PS3, Wii sell out at launch

by Blake Snow { Nov 20th 2006 at 3:00PM }

While everyone fully expected a PS3 sellout on day one due to limited supply, expected Wii sell-though was uncertain due to its larger initial supply. As it appears, reports from both American Technology Research and Lazard Capital Markets indicate that both consoles in-fact sold out immediately on day one. Next-gen even suggests Wii may have sold "well over a million" units on Sunday alone.

Analysts expect new Wii shipments as early as this week but note that PS3 retailers have "no idea" when the latter will get restocked. To that, GameDaily reports on the potential sellout effect for the Xbox 360: "With both the Wii and PS3 being in such high demand, it's possible that many consumers won't be able to secure one this holiday. That said, Microsoft could get a boost from a combination of PS3/Wii shortages and the success of Gears of War.''

Expect retailers to push the 360 hard if no PS3s and Wiis are on hand this holiday.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jecrell @ Nov 20th 2006 3:04PM

Yeah, I checked just about everywhere -- no one has any Wiis or PS3s now.

Circuit City has huge signs on their doors saying they don't have them (a wise decision).

Tush @ Nov 20th 2006 3:06PM

I'm pretty sure Nintendo will keep people somewhat stocked with Wii's. Can't say the same for the PS3 though...

Petrie @ Nov 20th 2006 3:08PM

I think it will really come down to how well Nintendo continues to keep the shelves stocked.

The Wii will be an easy sell to most parents looking for holiday gifts, but I don't see it hurting the 360 much, seeing as they truly do have such varied offerings.

But the lack of available PS3 coupled with the blockbuster that is Gears of War should most definitely bode well for Microsoft. People already went a year without next-gen goodness waiting around for the PS3, and I see many of them switching camps when the PS3 remains unavailable to the masses even well into next year.

JC @ Nov 20th 2006 3:08PM

here in Canada, Futureshop (owned by bestbuy) had a crazy xbox 360 bundle on ps3 launch day, for $450cdn you got a premium xbox 360, GRAW, ridge racer 6, xbox live arcade unplugged AND gears of war (as opposed to $500cdn just for the premium 360)

very strong xbox push i must say, i know of about 6 or 7 people that picked up a 360 bundle when they heard about it

Brian @ Nov 20th 2006 3:08PM

I haven't yet been able to find a Wii... anywhere.

HOPEFULLY I'll be able to score one before Christmas... not only for myself, but for my step-sister as well. She's the typical non-gamer female, but she showed some interest when I showed her a few videos on the Wii website.

So yeah... HOPEFULLY I'll be able to snag one up. (If I can only get one, so be it. She doesn't NEED one like I do...)

/game addict

BenW @ Nov 20th 2006 3:08PM

Console manufactures need to take a course in econ 101 and take more advantage of the laws of supply and demand. During the initial console launch months, manufacturers should sell their consoles direct to consumers exclusively through online auctions. Retailers could focus on software sales until hardware supplies are ready. The extra auction profits could be reinvested in game development – rather than compensating ebay sellers for standing in line.

Serge @ Nov 20th 2006 3:09PM

Heh, I saw 2 PS3s 60gb for sell today, here in Brooklyn @ Kings Highway Gamestop Store. Does it means PS3 were all sold out? I guess not. Hope wii will sell out.

Thryon @ Nov 20th 2006 3:18PM

$450cdn you got a premium xbox 360, GRAW, ridge racer 6, xbox live arcade unplugged AND gears of war (as opposed to $500cdn just for the premium 360).

To top that off, my local FutureShop just relocated to a new store, and they had a promotion that if you purchased $500 on the FutureShop card, and selected the no paymest/ no interest for 3 months, then you got another $50 off. So to recap, you could have gotten

Xbox 360 premium console
Gears of War
Ridge Racer 6
Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
and either another game, or wireless controller or 1 year of live for 460 Canadian or about $400 US.

Needless to say, they sold into the hundreds of units on that day.

I tried to get a Wii, but no luck. I am not concerned, they expect more soon.

coffee @ Nov 20th 2006 3:20PM

If you are in NYC area, the Nintendo World Store in midtown Manhattan still has plenty of wii's available. I got mine today and I didn't pre-order.

