Of Course Scalpers Are Already Listing Fire Emblem's 30th Anniversary Edition

Same old, same old...

Won't get this anyway. No cartridge, no deal.

I got something for you scalper, OH look its two middle fingers just for you.

Nintendo is overstocking M3DA, leaving a lot of scalpers with multiple games they cannot sell, making them lose money.
Let's hope Nintendo keeps the practice of stocking well, so that all these scalpers are stuck with a dozen games they are losing money on.

@626b I don't think they are losing money because FOMO is on their side.

I didn't have any trouble securing a copy from EB Games.

I've never actually played a Fire emblem game. Is it anything like the Shining force games on the Genesis?

Why isn't this just on NES online service?

@Zeldafan79 Yeah. Pretty much the same as SF or Langrisser.

@Yanina
Sounds good to me! Now to see if i can find a copy.

Yeah, they can shove it even deeper. Even FOMO should have a limited effect when it's still half a year before availability cutoff, and reselling PREORDERS at inflated prices takes a particular disconnection with reality. How many people do they think would be desperate enough to pay three times the cost for something that the still recurrent pandemic hijinks could put a spanner in anytime? eBay can be enough of a gamble to deal with as it is.

Man, scalpers are such a problem with any hobby. One man's trash is another man's treasure unfortunately. I'm guessing this is what 'not for resale' use to mean on the back of Japanese game boxes.

Anyhoo, I'm not buying a code in a box. No, sir. I don't mind it being a limited release but physical codes can do one.

I’m going to avoid this as I don’t want Nintendo to establish that a download code in a box is a viable alternative to physical games.

Don’t blame the scalpers. Blame people who buy it and companies that, by this time, should have known better. Implementing few simple countermeasures would vastly improve the situation, like: splitting pre order stock availability in batches, implementing anti bot systems, introducing one item per customer limits and most importantly, assuring customers that more stock will be available in the near future.

This is starting to make Nintendo look really bad. I wonder much they're prepared to push it before looking like the bad guys. What makes this whole thing seen so bizarre to me is there isn't even a physical game included. It's time they started taking open pre-orders to start with so everyone who want a copy will get one.

Its Nintendo's policies that let the scalpers have a field day.
They're just taking advantage of Nintendo's anti-consumer practices.
This limited time bs is inexcusable and just gives people more of a reason to emulate.

I had the opportunity to secure a copy, but passed.

AU$90 and no cartridge? Get stuffed. A fancy pants deluxe box without a tangible copy of the game? What's the point? I understand the game is extremely small, but Nintendo could have made this a more comprehensive collection or included other goodies on the cartridge as well (perhaps a port of the DS remake that can be played using the touch-screen while holding the console sideways?).

I can forgive collector's editions on PC if the game is available without DRM (such as Cyberpunk 2077) but a physical copy is a must otherwise.

I think they'll get the message about codes in a box being rubbish. Whereas FE fans are rejoicing it's releasing, codes in a box don't resonate with Nintendo fans.

I’m hoping that Nintendo’s new approach to manufacturing scarcity is the time limit instead of under production. I’d happily see a bunch of scalpers go out of pocket.
If, on the other hand, nintendo intend to employ both approaches together then to hell with them.
(Personally I would prefer Nintendo just move on from scarcity entirely)

This is similar to the 35th Game and Watch availability, but now it’s freely available to pre order, in the UK at least, and presumably rest of Europe. You’d have to be slightly mad to feed the sharks

Will this be released in Europe?

And still in europe we wait

@Slowdive I agree with you 100% that there should have been a great collector's edition like this for Super Mario 3D All Stars.

Luckily they made my purchase decision very easy with this Fire Emblem edition since I have zero desire for it because no physical cartridge is included. I hope no else else falls for it and scalpers get stuck with all of it.

