Report: 400,000 Wiis for Japan launch

  • By Emma Boyes, Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
  • Posted Nov 15, 2006 12:06 pm PT

BBC News says Nintendo will more than quadruple Sony's day-one PS3 output in the gamemakers' home country.

Demand for Sony's new PlayStation outstripped supply at its Japanese launch last weekend, with a reported 88,000 systems sold, and an abundance of potential customers turned away.

While that scene could repeat itself next month when Nintendo launches its Wii console in the country on December 2, there's a good chance that more gamers will go home with the coveted console. BBC News is reporting that Nintendo expects almost 400,000 Wii systems to be available on launch day, more than four times Sony's reported rollout of PlayStation 3s.

Previously, Nintendo has been tight-lipped about its specific regional launch numbers, but it has said there will be 4 million Wii consoles shipped worldwide by the end of the year. The Wii is due to launch in the US on November 19, with Australia and Europe following on December 7 and 8, respectively.

Nintendo representatives did not return requests for confirmation of the 400,000 figure by press time.

221 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Nov 23, 2006 2:52 pm PT

    this will definitely help nintendo!

  • Atomic_Mutant

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 10:32 pm PT

    From the looks of it I think I know why Nintendo changed its console moniker from revolution to wii.

  • mackdaddy1342

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 10:23 pm PT

    I CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • General-Havoc

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 10:13 pm PT

    Seriously Klash where have u been? under a rock? the wii isnt a quote "next gen console" ITS THE NEW GEN. And I will go far as to say that u are a shallow gamer who just cares enough upto the point that the game look pretty, and has enough juice to play the one type of game u like. Please make sure u do your homework before posting stuff online ok now?

  • PoopTete

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 9:04 pm PT

    klash47, you are dumb. and that is all i need to say.

  • Klash47

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 8:08 pm PT

    i saw the wii's preformance and graphics and its terrible its not even next gen. PS3 is going to ruthlessly crush them. this is probably the end of the road for nintendo. they'll throw in the towel and end up making games for sony like sega.

  • EPaul

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 7:58 pm PT

    Cool

  • roareh

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 4:02 pm PT

    lucky americans get one tonight! not long till the 8th!

  • iceuk

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 2:56 pm PT

    More happy people.

  • halo4lyf

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 2:14 pm PT

    really can't wait !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i live in the uk so i got too wait till the 8th to get mine ill be there to pick mine up an ill make sure of it lol

  • helluvagood

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 10:46 am PT

    cant wait, maybe i get the wii, maybe ps3

  • sugreev2005-06

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 4:36 am PT

    ...and that's 4 hundred thousand and not 4 million.

  • sugreev2005-06

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 4:25 am PT

    I'm sure sony's gonna catch up somehow.Dreamcast had a head start too,and look what happened to it.

  • nfreak

    Posted Nov 18, 2006 3:14 am PT

    400,000 Wii Systems, and that too at a cheap price than the other consoles. 1 for me, 1 for you and 1 for everybody. In the end everybody goes home happy with a Wii System.

  • NIZZLE_GAMER

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 7:18 pm PT

    THATS COOL I CANT WAIT TO GET ONE!!!!!!!

  • jc5002

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 11:07 am PT

    craps his pants thinking about how much money nintendo will make

  • nuke82

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 10:11 am PT

    If there is going to 400,000 in Japan and over 500,000 in the US how many are Wii getting in the UK?

  • LexLas

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 10:09 am PT

    I am crossing my fingers I get one also. It's defenitely well priced for an up to date system. I can't wait to start of a new year with a new system. Thanks Nintendo for making it affortable for families and everyone. Oh and can't wait to see the live event coverage.

  • KingKoop

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 5:44 am PT

    Man I hope I get Wii-ed on Dec 8th

  • skee_uk

    Posted Nov 17, 2006 2:08 am PT

    ps3 well over priced

    i stated earlier on the GS forums that £429 is a heck of a lot to pay for a games console in the UK i suppose that would be same for US also

    with a game that would mean £470 eeek

    il get 1 eventually but certainly not yet, il keep the 360 and ive pre ordered a Wii, i thinkk the Wii will be smart with smart games

  • yawannataco

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:54 pm PT

    Jingwa:

    Congratulations! You have been brainwashed by the Sony PR Dept. into thinking it's not only ok, but a good deal to pay $599 for a game console! The issue isn't what it is, it's what it should be, IMHO.

    And on Sony's heat thresholds, why not mention the CD drive on the PS1? You know, the one in generation 1 systems that got warped by the heat comming off the PSU.

