Supply and demand remains a cornerstone of the global economy. While individual countries employ diverse forms of commercial oversight, a foundational similarity transcends all theories: the availability of popular games directly correlates to secondary market prices. Nintendo’s recent announcement of Super Mario 3D All Stars included the misleading caveat of a limited-time production. Should fans worry? Let’s dive in.

Reading the Fine Print

It is no secret that the video game category of Ebay is a favorite among scalpers. From rare, classic titles to limited edition releases, scalpers thrive on the exploitation of insufficient supply. With the recent unveiling of Super Mario 3D All Stars, Nintendo seemingly promoted the disparaging practice of secondary-market price gouging.

“The packaged version software is a limited-time only production, and the digital version will be a limited-time only release until the end of March 2021.”

-Nintendo

By revealing that the highly anticipated collection is only available until March 2021, scalpers assumed Nintendo also limited production. As a result, Ebay is overflowing with over-priced listings of Super Mario 3D All Stars.

Ebay currently has over 350 pre-order listings for Super Mario 3D All Stars, and nearly every listing exceeds the retail price of $59.99. While most buy-it-now options fall in the $75 to $150 range, the most outlandish listings exceed $1,000 USD.

The irony is that nearly every single online retailer is currently accepting pre-orders for physical and digital versions of the game. Amazon, Walmart, and GameStop each have active listings for physical copies of the game. Walmart is even offering an exclusive bonus set of stickers for pre-orders. Before exploring the over-priced secondary market, fans should flock to the current listings of online retailers.

Conclusion

But we want to know what you think. Are you planning to pre-order Super Mario 3D All Stars? Do you think Nintendo will limit the number of physical copies? Let us know in the comments below or the social media links on the right. Also, be sure to check out our other news items on Pokemon, Modern Warfare, Capcom, Blizzard and more.

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