- If you’ve wondered why you can’t find a Switch 2 anywhere, this is part of the reason.
Japanese gaming giant Nintendo made its long-awaited Switch 2 console available to ravenous gamers in early June. The system has been a smash hit and stores can’t keep them on the shelves no matter how hard they try.
That’s partially because it seems they can’t even keep the consoles in the trucks that are supposed to transport them.
An unknown number of enterprising crooks recently pilfered an entire truckload of Switch 2 consoles. The hapless truck driver, moving the shipment across the country from Nintendo’s American headquarters, never even noticed that someone had swiped his haul until he stopped for a routine cargo inspection.
The criminals made away with quite a few gaming systems to boot. Emptying the truck, they illegally acquired nearly 3,000 consoles, with an estimated worth of close to $1.5 million.
You can’t help but wonder what the thieves used to move the thousands of gaming consoles. Did they have an 18-wheeler of their own sitting in wait?
Relieving a Shortage
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor system to the company’s wildly popular Switch (or should we call it Switch 1 now?). It seems that, at least initially, the Switch 2 will be just as big of a hit, considering stores everywhere are constantly running out of stock.
To relieve the console shortage, Nintendo’s American headquarters in Redmond, Washington, is constantly pumping out new shipments. And that’s how we get to our pilfered batch of Super Mario machines.
The consoles were loaded into the truck in Redmond, destined for a GameStop branch in Grapevine, Texas. In early June, they started their 1,700-mile journey across the country.
According to his later statement to the police, the driver didn’t know (and we suspect care) what exactly he was hauling. He knew it was toys and games, but that was the extent of his knowledge.
On June 7, the driver arrived in Bennett, Colorado, where he stopped for the night at a Love’s truck stop. The following morning, he was doing his regular pre-trip inspection when he noticed his load was significantly lighter.
Someone had broken into the trailer and stolen several pallets of game consoles.
Worth a Lot of Mario Coins
In total, the thieves managed to swipe 2,810 Switch 2 systems. Considering the system’s $500 retail price, that $1.4 million worth of Super Mario.
However, looking at eBay, Switch 2 consoles on the second-hand market regularly sell for $150-$200 more than the MSRP. That means we can safely assume that if the criminals are able to sell all the consoles on the black market, they’ll make at least $1.5 million, if not more.
That presents a new dilemma for consumers. We’re certain most gamers out there would rather not buy a stolen console (at least not at an above-market price), but it can be next to impossible to verify whether you’re buying an illicit machine.
First of all, Nintendo would have to publicly release the serial numbers of all the stolen systems. Then, you would somehow have to get the seller on eBay, Craigslist, or another online platform to tell you honestly what the serial of the console they’re selling is.
We can totally see that happening.
The cops are currently investigating and trying to figure out if the consoles were stolen in Bennett or somewhere between Colorado and Washington. Should the thieves ever be caught, they’ll likely face multiple felony charges.
Acrobatic Criminals
This isn’t the first, or even the most creative Nintendo product theft out there. The company’s games and systems are super popular and easy to sell, so they make an attractive target for thieves.
In 2015, in the U.K., for instance, thieves swiped a haul of special Nintendo Wii U consoles (the system preceding the Switch). These limited-edition machines came with a copy of the hit game Splatoon, alongside a small Amiibo figurine of the squid-like game characters.
Actually, scratch that — the thieves didn’t steal just the game consoles. They made away with the entire vehicle carrying them.
Yet, the most daring video game console heist that we know of took place in December 2020. Criminals pulled off a dangerous high-speed robbery of a moving semi-truck.
Two cars blocked a truck transporting PlayStation 5 consoles into one lane, forcing it to travel at a speed of 50 mph.
While this went on, another car pulled up behind the truck. One of the gang members climb up onto the hood, cut open the truck trailer’s lock, climbed in, and started throwing PlayStations off the truck.
Why are these people stealing game consoles? With skills like that, they could make an honest living as fantastic acrobats.