Latest news with #Smyths
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Irish gamers gear up for midweek midnight launch of Nintendo Switch 2
The most anticipated gaming event in years takes place in Ireland this week with special midnight launches for the hugely anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, with the Japanese gaming giant predicting 15m sales of the device worldwide and software sales of 45m. Nintendo's first version of the Switch is believed to be the most popular gaming unit in Ireland, and globally revived the fortunes of the Japanese gaming giant, which has sold more than 150m units since its 2017 launch. There will be a flashback to the heyday of late night queues for computer game releases as branches of Smyths stores will open at midnight on Thursday for pre-order collection and limited sales of the Switch 2. Indeed the Dublin Swords branch is holding a pre-opening party from 11pm on Wednesday, one of a select number in UK and Ireland, with other stores opening an hour later. Last month, Nintendo said it expects to sell 15m Switch 2 units and for operating profit to rise 13% to 320bn yen (€1.96bn) in the year ending March. Many analysts believe this sales figure could be significantly higher, with sales of 20m units and higher predicted. "Nintendo clearly wants to play it safe and chose what is a cautious but probably reasonable forecast," said Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy. The consoles have been on sale on pre-order for the past month, with the basic Switch 2 console pack starting at around €469, and the Mario Kart World pack costing €35 to €40 more. The Switch 2 will be 'backwards compatible' for most games, meaning original Switch games can be played on the new device. It has a larger screen than its predecessor and allows for online gaming and chat with other players. The Switch 2 launch will also test the Japanese company's ability to manage supply chains to minimise disruption from US president Donald Trump's trade war. Nintendo has opened stores and its characters feature in theme parks and film but it remains dependent on the console business. For the year ended March, operating profit fell 46.6% to 282.5bn yen (€1.73bn). Nintendo expects to sell 4.5m units of the original Switch this year and 105m software units for that system. Additional reporting by Reuters
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘You were among your people': Nintendo Switch 2 launch revives the midnight release
There was a time when certain shops would resemble nightclubs at about midnight: a long queue of excitable people, some of them perhaps too young to be out that late, discussing the excitement that awaits inside. The sight of throngs of gamers looking to get their hands on the latest hardware when the clock strikes 12 is growing increasingly rare. But if you happen to walk by a Smyths toy shop at midnight on 4 June, you may encounter a blast from the past: excitable people, most in their teens or 20s, possibly discussing Mario Kart. They will be waiting to buy the Nintendo Switch 2, the first major games console launch since 2020 and potentially the biggest of all time. What's particularly notable about this launch isn't the queues but just how few there will be. About 10 years ago, the midnight launch fad started to fade away. More and more players were buying digital copies of games, which meant they could download and start playing them straight away without leaving their homes. It means that this time around, Smyths is the only UK chain taking part. Even in the States, the home of frenzied launch-day consumerism, only Best Buy and Nintendo's own stores in San Francisco and New York have confirmed midnight openings. This is a stark contrast to the noughties and early 2010s. Back then, thanks to the vast global success of the PlayStation, Wii and Xbox consoles, video game launch events for titles such as Call of Duty, Halo and Grand Theft Auto were supported by thousands of stores around the world, and the biggest were extravagantly stage-managed. Microsoft's Halo 3 launch events in the US were accompanied by dozens of actors dressed as space marines; Bill Gates himself showed up at the Seattle branch of Best Buy. In the UK, the Call of Duty Ghosts event at the Westfield in Stratford hired a drill sergeant to yell at customers. 'My favourite was Skyrim,' says Greg Weller, who was then the UK marketing manager for Bethesda Softworks. 'We got the specs of Game's flagship store on Oxford Street and covered the whole front with Elder Scrolls artwork. We put a snow machine on the roof, so we made it snow in November on Oxford Street. We had press there, we had a cosplay competition, there was a humongous queue, and so many people were dressed up – they wanted to be part of the story, part of the community.' Console launches were a major phenomenon on a par with any movie premiere. For the launch of the Xbox One in 2013, Microsoft took over Leicester Square, building a vast Xbox-branded globe in the centre where the musicians Plan B and Katy B performed. A fortnight earlier, Sony took over the Standard High Line hotel in New York and turned it into a giant video game arcade with developers showing off their wares to thousands of gamers. For the stores and game publishers, these lavish launch events increased footfall and generated word of mouth and press coverage. For the fans, they were a way to feel part of something. 'Growing up as a gamer in the 90s, we were quite ostracised for the hobby,' says Rich Thompson, now a developer and founder of Black Rose Studio in Hull. 