  • rusty_13

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 7:10 pm PT

    i think the problem with sony is the lack of systems, nintendo is delivering enough systems and even if it sells only the half of them worldwide, is going to sell a lot more than sony is. The ds is selling more than the psp, proving that it isn't just about the graphics, the ps3 graphics are awesome but i don't know if it will make the difference. Nintendo will sell more than sony this year (obviously) but we will have to wait until the end of 2007 to see who wins

  • jingwa

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 6:28 pm PT

    "DeathKnight03
    Ok for you people who say that the PS3 is over priced.... HELLZ NO!!! it is way underprized for the cost of wut it has in it... i buddy of mine is a PS3 maniac and he was telling me that the video card for the PS3 right now would be worth about $1500 CAN why is double wut the PS3 is selling for and that is not including all the other components of the PS3... even though saying this im still get the Wii over the PS3... nintendo always makes funner better games!!! "

    If you were Sony's president would you sell a console which had a graphics card valued at $1500 and everything else ontop of that for its current price?, even with software sales you would make no profit. By the time you were getting close to making money you would already have a ps4 in the works.

    Plus if you ever took 2 tv's with the same screen size together and ripd their backs of you will find pritty much everything is identical, you look at circuit diagrams, pritty much the same, component quality (heat thresholds etc) pritty much the same, just the internal layout is diferent...oh and the 30% increase in price on the Sony product. The bigest diferences between a **** Tv and a good Tv is cheapy ones have components with low thresholds = to much heat cant handle it, to much power variances = cant handle it etc etc. Were as the higher end Tv's will have better thresholds....well most of the time, some brands made me laugh, i've come across a few Sony stereo systems which were considered high end which made me laugh. But at the end if u know 2 brands last just as good, because there basically the same inside, your paying 30% more for the Sony why? because you think it looks better, thats about all. That is also why i bought a Sony Tv, it looked better so call me a fool lol.

    Either way Sony bringing out less consoles saves them money down teh track, be cheaper to manufacture the consoles as time goes by and they will want to drag it out as much as possible before they start going crazy down at the factory.

    Wii on the otherhand it pays for them to release their little box early and as many as they can muster, manufacturing costs are still high because its not outdated technology, just lower end of the stick technology, but it is hell of a lot cheaper then making a Ps3 and they will want to cash in on that factor before Sony starts cashing in.

  • CT-Link

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 5:58 pm PT

    wow...first the DS killed the PSP in terms of selling...and now the WII from day 1 is going to rule the "mighty" PS3...if this goes alright and NINTENDO wins this console war...say hello to the old king of games!

  • galway

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:52 pm PT

    how can the PS3 have a $1500 game card when its selling for $600. thatd mean that sony is losing money and id doubt that. I dont care that much though cause im getting a wii

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:50 pm PT

    I already have 3 confirmed pre orders and 9 games, looks like i'll need some Wii points as well.

  • DeathKnight03

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:31 pm PT

    Ok for you people who say that the PS3 is over priced.... HELLZ NO!!! it is way underprized for the cost of wut it has in it... i buddy of mine is a PS3 maniac and he was telling me that the video card for the PS3 right now would be worth about $1500 CAN why is double wut the PS3 is selling for and that is not including all the other components of the PS3... even though saying this im still get the Wii over the PS3... nintendo always makes funner better games!!!

  • nem1

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 4:22 pm PT

    Sony actually profited from running out of systems. they lose money for each console sold. Nintendo did it, the Wii will definately sell the most... but im still trying to figure out which one is better

    BTW: im not saying the PS3 is better than the wii (cause people that say that usually get flamed)

  • Scammeleon

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 3:29 pm PT

    PS3 = Loss on each console sold + less units available
    Wii = Profit on every console + more units available

    ...
    Hmm...

  • MC_Raptor

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 2:29 pm PT

    i don't know if anyone has realised but nintendo will make a ten thousand million, 10,000,000,000 yen from the sale of the console alone in japan, which is around £48.3 million

  • cspiffo

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 1:10 pm PT

    It's nice to see how informed people are on this forum. Everyone seems to remember the past of the videogame market and how it will effect the future!!! Wiiii and DS will certainly be a tough pair to compete against. XBOX seems to be doing a good marketing job too! I used to like Sony's systems until they created all controversy and jacked up the cost to own a Next Gen Console. People used to by consoles because they were cheeper and easier to deal with than PC's. What do we have now? An over priced hunk of electronics that will be obsolete in two years! Just like every other console! I play for the games Sony! Not the numbers. That's why I got a 360 and plan to buy a Wii this time around.

