Where are the Wiis? Ask Reggie

[FudgeNuggets]

Fun-filter prevents me from reading at work, but I thought I'd share:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/reggie-where-the-wiis-at-241702.php

[hUMANbEATbOX]

what and these forums aren't fun??!!

here's the content for ya:

Nearly four months after launch, Wii-less gamers are still camping out and lining up for the next rumored Wii shipment. So what is Nintendo doing to catch up with demand?

Nintendo of America prez Reggie Fils-Aime spoke on the subject in a recent interview with The Hub.

Nintendo manufactured, through the end of December, four million units worldwide. And to put this in perspective, the ramp up you need to have from a manufacturing standpoint to make four million units, and to make them flawlessly -- our defect rate is miniscule -- that's a huge challenge. Yet, because of the demand, because of the buzz, we could not satisfy consumers worldwide.

We work with our retailers to supply them on a regular and ongoing basis. Some retailers make decisions to hold product to support their circulars that typically drop on Sundays. But I'm now looking at a report that says in 93 percent of retail outlets, there are less than three hardware units available. That is a huge issue and something we're working very hard to fix.

[FudgeNuggets]

Kind of sounds like he got a little dig in on MS and Sony there with the "miniscule defect rate" comment.

[hUMANbEATbOX]

haha, yeah, i caught that too.

but, also, i think he was saying that they are pumping them out at maximum capacity, and they aren't having to throw many away, and they still can't keep up with demand.

[grayg]

miniscule defect rate?

OMG! what was that that just flew past my face!

sorry couldn't resist...

I'll make sure the door hits me on the way out.. :p

[FudgeNuggets]

I think the strap "issue" was more user error than anything. I mean sure it'[s more fun to, but you don't have to flail around like some lunatic whose underwear is on fire while playing with your Wii...

[SolidxSnake]

You can't call the strap problem a DEFECT... unless you're calling the wiitards defective. I've actually had the controller slip out of my hand a couple times, some because I was holding the controller really loose and at the edge, and some because I had the coffee table too close to me and I smashed the controller into it :D (not a single scratch on it, FWIW).

As much of a Nintendo fanboy I am, I don't believe that they can't meet demand. Something's gotta be up, I just can't see there being that much demand for a Wii anymore. People are still camping out for it?! I just don't buy it.

[PYROMANIAC]

i dont really consider the strap problem a defect, more of a 'didnt think it through' type thing.

what i do consider a problem is the console bricking itself on the first firmware update.

As much of a Nintendo fanboy I am, I don't believe that they can't meet demand. Something's gotta be up, I just can't see there being that much demand for a Wii anymore. People are still camping out for it?! I just don't buy it.

i'm not really buying it either. i mean the wii is essentially a gamecube so it's not like they had to figure out how to make it work right.

[kraven]

I totally believe they can't meet demands. I've been looking around for over two weeks, calling every single place around that would have one and none of them have had a shipment. Costco hasn't had one.

[OniKoroshi]

My best buy finally got some in stock, not sure how quickly they sold out but they have em behind customer service with no signs or anything saying they have them in stock.

[TollhouseFrank]

As much of a Nintendo fanboy I am, I don't believe that they can't meet demand. Something's gotta be up, I just can't see there being that much demand for a Wii anymore. People are still camping out for it?! I just don't buy it.

They just can't keep up with it. Every shipment that hits any store here in WV gets sold out within 15 minutes. I've literally been in store when a shipment arrived, and as soon as they are brought out into electronics, it's like people just appear magically out of nowhere and all the wii's are gone lickety split.

[rainless]

They just can't keep up with it. Every shipment that hits any store here in WV gets sold out within 15 minutes. I've literally been in store when a shipment arrived, and as soon as they are brought out into electronics, it's like people just appear magically out of nowhere and all the wii's are gone lickety split.

Hey! It's YOU again. Of COURSE every shipmen they have gets sold in fifteeen minutes... Every shipment only has about three Wiis or so. I'll grant you ya probably can't sell three PS3s in fifteen minutes... but I've definately seen that many PS2s, DS Lites, and even 360s sold in fifteen minutes. (Any time there's a sale where the store is giving away a game AND a gift card with the purchase of a 360... you will see three sold in fifteen minutes.)

The most I've even HEARD of a store getting in was a particularly popular Best Buy in Chicago got ten... TEN.

