Nintendo creates artificial shortages of digital games now

No one's happy about the new Super Mario 3D All-Stars remaster collection for one big reason: It'll be discontinued after six months. Even the digital version.

Today Nintendo announced Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a new multi-game collection that packs remastered versions of Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. There's just one big problem: You have from September to March 2021 to buy the collection. After then both the retail and digital versions will be pulled from the market.

"Super Mario 3D All-Stars will be available as a limited-run retail edition and a digital edition that is available for a limited time until the end of March 2021," Nintendo's website reads.

Nintendo has a history of creating and benefiting from artificial shortages of its products. This is another case of that age-old Nintendo weirdness, but on a whole new level.

Back in the late 1980s the NES was tremendously difficult to get ahold of. That trend resurfaced with the NES Classic Edition re-release, which Nintendo held back supply of to create massive demand (Nintendo later released more units to help quell demand before discontinuing the system).

Now it's applying this ancient sales tactic to digital games which makes no sense on a consumer level. Digital games don't have supply. There's only one reason to create a small sales window like this: Pressure consumers into buying the game during a certain period.

It's no coincidence that 3D All-Stars gets taken off the market on March 31, 2021, right when Nintendo's current Fiscal Year 2021 ends. This is by design. In another article, we'll explore the rationale behind this, but ultimately it comes down to COVID-19 uncertainties. And of course it's Nintendo being NIntendo.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars goes on sale on September 18, 2020 for a whopping $59.99. Super Mario Sunshine 2 isn't included, and is expected to be sold separately after the collection is taken off the market. The game will be discontinued on March 31, 2021.