Though Nintendo recently cracked down on piracy by banning anyone found using the MIG Switch cartridge on their new Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, they weren’t so fortunate in preventing old-fashioned in-person piracy. In a recent development, a truck transporting around $1.4 million dollars in Switch 2 consoles to a Gamestop was recently burglarized of their shipment. While stopped in Bennett, Colorado, the drive noticed that the semi had been broken into during a pre-travel inspection.
It is currently unknown at what point during the truck’s journey from Washington to Texas that the theft occurred, but the driver reported noticing the theft while stopping off at a Love’s Truck Stop and indicated that they were unaware what they were hauling other than some toys or games. The investigation into this grand theft of gaming devices is ongoing, and with nearly 3,000 Switch 2 consoles now out on the street and likely being sold at a rapid rate, Nintendo will not be able to include the units in their total sold numbers as they were never delivered to their destination or sold through the proper retailer.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 selling 3.5 million units globally in just the first four days of release, 1.1 million of those being sold in the United States in its first week on the market, the 3,000 missing consoles won’t destroy Nintendo’s bottom line, but it does raise concerns for future shipments of such highly sought after merchandise. With the price of games and consoles reaching a new peak, there is a very real consideration that must now be understood by the industry that theft and piracy will both see an uptick as with all things during a prolonged period of inflation.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is selling twice as quickly as the previous Switch console and is expected to surpass all sales records that the first iteration set. Nintendo expects the Switch 2 to sell over 16 million units before the year ends, so long as there are no more unexpected acts of thievery in regard to their supply. If anyone has any information regarding the theft, they are encouraged to call 720-874-8477 and share what they know. Maybe if you know something and are lucky, Nintendo might through a free Switch 2 your way. One can dream. I hope for Nintendo and Gamestop’s sake that the consoles are found and returned expeditiously, but I have a feeling they are long gone and already being enjoyed by a bunch of unaware kids and their unscrupulous parents.
How do you feel about the theft? Do you think the rising costs associated with gaming were a contributing factor? Do you have any information that might bring the perpetrators to justice? Let us know what you think over on the Discord… unless you know who’s responsible, then please call that number above!
