One of the stranger storylines to come out of today’s Switch 2 launch – aside from receipts being stapled to the device itself at a GameStop – has been preorders from Walmart, specifically, arriving with unexpected cans of Coca-Cola and Pringles. Tiny treasure troves of them, in some cases, according to posts across Reddit, Bluesky, and Twitter. Why, though? I asked Walmart.
A Walmart spokesperson told Aftermath that this was, indeed, an intentional companywide effort, rather than a cheeky instance of a few stores going rogue. They said Coke and Pringles were “included in all deliveries” for the purpose of creating a “feel-good moment.” Though the rep did not specifically mention recent Switch 2 preorder cancellation woes, one could surmise that Walmart might have felt more pressure to create a feel-good moment than usual.
Why Coke and Pringles specifically, though? No matter how widespread gaming becomes, Gamers – as a singular monolith and, of course, voting block – will never be able to shake certain stereotypes.
"We kinda know the stereotypical gamer, and of course they're gonna need snacks while they game," the Walmart rep told Aftermath.
All people who play games are not created equal – especially the wider-than-average audience that buys Nintendo products. There is a world in which some Switch 2 earlybirds might have preferred carrot sticks and sparkling water, and though the latter would make them reprehensible to me, personally, we have to respect that. However, by the same token, I doubt anyone has ever been upset to receive free chips and soda, so whatever. At least Walmart did not send them one of these things.
