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Oh Wow, Amazon Really Hates Nintendo Consoles

Kotaku - For almost two years now, Amazon has not been selling Nintendo's gaming hardware first hand. You can buy a 3DS or Wii U from the massive online retailer, but it will be sold through a third party. Amazon won't sell Nintendo hardware themselves. And neither Nintendo nor Amazon will say why.

guitarded774815d ago (Edited 4815d ago )

LoL... I would love to know what is going on between Amazon and Nintendo. I heard all kinds of crap like they're mad because Nintendo won't give them Wal-Mart's pricing, and/or Nintendo gives preference to retail outlets.

dedicatedtogamers4815d ago (Edited 4815d ago )

This article is pointless...

The reason why this stuff shows up the way it does is because of advertising. The ad for PS4 is also on Amazon's main page. Do you know why it's on the main page? Because Sony does something called "pays for advertising" and then a magical fairy takes the money and converts it into an online ad! Tah-dah! The mystery has been solved.

It would be completely normal for Sony to say "hey Amazon, I'm going to give you an extra $x and I would like you to please put this ad on competitor's pages", which is a very normal thing to do in advertisement. And then Amazon says "hey, Sony, Microsoft pays advertising already, so I'm sorry, we can't put it on their page". Then Sony says "hmmm, what about Nintendo?" Then Amazon replies "oh, look here! Apparently Nintendo does not seem to advertise with us. It's a blank area. I suppose we would happily let you advertise on Nintendo's page since they don't want to advertise at all on our website".

Sony (and Microsoft) partner with Amazon, because if you look at the console listings, there are Amazon-exclusive PS3 bundles and 360 bundles. These bundles are possible because Sony and Microsoft made an arrangement with Amazon. If no such bundles exist for Nintendo, it's not because Amazon is an anti-Nintendo meanie-head. It's because Nintendo didn't want to make a deal with Amazon. It's that simple. It doesn't surprise me they're behind the ball with an online retailer. Nintendo is always a decade behind when it comes to online anything.

Elwenil4815d ago

Hmmm, when I go to Amazon there is an ad for a Kindle on the main page. You do realize that Amazon puts up ads and products based on your search history, don't you? Clear your cookie and you will probably get something completely different.

I'm not saying that various companies don't pay for advertising or special treatment from retailers as it's obvious that they do. All the same I don't think that explains Amazon's avoidance of selling Nintendo products. I also agree that the article is pointless as there are several of these "oddities" going on in the retail world and most of them we will never know the real reasons behind it.

Stroke6664815d ago

the thing is no other online retailer is doing this. its hard to believe sony would pay for amazon to do it but not cover their ground by doing it on some, if not all, other online retailers. just sounds fishy to me but oh well i got my wii u I'm good and nintendo will be fine

dedicatedtogamers4815d ago

@ Stroke666

Amazon is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, online distributors of videogames and videogame systems. It would make sense that Sony would pour their advertising dollars into Amazon while not giving as much to other lesser-known websites.

ZombieNinjaPanda4815d ago

Hijacking this comment. If you don't want to see Kotaku any longer report all kotaku articles you see as lame. Make sure to rate them as WTF and NO.

BISHOP-BRASIL4815d ago

I always tought it would be something the other way around. Amazon shows competitor products in every product page, be it on ads, what other people viewing this also viewed, what other people viewing this bought, etc... Maybe Nintendo have some kind of contract to not allow any retailer to have a competitor mention in their booth/page, which conflicts with Amazon settings (since even when you are an advertiser, like MS and Sony, a competitor may show up in "people who viewed this page bought that", I had seen this on games and accessories from both Sony and MS, sometimes showing stuff from Wii too), so they don't sell it to avoid legal problems.

Of course I'm just guessing in the dark here... But hey, at least I'm not claiming to be a "gaming journalist".

zeee4815d ago

Kotaku is so pathetic! So very damn pathetic!

Ritsujun4815d ago Show
+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4815d ago
Seraphim4815d ago

I'd imagine it has something to do with pricing or supply. Oddly enough though there's are PAGES of Nintendo DS's "Fulfilled by Amazon" and you know what that means? They're probably making more off these listings than they would be offering Nintendo products directly. Either way who frekn cares. Amazon customers can still their Nintendo products and Prime customers can still get our free 2 day shipping.... pointless article.

