WE GOT A NINTENDO SWITCH 2 PRE-ORDER No Thanks To Target!
154The time was finally here; it was time to get rolling with Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Orders. We had shared some tips and tricks along the way to help you be as successful as possible. With 20 minutes to go prior to launch, I sat down at the keyboard in the studio, rolled up my sleeves. With some grit and determination, I'm happy to say we got a Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-Order, and it was no thanks to Target or Best Buy. Let's take a look at our evening.
One thing of note was the fact that, while the advertised time was Midnight, that was Midnight EASTERN TIME ZONE! That meant that, for me in the Central Time Zone, I had to be ready to rock and roll at 11PM.
I went to the studio to get things prepped about 30 minutes early. I brought down my iPad and Samsung Galaxy S7, and of course, I had my laptop and several monitors set up. My initial thought was that I was going to focus on Best Buy first, as they were offering a bonus for those who spent a certain amount of money if they were Best Buy members. Later, I realized that systems weren't eligible.
After Best Buy, I also had Target's Website and app up, and finally, I had Walmart's site. I was hoping that the 5% Target Red Card discount would apply to the system to save about $25. With Walmart, my thought was that was the backup plan. I had heard horror stories about Walmart cancelling item pre-orders, so that had me concerned.
I also had a Facebook chat open and was talking to some of my friends, also trying to get their pre-orders in. @JohnRiggs @BittyKongsQuest @GameDadShow @SquarePegs and others were in our group, each looking out for the other to make sure we all got one.
About 4 minutes before the top of the hour, I saw a CAPTCHA window open up for Walmart. I had to click and hold an image to get to the next screen, which got me to where I could select the system I wanted and get "In Line" in Walmart's Virtual Queue.
Then the top of the hour hit and things started going weird. Target's website crashed at 11/Midnight immediately. Like, as soon as I hit refresh, it was down. The same thing happened on the app. Best Buy was still up, but the button still said "Coming Soon". I was able to get things to move forward on Target but they were erroring our left and right. Then I checked my Walmart window again, and I saw it.
On the Walmart site, I was able to select the combo with Super Mario Kart World, hit add to cart or pre-order (I don't recall which it said to be honest), and proceeded to place my order. I went forward and checked out, hit the final button and boom, it went through! I didn't bother with accessories at the time, as the main thing I wanted was just the system and Mario Kart World. I knew I'd get a Pro Controller 2 at some point, but I just wanted the system.
Best Buy and Target failed completely, but at least at this point my Walmart Preorder is still valid. I may still go to my local Gamestop to see about putting some money down just to hedge my bets, but I'm thinking I'm ok with what I have.
Did you manage to preorder one? Were you locked out? Share your experiences in the comments!
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