So the problem isn't some insane demand (if anything, Nintendo should have TEN million sold instead of four) the problem is that Nintendo isn't putting out enough systems.

But I can definately believe the Wii goes through more quality testing than the PS3 or 360... that was always one of their strong points. But they've managed to ramp up production of the DS Lite (which continues to outsell everything)...If I were them I would have every available resource tied up in putting out more systems. This is MARCH... and there is no excuse for it this late after a console's release.

[FudgeNuggets]

errrrr Rainman, when I bought mine at Toys R' Us they had at least 20 of them because I was 20th in line and got one, only 2 people in line had not bought one and they were still handing them out when I left. They had been hoarding them all month though and Target does the same.

[Rydis]

There is always several Wii's in stock at the walmart next door here in st. pete. I have to wonder if this is a marketing strategy to just hype of the console. Not that it needs it.

[Mooyo]

Wiis usually arrive in shipments of 15+, at least thats what I can tell from where I work. Usually they get held for any Sunday ads, but not always.

[rainless]

errrrr Rainman, when I bought mine at Toys R' Us they had at least 20 of them because I was 20th in line and got one, only 2 people in line had not bought one and they were still handing them out when I left. They had been hoarding them all month though and Target does the same.

If they had been hoarding them all month then it stands to reason that they simply received shipments until they HAD twenty Wii's on stock. From the department of the stores I can finally understand why they would do that. A lot of these places (Best Buy and Circuit city to name a couple...) Have gauranteed minimums.

As you've seen I've made it a point to ask about the systems, just as a matter of routine, whenever I go to a store. And every place I've been to usually says they just had ten or so (not even 15) in stock that morning. (Ten being the maximum... I've heard as low as three.)

It seems pretty sporadic. Just after Christmas the EB Games near here was getting about one three PS3s per day. I thought that was exceptional (even if they weren't selling...) for a system that was just released. I'd find it perfectly acceptable if... at this point... they were able to put out three Wiis (or 21 systems per week) every day. But, so far, they haven't come close to that. So far they haven't even come close to having the ten, or alleged 15, every week on a consistent basis.

This is NOT a massive shipment by any means. This isn't even a particularly big, heavy, or complex product to manufacture. I'm still having a hard time understanding what "the problem" is. Either they're creating artificial demand or they don't know what the hell they're doing.

[Elif Tymes]

Or they're a company without the vast wealth of Microsoft, or the Vast production capabilities of Sony.

You can't just magically turn a switch and say "Wow! We did pretty well! Let's increase production!"

Especially if you reach your production ceiling. Sony has been in Electronics Manufacturing for 50 years. of *COURSE* they're going to have the resources to devote to manufacturing their console.

Microsoft has billions. THey could easily just buy a plant every time they want to ramp up production.

Nintendo's been in the biz for what, 30 years? Producing (Exclusively!) Gameing Consoles. I am willing to bet they have an agreement with an (outside) manufacturer actually doing the production, which may or may not have the capacity to build more wiis.

Plus what happens downt he road, after they've reached market saturation(Say, 20Million consoles) then they'd have to scale back production, otherwise they'd wind up over spending.

It doesn't make sense for them to ramp up production too much so that everyone can have a wii right now. It's just bad business sense.

Sure they're taking a PR hit because not everyone can get a Wii, but what happens if they overproduce by 3-4 million? That's a fiscal hit :-p.

[FudgeNuggets]

Nintendo produces more than just consoles, they're a software manufacturer first and prior to that were an arcade game manufactuerer. Donkey Kong ring a bell?

[Janus67]

Hey! It's YOU again. Of COURSE every shipmen they have gets sold in fifteeen minutes... Every shipment only has about three Wiis or so. I'll grant you ya probably can't sell three PS3s in fifteen minutes... but I've definately seen that many PS2s, DS Lites, and even 360s sold in fifteen minutes. (Any time there's a sale where the store is giving away a game AND a gift card with the purchase of a 360... you will see three sold in fifteen minutes.)

The most I've even HEARD of a store getting in was a particularly popular Best Buy in Chicago got ten... TEN.

So the problem isn't some insane demand (if anything, Nintendo should have TEN million sold instead of four) the problem is that Nintendo isn't putting out enough systems.

But I can definately believe the Wii goes through more quality testing than the PS3 or 360... that was always one of their strong points. But they've managed to ramp up production of the DS Lite (which continues to outsell everything)...If I were them I would have every available resource tied up in putting out more systems. This is MARCH... and there is no excuse for it this late after a console's release.
when I got mine from a bestbuy a week or two after launch they had 52 in.

