GameStop resupplied on PS3, Wii

One of the biggest hitches with Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch last year was a dearth of follow-up shipments that left the console maker unable to make its next-gen system readily available to consumers until months after launch.

Sony and Nintendo might manage to avoid that problem, as GameStop today indicated that last weekend's launches of the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii sold out, but more units are on the way. In an investor conference call tied to the retailer's third-quarter earnings report, GameStop executives confirmed that they have already been resupplied with both systems, and they expect to get more of each on a weekly basis.

The executives also recapped the launch performances of the two systems. For the PS3, Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man and Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 07 were the biggest sellers, while Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Ubisoft's Red Steel stood out from the pack of Wii launch titles.

However, game sales were stronger on the Wii, with GameStop sporting a tie ratio of 3 games sold for every system, compared to the PS3's tie ratio of 1.5 games for each system. The shortfall on Sony's system was attributed to more people picking up the system on its own to turn around and sell it for a premium. As those systems find their ways into the hands of "real gamers," the execs said the PS3 tie ratio should increase.

GameStop's higher-ups noted that their chain historically has the highest tie ratio of any retailer in the country but estimated that they were still shorted on hardware allocation by both Sony and Nintendo. While GameStop and its EB Games brand collectively account for about 25 percent of the US gaming market, the company believes it didn't receive that much of either system's day-one shipments. Executives said that they've never been satisfied with their launch-day allocation of any new machine, but added their main concern now is the flow of follow-up shipments--which both Sony and Nintendo have promised will come at a steady pace.