Nintendo Europe promises Wii production boost, how nice
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Mar 15th 2007 at 12:50PM }
Shortly before pointing out that the sky is blue and that oxygen is a somewhat necessary element for the continuation of human life, Nintendo Europe's Laurent Fischer has confessed to Gamesindustry.biz that the console maker is "still struggling to deliver the right numbers of hardware to cope with demand." The senior marketing director cites the "recruiting power of the Wii" which is "more powerful than anyone had guessed." Apparently, looking for a Wii means going up against some sort of surprise Nintendo militia. When will these silly shortages end? Fischer offers no clue, but explains that it'll take more than a couple of days (more than ninety, at least). "We're planning to increase the production capacity but it's not something that can be done in a couple of days. We have to be patient." One can only hope patience production amongst consumers remains steady while Nintendo replenishes their critical duct tape supply.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vidikron @ Mar 15th 2007 12:58PM
Well, at least the Wiimotes can now be found in stores.
Jon @ Mar 15th 2007 1:04PM
If only they released it in December. I could have got one. Now I couldn't care less.
Tim @ Mar 15th 2007 1:11PM
i know that this may seem out of place, but Sam's Club has a lot of Wiis (I think because no one expects to find Wiis in Sam's...lol)
Shagittarius @ Mar 15th 2007 1:11PM
I know I'm going to get blasted for this but:
The reason for this announcement that they are working on solving the shortage problem is that the demand for the Wii is starting to relax. Prices on ebay have dropped to nearly store levels (although some auctions with bundles still garner some premiums) Wiimotes are redily available in stores, and I've even seen a Wii on the shelf which I'm sure didnt last long but at the same time the super-demand period is over.
What better PR is there than to claim that your going to start seeing units on shelves beacuse Nintendo is doing everything they can to increase production rather than have people realize that the actual demand for the product is slowing. This is pretty much a Sony PR move.
Geoff Gibson @ Mar 15th 2007 1:15PM
@Shagitarius
Of course demand is starting to relax. I mean it has already blown my mind as to how long the system has been in such heavy demand. The PS3 has been sitting idly on store shelves since January, which is when I expected the Wii's to be sitting as well.
However thats not to say that the demand has completely gone, like with the PS3, in accordance with supply. I still havent seen any Wii's at my local Gamestop, Target, or BestBuy. I'd imagine it will still be at LEAST one month before we start seeing 3 Wii's here, 5 there, maybe a couple overthere.
Shagittarius @ Mar 15th 2007 1:18PM
Saying that the demand for the PS3 was gone in January is absolutely ludacris. I never saw a PS3 on a shelf until about 3 weeks ago.
On the other hand there are lots of great games comming out for the PS3 this year and not a lot of great Wii games...
I think your going to see the PS3 pick up a little steam as more of these games come out and continue to sell consistently on its current level until a price drop. Meanwhile Nintendo can drop the price of the Wii but your not really putting it in anyones sights that couldn't afford it already.
Sony has a lot to gain from a price drop while Nintendo isn't going to get that many new buyers who weren't already able to purchase it at its current price.
Grimolfr @ Mar 15th 2007 1:25PM
Price drop? Sony already indicated that is not going to happen for a long time. That also has nothing to do with this topic.
tmmoore_nc @ Mar 15th 2007 1:26PM
Isn't something coming out in Europe real soon? I can't think of anything....
Oh yeah, the PS3. Not shocked in the least here. Production boost right before the other console's launch to shun them.
Derbeste @ Mar 15th 2007 1:28PM
"One can only hope patience production amongst consumers remains steady while Nintendo replenishes their critical duct tape supply."
I loled
And Shaggy....for someone that openly blasts Joystiq for really stretching to put negative spins on Sony stories, you come across as a bit of a hypocrite. Heaven knows Sony hasn't put the most rediculous PR spin on things, right?
I suppose you'd like Nintendo better if they said that increasing supply to meet demand better is SOOOO last gen?
The fact that you knew your comments were going to get blasted tells me even YOU knew they were weak. But that's only bad when the weak arguments are against Sony right?