[Springbok]

I'll tell you where all the Wiis are! d94 is sitting on them! (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=503418)
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8776/dscf2989bz0.jpg

[FudgeNuggets]

That guy is always running some kind of scam, LOL.....

[rainless]

JESUS CHRIST!!!

[custom90gt]

I think he steals them off the truck, lol.

[hUMANbEATbOX]

I'll tell you where all the Wiis are! d94 is sitting on them! (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=503418)
and his address is...?

[MEMex]

d94 is the king pin. He has to be running some kind of organization... I mean holy crap! :D

I wouldn't dare cross him, I'm sure he'll have you stuffed in one of those boxes and put up for sale :eek:

[FudgeNuggets]

AMybody remember his ink-cartridge fiasco with Office Depot?

[OC Noob]

4 million by the end of december my ass, maybe 4 million by now, but if you believe they shipped 4 million in 06 I have a bridge to sell you.

[FudgeNuggets]

4 million by the end of december my ass, maybe 4 million by now, but if you believe they shipped 4 million in 06 I have a bridge to sell you.

They've already sold 5.06 million as of January.....

[rainless]

They've already sold 5.06 million as of January.....

BS... All the numbers I saw had them at 4 million by the middle of FEBRUARY. They *promised* four million by the end of december, but it didn't happen.

[FudgeNuggets]

BS... All the numbers I saw had them at 4 million by the middle of FEBRUARY. They *promised* four million by the end of december, but it didn't happen.

http://www.vgcharts.org/?w=5

[rainless]

http://www.vgcharts.org/?w=5

What? Today they have 5.49 million... don't see how that changes what I said...

[Vrykyl]

wii's are still rare as hens teeth over here in the uk.....

[Springbok]

wii's are still rare as hens teeth over here in the uk.....Same in the US, it took me almost two months to find a system, another month to find a controller, and I still can't find a nunchuck for my second wiimote! Haven't seen a single console since I got mine, I was calling 5 stores a day to find one for a few weeks and it finally payed off.

[FudgeNuggets]

nuncucks are all over the place here, Wiimotes on the other hand are a bit more rare. Of course the week AFTER I get my 2nd Wiimote, they start bunding Wiiplay with :rolleyes:

[Springbok]

Yeah I bought Wii Play to get my remote, I guess I'll spread out my search for a nunchuck.

[OC Noob]

http://www.vgcharts.org/?w=5

From their site:

"Welcome to VG Charts - Our Aim and Methodology
VG Charts is the first website of its kind to provide a comprehensive analysis of the worldwide videogame market via a variety of research techniques; including interviews with publishers, developers, analysts, retailers and distributors, historical data fitting and analysis of sell-through information. VG Charts believes that by adopting a multifaceted approach, we can present information that is as unbiased, accurate and as complete as possible.

In preparing its research, VG Charts relies on the following methods:


Industry Interviews
VG Charts relies on an extensive base of industry contacts in videogame development, publishing, and distribution. By working closely with these sources we aim to obtain information from the sources closest to the markets as things are happening.


Analysis of Sell-Through Data
VG Charts analyzes sell-through data from a variety of different sources for Japan, the US, Europe, and rest of the world markets. VG Charts has one primary concern with regard to data collection services: the reliability of market data from any data service is subject to interpretation, and VG Charts verifies the accuracy of sell-through data by conducting interviews with industry executives and competing sell-through services, if available. By adjusting sell-through data to reflect industry feedback, we can create detailed analyses of market trends and provide accurate market statistics and projections.


Extensive Worldwide Database
Throughout its 5-year history, VG Charts has compiled a comprehensive database, including historical sales data and country-specific analyses which is instrumental in our approach to analysing and understanding the latest data that is made available.

We hope you enjoy using the site. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us."

So they are guessing and if I recall correctly, acording to them the PSP was outselling the DS back in November or December when someone sited their Wii sales numbers on these forums. That and there were 7+ million 360's sold back in sept. and acording to their number the 360 would have had to have sold only 2.5 million from october to January, which we know is not accurate. NPD isn't great, but these guys are complete hacks.

Demand is high, but the reason theres a shortage is because the units trickle in. If they weren't you'd see shipments of a hundred+ coming in instead of stores hording to get 40 of them.