@626b after March next year they will stop producing it and than scalpers will sell freely at high prices

Yep preordered on the eshop and only paying $5.99 plus tax...o and the funny thing every store I go to has mario 3d allstars

I don't scalp myself because I think it's unethical. But I'm also aware I have a choice to be ethical. If a scalper is, let's say, someone on low income who without scalping can't afford food or heating for their kids and themselves, then I have sympathy for them being forced into that unethical choice. Certainly scalping is better than hunger or being forced into prostitution. I don't know who scalpers are. But I assume it's another sign of our broken economy that pays most people low wages/benefits and has no social safety net. Maybe you think I'm too kind in my assumptions about who at least some scalpers might be. But I prefer to think there's a human face and a struggling human amidst the problem. Certainly it makes it easier for me to think about scalpers that way as it stops me getting pointlessly angry at scalpers because there is nothing I can do about them.

Here's an idea the opposite of scalping. When you want to sell something, instead of selling your game or console to a second hand purchasing company like Amazon that will resell your goods at a higher price, offer your good for sale in your local community. You can sell it in your local community at the same price that amazon etc would buy it off you. In that way it's gamers helping gamers and you're strengthening your local community and you might make good friends that way. In this pandemic making community ties stronger is really good idea.

The thing is, they are not doing anything illegal. If you buy something say for 20p that’s worth £500 your hardly gonna sell it for 20p and not want to make a profit . If people buy things that are limited for higher prices than originally then it’s up to that person to buy them or not. No one is forcing anyone to buy these , chances are with things like this if there are tons of copies out there then wait a while and your likely to get a better price . I really don’t see what the issue is. If you end making this type of thing against the law then that effectively means your saying no one can ever make a profit something . If you want to limit this type of thing so scalpers can’t grab every copy then make it so people can just buy 1 copy or do some kind of made to order service so everyone can get a copy.

@lemonjellydude I agree with you but my stance is when these scalpers sit on 10+ copies of game or system when someone else could be unlucky enough too try and order it from the same place as the scalpers and is unable too get it.

Scalpers gonna scalp, it's really not that surprising.

The thing here is you're literally buying garbage that could easily be counterfeit anyways. There are no soundtrack and physical game cartridge included so you're basically buying a bunch of paperweight that Nintendo print out of their ink factory and put a price tag on it. A lot of these stuffs are things if you lived in the late 80s to 90s will come standard with a game. Oh how time has change.

Why no cartridge really stupid won’t buy now , hate this digital push

@626b But if they're listing them before they have even gone on sale, why do people bother? There is no guarantee they will get any anyways.

I don't understand how, after decades of this nonsense, there aren't systems in place to readily combat scalping

@lemonjellydude did someone say it was illegal? I haven’t read through all the replies so I may have missed that.
People commented it is unethical, which I agree with. Buying up stock and reselling at a higher price is certainly a scumbag move.
Edit- saying that people don’t have to pay the inflated price they can choose to go without and so should stop complaining is a terrible argument, the wouldn’t have the dilemma in the first place if not for the scalpers.

@AlexanderDaniels I went to my GS and was able to secure a preorder right after work that Friday when it was live for in-store order. Did you go in person as well.

The upshot is, that scalpers actually do increase demand, and as such over time these limited time offers will actually be available also for people in higher supply years later. Lots of people do not actually buy games during the initial supply, but might want them later. Scalpers (if successful) actually have analysed the market and seen that the item has higher demand than the supplier thought. The price over time will be lower because of (successful) scalpers, but they make the price be more even over time.

@GrailUK It's because around 2000 or so, Japan had for a short time technically outlawed used game sales.
I don't think it stopped anything, which is why it was dropped.

@Mortenb i originally wrote quite a snarky reply to you but I think I must have misunderstood your point somewhere along the line. I genuinely cant see how someone buying a copy of a game and then selling that same copy to someone else to someone who would have bought it anyway (and at a lower price) is driving up demand.
I remember the games industry arguing the exact opposite years ago when it came to highstreet second hand games outlets.
Either way, if you see my first reply I’m sorry it was a bit pointed.