'But then having shops opening at midnight, it was mind-blowing. When Fallout 4 came out, our local Game store hired a DJ; it was a party atmosphere, there were hundreds of us there. I vividly remember people swapping contact details in the queue – you were among your people.' It wasn't all fun and games, however. Midnight launches sometimes descended into chaos. 'The problem was, you'd have one shop open in a city centre that's full of people coming out of the pub,' says Thompson. 'Drunk people would come into these launches, cause a scene and refuse to leave. I remember a huge fight breaking out at one Fifa launch night. Getting thrown out of a midnight game launch became a badge of honour.' Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gaming after newsletter promotion In 2006, a man was shot by masked thieves while queueing to pick up his new PlayStation 3 at an event at a Walmart in Putnam, Connecticut. (He later told a local newspaper that, though seriously injured, he still staggered into the store to pick up his console.) In London, the Metropolitan police were so concerned about violence that they banned PlayStation 3 midnight launch events at all shops throughout the city apart from the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street. The transition to digital media, stiff competition from online firms such as Amazon and the disaster of the Covid lockdowns meant specialist high street chains began to close. Game once had more than 600 shops in the UK; now it has about 240. According to data from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association, UK physical game sales dropped by 35% last year. Will the Nintendo Switch 2 launch turn things around? As we've seen with the vinyl revival and the unexpected incline of Blu-ray sales (due in part to consumer frustration with ad-riddled streaming sites), physical media is gaining popularity once more. There does seem to be a growing revival of interest in physical games. Boutique publishers such as Strictly Limited and Limited Run are producing beautifully packaged editions of modern and classic titles, while game cafes and retro arcades are on the rise. And, after all, the experiential nature of the launch event, the buzz, the social pleasures, is not something that can be replicated by an online purchase. 'I got my dad to drive me to a store at midnight for the Xbox launch,' recalls Thompson. 'He'd just finished a 12-hour shift. He thought it was just going to be us, but there was a huge queue. The staff were handing out drinks, Limp Bizkit were playing on a stereo system – for 13-year-old me it was just the coolest thing I could imagine. I looked up at my dad and he wasn't a gamer but he was excited too – there was an energy. All these people just turning up at midnight for a party in a shop.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Customers furious after Game cancels Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders
UK high street chain Game has apologised after it cancelled some pre-orders of the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. Gamers have waited years for the Switch 2 - the successor to one of the best-selling consoles in history - with the new model being finally released to the public on 5 June. But some of those who pre-ordered the Switch 2 through Game will now not be able to get their hands on it on its release date. "We understand how disappointing this is, especially for those who have been eagerly awaiting their order," Game wrote in a post on social media. There has been a furious reaction from those affected, with one customer calling the situation "outrageous." Game did not give any reason why the pre-orders were cancelled. The BBC has approached it for comment. In its social media post it says it is "currently working hard to reinstate as many affected pre-orders as possible." I played the £75 Mario Kart World on Switch 2 - was it worth it? The Switch 2 has already attracted some controversy from fans who questioned the price of some of its games - with a boxed edition of Mario Kart World coming in at £74.99. But this price appears not to have impacted the initial sales of the hardware, with most retailers now unable to take on new pre-orders so close to its launch. Gamers who no longer have a pre-order may consider turning to the return of the midnight launch, which used to be part-and-parcel of game releases but has become far less common in recent years. At least one retailer has held back some stock in the hope of getting people through its doors - with Smyths promising a "limited" number of consoles will be available in-store when doors open on launch day. Fans scrambling to get their hands on new consoles has been a part of Nintendo's history, for example with the Wii in 2006. The original Switch ended up becoming the fastest-selling console in history in the US when in launched in 2017. This is not just limited to Nintendo - its rival Sony's PlayStation 5 proved to be such a hot ticket item that people joined virtual queues with thousands of others just to have the chance to buy one in 2020. This trend continued throughout the first three years of the console's life, with the supply chain issues that partly fuelled the demand only being resolved in 2023. Nintendo announces Switch 2 release date - and a new Mario Kart game Will £75 be the new normal for video games after Switch 2's Mario Kart? Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Second UK retailer to hold limited Nintendo Switch 2 midnight launch
