Way before Nintendo Switch was introduced, there was so much anticipation already from the community. Every fan just wanted to get hold of it and see what sort of features it offered. Well, it is here, and so far, it is among the most popular platforms in the industry.

However, as reported by Kotaku, Nintendo Switch is causing so much trouble in Japan right now. It is not in a very bad way. Believe it or not, it means good. Here is everything about it in a nutshell.

The joy con's popularity in Japan

In the Land of the Rising Sun, the lines for the titular joy-con have been outrageous.

Surely, the way the retailers decide on who acquires the said console is not doing anything good. It is the opposite. It is only causing woes for one of the country’s famous electronic chains. Major chains such as Bic Camera, Toys “R” Us, and Yodobashi Camera, among others, are introducing raffles to make the distribution “fair.” Therefore, only the lucky ones can get hold of the pricey joy-con from Nintendo. Is this a bad thing? Looks like it.

Customers wait in line, as they seek solidarity in acquiring Nintendo Switch. They are given wristbands with numbers on them. However, they can only purchase the console if and only if their numbers are chosen. This is not exactly the type of consumerism one is familiar of.

In typical markets, one would have to line up simply to wait and buy a product. If they are given numbers, they are meant for queuing – not for raffle. This kind of gig right now is no longer a staple in Japan, so to speak.

Introducing the raffle type sales

The raffle type sales are not new, and Nintendo Switch is not necessarily its first product.

It has been around for as long as Japanese consumers can remember. This kind of approach is applied to products that are hard-to-get, designed to, believe it or not, discouraged resellers and customers. While the intention can be slightly understood, hardware enthusiast still barely accept it. Well, they do not have much of choice especially in Japan.

The publication iterated that a fan by the name of Jinsan eagerly waited with his friend. They already had their numbers, but they noticed that wristband number “180” was left out. He and his friend received “179” and “181.” It turned out that Big C’s Mito Station branch selected number “180.” Jisan went to Twitter to share his experience, earning the concerns of other consumers. Later on, the company issued an apology and that they were “truly sorry” for the inconvenience. Whether or not this is a bad thing (though most believe it is), it is still giving Nintendo Switch the publicity it needs.
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