@KingMike At least they tried I suppose

I'm still trying to figure out the sense of selling something that you technically don't yet have (and have no 100% guarantee of getting on time, especially in these times) at an inflated price. Add to that the fact that people are bidding on inflated pre-orders....ugh.

Scalping isn't illegal, but it is unethical. Some websites have safeguards against it, but those can only do so much; there's always a way to game the system. How is it fair that someone who doesn't care much about Fire Emblem sits on multiple copies of the game for profit when a mega fan like Joe Average couldn't secure a single preorder thanks to that?

@Quarth FACTS!

@Lionyone So, basically, individuals aren’t responsible for their actions and it’s the fault of society. It’s good to be empathetic but be careful you don’t stray into thinking all bad people are somehow victims.

I don’t really see this as something that people would pay too much for. I guess if the art book ends up being totally exclusive to it then maybe, but it’s pretty lackluster overall.

For everyone complaining about the lack of a cartridge, you do realize that is only a 30MB video game (check the listing in the EStore)? That would be a wasted cartridge.

@Zeldafan79 I really wouldn’t recommend this as a first experience with Fire Emblem - definitely try Three Houses or Awakening first.

When scalpers buy up all the copies or pre-orders for limited releases, I wish companies would change their minds and release a ton more, then refuse refunds for scalpers.

to quote the Angry Video Game Nerd.....It's all gonna be dust some day.

@krzysztof81 Hell yeah I'm gonna blame the scalpers! They're the ones pulling this crap! It's true that they'd do it a lot less if people didn't give them money, but that doesn't change the fact that scalpers are preying on desperate people.

@Snatcher Two middle fingers? Pfft. Give them two fists. Especially if you got brass knuckles.

Gee if Nintendo didn't sell it in limited quantities from the outset maybe it wouldn't literally be a safe haven for scalpers to conduct such practices this quickly. Maybe as soon as Nintendo announced games as valuable as Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and the literal original Fire Emblem which never left Japan in its original state were being re-released for a limited time, they felt motivated to make money off of that practice for their own self benefit due to the value of those games

Just a thought

@626b [b]Nintendo is overstocking M3DA, leaving a lot of scalpers with multiple games they cannot sell, making them lose money.
Let's hope Nintendo keeps the practice of stocking well, so that all these scalpers are stuck with a dozen games they are losing money on.[/b]

A year from now the scalpers will make their money on 3D All Stars. Nintendo isn't making them lose money, in fact the limited nature is what making scalpers money.

Every Fire Emblem game since Fates has had this problem. I don't mind deluxe limited editions but it seems Nintendo/IS doesn't care about stopping scalpers at all.

So what does the buyers from Scalpers have for Guarantee that the DigitalCode is valid when they get it? How will they even know it's valid to begin with if they buy??? I don't think Nintendo will give those buyers a code for buying from Scalpers should the code already be used.

The reason I think this could be a issue for buyers it let's say this story:

Scalpers buy 5 physical with Digital codes. Then sends only a copy of one digital code for all 5 games. And one person registers it first and the other 4 finds out they codes been used. So where in the purchase does it say it will help the buyers get their money back or make the Scalper fix the Code issue and send them the proper code. Because it will be sent if they purchased online to their Email or a paper slip with 5 codes on it and how will they the buyers knows they got a valid code. That's why eBay should scrape and remove those listing to prevent Abuse in this instance and inform the Scalper due to Codes only being sent one time or to their email and the buyers have no way to access the email to get the code that this is a violation of Commerce and will be removed.

I can't tell you how badly I want to get this. Whenever I have had free time while gaming or watching TV, I've had my laptop in front of me for two (going on three) days now with Gamestop, Amazon (who still hasn't even listed it yet), and Best Buy in tabs that I frequently refresh.

Do you see what's wrong with this picture, commenters? Do you see what's wrong with this picture, Nintendo? Part of me wants to just give up and just be content with a digital copy, but the other part of me is finding it hard to give up this stupid game completely because I find this bundle to be really, really neat. Ugh...

