I wonder how this shakes out compared to having a consumer-friendly policy where refunds are issued liberally. I assume that over a long period of time Nintendo customers will become conditioned to be less likely to take a chance on something and lead to less impulse buys.

It's not exactly apples to apples but I've experienced the opposite effect with Costco where due to their refund policies I'm much more willing to make impulse purchases and to try things I'm unsure of.