RSSFour Million Wiis by Year's End
By Ed Oswald | Published November 1, 2006, 12:09 PM
Nintendo said it plans to make at least four million Wii consoles available between its launch November 19 and the end of the year. While most of those consoles will be shipped to the Americas, the company still expects demand to be outpaced by supply.
A rapid replenishment system has been designed by Nintendo that is intended to keep Wii shipments flowing to store shelves on a consistent basis, it said.
"Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary," Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime. "Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers -- people looking for a better way to play."
The Nintendo Wii will go on sale in the US on November 19 at a price of $249.99 USD. Within five weeks of launch, 62 games are expected to be available for the console, both new and classic games. Nintendo will launch the Wii in Japan on December 2, followed by a European launch December 8.
I don't know. Can the year's end actually handle that many Wiis? ;)
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|There's always going to be new kids wanting new games.
Great strategy, Nintendo...
I mean kids don't really care about HDTV or something lol.
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|w00t.
Oops... I mean sWiit!
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|Well if this is any indication, the gamestop I buy from said they were sold out of wii preorders in 20 minutes.
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|nphoops
Yes they will sell out, of the first and second shipments, but with 4 million units I think there will be units in the stores at least by the end of the year.
Now it might be in a town with 500 people, where nobody bought one, but I do think there will be some units left before/on/after Christmas.
If Nintendo was smart they would make a goal to get a large shipment to every store on January 1st 2007
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|Will the Wii sell out before Christmas?
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|4 milion units, now this is a launch.
IMO, sony should take note and postpone their PS3 untill they can offer at least couple million units.
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|...but they'd miss the holiday season, not to mention pre-orders, etc. That's the big issue.
Still, I think you're right, but Sony has emphasized the release date so much for so many time frames prior to this one, they kinda have to deliver on the expected date now.
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|yep, they'll miss holiday season but the people who want this will not mind waiting 2-3 more month (after a year wait already). also over these holiday season no one but the preordered and enthusiasts will get those anyways and these people will get the system holiday or not. it's not like there will be units available for casual store visitors that might get tempted to buy anyways. so what the rush??
i'm not shopping for any console myself right now.
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|...they're going to wait anyway when the PS3's are sold out and they have to wait for the next shipment. I'm really not seeing a difference here between Sony waiting for launch or making people wait for more units to be made.
Either way, the people wait. Just in one case, some people get them sooner, which makes more people want them even more...
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|Here is a URL to the item at Toys 'R' Us. Though not the best retailer to purchase from, it does list the price at 279.99 Canadian.
http://www.toysrus.ca/we...amp;N=27+&nvalue=27
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|man wish I could find a place in canada that would take pre-orders for one. I can't even find on the internet the price it will be in canada
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|Why do you feel like that alphatrigon?
From what I have seen Reggie is the best thing that has bappen to Nintendo in years, has the chrisma of the that one xbox guy but with a company that has 20 years of experience in the console biz.
Nintendo knows what works and doesn't work, they know give people the supply and they will buy it, and everyone will be happy.
Sony is going to learn the hard way what doesn't work.
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|I think he was being sarcastic with referance to Sonys white exec rumored to being caned.
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|actually I joke a lot but I'm serious in a goofball sort of way :)
As for Fils Aime, I only feel that way because I think he is like many execs over here...in that they often times misreport numbers to look positive in their boss's eye.
I love Nintendo, and may get the Wii. But the statement "Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers -- people looking for a better way to play.", is to me, a sign of someone trying to sell an item nobody is buying.
I'm not saying people won't buy the Wii...I do not believe a non gamer will buy a game/game system...simply for that basic logic therein.
Remember, they've failed a couple of times...and I have a SMALL feeling this might have a touch of virtual boy.
I believe in their supply...it's the virtual boy and Wii thing...hehe
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|Fils Aime is going to bring Nintendo of America down...then he'll need to be replaced with a Japanese exec :p
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