METAKNIGHT IS EXCLUSIVE?!

Arggh, why are you doing this Nintendo. :(

Well, I guess I'll be going to Best Buy when this wave hits

Think I'll have to add Meta Knight to my list of must haves.

What do these amiibos do, exactly?

?  I can't really believe this to be a genuine question for an active forum member.

I'm just confused as to what they're capable of. All i know is that they store player data and unlock some costumes depending on the game. I'm just old and don't get it.

You know what they're capable of...you just haven't seen proof they're worth the purchase.  At this point people will get them because they're cool Nintendo models.  I hope they are implemented in cool and interesting ways...but the fact that each amiibo can be used on different games is a cool enough idea for me.  I've never understood toy collectors...but I've never faulted their purchases, either (unless we're talking 100's of dollars for a single action figure).  I'm getting the figures I'm getting because I'm a fan of the characters.  Any real implementation that Nintendo figures out down the road is gravy for me.

From a financial standpoint, this is a win for Nintendo.  It will inherently increase their planogram occupancy in stores.  That is only a good thing.  The initial response has been positive.  That's also good for Nintendo's bottom line.  Whether this is a weak gimmick or an inspired addition to the Nintendo brand has yet to be determined. 

I agree with this. Maybe I should pick up a few for xmas. I don't think this is a gimmick. In fact, it actually goes along with the nintendo QoL strategy they detailed previously. Non-wearable tech. I think it's a great start.