Seriously...does the inside of your ass smell like a PS3?
Matthew @ Mar 15th 2007 2:11PM
Oh Shagittarius, you use some very strange logic but I guess that Sony fanboys and Sony's PR must think alike. More than anything, Nintendo is in the best position to lower their prices since they actually make money on their systems. Not to mention that they are already in the lowest price point of the consoles and a further drop would garner even more attention from those casual gamers they are trying to entice. I don't imagine they will until Micrsoft and/or Sony drop their prices. Nintendo's two biggest problems right now is that they can't make enough Wii's and DS's (something most hardware companies dream of), and that they have the classic 'new-system' drought, but then again, so does the PS3.
You bring up a very good point though...why make this statement now? I was one of those fools/early adopters that paid a large amount for an on-line bundle and got my Wii in January, however I live in the States. Are the European customers having that much of a difficulty finding a unit? Usually these types of statements are made to reduce comsumer apathy and to let investors know that production shortages won't kill potential profits, not just because they felt like it. I mean...is it really that bad finding a Wii in Europe?
JodyAnthony @ Mar 15th 2007 1:33PM
"Seriously...does the inside of your ass smell like a PS3?"
I would assume it would smell more like Krazy Ken
Derbeste @ Mar 15th 2007 1:40PM
"I would assume it would smell more like Krazy Ken"
Either that or both of the above simply just smell like the inside of Shaggy's ass.
Neither one would surprise me.
Matt B @ Mar 15th 2007 1:40PM
According to the local EB games here, Wii's have been trickling in at 2 to 3 a week and none some weeks. So I think that nintendo is keeping the supply low to keep the demand high. The lack of Wii's in the store is not due to overwhelming demand though the press may lead you to believe it, it is more due to the lack of supply.
It's a brilliant marketing plan since none on the shelf MUST mean it has to be good.
Give me a break.
Matt B @ Mar 15th 2007 1:43PM
Not that my local EB is the model for the world. I'm just saying there is more to the shelve being empty than high demand.
Shagittarius @ Mar 15th 2007 2:15PM
The only thing I can remember ever blasting joystiq for was for them blasting theinquirer. I think I may have implied that I was starting to wonder how objective joystiq or certain writers were on one occasion, but I'm certainly not the type that yells about how joystiq is teh bias all the time.
My comments were not weak I they are simply obsevances of what I see going on in stores and on ebay etc...I said I knew I'd get blasted beacuse you cant say anything thats not pro-Wii without getting blasted by all the Wiihuggers.
I do like to blast the Wiihuggers on occasion though.
peko @ Mar 15th 2007 2:19PM
"So I think that nintendo is keeping the supply low to keep the demand high."
so, they are hitting their target at 6 million MORE THAN ANY OTHER SYSTEM EVER IN LAUNCH TIME.
NPD number for wii are way higher than X360 and PS3 for january (february will be out later today)
and nintendo is creating a artificial demand?
oh god!
Justin @ Mar 15th 2007 3:13PM
Hmmm...Im still the only one i know that has one. I have crowds of people coming over to play it because they cant find it. Maybe they ARE keeping it low on purpose.
PS3 HAS been sitting on shelves since January. I know because I went into Circuit City and bought one. They had seven left....
AND..I love both my systems. There are certain games that I will not buy for the Wii because I want that type of game for my PS3 (RPG's, Racers). Same goes for the Wii. Id much rather play sports games on the Wii than on the PS3 because its much more fun to swing a bat than press a button to swing. The only real battle I see going on is between Microsoft and Sony.
Dont you think thats why Microsoft is trying to stay friendly with Nintendo? Theyre trying to win over Nintendo fans because he knows that a lot of people arent going to be satisfied with just the Wii.
peko @ Mar 15th 2007 2:19PM
forgot a dot after 6 million. :(
arrrgh @ Mar 15th 2007 2:30PM
they attacked shaggi's weak point for massive damage?
aww it sux when hillarious sony quotes start to get stale :(
Gausser @ Mar 15th 2007 6:40PM
Also you have to remember that Nintendo did a real worldwide launch with the Wii, not staggered like has been done in the past. Add to that the crazy demand for the Wii everywhere. It has to be hard for Nintendo to keep up with the demand. Just like peko said above, the numbers of Wii sold for January and February has been high everywhere. This is not an artificial demand being created.
