Wii can't meet demand for holiday season, says Reggie

by Scott Jon Siegel { Oct 1st 2007 at 9:30AM }

Faster than we could say "Nintendo," the Wii has once again slipped back into questionable supply for this holiday season. Where previously Reggie Fils-Aimé appeared confident in the "unprecedented" number of Wiis in stock this Winter, now the Nintendo of America President seems convinced that demand will still far exceed supply, with shortages through the end of 2007 meaning crummy Christmases and half-baked Hannukahs two years in a row for some gamers.

In an interview with Mercury News, Fils-Aimé goes "on the record" to state that the Wii can't possibly meet demand by the end of the year. He strongly emphasizes that this is not a production issue, and has to do merely with the incredible demand for the product, which production has been unable to keep up with (though that does sound like a production issue to us).

Still, Reggie promises that the Wii will be appearing in retail locations at an almost constant flow, and urges potential buyers to call stores persistently to ask when future shipments are arriving, and to get to stores early.

[Via GamesIndustry]

Tags: holidayseason, nintendo, reggie-fils-aime, reggiefilsaime, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Konny @ Oct 1st 2007 9:37AM

Just take the units from Japan... sales have nose dived in the last month...

Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Oct 1st 2007 9:39AM

Actually, they are taking Wii's from Japan to restock the stores in USA.

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 1st 2007 9:43AM

Oh Konny...if only you weren't such a complete troll, you'd see that sales have been down for everything in the past month.
Except the PSP. Go figure.

Cuja @ Oct 1st 2007 9:38AM

Need to worry more about the demand for excellent games.

baby sea tuna @ Oct 1st 2007 10:27AM

True, but compared to the other systems, not so much. Since both the 360 and the PS3 were selling at a loss (with the idea that they'd make up the $$ via attach rate) and Nintendo is making a healthy profit off of each Wii sold, there's really no major incentive for them to crank out decent, innovative, original games.

In fact, it'll probably be the same MO as the Gamecube: Push as much hardware as you possibly can, crank up the profit machine with tons of moderately useful peripherals (bongos, GBA cables, GBA adapters,) and milk the ever-loving-hell out of your cash-cow franchises. The difference this time is that the Wii is selling a hell of a lot better than the Gamcube ever did.

DarthDavid @ Oct 1st 2007 9:38AM

During the summer season, I was able to get around 6-7 systems (for friends and family). Maybe I should get a few more for the holidays and make some money =]

FOXHOUND @ Oct 1st 2007 9:38AM

I swear, he's got a "Mona Lisa style stare into your soul(and wallet)" portrait there. Creepy.

Jerk Face @ Oct 1st 2007 10:57AM

He looks like a total douché in that picture.

upz @ Oct 1st 2007 11:43AM

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Zing!

jsn @ Oct 1st 2007 9:43AM

ugh. please... just ship your units and stop using these faux shortages as marketing. Let the console earn sales based on good games and good word of mouth, not fake shortages.

hegemonyhog @ Oct 1st 2007 10:42AM

They're already outselling their nearest competitors by over a hundred thousand units...they aren't creating a faux shortage.

This is what's amazing - they've sold units faster than any other system in history...ever. At that volume, can you seriously say there's a fake shortage?

TRUTH @ Oct 1st 2007 9:46AM

People are still actually buying them....

Carlos @ Oct 1st 2007 9:51AM

seriously stop the b.s. train... this is getting old there's like 20 wii's sitting in both my local bestbuy and circuit city store chains right now! and theyve been there for atleast a month already... give it up reggie..

FOXHOUND @ Oct 1st 2007 10:01AM

Carlos -- If you're serious about that, I'd suggest buying them as soon as possible, to then sell on eBay during the holiday season. It would undoubtedly turn up a really nice profit. ;D

Vidikron (FU) @ Oct 1st 2007 10:14AM

@Foxhound

I've had the exact same experience. The past few times I've been through our local Best Buy they've had plenty of them. They actually had a pyramid of 20+ systems on the floor next to a pyramid of Halo 3 360s. Last week when i was there there was only about 10 or so in the same location, but they still had them.

Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 1st 2007 10:18AM

I have never seen a wii at my local best buy. Ever. There's a spot on the shelf for it with a sticker, but I've never seen a wii box on the shelf since launch.

FOXHOUND @ Oct 1st 2007 10:36AM

Vidikron (FU) --- Just out of curiousity(and if you don't mind answering), are you in a well-populated city or region? Granted, I'm in Central Florida myself, and they're usually sold out or sold used/"like new"-restocked if it's even in. I'm looking to get a 2nd one before Christmas for a family member, hence the inquiry.

I just hope I can get ROCK BAND in time in November.

Farseer @ Oct 1st 2007 11:12AM

I'm in the Kansas City area, and I have yet to see a single Wii on a shelf - anywhere. Be it Best Buy, Target, Costco, you name it.

If I did, I would buy them and make the eBay profit. Even now, you could make at least $20 a console, and come holiday season, who knows? $20 for less than an hour of work is fine in my opinion.

T3H WICKERMAN @ Oct 1st 2007 11:43AM

There is no shortage of wiis where i live they are everywhere !

Vidikron (FU) @ Oct 1st 2007 12:07PM

@Foxhound

Depends on your definition of "well populated", but we're defintitely not a huge are by any means. There are maybe 70K or so people in the town with the BB I'm referring to. The area is actually several towns that have pretty much grown together and there are maybe 170K people here.

I'm actually going to BB today over my lunch break to pick up a watch battery I need, I'll see how many (if any) they still have.

Vidikron (FU) @ Oct 1st 2007 2:50PM

Well, I just got back from my errand to Best Buy and there were no more Wiis. They were there for 3+ weeks, but no more. I've been seeing them around quite a bit recently, so I wouldn't be surprised to see some more in a week or two.

