BREAKING NEWS! GAME's supply of Splatoon stolen in lorry heist!

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I just received the following eMail from GAME, informing me that their stock of Splatoon (mostly the CE with Inkling Squid Amiibo figure) has been swiped in a lorry heist!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGBsKRpWMAAqBb1.png:large

For those looking for a quick replacement order, you can still order this edition from Amazon.co.uk for £39.85:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Splatoon-amiibo-Squid-bundle-Nintendo/dp/B000VK5OL3G/ (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Splatoon-amiibo-Squid-bundle-Nintendo/dp/B00VK5OL3G/?tag=video-game-ce-21)

Customers who pre-ordered from ShopTo, Amazon, or directly from Nintendo seem to be unaffected. Those who pre-ordered from GAME and who do not wish to be sent a standard copy of the game instead, should cancel their orders straight away!


More details about the heist can be found on these news sites and blogs:

Destructoid - http://www.destructoid.com/large-shipment-of-uk-copies-of-splatoon-stolen-game-heavily-affected-292861.phtml

EuroGamer - http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-27-splatoon-stock-swiped-in-nintendo-lorry-heist

GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lorry-transporting-splatoon-shipment-has-been-stol/1100-6427620/

MCV - http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/lorry-transporting-splatoon-stock-has-been-stolen/0150087

MyNintendoNews - http://mynintendonews.com/2015/05/27/game-truck-carrying-special-edition-splatoon-has-been-stolen/

Videogamer.com - http://www.videogamer.com/wiiu/splatoon/news/lorry_load_of_splatoon_special_editions_stolen.htm l


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91gzl5gXVaL._SL1500_.jpg

[PulpSuicide]

Expect to see Splatoon Limited Editions appearing on eBay tonight.....

lol

[Cosmic_Link]

So they're just going ahead and sending discounted standard copies out to customers!? That's not good enough!! >.< Fortunately I have no interest in this game or CE, so am unaffected, but still a discounted standard copy is no substitute for the CE. If people wanted the standard copy, they would have ordered it instead of the CE. I understand that this is a very exceptional circumstance, but I don't think they have the right to be telling customers what they "will be happy with"... -_-

Let me put it this way, when I have ordered from Nintendo UK Store, if for whatever reason my game does not arrive with me on release day, due to no fault of my own, Nintendo have "compensated me for the inconvenience" with a digital copy of said title. Due to this being an issue completely being out of the customer's hand, why are GAME UK not doing more with Nintendo to make sure that fans aren't disappointed!? It seems to me that the only real loser here is the customer.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

It seems a little... unusual, to say the least. Most lorries are tracked via GPS these days. GAME also blatantly used the word "stolen" and not just missing / AWOL, so they know that it was deliberately taken. The question remains, why? Of all the things to steal, surely as soon as someone tries to offload more than a handful of these Splatoon CE's, they'll be caught? Even if the CE's were busted down to their bare parts - the game and the Amiibo - that's still a lot of items that can be traced, especially as the games will not have barcodes ("Not To Be Sold Separately" copies are usually in these Nintendo bundles). Even if attempted to sell on eBay, any seller offering half a dozen or more will instantly flag up

I agree with Cosmic above - sending standard copies, even at a heavy discounted price, is not really an adequate solution. I understand that these are exceptional circumstances, but they should be working with Nintendo to secure another allocation, or assuring customers that there is still a chance that they may still recover their stock.

I wasn't going to wait around and hope that GAME recover their stolen property. I cancelled my order straight away and re-ordered from Amazon.co.uk, which in hindsight I probably should have done in the first place.

[Letrico]

It seems a little... unusual, to say the least. Most lorries are tracked via GPS these days. GAME also blatantly used the word "stolen" and not just missing / AWOL, so they know that it was deliberately taken. The question remains, why? Of all the things to steal, surely as soon as someone tries to offload more than a handful of these Splatoon CE's, they'll be caught? Even if the CE's were busted down to their bare parts - the game and the Amiibo - that's still a lot of items that can be traced, especially as the games will not have barcodes ("Not To Be Sold Separately" copies are usually in these Nintendo bundles). Even if attempted to sell on eBay, any seller offering half a dozen or more will instantly flag up

I agree with Cosmic above - sending standard copies, even at a heavy discounted price, is not really an adequate solution. I understand that these are exceptional circumstances, but they should be working with Nintendo to secure another allocation, or assuring customers that there is still a chance that they may still recover their stock.

I wasn't going to wait around and hope that GAME recover their stolen property. I cancelled my order straight away and re-ordered from Amazon.co.uk, which in hindsight I probably should have done in the first place.

You see... It is because of the rarity of Single Squid Inkling Amiibo. No doubt the price of the single squid will soar high as it is only released with the special edition in Europe and sold separately in Japan.

[KnightOfTruth]

You see... It is because of the rarity of Single Squid Inkling Amiibo. No doubt the price of the single squid will soar high as it is only released with the special edition in Europe and sold separately in Japan.

It's also sold in the 3-pack here in NA :P

[Letrico]

It's also sold in the 3-pack here in NA :P

Yea but no single :) and that is where the value lies. I think you can get between 80-100 for a single squid in package.

[MattTweeks]

I'm not affected by this, but I certainly wouldn't be happy nor impressed by them sending a discounted version or not without first receiving a confirmation back.

If you buy a CE, you want that CE, and try your best to get it elsewhere.

Don't just assume GAME

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I agree. A lot of sites are already citing the Splatoon + Inkling Squid Amiibo figure as "rare" before it's even released, so I can definitely see a resale market there for the Amiibo by itself.



I think it was part of a larger shipment of Nintendo games destined for GAME's distribution centre warehouse from Nintendo, or which this game made up the bulk of the delivery due to being a new release this week. The truck most likely contained other more high value goods like 3DS's or Wii-U consoles, plus cases of other 3D and Wii-U games or Amiibo figures which are more in demand.

There's also no telling where this truck was stolen. I assume that Nintendo's HQ is in Germany, and that it was on-route from a factory in Germany to GAME's distribution centre here in the UK. Even if the Splatoon + Amiibo CE's were ditched, the thieves could still have themselves a nice haul of untraceable games and possibly consoles to sell on eBay, or unseal and trade in at shops for other items such as Xbox or PlayStation consoles, which in turn can be sold on. Somewhere down the line these stolen Nintendo games will be laundered

[Gemini-Phoenix]

It appears that Amazon.co.uk have run out of their allocation, although ShopTo.net still have some Splatoon CE's in stock:

http://www.shopto.net/video-games/wiiu/WIIUAM46-amiibo-splatoon-squid-bundle-inc-keyring

Their bundle deal with the Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl Amiibo figures appears to be sold out:

http://www.shopto.net/video-games/wiiu/WIIUAM54-amiibo-splatoon-squid-bundle-splatoon-boy-splatoon-girl

[StayFree( ' 3')]

soo, I just happen to have a few thousand of Splatoon CEs I need to sell...anyone interested?