British Wii shortages expected into 2007
by Kyle Orland 
{ Dec 7th 2006 at 11:00AM }
GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that British gamers without a Wii pre-order are likely to have a hard time finding the system before the new year. Despite four separate shipments from Nintendo by year's end, DSG spokesman Hamish Thompson said the group's stores (Currys, PC World and Dixon's Online) probably won't be done filling pre-orders before Christmas. Computer and Video Games reports a similar outlook from major British retailers HMV, GAME and Virgin megastores.Nintendo, for its part, says its doing everything it can to meet the demand, and stressed some stores that haven't taken pre-orders are likely to have day one system available when the system officially launches tomorrow. Still, if you aren't in line already, it seems you Brit's will be stuck playing the Wii at your mate's flat this holiday season.
Read - GI.biz article
Read - C & VG article
Read - GI.biz on Nintendo efforts to meet demand
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Firegirl @ Dec 7th 2006 11:18AM
Ha ha! That picture cracks me up! Please sir, I'm begging you, get more Wii!
crono141 @ Dec 7th 2006 11:10AM
If you make it, they will sell...
The only thing stopping Nintendo from meeting/breaking 4 million by january is Nintendo.
Prepare for the second golden age of gaming!
Oro @ Dec 7th 2006 11:26AM
Why can't any of the big gaming companies get it right?!
1. Pick a release date
2. Make the game
3. Put it in a box
4. Put it on store shelves on the date you picked in step 1
My friend has a theory that everyone in the video games industry, the people that make the systems, the people that make the games, the people that sell the systems and games, the people that report on the games, the people that review the games, the people that run professional gaming leagues, and the people that play the games, are completely and utterly incompetent and can't do anything right.
Madthijs @ Dec 7th 2006 11:32AM
Just overheard a conversation at my local gameshop (The Netherlands)...
They ordered 600 Wii's, they have 401 outstanding pre-orders, and they are getting....... 10 - 20 Wii's... So yeah, basically Nintendo f*cked up their Euro launch as well. This is very disappointing, but they just can't keep up with demand. I'd wish they would spread the shortages across the different regions, but Europe seems to get all of it.
Galls @ Dec 7th 2006 11:39AM
I suspect this is due to the British law making Stand By mode on any electronic device illegal. So they have to have a different assembly line for that country.
crono141 @ Dec 7th 2006 11:29AM
Oro, you know nothing about manufacturing do you?
Matariel @ Dec 7th 2006 11:34AM
It was Wii launch day today here in Australia, and i didnt pre-order.
However, i just walked into my regular EB store (the city central store) and picked up a Wii, no problems.
They were sold out of WiiPlay+WiiMote packs, but that isnt a problem.
I did the same thing for the xbox360 launch, no-preorder, came home with a system.
Psaakyrn @ Dec 7th 2006 11:54AM
to #3 Oro
Because it is inherently impossible to estimate actual demand, and overproduction creates losses.
I'll give an example. Assume Sony expects that 10 million PS3 will be sold (if available) by end 2007, but 4 million only (if available) by end 2006. If this is true, then Sony has no reason ro produce 10 million consoles now, especially when cost of manufacturing will go down in 3 months.
The problem is when consumer expectation exceeds forcasted demand, then shortages would occur. But in terms of cost, massive shortage is still better than massive over-supply, which would both cost more, AND drive the product cost down, creating lower profits (or greater losses, if you're selling at a loss).
So it's better to be on the safe side, in general, and try to hit as close to the mark as possible.
Also another point: picking a fixed release date before nearing completion is a BAD IDEA. If anything happens (employee troubles, workplace incidents, critical bugs found during beta), you want to have an allowance. And sometimes, you just can't readily estimate how long it would take, especially with experimental or new ideas which haven't been implemented before.
Meliv @ Dec 7th 2006 11:46AM
Got my pre-order in Gamestation 2 months ago :D Bring on December 8th!
Enliven @ Dec 7th 2006 11:51AM
There is no law. It was on of the suggestions in an energy review that government is considering.
SuperStupid @ Dec 7th 2006 11:53AM
Nintendo have been very clear about this - They told companies not to take pre-orders, and yet still they did, and now look: Greedy Mr. Shop keeper can't get enough Wii's to fulfill the pre orders he took, and everybody blames Nintendo.
Tengaport @ Dec 7th 2006 12:09PM
hmmm... odd that both Joystiq and Kotaku used a similiar picture for their similiar stories...
Ally Weir @ Dec 7th 2006 3:13PM
grrrr...
this is so annoying I was expecting to get one on the 26th of december for my sister and I.
:( this sucks
Steve @ Dec 7th 2006 12:34PM
>> 9. There is no law. It was on of the suggestions
>> in an energy review that government is considering.
Good grief! Is there nothing that environmental-zealots can't find a way to regulate? Green. It's nothing more than a vogue form of fascism.