Tanster @ Mar 15th 2007 2:38PM
@6
That would be fine and dandy until you realise that the Wii had more units ready for sale at launch, more units made available since launch, sold more units, yet still can't meet demand. I STILL can't find one at my Target.
RawSteelUT @ Mar 15th 2007 2:39PM
Considering I only lucked out in finding my Wii a couple weeks back and the place I got my PS3 from in January had like 10, I'd say Nintendo's having a genuine concern.
Matt B @ Mar 15th 2007 2:42PM
@Peko
After I made the comment, I called around to wal-mart, target, and Best buy. They total an average of 12 coming in every week TOTAL between the 3!!!!
So yeah, I think they are.
arrrgh @ Mar 15th 2007 2:47PM
Yeah Matt B and I called 37 stores world wide and they said they all have 280 units in stock and they haven't been able to move Wii's at all! But they sell an average of 400 ps3's a week each!!!!
Anyone can make up facts, just remember we're going to take your heresay with a grain of salt dude.
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Mar 15th 2007 3:02PM
As European customer, I'm honestly appalled by lack of games. We have here on shelves mostly some sequels and ports - but no genuine Wii games (besides WiiSports/WiiPlay of course).
Xbox now getting new decent games every month - but Wii now totally lacks compelling games.
Seeing Net flooded by the Mario old timers flocking on VC - doesn't improve Wii image in my eyes.
Nintendo wanted to attract new audience and so I hoped to see new games. But all I see is "old crap pushed up" (as I already have complained in another post here).
Also my usual non-scientific benchmark shows that Wii in US has much more that it has in Europe. Amazon.com lists 151 item (this are not only games) for "Nintendo Wii Games" while Amazon.de lists only 79 items.
I'd rather have Nintendo introducing more games into European market - consoles are now available w/o any problems in retail and on eBay. After all N promised console for games - not for non-game stuff. Regardless (and ironically) they now are pushing absolutely gamer-irrelevant stuff like "channels". I find that disturbing.
Matt B @ Mar 15th 2007 3:09PM
Make some call arghh. Are you afraid of the truth?
Careful Ihar, those are fighting words around here. :P
AssemblyLineHuman @ Mar 15th 2007 3:21PM
The problem, Matt, is that the high sales numbers don't match the low supply story. Is your store selling more PS3s or Wiis every week?
redspear @ Mar 15th 2007 3:25PM
@24. Make some call arghh. Are you afraid of the truth?
Let's see the Wii is the fastest selling console ever WW.
In January it tied the first XBOX as the fastest selling US console ever with the rumored NPD numbers it will be the fastest selling US console ever.At this point estimates have the Wii at around 6 million units WW where the PS3 is at 2.2 million WW(due for a big bump with the European launch around the corner).
In Japan the Wii is outselling the PS3 by a 3 to 1 margin. In the US it is closer but the Wii has still sold over 2 million where the PS3 is estimated at under 1.5 million.
PS3s have been sitting on the shelves since late Decemebr. I know because I bought one at Circuit City on Devc 17th and they had a pile of them that was still there when I came back the next. I also know this because of anedotal evidence of online pictures and the such. I have yet to see the Wii available in the store(I got mine on launch day where everyone thought I was waiting ofr hte PS3).
So yes there is a shortage. No it is not because they are shipping low amounts. Some stores may not get as many as others but trust em in order to sell roughly 6 million units in 4 months it is not because you are shipping 2 units a week to all stores every week. More than likely the bigger Wal Mart stores are scooping up larger shipments because they get the highest profit margin ont he Wii.
Greg2k @ Mar 15th 2007 3:29PM
There are tonnes of Wii's in Spain, just standing on store shelves. I find that worrying. Coupled with the fact that I tried out the PS3 today and the graphics kicked major ass, Nintendo better get it's act going, at least over here.