  • lfink

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 12:24 pm PT

    4 million wiis sounds pretty cool hope i get one!

  • lfink

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 12:23 pm PT

    4 milion wiis sounds pretty cool hope i get one!

  • meadie88

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 11:57 am PT

    i suppose ninty should enjoy the only time this decade (and likely next) that they'll sell more than sony on the home console front!

  • 72476

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 11:37 am PT

    trys to work out how much money 4 million wiis wil make but runs out of toes

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 11:15 am PT

    Thatsa lotta Wii's (mario voice)

  • SpareJesus

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:42 am PT

    Rect_Pola:

    Don't forget about the NES hardware.

  • kails

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:33 am PT

    Well its pretty obvious PS is going to lose this holiday and probably next year for the first 6 months

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:30 am PT

    Wii will be teh next DS

  • mariokart64fan

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:17 am PT

    you know nintendos gonna out sell ps3 all the launch ps3 may sell but wii will as well and theres double the wiis then ps3 any where

  • mastersavage

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:58 am PT

    Snakenamedjoe You're totally right. Some 3rd party developers, after nitendo show full specifications of Wii, realized how cheap could be develop games to it. Days after this several developers announced games for Wii.

  • Chadius

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:16 am PT

    snakenamedjoe continues rollin' the facts out.

    What was deemed "necessary organization" in the 80s became "draconian" by the late 90s. Ironic how Sony's "Bleeding Edge cinematography" will become "holier-than-thou" if they don't shape up.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 9:07 am PT

    chrisdojo said:
    "so, this means that nintendo will sell 4x more consoled than sony did"

    Actually it's 5x, and I'd be genuinely surprised if there were any function problems. The only time I know of that coming up on Nintendo's part was with the Virtual Boy melting your retinas. But even that was a flaw by design they admitted to from day one.

  • snakenamedjoe

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 7:54 am PT

    It wasn't necessarily bad. They often had good reasons. From their perspective it was just good business for all involved.

    In the beginning there was Atari (and a few others who are mostly not worth mentioning). In that time there were no 3rd party developers. Hardware makers did not want other companies profiting from their product. They wanted to make all the software and thus make all the profit.

    In 1979 a group of disgruntled Atari programmers were upset that they got no recognition or bonuses from good game sales. They sued Atari for the right to make games for their systems and won. They became the first 3rd party developer. Activision. Throughout the early 80's it was considered a bad thing to have 3rd parties making games for your platform.

    After the game crash of 83 Nintendo forced a new console onto the market at huge risk to themselves. After the NES became popular they were the first company to realize that 3rd party developers could be an asset rather than a bane. They looked for 3rd party developers, asked them to make games for them, then locked them into exclusivity contracts to make games only for them. These companies were glad to sign, as no one else wanted them to make games for them.

    With an unmatchable selection of 3rd party games Nintendo controlled the industry for two generations until they were eventually sued for having a monopoly on 3rd party developers. Other companies had realized the secret to Nintendos success and wanted in on it. By that time many 3rd parties were upset with Nintendo for stopping them from making games on other platforms, and were excited to get out from under them.

    Nintendo also had strict rules in place about the quality of games allowed on their system to try to prevent another game crash like in 83. This further upset the 3rd parties who jumped ship and went with Sony's new Playstation, which was easier to get clearance to develop for.

    Nintendo lightened up in the years of the Gamecube, but by then Sony had too much market share. Nintendo could not recover.

    Now with the newest generation Sony, aparently unaware of industry history, is pushing 3rd party developers away, telling them that there is only room in the industry for the largest developers to survive. Small companies will not be able to afford to make games for PS3.

    Nintendo on the other hand, has seen the upcoming problem and has worked to make games easy and cheap (comparatively) to develop on their new platform by upgrading the controls more than the CPU specs. 3rd party developers will likely flock back to Nintendo, bringing them back to the top of the industry. Only time will tell.

  • Chadius

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 7:32 am PT

    Dayum, snakenamedjoe. I thought I was the only Nintendo fan who remembered all the bad stuff they did...heh.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 6:51 am PT

    so, this means that nintendo will sell 4x more consoled than sony did

  • snakenamedjoe

    Posted Nov 16, 2006 6:35 am PT

    Well, it's early. The 12 year olds are mostly in bead or off to school.

    Thanks though.

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