Gamer19824814d ago (Edited 4814d ago )

Me so they probably have a deal with Sony to link to their products in this way its not about hate.. If not then they obviously want money. They make next to nothing off 3rd partys selling nintendo consoles on amazon. But if they sell a Sony product they make a LOT more.

syanara4814d ago

arent the advertisements placed by a computer that dictates what is shown based on how many people are viewing certain pages, if Playstation consoles are getting the most views right now (which makes sense considering the recent PS4 announcements) then they wold probably come up all over the place versus Wii U which has not made any big announcements lately and still has a fuzzy marketing campaign

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4814d ago
SpiralTear4815d ago

It does seem extremely suspicious that Amazon recommends other consoles on Nintendo hardware pages, but not vice versa.

However, very interesting that this article didn't tell us why this is happening. Also, Kotaku has a knack for stupid and misleading headlines as always.

Knushwood Butt4815d ago

Well, Kotaku sucks, but Amazon Japan sell Nintendo hardware directly:

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E4...

GreenRanger4815d ago

Maybe Nintendo hates Amazon?!

LOL_WUT4815d ago

It could also be the other way around or maybe its due to the fact that it's not selling well. ;)

PygmelionHunter4815d ago

Tell us LOL_WUT. What is it that is not selling well? Oh, you mean the Wii U? That's pretty funny since Amazon has been flipping the bird at Nintendo's face since the last decade.

TRY AGAIN ;)

Theyellowflash304815d ago

This is about the 3DS though, which is selling well. So your assessment is off.

PopRocks3594815d ago

The 3DS, which this article is actually about, is a best selling platform.

*face/palm*

miDnIghtEr20C_SfF4815d ago

Says sold by Amazon on their very own picture they use.

Fail.

OC_MurphysLaw4815d ago

As I recall there was a big falling out between Amazon and Nintendo over returns on the 3DS if my memory serves me right. The original version had an issue with wiring between the clam-shell. Again if my memory serves me right reports were Nintendo stopped accepting returns on it but Amazon was still obligated to take them back via their own policy. Amazon couldn't get Nintendo to honor the returns so they started shipping them back to Nintendo under a different warranty claim. Or something along those lines. In a nut shell, their relationship became very volatile and I have no doubts Amazon and Nintendo are both a bit leery of the other.

delboy4815d ago

You're right, and your memory serves you well.

Show all comments (64)
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U.S. patent examiner rejects Nintendo’s summoning characters patent as obvious: non-final ruling

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Relientk7768d ago (Edited 68d ago )

Good, as they should! A game mechanic like that shouldn't be locked behind a patent, and Nintendo didn't invent it either.

PRIMORDUS67d ago (Edited 67d ago )

Nintendo wants to keep wasting money on bullshit lawsuits, real smart in this economy. They should put that money aside for other game projects. On the other hand, I don't care if they waste it all either, and they are screwed in the future maybe that will teach them a lesson.

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Nintendo Suing U.S. Government Over Tariffs

Nintendo filed a lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade.

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Deathdeliverer93d ago

Well dayum lol. Old agent orange pissing off every industry and nation.

0hMyGandhi92d ago

The fact that you have ANY disagrees will forever baffle me. And to the (apparent) MAGA contingent that exists on this website, enjoy your 8-9 dollar gas.

AuraAbjure91d ago (Edited 91d ago )

Yes, they had better be pissed after Trump told them the way they rip off the USA is over.

EveryPlatformGamer93d ago

LOL I read this on gaff, will they refund the money back to the gamers? highly unlikely. Didn't they just raise prices and pass it onto the gamers? Only Nintendo would send out the Ninjas to the US government.

-Foxtrot92d ago

That’s what I was thinking, imagine them winning hypothetically, getting a s**t load of money back which they would have lost if they hadn’t raised their prices and it’s business as normal.

It would just mean people paid more for no reason since they got the money back anyway.

Outside_ofthe_Box92d ago (Edited 92d ago )

A lot of companies partially passed the cost to consumers instead of all of it. They would still have to at least pay that back to gamers, but we know that won't happen. What's also sad is that prices won't come back down after the initial hike caused by tariffs.

People didn't understand the full repercussions of tariffs. That alone should have cost him the presidency if people knew it was a permanent price hike for consumers

Inverno92d ago

The people should sue these companies for having to over pay cause of these tariffs.

Eonjay92d ago

Naw they should sue the government for forcing the tax to begin with. No one reasonably expects these companies to absorb the taxes. Many smaller companies tried and were shut down or faced to increase prices to try to maintain their business. The tariffs effect everyone.

Inverno91d ago

I meant it mostly as a joke cause we all know the costs of these tariffs were passed onto the consumer. But it's seems no matter how vocal we are here in the states our "representatives" don't seem to care enough to represent us. And things are about to get worse.

Killer2020UK91d ago

The companies were doing what the law required then to do, the tariffs however were illegally implemented. Usually it's criminals we punish, you seem to have different ideas 🤷‍♂️

Show all comments (18)