Nintendo not happy about "Amiiqo"

[ultrabiome]

Do I feel sorry for Nintendo? no.
Was this inevitable that someone would figure out how to hack and imitate the small chips in a <$15 figurine? yes.
Do I think this is right? not really.
Do I think it will hurt amiibo sales? probably not, as most people, as been said, are buying them for displaying, like myself with the ~dozen I have, not to actually use, but its nice when I can.
Do I think Nintendo should print more amiibos to supply demand? yes, but I understand that factory time is often expensive, requires substantial foresight into demand and needs months in advance, factory time is often scheduled and full months or years in advance, rushing factory time is even more expensive, figures need to be made in large lots to minimize variation and tooling time.

That said, amiibos are very popular, so I'm sure Nintendo is figuring out how to maximize their profits while supplying the demand. They would be stupid not to have another run of the Splatoon amiibo in the works, both due to Splatoon's popularity and the stolen shipment. Patience is a virtue that playing games is opposite to in many cases.

 

[Worgen]

The appeal of Amiibo's isn't the dlc, its having high quality figures of Nintendo stuff.

 

[And Man]

Other than Splatoon, I don't think anyone really cares that much about the actual DLC portion of amiibos; most people just want the figures.

 

[NLS]

So it apparently comes preloaded with 10 amiibos?
That's not just piracy, that's profiteering off piracy. Sorry, nope, can't defend this in any way or form.
PS: You're all going to burn eternally in hell for supporting this shady business.

 

[Silverbane7]

for some (adults), it may be the figures, but for a lot of non-grownups....they want the functionality of the item.
the figure part is extra.
i have not seen kids playing with the figures, as though they were toys (granted, i know very few kids) i have only seen adults wanting specific figures, and moms wanting *anything* sometimes, because their kid wants one for a game.
and the integration will only get better/worse.

we allready have the issue that unless you are willing to pay for a splatoon figure off ebay, you cant open up parts of the single player part of the game. while that itself is not nintys fault (since they didnt steal the entire shipment of splatoon figures bound for the UK market) they could have helped us by replacing the stock. even with just the CARD version it would have helped.
whole chunks of the game are closed off, from what i have read on the net, without those figures.
we have the animal crossing:happy home designer cards comming. they do little on the face of things. you can use them to invite specific animals to another animals home (for a party lol) or use them to call a specific animal and offer to make their home over.
but they will also unlock things in the upcomming WiiU animal crossing festival game. you need at least 2 figures (from what i read) to play the game, its like a mario party game, only it uses the amiibo figures/cards to work.
so while you *could* invite a couple of friends that have one figure/card each....if you havent got any cards/figures you wont be enjoying the full game...(its more of a 2nd hand issue from what i can tell, as the game comes with one or two ether card or figures. if sold on, i expect the figures/cards will be kept by the original buyer and the new user is the one that has to buy in extra)

so again....they realy REALY need to get their heads out of the sand and get those damn cards out here.
no one said (except frustraited buyers that cant get the ones they want lol) that more figures need making. we need the CARDS, so that the demand for the figures (by kids and users) goes down and the demand for the figures (by collectors and adults) stays stable.

both groups deserve their stuff. but lets face it. you can buy figures for nintendo products allready. they have got no connection to games (other than being of in game charcters ect) so NOT having one of them is not going to make it so your game is missing a whole chunk of content.
but soon a lot more games will be missing parts if you do not have access to the figures.
how is it fair, then...for figures that should be being played with and used..to be stuck on someones shelf, in box, to be only looked at....?
getting the cards out there solves this issue.
figures stay in their packaging....value kept....cards get used, they dont matter (yet...gods help us if they start with pokemon card versions unless they realy are *just* the same as figures. if they are like the current pokemon card TCG ones..oooohwee thats going to cause a storm) so if they get chewed, dog eared or even broken, you can replace them...
hell...with cards added in...everyone wins, everyone gets their stuff and everyone can be happy

 

[Areloch]

Does anyone have any figures on money and time costs to do a run of figurines from a factory?