Anonymouse Rep @ Dec 7th 2006 12:48PM
Welcome to exactly what happened for exactly the same reason as the 360 launch.
"They ordered 600 Wii's, they have 401 outstanding pre-orders, and they are getting....... 10 - 20 Wii's... "
"Nintendo have been very clear about this - They told companies not to take pre-orders, and yet still they did,"
Don't blame Nintendo when it comes down to something that your store did on it's own, or as a store type corporate decision. Look at it this way - at least Nintendo remembered that Europe is part of the world, unlike Sony...
DJ @ Dec 7th 2006 12:47PM
kotaku's pic was funnier.
Obviously consoles have to launch before Christmas.
Obviously supply will be exceeded by demand no matter how many you make... especially with the Christmas surge. You have to realize that companies spend massive amounts of money to build CAPACITY to manufacture (as opposed to actual product, which also costs).
Then they use that manufacturing CAPACITY to build some number of consoles at some maximum rate... let's say they can build 800,000 consoles a month with the factories they've built (and parts supplier chain)... and building machines since August/September.
Steadily building at 800,000/month... x half of Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov = 2.8 million consoles... available by end of November... but there is lag in the system for shipping and distribution for multiple launches worldwide... end of December 3.6 million... Jan Feb Mar = 6 million machines delivered (and virtually all sold)... and continuous 800,000/month being build to meet anticipated demand.
That's just made up numbers on my part, and manufacturing capacity can fluctuate some, but remember they need a steady supply of all parts, from the plastic to the chips... and the suppliers need steady, predictable orders (i.e. income) too. If Nintendo buys 300,000 plastic cases 1 month and 800,000 the next, that's no way to run a business.
1) You build (or lease) manufacturing capacity in some asian country (which is flexible to a small degree)
2) You stock up a bunch for near holiday launch when demand will be highest.
3) You continuously pour out product at a steady rate.
When you have an item as hot as the Wii though, you can't realistically meet the demand surge for holidays without overbuilding your manufacturing and supply chain capacity.
On the other side, you have screw up Sony screwup where they didn't even start pouring out product until really really close to launch date, and had < 300,000 units available at launch.
Miniboss @ Dec 7th 2006 1:12PM
@ #3.
Yeah, try working in the industry that your friend seems to know so much about. Then we'll talk.
Chris m @ Dec 7th 2006 1:09PM
and people are actually surpised at this???
what i can't understand is why we keep having shortages of video cables i.e component cable
Next-Gen-Gamer @ Dec 7th 2006 1:10PM
"Why can't any of the big gaming companies get it right?!
1. Pick a release date
2. Make the game
3. Put it in a box
4. Put it on store shelves on the date you picked in step 1"
As many have said before, it's hard to gauge demand. That's why they tell you supply about a month before the console ships. As for your 4 Step Plan, I don't see where Nintendo messed up. If you've read all three articles by now, you'd realize that none of them actually say there's shortages. They say that supply can't meet demand. Kind of like here in the states. They told everyone when and how many they were shipping, they did just that, but not everyone who wants one got one (my brother for example). Also, I could be wrong (obviously), but all I keep reading is that certain stores are looking to fulfill all their pre-orders. I get the feeling they pre-ordered more than they're actually getting (ala FYE).
"hmmm... odd that both Joystiq and Kotaku used a similiar picture for their similiar stories..."
Odd that both Joystiq and Kotaku aren't actual news sites, but get their news from tons of other sites, just like (almost) everyone else (myself as well). It's quite annoying when someone says/implies that one blog stole from another. It's a blog. They both "stole".
Jamithy @ Dec 7th 2006 1:13PM
I Pre-ordered mine with Argos and they gave out an automated phone call stating if you would receive it on launch date. I'm getting one, thing is its a X-mas present. So I still have to wait! Just happy in the knowledge it's waiting for me!
Kodge @ Dec 7th 2006 1:32PM
I got my wii pre-order about 2 months ago. But my local game shop is only getting in 20 wii's. Thanks for ruining christmas nintendo. I hope you all fucking burn
Grog @ Dec 7th 2006 1:46PM
"20. I got my wii pre-order about 2 months ago. But my local game shop is only getting in 20 wii's. Thanks for ruining christmas nintendo. I hope you all fucking burn"
Why the heck did your store sell more than 20 preorders? It's like the guy who said a store took 401 preorders and will only get 10-20 Wiis. I can understand taking a few too many preorders (though better not to take any), but what store honestly thinks they're going to get that many of a system on launch day?
alex @ Dec 7th 2006 4:50PM
woolworths.
and up until not too long ago they were still taking orders.
i heard they were getting around 60% of nintendo's stock
god knows if its true or not.
they pulled through with my 360 though... so im just going to trust them.
