Nintendo Apologizes for Amiibo Shortages, Promises Better Communcication

Nintendo on Monday released a new statement regarding its Amiibo line of plastic toys, apologizing for shortages and promising better communication with fans regarding supply.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm that our fans continue to show toward Amiibo," Nintendo started off. "Sales for the product have exceeded our expectations. We understand how frustrating it can be at times if consumers are unable to find certain figures, and we apologize for that."

North American Amiibo supply has been impacted, in part, by the west coast labor disputes, which led to shipment delays. Nintendo can't exactly be blamed for that.

But the company did acknowledge that its communication with fans regarding Amiibo supply hasn't always been the best, and it hopes to improve this going forward.

"Nintendo plans to make it easier for consumers to know when new Amiibo are on the way, through Nintendo press announcements, timely updates on our social media channels, and working closely with retailers," the company said.

Overall, Nintendo said it is hoping to increase the total number of Amiibo units it can manufacture and ship to retail in order to meet demands. But the company acknowledged that fans might still see Amiibo supply shortages from time to time for select characters.

"We may continue to see consumer demand outpace supply levels for certain characters at times, but we will do our best to prevent that from happening," Nintendo said. "As our library of amiibo continues to grow, some figures will be easier to find than others. We are constantly looking for the opportunity to reissue amiibo and are already making plans to bring back some currently out-of-stock Amiibo figures. Stay tuned for details."

This isn't the first time Nintendo has spoken out regarding Amiibo demand. Just last month, the company said that Amiibo demand had "smashed" Nintendo's expectations.

For more on the Amiibo supply situation, read GameSpot editor Alexa Ray Corriea's opinion piece: "The Amiibo Frenzy Is Getting Ridiculous."

Amiibo, along with Skylanders and Disney Infinity, will face a new toys-to-life competitor this year in the form of LEGO Dimensions from Warner Bros. That game launches this fall, featuring toys based on juggernaut franchises like Lord of the Rings, Batman, Wizard of Oz, and others.