Anthony @ Oct 1st 2007 9:55AM

Why is this STILL a problem?

g.Park @ Oct 1st 2007 9:49AM

There's no reason that a company as powerful as Nintendo can't produce enough units to meet demand, a full year after launch.

Let's be honest folks, scarcity and perceived value drive more Wii sales than Cooking Mama and Mario Party. I got hooked into it, and I'm sure a few of you did, too.

RedJoggingSuit(MSDF-Battle Angel) @ Oct 1st 2007 10:02AM

*Raises Hand, lowers head*

baby sea tuna @ Oct 1st 2007 10:03AM

I prefer to use the term "suckered."

jsn @ Oct 1st 2007 10:16AM

raises hand... though I wouldn't say I got suckered. I had great fun with Wii Sports and Rayman. I got suckered on every other game I bought though. It still amazes me how far hype can go to sell units for a system that has the biggest collection of garbage games for a system that's been on the market this long. Seriously, the console has a total of maybe 6 quality games.. the rest or shit minigames or ports with horrible controls.

Slaziman @ Oct 1st 2007 10:33AM

*soft weeping*

ymmv @ Oct 1st 2007 12:12PM

Absolutely. The scarcity feeds the hype and the hype feeds the scarcity. Reggie is feeding the hype by warning consumers to buy a Wii the moment they see one cos you never know when you'll get the next chance. Make people believe the hype and try to make them pick up a Wii before rational thought enters the picture.

The Wii is the least rewarding of all three next-gen consoles. It is an expensive Gamecube with the least must-have games.

vinny @ Oct 1st 2007 12:24PM

metroid prime 3 is the best game ive played all year so far so i think that justifies my purchase, mario and smash will be nice also

JodyAnthony (FDF - Hedonism Bot) @ Oct 1st 2007 9:50AM

i have still only seen systems on shelves 3 times in the past year, and each time there was only one left

Jonny @ Oct 1st 2007 9:53AM

I guess I don't see the logic when people say that the Wii is already dying in Japan because it had one bad week where it outsold the PS3 2:1 and the 360 almost 7:1. Can someone explain this to me? The only thing that went up was the PSP and how many millions behind the DS is it? Like I said, if somebody can explain this I'd be more than happy to listen.

Konny @ Oct 1st 2007 9:59AM

Its had a few weeks of decline actually... from 100k+ units a few weeks ago to a bit over 25k.. its still better than PS3/360.. but, the trend isnt promising considering there's no potential for it.

The top games in Japan are WiiSports, WiiPlay, and MarioParty8.. by a HUGE margin.. i guess like most gimmicks, mom and dad lost interest in those. If the trend continues then its not a good sign... and there are ample supplies in Japan.

GRANTED @ Oct 1st 2007 9:54AM

god that man is ugly. he looks like fernando rocker's dad.

Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Oct 1st 2007 9:57AM

You cross the line. Seriously. My dad pass away in December, and I still think of him every day. And by no single you have the right to insult my dad.

GRANTED @ Oct 1st 2007 10:27AM

wow pwned by actual tragedy.

we all lose. apologies.

Flying Spaghetti Monster @ Oct 1st 2007 10:35AM

Wait a minute here, you can call other posters on this blog names, and talk shit about them, but no one can talk shit about your dead dad?

No, it does not work like that. You wanna talk so much shit, expect some to be slung back at you. Typical response really, I expected nothing less from you.

Shoes on the other foot and it does'nt seem to fit to well huh?

Your dad's bugfood, get over it. My grandparents are bug food, my cat recently became bug food.
Death is just the completion of the circle of life.
And someday, YOU will be bug food. Not me, as I will be cremated.

AirIntake @ Oct 1st 2007 10:44AM

Fernando, what he said would only approach crossing the line if GRANTED had some psychic abilities and knew your dad was dead, which I doubt. Don't bother crying on the internet, it just doesn't seem to get any sympathy.

Ska Oreo @ Oct 1st 2007 10:45AM

YOU NEVER NEVER NEVER DISRESPECT REGGIE!!! FOR HE SHALL EAT YOUR SOUL AND RIP YOUR MOTHER IN HALF.

Korova @ Oct 1st 2007 11:08AM

Dont worry about it Granted. Fernando is the prima insensitive poster on the blog. I cant even tell whether the guilt trip he just pulled is based on genuine fact or an invention for rhetorical advantage. Its the internet, you just cant tell these things.

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 1st 2007 12:10PM

everybody dies. deal

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 1st 2007 1:45PM

Hey SKA OREO, don't you mean

YOU NEVER NEVER NEVER DISRESPECT REGGIE!!! FOR HE SHALL EAT YOUR SOUL AND RIP YOUR MOTHER 3 IN HALF.

?

Ryan Smith @ Oct 1st 2007 10:07AM

If anyone wants a Wii stores in my area have plenty. This is just a bunch of bull. Basically he is saying, make sure you buy one if you see it right. Wow really, he wants us to buy up all the Wii's, I'm so shocked, glad they had a press release.

JanJan @ Oct 1st 2007 2:34PM

Yes, because we all know exactly what area you live in

Jonny @ Oct 1st 2007 10:00AM

That's nothing Carlos. At my local Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop they've never even sold a PS3 or an Xbox 360. In fact they have so many that they're used as currency in the state of Utah. 20 PS3s are roughly equivalent to $5. If you can make shit up then so can I.

Carlos @ Oct 1st 2007 10:56AM

jonny i dont understand why its so hard to believe there are ample supplies of wii's instock somewhere, im not a fanboy of any sort so why would i make this up? just to get daps on the internetz... no my friend if you want ill go and take pictures and send them to you via email... let me know