O.I. @ Nov 20th 2006 3:26PM

"During the initial console launch months, manufacturers should sell their consoles direct to consumers exclusively through online auctions."

Yeah, that'll work wonders for P.R.

splash @ Nov 20th 2006 3:28PM

Not sure where they're getting this, but here's some website that says it has sales numbers for all three consoles...

http://nexgenwars.com/

NotAwesome @ Nov 20th 2006 3:31PM

All the retailers I've called don't have an idea when they'll get more Wiis in either, so it's not just limited to the PS3 as you say.

I still hold out some hope that with minimal effort, I can find a Wii in the next few weeks.

Details of my launch rending of hair and gnashing of teeth here:

http://notawesome.wordpress.com/2006/11/19/wii-midnight-launch-at-ballard-fred-meyer/

mike @ Nov 20th 2006 3:34PM

As mentioned by #9, besides the Nintendo World store, the Toys R Us in Times Square also has plenty of Wiis left too (at least they did around noon). Though they do not have any knunchucks left, though the Nintendo Worlds store had plenty of them

redspear75 @ Nov 20th 2006 3:37PM

Spalsh that website is only a guesstimate and far from accurate. Wait for NPD or Enterbrain or so forth.

Kyouryuu @ Nov 20th 2006 3:43PM

I think the Wii will replenish soon enough. I see it as a launch very similar to the DS Lite. It was difficult to find in the short term, but now that it's has sold out, production should ramp up.

The difference, though, is the timing around the holidays. Will Nintendo be able to manufacture enough for all of the wish lists that want it?

DZeroStar @ Nov 20th 2006 3:44PM

This is certainly one of the reasons that Microsoft wanted to launch a year early. To the general public, all three systems are in the same "video game system" category. The non-gaming mom who wants to get her kid a video game system for Christmas is very susceptible to buying an XBox 360 because it's readily available, versus wasting extra time and money to ensure the purchase of a PS3.

Of course, Nintendo's strategy is to get everyone to realize that neither of the other systems can truely replace the "Wii experience", which is why they've tried to promote the Wii with so many hands-on demonstrations. They've got to keep enough units in stock to let parents pick it up for their kids without a hassle, and let interested casual gamers pick it up as an impusle buy.

That's no small task, though, and in the meantime Microsoft and Sony are attempting to convince the world that their own offerings are the unique snowflake you should spend your money on this holiday season. Sony has built enough hype to ensure selling out every shipment from now through the early months of next year (reminiscent of the 360 launch, anyone?), but their sales will be limited by their relatively low production rate. With the strength of their day one sell out, Nintendo has a chance of doing the same, though, only with more units.

Microsoft is probably going to get a lot of sales from would-be PS3 owners who refuse to buy from Ebay or wait around for future shipments. Not only is the 360 cheaper, but it's got a decent library of games to choose from. However, I strongly doubt that any would-be Wii owners who don't land a system due to sellouts will want to spend even more money on a 360 that does not include the much-hyped motion sensing controller.

Microsoft is essentially getting a lot of free adverstising from Sony. All of the extra hype from the PS3 that Sony can't deliver on is going straight into Microsoft's pockets. Nintendo might even ride the PS3 wave a little, to help ensure that they keep selling out of the Wii like they did this past Sunday. After all, with all the (undeserved?) bad press games have gotten over the past few years, if non-gamer mom wants knows her kid wants a PS3, she might opt for a "family-friendly" Wii instead, based on corporate image alone.

DG @ Nov 20th 2006 3:44PM

Ugh...."effect" not "affect." You guys should seriously consider hiring some copy editors. It's just embarrassing.

Dre @ Nov 20th 2006 3:49PM

The question really is: HOW MANY PS3 RETURNS WILL THERE BE?

It seems like there are a lot of people out there not happy with with their overprice piece of Phony, oops, I meant Sony machine.

