Since the first wave of amiibo figures were released, rumours have been rife about the opening series' discontinuation after intense and ongoing demand prompted a number of video game stores across territories to go out of stock or bump up prices, and also spread the news that three figures in particular – Villager, Marth and Wii Fit Trainer – had been removed from the catalogue systems of certain retailers.

Now, a concerned fan has reportedly received a surprise email response from Nintendo of America’s Assistant PR Manager, David Young, in regards to the discontinuation of the first wave of amiibo. If it is legitimate, this email reply — viewable via Twitter — appears to smash previous rumours out of the park.

Here’s what Mr Young had to say:

David from Nintendo jumping in here. We have not discontinued any of the amiibo figures. Naturally some are more popular than others, and stores will need to reorder these once they sell through. That said, I don’t know how long resupply will take, so I encourage people to pick up their favourite characters when they see them in this busy Holiday season.

If this email is the real deal, and Mr Young’s response on behalf of Nintendo is a genuine one, collectors should have nothing to fear – as no amiibo figures have been discontinued, and a resupply at some point in the near future will occur.

Given the intense demand for amiibo worldwide right now, it is hard to believe Nintendo would cut production on the introductory wave after such a limited initial run. Taking this into consideration, Mr Young’s response appears to match up.

Previous theories before now have included Nintendo exercising caution with the first batch of amiibo rather than saturating the market with their availability – and even more cunningly, limiting stock to make the figurines more desirable to fans. Otherwise, amiibo demand may have just exceeded Nintendo's original expectations, leaving the company well short; that would have been its own mistake, and either reason is far from ideal.

Other theories are pointing the finger at video game retailers, suggesting they may have played a large part in the supply game all along – either prompting fear in fans to help assist in the clearing of their own first wave of stock and gaining a few extra sales at a higher price in the process, or alternatively a theory which adds evidence to the reported removal of particular amiibo from certain video game store catalogues — that retailers simply no longer wish to stock the Nintendo figurines due to the belief they will not have long-term appeal.

Whatever the reasoning — possibly a mix of multiple factors — it's been an unsatisfactory situation for a number of consumers.

Let us know in the comments what you think about the current supply problems, and if this latest update has eased any concerns you had about the future availability of the first wave of amiibo.

Thanks to Ryan Millar for the tip.