A second UK retailer has revealed it's holding a Nintendo Switch 2 midnight launch, as well as Smyths. We're officially only one week away from the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, with retailers stocking up on the console in preparation for all the pre-orders. Although midnight launches aren't much of a thing anymore, earlier this week Smyths announced it has events planned across all its stores. Stock will be limited but it does mean you can claim a Switch 2 first thing in the morning on June 5. As it turns out, at least one other UK retailer is also holding a midnight launch, albeit at only one location. Currys – who have been one of the go-to places for Switch 2 pre-orders, when it has the stock – has announced it will have a launch event for Nintendo's new console. However, it is limited to the Currys store in Oxford Street, London and only for customers who have already pre-ordered a Switch 2 with them. So, don't rock up expecting to buy a console at the counter. This would also explain why we can't find any mention of the event on the Currys website. At the very least, this is an option for those who can't bear to wait for their pre-order to arrive and want the Switch 2 set up ASAP. It may be worth checking in your local Currys to ask if they'll be holding their own midnight launch, since one Redditor on the Nintendo Switch 2 subreddit claims the store in Edinburgh is holding one too. As it stands, Smyths and Currys seem to be the only UK retailers holding midnight launches for the Switch 2, which just goes to show how much they've fallen out of fashion over the years. Despite the launch not being for another seven days, several people have managed to get their hands on the Switch 2 early, with one sharing an unboxing video yesterday. More Trending A Russian YouTuber also posted a nine minute video demonstrating the set-up process, as well as a look at all the Switch 2's menus. Unsurprisingly, it's been taken down from YouTube, but you can still find it on Reddit. The video confirms that the console won't work properly without a day one patch, with an attempt to connect to the Nintendo eShop demanding a system update that isn't available yet. While a mandatory internet connection is bound to be unpopular with some customers, this is clearly Nintendo's way of counteracting this exact situation. It's unclear if this applies to physical games, but it does at least prevent digital games from being played, which explains why no footage of Mario Kart World – which is included as a digital download in certain Switch 2 bundles – has leaked yet. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Direct set for around Switch 2 launch claims insider MORE: Mario Kart World was originally designed for Switch 1 reveals Nintendo MORE: Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date announced with Switch 2 upgrades
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo Switch 2 is getting an old school midnight launch at major UK toy store
If you're yet to secure a pre-order for the Nintendo Switch 2, you may want to consider attending the console's only public midnight launch. Midnight launch events used to be guaranteed whenever new video games, and especially new gaming consoles, arrived but the whole concept has slowly disappeared over time, along with the shops that used to host them. This is because people are buying fewer physical games than they used to, as well as the decline of local high street shopping in general – something the lockdown-inducing coronavirus pandemic only accelerated. As such, it seems like very few people will be camping outside their local gaming shops to be among the first to grab a Nintendo Switch 2 next week, although one retailer is keeping the dream alive with a country-wide midnight launch. The retailer in question is Smyths, which already offers online and in-store Switch 2 pre-orders. Unsurprisingly, it's sold out at the moment, but the idea is that there'll be more stock in for the countrywide midnight launch events. According to its own website, all Smyth stores in the UK will have a limited selection of Switch 2 stock to purchase from 12:01am until 12:30am on June 5. If you've already pre-ordered for Click & Collect or In-Store Collection, you can pick yours up during the midnight launch too, but you must have photo ID with you. Be sure to use Smyth's store tracker to check if there's one near where you live or at least within reasonable driving distance if you're interested in taking part. Smyths has also scheduled a separate launch event that'll run from 11:30pm on June 4 until 12:30am on June 5, where you can play a Mario Kart World demo and, if you're among the first 100 attendees, claim free Nintendo themed goodies. This is only happening at a small selection of stores, though, at the following locations: Belfast Glasgow Hull Romford Stockport At the time of writing, there's no mention of any other retailers offering similar events, at least in the UK. US retailers Best Buy and GameStop will open at midnight for people to buy a Switch 2, but that seems to be it. More Trending Aside from a couple of YouTubers who aim to be the first to step into the Nintendo Stores in the US once the Switch 2 launches, we've yet to see much evidence of anyone camping outside shops. At least not to the degree of past console launches. This reinforces the idea that nowadays most people prefer to sit at home and wait for a guaranteed pre-order. That said, pre-orders have been frequently selling out since they went live, with the console so popular that Japan has already run out, prompting an apology from Nintendo. Unless you're able to secure a pre-order within the next week, being first in line at Smyths may be your best shot at grabbing a Switch 2. Hopefully, things won't get too rowdy. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 already in shops ahead of incoming launch MORE: Nintendo Direct set for around Switch 2 launch claims insider MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 dev reveals new feature of console's mouse controls