Ryan Rapido @ Nov 20th 2006 4:07PM

I am really hoping to get my hands on a Wii as soon as I can, and hopefully that will be pretty soon. Nintendo is doing really well with selling out Wii's like they have been, and the fact that PS3's have sold out will help Nintendo even more. Of course, Microsoft is benefitting most from this, and if 360's weren't so expensive (and had Twilight Princess at launch, coupled with the promise of Super Mario Galaxy), I might get one. Anyway, looking foreward to getting a Wii, but hopefully I won't break anything (or anyone) with the Wii-mote. : - )

Kish @ Nov 20th 2006 4:09PM

On the plus side, due to huge launch numbers, it is fairly easy to get a decently priced wii on ebay. I managed to nab one for 270$ (only 20$ markup) and am having it overnighted. It seems the solution for consol releases isn't auctions, but is inface (gasp) releasing enough supply to match the demand.
Nintendo is going to make bank this holiday season (sure wish I had, had enough cash on hand for investments earlier this year, but you know, tuition, books, housing, all on a part time job with some help from a pell grant. Things can get a bit tight. Besides, I was saving for me Wii. :)

antique @ Nov 20th 2006 4:12PM

@phony

zero.
Any sane person would know that they should SELL their PS3, not return it.

Blank @ Nov 20th 2006 4:18PM

Nintendo is supposed to ship out 4 million more units of the Wii by the end of 06.

PS3 is maybe going to get 1 million.

Cheapstingybargains.com @ Nov 20th 2006 4:24PM

I was thinking about getting a PS3, but then I remembered my disappointment with the PS2 and the PSP. So the WII is on the top of my xmas list, but I really wish the graphics were a tad bit better.

Kspraydad @ Nov 20th 2006 4:26PM

Wii didn't sell out in Canada...Just saw them at the local mall AND they are still available online at Sears....

PS3 is sold out.

Guess we have taste.

B @ Nov 20th 2006 4:31PM

My local Sears,Wal-Mart and Kmart did have Wii's and a couple of Zelda copies. Im sure it isnt going to be hard to find for the next weeks until x-mas.

Zelda on the other hand might be.

crono141 @ Nov 20th 2006 4:35PM

"Guess we have taste"

Or half (or less) as many PS3's. Goober.

PS3 IS TEH FAST3ST S3LLING CONSOL3 3V3R!!!!

Damn.

Zell @ Nov 20th 2006 4:47PM

My friends and I walked by Toys R Us on our way to the Nintendo store around 5:30 Sunday morning. We saw someone moving a huge parcel of Wiis downstairs. I'm sure they still have some in stock. The Nintendo store, despite the insane line yesterday will probably have a steady supply. Definitely the first place to check if you live in the New York City. Plus, you can't beat buying direct from the company.

Got some pretty neat shots yesterday too:
http://flickr.com/photos/wingdzell/tags/wiiday/

I find all this very exciting.

Silver Gecko @ Nov 20th 2006 4:48PM

B.S. The Nintendo World Store in NYC closed its doors before selling out of Wii's, and I was able to buy one walking into Toys R' Us in Times Square minutes before closing time.

Not everywhere sold out on day one. Nintendo even said they wouldn't sell out on the first day at their world store, if I recall correctly.

crono141 @ Nov 20th 2006 5:05PM

I think new york is the only city with wii's left. Nobody has them around here.

Jeff @ Nov 20th 2006 5:12PM

Just visited Nintendo World today; they still have stacks of 'em behind the counter.

So, just reconfirming for anybody else in the NYC area. Head on down.

Mister Falcon @ Nov 20th 2006 5:17PM

My local Circuit City had a sign up that read 'No more PS3s until March'. While I don't believe that, I do believe it will be at least six months before you can walk into a store and find the PS3 easily.

My buddy went to a Gamestop outside of Atlanta today (Monday), and bought the last Wii. They got more units in via UPS today, and sold them all.

GhostBox @ Nov 20th 2006 5:21PM

Good positioning for Microsoft.

chenry @ Nov 20th 2006 5:21PM

Over a million freaking units and I couldn't lay my grubby hands on ONE. And I looked in two states!

K @ Nov 20th 2006 5:39PM

I expect retailers to have plenty of Wii returns since most aren't selling on eBay. Expect plenty of Wiis!

Rallion @ Nov 20th 2006 5:40PM

None at all left around here. Lines hundreds of people long all over the place.

