This is a strange one. Today we found out that Nintendo would be releasing a Skyward Sword Gold Bundle, featuring a gold Wii Motion Plus remote and a Zelda soundtrack. You’d think confirming this same package will be available in Australia would be as simple as calling up and double checking, but it isn’t.
During a phone call to Nintendo today, I asked whether or not Skyward Sword’s Gold Bundle would be coming to Australia – the response? All Nintendo can confirm at this specific time is that the game itself will arrive in Australia before 2012. Absolutely nothing to report on the Gold Bundle.
Just to clear things up – this does not mean that the Gold Bundle will not be released in Australia — in fact, I’d put every cent I own on the Gold Bundle being announced for Australia within the month — all it means is that Nintendo Australia don’t want to talk about it right now, so they are refusing to engage in any conversation about it.
And still no release date for the game either.
It’s bizarre – local Australian gamers are clamouring for a release date, and they’re clamouring for confirmation of this Gold Bundle. Withholding this information for whatever reason only encourages savvy consumers to import.
We can only hope that Nintendo Australia has learned the lessons from the Ocarina of Time 3D debacle, in which a local delay allowed GameTraders to grey import Ocarina of Time in bulk, completely subverting any local street date imposed by Nintendo locally, making for the most confusing street break in history.
Hopefully we won’t see any delay of Skyward Sword locally. It’s difficult for consumers and it’s difficult for retail.
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