Because while I'm in agreement Nintendo should step things up now that it's a known fact that Amiibos are absurdly popular, I think the logistics of getting a factory, setting up the molds, configuring the chips, printing them, having all the packaging made and assembled and then shipped all over the world is a touch more complicated than flipping a switch at the Nintendo headquarters.

I don't imagine it's so high it's prohibitive, or they wouldn't have started with the Amiibos thing in the first place, but I as a gut guess, I'd say it's slightly more involved than the average consumer thinks it is.

 

[RaikuFA]

Other than Splatoon, I don't think anyone really cares that much about the actual DLC portion of amiibos; most people just want the figures.

The Kirby game for Wii U unlocked power ups.

 

[Nielas]

Does anyone have any figures on money and time costs to do a run of figurines from a factory?

Because while I'm in agreement Nintendo should step things up now that it's a known fact that Amiibos are absurdly popular, I think the logistics of getting a factory, setting up the molds, configuring the chips, printing them, having all the packaging made and assembled and then shipped all over the world is a touch more complicated than flipping a switch at the Nintendo headquarters.

I don't imagine it's so high it's prohibitive, or they wouldn't have started with the Amiibos thing in the first place, but I as a gut guess, I'd say it's slightly more involved than the average consumer thinks it is.

There is also the risk that by the time they are able to get their production increased, the fad will be over and people will be collecting Beenie Babies again. Then they are stuck with Amibios that they cannot sell and have to send to a landfill.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I get that people don't like how scarce Amiibos are, but making every single one (and all variations) be available via internet as well as the DLC that comes with them, while not given Nintendo a single penny is NOT the way to deal with it.

Ultimately, software piracy is a fact of life, this was coming from the moment retail units hit shelves.

Amiibo's (and Disney Inf, Skylanders) are basically the logical extreme of DRM, entirely digital content that requires physical media to unlock. It's not a huge surprise that people would immediately start working on ways to circumvent the DRM. Nintendo have only accelerated it's development with their bizarre supply and distribution policies.

Ultimately I don't think this will hit the same kind of disastrous scale that DS Flash carts did. The primary market for Amiibo (little kids) will want the plastic toy as well, so a device like this is moot to them. I want to see what Nintendo's reaction will be to it, if they're smart they'll increase the Amiibo suppply and get import bans on this thing, if they're dumb they'll dream up some system that inconveniences normal users.

 

[DEAD34345]

I get that people don't like how scarce Amiibos are, but making every single one (and all variations) be available via internet as well as the DLC that comes with them, while not given Nintendo a single penny is NOT the way to deal with it.

Really? I don't know what article you read, but it seems to me that Amiiqo deals with the problem of scarce Amiibos extremely well.

So well in fact, that it might even convince Nintendo to stop artificially making them scarce to begin with. Everyone wins.

 

[FPLOON]

You know, I would be more pissed as fuck if all of the "Amiibo DLC" was needed for a trochievement or some shit like that, but it doesn't... It barely registers as something vitally required in the first place... Still doesn't make this Amiiqo shit any better, though...

Other than that, I would have felt sorry for those that were only using Amiiqo due to lacking their preferred Amiibo, but I don't because they, and the makers of the Amiiqo, had to choose the illegal route probably out of sheer impatience or some shit like that...

You know that green squid amiibo can't be bought in the UK outside of scalpers and Nintendo refuses to do anything about it. Can't really be impatient when theres literally no stock.

So... They never came to the UK in the first place or is it just sold out? If it's the formal, then your last sentence makes sense... If it's the latter, then people can be impatient... Still, my second sentence in my first post is still plausible unless the Squid Amiibo is actually required to complete Splatoon, for example...

In the UK the Squid amiibo was only available by buying a limited edition of Splatoon. All the copies were stolen. Nintendo has not said anything about restocking them.

In other words, Nintendo should fix something that, for once, was of not of their control? Yeah, I can see why they wouldn't in this situation... Other situations do not apply to this particular assessment because whoever stole them just had to ruin it for everyone else... (And before you start wondering, I'm being half-sarcastic... I mean, would you restock, only for those to get stolen as well, or not restock to prevent another stolen stock situation?)