Judd @ Nov 20th 2006 5:51PM

Is this first time in history a system has sold more than one million in a single day? I'm not sure about this but this might be some sort of record launch.

mike jones @ Nov 20th 2006 5:52PM

After this year nobody will be buying too many Wii's. By all the first user impressions I have heard it really is a Gamecube with a new conroller.

afraid @ Nov 20th 2006 5:58PM

By all impressions the DS is an N64 and nobody's buying that either.

sam @ Nov 20th 2006 6:04PM

How realistic is it that stores truly don't know when they're getting their next shipment in? That seems strange to me. Though it's what every store I've called has been telling me.

mike @ Nov 20th 2006 6:15PM

"Good positioning for Microsoft"

Yeah, before they were just getting spanked by PS2... Now they have to contend with a Wii... and Nintendo's 20 year back catalogue of games... Redmond will continue to... bleed red ink..

Orangecoke @ Nov 20th 2006 6:25PM

"Wii didn't sell out in Canada...Just saw them at the local mall AND they are still available online at Sears...."

Really? I'm having trouble finding one in Edmonton.

Pretty Obvious @ Nov 20th 2006 6:25PM

They can afford to bleed red ink, Microsoft is worth more money then Nintendo and Sony put together.

obo @ Nov 20th 2006 6:35PM

Assuming a very conservative $1 profit on each Wii and a conservative $200 loss on each PS3, and more importantly not counting software sales, there's an $81,000,000 difference in profits between Nintendo and Sony at launch.

A few assumptions:
Wii: 1,000,000 * $250 = $250,000,000 gross
Sony: 400,000 * $600 = $240,000,000 gross

Assuming a 50/50 split of 20GB and 60GB PS3s:
400,000 * $550 = $220,000,000 gross

Kspraydad @ Nov 20th 2006 6:45PM

Hey Orangecoke....

I'm in Ontario...Alberta is the hinterland man...
Order one from Ontario and get it shipped to you...
Check out REDFLAGDEALS.ca to monitor where they are available.

Note...I'm not part of redflagdeals.ca just providing a service to Canadians to let them know how to find out about the consoles and where they are available.

Colin @ Nov 20th 2006 7:46PM

Heck yeah! I had money on a Wii, wasnt able to get one, so I got a 360 and Gears instead. However, I had planned to get one sometime soon anyways. Wii is easier to swallow as an impulse buy, and I still havent beat Okami, so my Zelda fix can wait... and PS3 can wait...

shoop008 @ Nov 20th 2006 9:44PM

45/obo, Maybe you should check your math. If Nintendo only made $1 per unit they still made $250 million. If Sony only lost $50 per unit they would still have lost $20 million. There would be a $270 million difference, not $81 million.
Now at a $200 loss per unit that would be a $330 million difference.

Jeff @ Nov 20th 2006 10:20PM

"By all impressions the DS is an N64 and nobody's buying that either."

Not quite the same thing. You want to make a portable GameCube? I think you'd have something there. I'd buy one, that's for sure. But another GameCube home system is somewhat less compelling, new controller or no.

I went to Nintendo World because I *am* interested in the Wii. I'm holding out for a PS3 but I have always said this battle will be between the PS3 and Wii, and I still feel that way - probably more than ever. So, not being able to get a PS3 yet, I headed to Nintendo World thinking I *might* be convinced to buy a Wii today.

Instead, I actually wanted one *less* after seeing it in action. They have the Wii's hooked up to what appear to be 50" flat panel HDTV's there, and it is just so apparent at that size that the graphics plain and simply suck. I mean no bones about it; they're not even close to acceptable. I am no graphics whore - I mean click my link, I am a huge classic game collector, and I've bought plenty of less-than-cutting-edge games for current systems. (I'm usually a year or two behind, and I love trailing-edge genres like puzzle games.) But the Wii is just not even in the ballpark for what's expected today, and seeing the system on a really good TV didn't help.

Not everybody feels that way right now. But the more people adopt HDTV, the less people are going to want a Wii. I think the *idea* behind the Wii is a good one, and I'm interested in it. But the *execution* of that idea, as it currently exists, is just not acceptable in the year 2006. It is a 2001 system, 5 years too late. It's what the GameCube should have been, but there's no such thing as a do-over in this business.

I will probably still get one once the system hits $100 (I said the same thing about the PSP when it was launched, btw - I was pretty prescient about that), but I'm back to holding out for the PS3 right now. I really think the Wii has a limited future; the demand is as high now as it's ever going to be. It has no room to grow.