

・Instructions on assembly are due to be publicised on the product page at the later date. In addition, the customer is due to be informed by Email upon shipment of the product.

・With regards to any damage or injury occurring during assembly, please understand that the company itself is unable to accept any responsibility.

・The product consists of the outer box only. Internal partitions and printed matter etc. are not included.

・Neither a written warranty nor barcode are printed on the product.

@Pod So there you have it. It's just a box for people who want to assemble the entire 'Splatoon 2 Bundle' (box included) but already have a Switch and are happy to buy all the other components separately. So you can fool all your friends into thinking you got the Official Splatoon 2 Console Bundle, when really you picked the console a few months earlier for Zelda. SNEAKY!

But importantly, BE CAREFUL WHEN ASSEMBLING THE BOX and WAIT FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS TO BE PUBLISHED! You don't know what sort of terrible calamity might befall you during construction, and Nintendo can't accept any responsibility for it. Also, the lack of internal partitioning might be a bit of a bummer for @elric257, but I guess you can rip the innards out of your original Switch box?

So it's kinda strange, but I guess there's an appeal for a very small market. Or maybe not such a small market, but who knows. I guess it's nice that people can get all the bundle goodies without actually having to buy a new console. That's the joy of the Joy-Cons! Slide a new pair on, and it's like you've got a brand new console! ...Kinda.

I initally saw this and laughed. But thinking about it, I would probably buy it. I keep the boxes for my consoles, and this one looks pretty artistic with its Splatoon design.

Smart. Collectors who can't grab a normal bundle or already own a Switch can grab one, and it gives Nintendo a little bit of money for basically nothing.

Uh, no.

But Wait!....."After 4,500 yen (tax excluded) the shipping fee will be free." ..That's TWO boxes, yes 2!, for the price of 1 ..lol...
"Scheduled to be delivered on July 21 * Domestic delivery excluding some remote islands only
No cancellation"

Sell me that red MyNintendo Switch box.

If they had sold the Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle box I would have bought it just to have a cooler display box.
Better yet, I would have bought the steelbook case for MK8 that only came out in Germany or wherever.

VERY good idea! Better in Nintendo's pocket than a scalpers, just for the box.

Don't think it would do well in the west though

Or, maybe it would, dunno.

Watch them under stock demand for the box and scalpers begin selling it for insane amounts.

Anyone want a grey launch day box for £5?

I'm thinking they might originally have meant to sell this bundle with the contents, but production of the joy-cons wasn't ready so they ended up with useless boxes until the Autumn (when the joy-cons launch). Sellling off these boxes and making more boxes with the red/blue joy-con sets because that's way better than delaying Splatoon 2.

Maybe.

Not bad price but still I wouldn't buy it

Oh yeah, anyone want the US Switch Gray Joy-con box for $5, cause I would sell it!
Heck even a dollar

Hahahaha...
What's next ?
Nintendo Switch manual book for $5 ?

Love it cuz it's for collectors.

But for those who like the collection to be complete, do it for $5 this actually STOPS THE EBAYERS from buying it and selling their box for $200.

Considering packaging becomes garbage the moment it is no longer protecting the contents of the package, they're actually just selling garbage (or best case: recycling).

I'd buy it

@NEStalgia Got it right: this is very reminiscent of Ebay users passing off Xbox 360 boxes as systems. It's still very weird and deceptive if not properly labeled and explained, but at least it's only for a few hundred yen ($5). My local news had to do a consumer report because those Xbox boxes were being sold for $400!

Well Nintendo are doing the same in Japan with Splatoon 2's game case, selling it without the actual physical game, but a download code instead. For people who want the convenience of digital downloads, but like to have physical cases on their shelves. Makes sense, really.

@NEStalgia What if we just printed our own boxes that looked like Switch and NES Mini boxes and sold them? Would Nintendo come after us or could we just use Etsy as a defense?

It must be nice for collectors, because otherwise.... I don't see a reason why you would want to buy a box!

It's filled with hopes and dreams! Which is why it's empty...

Oh no, didn't Pachter once say Nintendo fans would buy a box with Nintendo on it?

@ricklongo You mean you went full download, right? I'm not sure how the games themselves are not digital either way.

What the....?! Has Nintendo gone this low? Oh, mister Kimishima...

It's sad, but it does make sense. You can already buy the Callie and Marie joy cons for eighty bucks, so if you just pick up the box you can pretend you weren't an early adopter and bought the bundle. It's silly, but I guess there's demand...