The Next Set of NES Classic Editions Are Being Handled Differently by ThinkGeek

After giving a few away and promising it would have more to sell soon, ThinkGeek has unveiled its plans for selling its new allotment of NES Classic Editions.

Demand for the system, which plays a limited selection of NES games, has far outpaced demand since its launch in November. Stores have been unable to keep them in stock for long, as ThinkGeek acknowledges on its store page: "Here's the deal: more of you want NES Classics than we have to sell. We want to do right by you, so we're going to make this as fair as we can."

Its solution is essentially a randomized lotto to determine who gets to buy the system. The process for participating is simple: log in or create a ThinkGeek account, add a Classic Edition to your wishlist, and then cross your fingers. The store will begin randomly selecting people who have one on their wishlist today and send them an email with a code that can be used to buy one. The codes are only valid for 24 hours--if one isn't used by then, someone else will get a shot.

This will go on until ThinkGeek runs through its stock of Classic Editions. The site didn't offer any indication of how many units it has to sell or when they would ship by. The first emails went out for those who have already signed up, with another batch set to go out at 10 AM ET on Tuesday, December 13.

Preorders for the Classic Edition sold out well ahead of launch, with those that were available on launch day also going quickly. This resulted in a resale market that saw the $60 system going for upwards of $200 on the secondhand market. Nintendo has promised additional systems will continue to be made available during the holiday shopping season.