I didn't even realize they went up for pre-order. I looked that day and didn't see anything, so I had no idea when they'd be available.

I don't even really see the point in what these scalpers are doing here.
This is being sold for a limited time, but not THAT limited.
If you want one, you can probably get one at some point at you local store...
We had this kind of situations for other products before.

Scalpers, in a case like this, are walking a real danger of not being able to actually sell their stuff, because a lot of people will just wait.

So I am not sure, does this really make sense for them?

EDIT:
And yes, I think it is a different situation with whole consoles at release.
There are usually way more potential buyers for a new console and these things generate enough hype for people to grow crazy about it.
Is that true in this case? I am not so sure.

@Alaninho I'm saying sometimes there's an understandable moral context. That doesn't excuse all evil generally! There are rich people who are crazy greedy and we don't want our society to be about them.

Nintendo is more at fault than the scalpers.

This just seems like a bunch of crap that will get stored away to jack up the price on an otherwise cheap and small download game.

@Lionyone When I think of scalpers, people who can't afford food or heating aren't the first that come to mind. If you ask me, it isn't the most logical conclusion. $49.99 is a lot of food you know. Scalping is a form of investment, you need a (small) starting capital in order to start scalping. Money that can be used in another way. So people scalping expensive limited editions to ''survive'' doesn't sound that realistic to me. What we do know is that scalping is a relative easy way to make money, people with few morals that also don't want to work hard are undoubtedly drawn to this practice...

Still sitting on my 5 sealed copies of Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, just waiting for the perfect moment to sell.

@SwitchForce I secured my copy as well went into my local gamestop today and asked luckly there was only 1 pre order. But it's sold out on their website. Scalpers are selling them on ebay for $140.00

@SwitchForce From I hear, on ebay getting a Negative feedback is a pretty strong black mark on their account. Such that, it sounds like, one would have to be a pretty dumb scalper to not at least deliver the promised goods.

Popular company. Check. Limited release. Check. FOMO. Check.

Same thing every time sadly.

Nintendos pushing more and more time limited garbage. Sony's raising prices and selling "remasters" of 2 year old games. At this point I'm starting to think Microsoft is the only consumer friendly company in this business. And being able to say that without gagging or laughing hysterically is not something I ever expected to happen.

@AlexanderDaniels good to hear I did also stop by my GS to get other preorder that I ordered and was told they would hold one for me but I said I got it the day it was announced and but they did get a extra one. Maybe it was because of my PreOrder they got mine and a extra one. So that release day there will be one for someone if they get their in time. But for my PreOrder, I won't have to worry about picking it up.

@KingMike One has to remember those Scalpers can have more then one selling account as well with different names and address. And so they can avoid eBay bans.

@SwitchForce I would think it would take time to build up a feedback score on a new account that it wouldn't be worth it to ruin their score on an old account.
Though I had one 2 feedback seller con me over a ****ing Ren & Stimpy SNES cart. The most common and cheapest game at that. So yeah, there are some dumb sellers out there. But the smart sellers probably wouldn't pull it. Also, I've heard ebay sellers on some gaming forums say Paypal was known to favor buyers in fraudulent sale disputes.
(like really... that dude shaft someone over a crappy $10 game nobody wants. And it was my first time trying the ebay app, or I'd have checked for a seller with a better score first. Since certainly it's easy now to find plenty of sellers for impulse for common trash games. ).
Like one of the few times I've been burned on a game that cheap was SNES King of Dragons cart with like a half-missing label or something. Dude probably thought he could just choose to keep my money and not send it because it ended at like half the then-value of a good condition cart. That's not how it works, pal. At least that guy conned me on a good game, not Ren & Stimpy!

So what?

All the more power to them, Nintendo doesn't seem to care so why should anyone else?