The Amiibos are never, ever a requirement for the games they interact with.

And, despite all that, [certain] people still assume it's a requirement somehow... I don't even...

 

[sXeth]

Basic capitalism really.

Nintendo failed to provide their service adequately (DLC codes or somesuch for Amiibo content, assuming they insist on keeping the physical toys limited for true collectable value), so someone else came along and did it for them. Reading the article, the Amiibo's functionality is also somehow broken, though I didn't entirely grasp it not having used one.

I don't see how they can do much about the device itself either. Assuming the company isn't peddling the Amiibo codes off their own site, which would be Nintendo's IP.

 

[RaikuFA]

You know, I would be more pissed as fuck if all of the "Amiibo DLC" was needed for a trochievement or some shit like that, but it doesn't... It barely registers as something vitally required in the first place... Still doesn't make this Amiiqo shit any better, though...

Other than that, I would have felt sorry for those that were only using Amiiqo due to lacking their preferred Amiibo, but I don't because they, and the makers of the Amiiqo, had to choose the illegal route probably out of sheer impatience or some shit like that...

You know that green squid amiibo can't be bought in the UK outside of scalpers and Nintendo refuses to do anything about it. Can't really be impatient when theres literally no stock.

So... They never came to the UK in the first place or is it just sold out? If it's the formal, then your last sentence makes sense... If it's the latter, then people can be impatient... Still, my second sentence in my first post is still plausible unless the Squid Amiibo is actually required to complete Splatoon, for example...

In the UK the Squid amiibo was only available by buying a limited edition of Splatoon. All the copies were stolen. Nintendo has not said anything about restocking them.

In other words, Nintendo should fix something that, for once, was of not of their control? Yeah, I can see why they wouldn't in this situation... Other situations do not apply to this particular assessment because whoever stole them just had to ruin it for everyone else... (And before you start wondering, I'm being half-sarcastic... I mean, would you restock, only for those to get stolen as well, or not restock to prevent another stolen stock situation?)

The Amiibos are never, ever a requirement for the games they interact with.

And, despite all that, [certain] people still assume it's a requirement somehow... I don't even...

By that logic, Nintendo shouldn't sell amiibo anymore in the UK to prevent anymore getting stolen.

 

[RedRockRun]

WFC? This shit pops up every few years. In the 90's there were Beanie Babies and Pokemon cards, and now all the people who grew up going nuts for those things are going nuts for Amiibos just like the nice, compliant fanboys (consumer cattle) they are. Good for whoever is stomping on Nintendo's nuts.

 

[FPLOON]

You know, I would be more pissed as fuck if all of the "Amiibo DLC" was needed for a trochievement or some shit like that, but it doesn't... It barely registers as something vitally required in the first place... Still doesn't make this Amiiqo shit any better, though...

Other than that, I would have felt sorry for those that were only using Amiiqo due to lacking their preferred Amiibo, but I don't because they, and the makers of the Amiiqo, had to choose the illegal route probably out of sheer impatience or some shit like that...

You know that green squid amiibo can't be bought in the UK outside of scalpers and Nintendo refuses to do anything about it. Can't really be impatient when theres literally no stock.

So... They never came to the UK in the first place or is it just sold out? If it's the formal, then your last sentence makes sense... If it's the latter, then people can be impatient... Still, my second sentence in my first post is still plausible unless the Squid Amiibo is actually required to complete Splatoon, for example...

In the UK the Squid amiibo was only available by buying a limited edition of Splatoon. All the copies were stolen. Nintendo has not said anything about restocking them.

In other words, Nintendo should fix something that, for once, was of not of their control? Yeah, I can see why they wouldn't in this situation... Other situations do not apply to this particular assessment because whoever stole them just had to ruin it for everyone else... (And before you start wondering, I'm being half-sarcastic... I mean, would you restock, only for those to get stolen as well, or not restock to prevent another stolen stock situation?)

By that logic, Nintendo shouldn't sell amiibo anymore in the UK to prevent anymore getting stolen.

Considering how much was stolen in the first place, that logic is sound right now...

Fuck 'em. Don't create demand if you can't supply it.