Roberto Felgueiras @ Dec 7th 2006 2:19PM
Why the heck did your store sell more than 20 preorders? It's like the guy who said a store took 401 preorders and will only get 10-20 Wiis. I can understand taking a few too many preorders (though better not to take any), but what store honestly thinks they're going to get that many of a system on launch day?
The stores are greedy fucks, "I'm not telling you not to hate, just put hate were hate belongs", towards the retailers... they take your pre order money then complain that they didn't get enough items. They don't give your money back though... that wouldn't be Nintendo's, Sony's or MS's fault, is it?
Beano @ Dec 7th 2006 2:41PM
Don't blame the shops! They order as many as they can but Nintendo just doesn't meet the demand. When a store here in Holland (probably the same one that Madthijs mentioned) orders 600 units from Nintendo Netherlands and receives only around 10 then you are going to have a hard time denying that Nintendo f*cked up. It is clear that they haven't learned anything from the past.
AcE @ Dec 7th 2006 5:02PM
I pre-ordered mine months ago from GAME, and I popped in today and they said they have had two shipments of Wii's already, they said they were expecting the second shipment up to two weeks after launch (which is tomorrow, the 8th) but ninty have sent them a whole bunch. Then I went into HMV and talked to the games guy and, as you guys said, he told me that anyone joining a pre order list now probably won't get theirs until mid January, let alone walk-ins.
British gamers always get the short straw. We pay almost double for games than Americans (£50 = $98), and we get everything later. Bah.
Lmda @ Dec 7th 2006 5:17PM
I thought the UK was full of Sony Fanboys.
I was depending on the major supermarkets such as Tesco and ASDA and such but get this, I just got off the phone with my bro and he tells me that our local Tesco have gone and sold their allocation early! They were supposed to sell them at 12! I doubt I'll get one before January now.
accidental @ Dec 7th 2006 5:29PM
I am in New Zealand and we launched Wii yesterday. There were quite a few units in the country and anyone who wanted one was able to get one, however there is a Zelda shortage – actually a general GAME shortage, and that we won't get any more for a while.
We don't have an official Nintendo presence in NZ and the company that handles the distribution for NZ didn't seem to realise how popular the Wii was going to be (and neither did the retailers, since the Gamecube had almost no adoption here).
So I'm cool with there being a shortage of Wii's due to it's unexpected popularity, but I would be pissed if I was in Europe and haing a shortage because Nintendo isn't producing enough units.
Nintendo must be living-it-up though. They sell a DS like every minute or two, and every Wii they make will sell, which will probably last right through next year.
crimemasterGogo @ Dec 7th 2006 5:28PM
shit i didnt bother pre-ordering im totally fucked!!! tho i live in bradford (uk) which really is sony fanboy central so hopefully i'll get my wii tomorrow
hef @ Dec 7th 2006 6:15PM
i don't like the wii's yukky grafx and it's going on ebay, only a day old. So look for my auction.
teknotom @ Dec 7th 2006 6:54PM
Yeah, Wii is teh suxx0r hef. Anyway, I preordered a console from HMV in the UK in October, and was told by that point that I was only the third pre-order. Unlikely as it sounded, I chose to believe them. I went in after work this evening to confirm that there would be enough games and peripherals to go around, at which point they tell me that they're only getting in 11 consoles. To add insult to injury, somehow i'm now number 15. I guess it's my fault for pre-ordering late (pre-orders were being taken since about August here) but i'm still not happy. Apparently I'll be in the second batch, but that could be two freakin' weeks from now. I'll have to content myself with new European DS release Cooking Mama. Yep, we're screwed on everything.
Elliott Sturgess @ Jan 31st 2007 2:22PM
i have a very annoying journey heres how it starts:
(before the launch)
i saw wiis on preview for the launch i wanted one i was so excited
(after the launch)
i said to my mum can i get one my mum said not yet wait till it dies down after our holiday (yes!! holiday)
soo i wait....
(after holiday)
i come back and said to my mum can i get a wii now?
she said yeah lets go to GAME so we did and the woman behind the counter said these exact words:
'we will get stock of the wii consoles next tuesday its first-come-first-served so you have to come early'
sooo i wait...
(tuesday the day she said)
my mum says she will go into town at 9:00am (when they open) at that time i will be in school sooo i come home and my mum said that there are no wiis, i was first in queue and everything but they dont have stock of that item (even though the woman said at GAME that there will be stock that day) so i have been online ever since and tried to find a wii. no stock!
(now)
i do not have my wii i have complained to nintendo company personally and contacted GAME!
now this happens everytime, i love nintendo but there is a problem they bring something out and dont bring enough stock on it now i live in the U.K and theres no stock but they sent more to U.S.A and theres a problem there with stock as well i miffed off i like nintendos products but the closest i can get to buying a wii ASAP is 21 weeks away i for one am not f*****g waiting that long im a 13 year old lad and i have waited too long before it came out on preview!!
please reply E7LI0TT