Shadow Dragon is already on the DS. Who are you trying to fool selling an older version. The superior version can be had on the Wii U for 8.99 £. And it is not limited time, at least until the Wii U Eshop closes.
https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-DS/Fire-Emblem-Shadow-Dragon-270825.html

@Kid_Sickarus No worries. Perhaps I'm wrong, but this is how I see it. Because there are always scalpers, that means the suppliers notice more sales during their limited time windows, in general. Therefore they will in general have more supply. This means there will be more after market objects available for the future. Over time this means a lower price on average.

Finders fee mark-up. ^^

I like my switch(for portability) and thats about it. The moment a switch style system comes out for PC, I'm gonna abandon ship. Everything is over priced, limited edition, or outdated, scaplers just add to a mixture that's bad enough.

@Fido007 Well, at least I got both the Sonic Statue from the PS4 Version of Sonic Mania and the Art Book that came with the Switch version of Sonic Mania Plus! I only hope that SEGA actually lets people pre-order the next Sonic Limited Edition Bundle without scalpers ruining it. At least the way I see it, SEGA is the Anti-Nintendo, in more ways than one. In other words, SEGA DOES WHAT NINTENDON'T!

@YoshiAngemon I have to kinda agree, nintendo about 10 years ago was a bit better than it is today. The only game I can think of(that I actually want for this system now) is Monster Hunter, once that comes out next year, I'll keep that game in my system, and start looking into more PC related gaming. If monster hunter rise gets a PC release, I'll probably look at selling my switch.

No physical game in the physical package? Who the hell's gonna buy that?

This entire "Collectors Edition" is just a massive waste. It doesn't even come with a physical game!!!

@SwitchForce if you use PayPal on eBay (it’s the only way I will purchase anything on eBay) then you are covered as a customer. You just report it to eBay that you were not sent the product you paid for and you should get a full or partial refund. I think they require evidence that you’ve used the eBay chat function to try and sort it out with the seller, but if they haven’t resolved the issue within a certain time period (28 days I think?) then PayPal will refund. It’s been a while since I last had to do it.

Wow Already Skiping Zelda classic Just classic..

What the, I was looking everywhere for this but I didn't see any listings, how the heck did those a-holes did it?

Glad I was able to give the eBay scumbags the big middle finger by pre-ordering this Anniversary physical edition over the phone with EB Games Canada. If any other Canadian readers are having trouble finding online pre-orders (since places like Best Buy put their offerings up around 4am & sold out within a minute), try calling your local EB and secure a $0 pre-order over the phone. They'll do it for you (it's in their inventory as Fire Emblem 30th Anniversary NSW).

All gone here in aus and people scalpin on ebay. Disappointing.

Nintendo and opportunistic resellers/botters, a match made in hell...
At least there is the eShop which doesn't run out of stock.

The constant botting of consoles and games is really annoying, and manufacturers (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) and resellers (Amazon) don't seem to be doing much to improve the situation. One obvious thing that a reseller like Amazon could do would be to list the markup percentage over MSRP, the same way they tell you savings for a below-MSRP listing, to discourage people from overpaying.

I do wish that people would stop patronizing opportunistic scammers, but I do have some sympathy for people who are tempted to overpay for a Switch to play Animal Crossing, or a copy of Ring Fit Adventure, as those are pretty perfect lockdown games that I've been playing constantly.

Nonetheless, I still despise the botters and their absurd markups.

@Shiro28 Probably the same way they grab anything else that's supply constrained - shoes, game consoles, hand sanitizer, etc. - software bots that buy everything faster than humans can.

It's a flaw in the system that doesn't benefit normal human buyers (who find that it's sold out instantly and only available at absurd markup) or original manufacturers like Nintendo. It does benefit resellers like eBay and Amazon however, since they get extra commissions.

Let me clear up a misunderstanding with scalpers that it seems some people here have. Scalpers never lose money, there is no downside for them. If they don't end up selling their product they return it to the store they bought it at within the 30-90 day return policy of whichever store and get a full refund. I don't agree with scalpers, but at the end of the day don't hate the player hate the game