Nintendo recently announced that it will release Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light for the first time in North America, starting Dec. 4. However, there is a catch. It appears Fire Emblem will receive the same treatment as Super Mario 3D All-Stars and will only be available for a limited time.
The game will be removed from the Nintendo eShop on March 31, 2021, the same day Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be taken off the market. Giving such sought-after titles a limited release puts an unnecessary burden on gamers, which will only lead to more problems for Nintendo and its fans.
Limited releases are understandable for collector's editions or niche video game titles, but restricting sales of a highly anticipated game is absolutely ludicrous. Nintendo giving a limited release to Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light -- a game for which some fans have been waiting over 25 years -- is even more absurd. All it does is cause gamers to jump through unnecessary hoops while painting Nintendo in a negative light.
Giving a popular title a limited release might be a good way to kick start sales, but it can be financially devastating in the long run. If a game is only on the market for a limited time and fails to meet sales expectations, it could negatively impact the company's profits. Many people don't have a stable source of income due to COVID-19. Some people won't be able to afford Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light in the small time frame it will be made available.
It would be more profitable for Nintendo to give the game a normal release, so more people can purchase it at their leisure. This way more gamers can enjoy the title while Nintendo receives a steady flow of income, instead of a temporary financial boost.
Scalpers are already a big problem within the gaming community. It's common for someone to go out and buy as many copies of a scarce game as possible and resell them at ridiculous prices. While digital buyers don't have to worry about resellers, many physical gamers are concerned that scalpers will take advantage of Mario and Fire Emblem's limited releases. With both titles in such high demand, it wouldn’t be surprising if some people bought the games at an inflated price.
Nintendo could drastically reduce scalping if it just released the games normally. Artificial scarcity does nothing but encourages these malpractices.
Nintendo has a history of making bizarre business decisions, but giving two highly anticipated titles a limited release may be the strangest. It would be understandable if the games had a small audience, but both Fire Emblem and Mario have extremely loyal fan bases that will go through fire and flames to purchase new entries.
Restricting Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light is especially atrocious, since it will be the first time the game's been available in North America. Hopefully, Nintendo will see the error in its ways and at least extend the launch of both titles.