Is Nintendo holding back?

[VideoGameCritic]

This morning I stopped at a few stores that sell video games (like EBGames), and when asking about the Wii, they all said they usually get one shipment of Wii per week - and only THREE in a shipment!!

No WONDER you can't find one of these things!  What the hell?  Could Nintendo be purposely holding back on production in order to keep the demand high?  I'm getting annoyed!

[m0zart1]

Honestly, my hope is that Nintendo has sold these things like hotcakes and have just run out of supply to make weekly demands.  But my more guarded thoughts are that Nintendo is holding supply back out of fear of oversaturating the market.  Personally, I hate that kind of business practice, and I hope they aren't guilty of it.  But if they are, then Reggie should be thoroughly horsewhipped in Times Square.

[Minzo]

Every time I go to EB Games there is always someone asking for own. Sadly the never get there way. I am pretty sure The Big N is doing it on purpose. They want people to get a Wii the chance they get. You know? Starving them and put the buffet right in front of them.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

I don't think Nintendo is holding back at all.  Every time I go into a Toys R Us or BestBuy they all say the same thing.  "We get one shipment a week.  It's usually during the week and its anywhere from 10-40 systems.  The systems usually sell out in a matter of hours."

 

Basically you still have to get lucky.  Your best bet is to go searching during the middle of the week.  Thats when all the shipments come in.  Walmart, Toys R Us and BestBuy seem to get the most systems, while EBgames get a handful a week. 

 

I know a handful of people that scored Wiis recently so its not like they aren't shipping them.  Its just that they can't match demand at the moment.  If you live near a big cities you probably have less change of snatching one since there are more people looking for one.

 

I don't think Nintendo can afford to not be shipping these things out.  There is so much demand and they can't afford to lose this steam.  They haven't had success like this in years and if they withheld systems it wouldn't be smart business on there behalf.  They need to everything possible to keep the public happy with there "little system that could."

[Chris Marsh]

Best Buy has not had a shipment in a month. I am starting to think that the N is doing it on purpose for the reasons previously listed. I haven't even seen one at all anywhere else, but I have seen tons of PS3's ripe for the picking.

[chrisbid1]

i really doubt it,

unlike sony or ms, nintendo doesnt lose an arm with every unit of hardware sold. they probably didnt anticipate demand would be as high as it is.

i would suspect the new age of global launches keeps supply levels low as well

[Varian]

Video Game Critic, why couldn't you have waited one more day before asking such a question? NPD numbers are due tomorrow. =)

But the answer is no. According to Ninendo's financial statement, six million Wii are to be shipped up to March and we know four million was manufactured up to the end of December. Most of the Wiis are going to North America.

Wiis are sold out everywhere. In Japan, Wiis are sold out but outsell every Sony platform combined (including the PS3). Keep in mind that raising production isn't as easy as pushing a 'fast' button. Nintendo's making of six million Wiis (and having so many for launch) makes it the best performing launch console ever, way above the Xbox 360 and even the PS3.

Constant sell outs are not uncommon for Nintendo lately. The DS Lite has been sold out in Japan for an entire year (despite Nintendo shipping 120,000 - 200,000 a WEEK just for Japan). Wii is still sold out. PS3s, however, are readily available. It is possible for Wiis to remain sold out for this entire year in the U.S.

But Nintendo isn't holding back. They are shipping the same amount, probably more, than Sony is with the PS3.

[Bartman]

VGC, have you checked at least every store that sells games in your town? I mean, there has got to be at least one store with a Wii. I live in a small town where there is no stores that sell games, but live ten miles from some stores and at least sixty or over eighty miles for all those major stores. Anyways, during Christmas at a Wal-Mart, I saw no Wii's. I agree with some of you guys. The Wii is the hottest selling game system and could be best selling for the next couple of years. Everyone around the world wants the Wii, so that probably means you need to wait for the system. PS3 will be easy to find now due to the issues. Did you know that in March, the PS3 will debut in Europe? Xbox 360 is terrible in Japan due to the horrible sales of the original Xbox but it is good in America due to Microsoft being here in America. I don't own one but the Wii will be the best system ever!

[feilong801]

The word from the major game news websites is that production should be much improved from President's Day on.

 

Unfortunately, you are the only person who has had this much trouble getting one. Even some of the later adopters I've talked to pretty much managed to get one by showing up at a big box store when they opened on the weekend.

 

But perhaps the stores in your area stock differently, the ones here seem to like to put things like that out on Sunday mornings?

 

-Rob

[Paul Campbell]

I also doubt that Nintendo would take any chances by holding back.  If they had always had a firm lead in the market, like with portables, then maybe.  But with a system that is so popular and actually MAKES them money when they sell it, I doubt they would take any chances by not making them available.  This is just how it goes when you have to decide how many of a system to initially make.  If you make too many and the system fails, you have a bunch of systems to horde out or dump in a landfill on top of 2600 E.T Cartridges.