Paul Gale @ Mar 16th 2007 12:33AM
It's great to hear that Nintendo is going to start boosting its Wii manufacturing; I just hope it's sooner rather than later. Wii continues to outsell the other consoles in Europe on a weekly basis, and for February 2007, Wii in the United States was also the number one best selling console by a long shot. Xbox 360 outsold PS3 again too, for those that are interested.
Paul Gale
1up.com
Matt B @ Mar 15th 2007 3:36PM
Maybe it's just my area then.
Jason B @ Mar 15th 2007 3:38PM
"When will these silly shortages end?"
You ask? The second that Nintendo wants it to.
john @ Mar 15th 2007 3:41PM
Oh come on Matt, you're just being silly.
Every month the sales numbers come in and the Wii has been outselling every other system this generation. To claim that Wiis are hard to find because of low supply is just delusional. You can call stores all you want, at the end of the month the sales figures (compiled by impartial professionals) tell a different story.
arrrgh @ Mar 15th 2007 4:31PM
Matt, maybe you ate some bad food from your PS3 Grille....it's ok the hallucinations will pass...
Tanster @ Mar 15th 2007 4:41PM
@respear
are those sony units sold or shipped?
I'm definitely not a anti-sony hater. I love my Sony Ericcson phone and my vaio 10" 6 hour battery life vaio, but in sales of consoles, demand, Nintendos got Sony beat down
redspear @ Mar 15th 2007 4:47PM
@33 Tanster.
Those are only estimates. They are largely projections up to this date.
The numbers are representing sold. We only have real sales figures in the US up until January so those numbers are NPD.
SOny has claimed to ship 4 million PS3s. the important thing to rememerb is that a large potion of those PS3s are on a ship ot Europe for the launch. Many of which willbe shipped.
To some of the posts about shipped Vs Sold at one point there were roughly an estimated 5.5 million PSPs WW sitting on the shelves. Retailers like to stock up on consoles because of sales spikes or if they think an item is hot. Sony in fact had to reduce its shipping numbers to 1 million for the holiday season in the US because retailers had to many on hte shelves. However the PSP has picked up sales thatnks ot some popular games it is not overtkaing the DS(nothing is) but it is finally starting to dent its backstock.
slacker164 @ Mar 15th 2007 5:17PM
@Matt B
I can understand your suspicion, but the theory dies when you look at the total numbers that have been sold. Somewhere around six million units have been sold. Obviously somebody is getting them and selling them. I don’t exactly know how the distribution works, but it seems retailers and Nintendo are sending significantly more units to certain locations. Additionally, a lot of retailers are selling online bundles. Take for example EBGames. They have complete rip-off bundles on their website all the time; however, stores are only getting like two per week. For EB this is a dream come true. They simply don’t send many of their allocated units out to stores and instead keep them at shipping centers and sell them on the web. They make an absolute killing due to the rip-off bundle, save on shipping units to actual stores, and still sell out. Walmart is doing the same thing (a $700 bundle!) and Toys R Us occasionally does as well along with various other online stores. For the stores that don’t milk the online bundles as much, like Target, it seems to be very much location based. At any rate the sales numbers are real. They are selling a crap load, even if very few are actually finding their way to local retail shelves in your area.
For the people that think Matt B is just making up crap, I asked at Sears the other day (was there anyway). They said they had received two (yes, two) Wiis since launch. There are defiantly stores getting absurdly small shipments, but that doesn’t mean the Wiis don’t exist. They’re being sold somewhere. Unless of course Media Create and NPD are in on the scam too (not likely at all).
NeverSage @ Mar 15th 2007 6:07PM
JEEEEEsus, lay off Matt. He already said "Maybe it's just my area then."
Though, Matt, I'd like to know how many PS3s those stores you called get per week. If they get the same amount of PS3s as Wiis then we can tell that the PS3s just sit there whereas the Wiis sell.
Earl @ Mar 15th 2007 7:26PM
Was everyone accusing MS of creating "artificial demand" last year with the 360 shortage? Remember when the 360 was having "production problems" for about 3 months?