I wouldn't curse out the company, but at the same time- I have to agree with your second statement.

Nintendo shouldn't of reacted that way. Instead, they should wonder as to why people had to resort in letting all the Amiibos be free online in the first place. Simply put- it's because you guys thought by selling a bare minimum of these things, you could get people to spend far more money because high demand, low supply.

It's kinda cheap, if not dirty. I mean, you kinda need (when I say need, I mean for the fullest experience) these toys in order to see more content + unlockables in the game you purposely designed to go with said toys. By selling a very few, of course people are going to resort into hacking & pirating these things. What did you guys expect?

I just want to focus on the bold part [for a second] to say that the phrase, itself, doesn't seem to be in Nintendo's gameplay-based dictionary... Why? Because it only exist through those that are playing Nintendo-based games... All Nintendo does is give out various options and then let others dictate what's considered the "fullest experience" because they're not here to [actually] tell you that[footnote]If they did, then we would have "trochievents" like what Skylanders/Disney Infinity has, right? [/footnote]... For those that felt (and still feel) like collecting the amiibos (or even just their favorite amiibo) would give them that "fullest experience", despite them not actually being an actual requirement in general, I really do feel sorry for those that can't truly get that right now... up until they decide to go the Amiiqo route, in which I re-track my initial sorry to those particular people because their overall patience meter has turned illegal-scented red...

 

[sonicneedslovetoo]

I would feel bad about this, but wasn't there supposed to be a card variation of amiibo out by now so Nintendo could in some way keep up with demand?
Also I want to ask how they are losing sales to this if people can't actually get their hands on the amiibo they want in the first place? Does Nintendo have a deal with scalpers or something?

 

[Something Amyss]

I don't see how they can do much about the device itself either. Assuming the company isn't peddling the Amiibo codes off their own site, which would be Nintendo's IP.

What about the bit where they each come loaded with 10 Amiibo codes?

 

[RaikuFA]

I would feel bad about this, but wasn't there supposed to be a card variation of amiibo out by now so Nintendo could in some way keep up with demand?
Also I want to ask how they are losing sales to this if people can't actually get their hands on the amiibo they want in the first place? Does Nintendo have a deal with scalpers or something?

They are but for the new Animal Crossing game for 3DS. And it's just furniture.

 

[kasperbbs]

I find this quite funny. And i don't feel sorry for Nintendo at all. These amiibos are basically on disc DLC that most people hate, but it's somehow ok since it's Nintendo? Well it's actually worse since some of these things are in short supply, perhaps even on purpose.

 

[Truth Cake]

Yes, Nintendo should have done a better job predicting, and keeping up with, the demand for their figurines.

But can we not pretend that this is a cause-and-effect relationship? There have been plenty of piracy-enabling devices that have nothing to do with the unavailability of the products they emulate. Yeah it may be easier to sympathize with that guy in a foreign country who pays twice as much or can't get the product he wants past the censors, but what's your cousin who lives down the street from two GameStops, a Target and a Walmart's excuse for that cracked hard drive attached to his console?

Nintendo should absolutely work on facilitating supply, but they have enough problems without someone stomping on the one fairly reliable profit pipeline they have right now; I'm not going to make excuses for or cheer on anyone who's participating. The Amiibos are never, ever a requirement for the games they interact with.

Jeez, finally someone who isn't just saying 'fuck Nintendo they deserve it'. Thank you for that.

Just because Nintendo isn't creating enough legitimate supply is NO excuse for piracy. If you can't get that Amiibo you want because the only way to get one is through a scumbag scalper... oh well, no Amiibo for you then. God forbid your life goes on without it, chances are that within a week it'll just be collecting dust once you moved on to some other game anyways.

One is not entitled to have something just because they want it. Nintendo fucked up basic economics, yes, but they don't OWE you an Amiibo because you want one, and it's not mandatory that you have one for the games you already have to work... unless you consider extra costumes and what have you mandatory, in which case you have a seriously distorted view of constitutes a "want" versus a "need". If you can't get an Amiibo, you don't get an Amiibo. That's not an excuse to do the equivalent of pirating them.