The box and packaging makes it look like you are buying a physical game that will play for years after Nintendo turns off their servers. If someone wanted to buy a download key, they could buy the little cardboard scratch off things. Packaging it as if you were actually buying physical media is intentionally misleading.
How is it a scam? It is exactlly what is printed on the box. Not everything you dislike is a scam.
The box and packaging makes it look like you are buying a physical game that will play for years after Nintendo turns off their servers. If someone wanted to buy a download key, they could buy the little cardboard scratch off things. Packaging it as if you were actually buying physical media is intentionally misleading.