The Wii is in HIGH demand. Living in a major city, not some country town, and I still don't see any. Keeping a look out for friends that don't have one yet. Nintendo doesn't not decide how the consoles are distributed among the retailers. They sell a big batch to Best Buy and then Best Buy distributes the quantity to stores, NOT Nintendo.
So, if your area is only getting 1 or 2 a week, blame the retailer.
Also, remember that Nintendo is supplying the ENTIRE planet. Not just US and Japan (ahem, PS3).
Just because the hardware is not as cutting edge as the PS3 or 360, doesn't mean they can crank out a million units every week. Read up on hardware manufacturing in general, it is not as easy as: "oh this isn't spanking new tech, should be easy to make!"
Rubang B @ Mar 15th 2007 8:05PM
I love the idea that Nintendo is inflating demand by barely producing Wiis, while at the same time outselling everything else. We better pray that they don't increase production, or come May it will sell 3 million a month! YIPES! Next thing you know, the PS4 will be weaker than the PS3, have motion controls, and cost $180!
NintendoFanbot @ Mar 15th 2007 8:21PM
"Next thing you know, the PS4 will be weaker than the PS3, have motion controls, and cost $180!"
Now see wut Nintendo gon dun did! Dagnabbit Nitnedo!
*shakes fist viscerally*
scepia @ Mar 15th 2007 8:25PM
I would think that Wii should be produced faster on average. Sure, there will always be flukes, like a bad batch of chips and the like, but even IBM has limited production - and which do you think is more easy to mass produce - Broadway or Xenon?
fah-q @ Mar 15th 2007 9:21PM
Jesus, I swear nintendo fans are more obsessed with PS3 than sony fanboys are.
Do a count on this page. How many times has wii been mentioned? How many times has PS3 been mentioned? PS3 outnumbers. And its the nintendo fanboys bringing it up.
You know a group is desperate when they can only measure their success against a complete failure.
Nino @ Mar 15th 2007 9:25PM
#40 And I would probably buy it, unlike the PS3.
Rubang B @ Mar 15th 2007 9:54PM
Yeah me too.
Wilbur @ Mar 15th 2007 10:08PM
Wii sales are already starting to falter in Japan.. the top games sales are WiiSports, WiiPlay, and some other mini-game collection. All gimmick games with no substance that sell on hype.
Zelda bombed there and they're not interested in Metroid... whats left? ... Mario may boost sales. And, all those DS games that they are porting over to Wii simply dont work on a console.. $50 for Cooking Mama Wii? lol..
Can you say GameCube.. 1.5?
Dolla Dolla @ Mar 15th 2007 10:25PM
@Wilbur
Whatever you do, DON'T look at february NPD numbers. The "Gamecube 1.5" cleaned up in hardware, while the 360 cleaned up in software. And ... well ... that's all the good news, really.
Rubang B @ Mar 16th 2007 12:30AM
Whoa, Dolla Dolla, thanks for reminding me the NPD numbers came out. I remember reading that one assclown's estimates that Wii would sell 350,000 and PS3 would sell 200,000. WOW, 379,250 to 133,740. Just under 3 to 1, Japan style.
Sly @ Mar 16th 2007 2:05AM
Exaggerated. Where something is overstressed. Like somebody saying I sold this many and you find out he's been slacking all this time.
steve17 @ Mar 16th 2007 3:06AM
i dont know what to think about the wii shortage being "made" by nintendo. it sounds possible. cause the wii really cant be that hard to produce. it IS made with simple KINDA last gen hardware(not pickin fights with you ninty guys, but its true) so i dont see how they couldnt crank em out fast enough.
but making a fake shortage wouldnt help them out that much. if someone has got cash in their pocket lookin at walmart for a console, and wiis are all gone. they might REALLY want to start playin so they might pick up a 360 or ps3 instead.
i do honestly dought its a fake shortage though. i mean, at this point keeping the hype doesnt matter anymore. its been out 5 months. people want it. they already know everything about it and what they are getting in buying it. and they have already pulled off the greatest launch in any consoles history. nintendo has nothing to lose in the wii demand department. they are pushin em out the door as fast as they can.
i think the fake demand theory is stupid if you think about it.