If Discontinued, Amiibo Cards Will Preserve Functionality
There’s been a lot of news and social media buzz lately about an amiibo shortage. Between scalpers snapping them up before they can even reach stores and selling them for ridiculous prices online, to stores just plain running out of them and not getting more stock, many fans are worried that they won’t be able to get their hands on their favorite Amiibo, particularly if the figurine is one of the “uncommon” Amiibos, such as Villager. Some stores not getting more Amiibos in stock has lead to talk of certain figurines being discontinued by Nintendo. Although this has been proven mostly false by said figurines reappearing in stores, Nintendo has done nothing to dispel the rumors that some may be discontinued at a later date.
Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately, depending on your view), Miyamoto has reassured us that while the figurines may not always be around, Nintendo will produce discontinued figurines as Amiibo cards. In an interview with ABC News, Miyamoto stated that the cards will have the same function with Amiibo-compatible games as the Amiibos themselves:
"We’re not making promises for certain figures, but the way “amiibo” is designed is that certain games can have “amiibo” specifically for that game. Other games can take advantage of past “amiibo” that developers want to make their game compatible with. In the future, we have the option, if certain “amiibo” figures are no longer available in stores, to release an “amiibo” in card form with the same functionality."
So, while this is bad news for those who wanted to collect specific figures and haven’t had their chance yet, at least you’ll be able to use Amiibos as intended in their games for as long as Nintendo produces either figurines or cards.
Have you managed to snag one of the rarer Amiibos? Comment below and let us know! For more gaming news and reviews, follow us on twitter @GameSidedDotCom. To get the latest in gaming wherever you go, download the official Fansided App on the App Store or Google Play Market today!