Nintendo: No guarantee on holiday Wii supplies

Nintendo president tells Forbes that US may face stock shortages once again, apologizes to hardcore gamers disappointed by E3 showing.

There's no guarantee that the "must-have" toy from one holiday season will even be remembered the next, much less still selling out with regularity. Then there's the Nintendo Wii, which launched in November of 2006 and remained a tough find on store shelves throughout 2007.

Those waiting for the system to fall out of favor and be deemed a fad might have a while longer to wait. In an interview published by Forbes this week, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told the financial magazine that he couldn't promise US holiday shoppers would be able to find a Wii for under the tree this year.

"We are really intending to increase the shipments to the US, especially compared to last year," Iwata said. "However, I can't give you a 100 percent commitment [that you'll be able to find a Wii this holiday season]. What I can commit myself to is that Nintendo is going to do its best to supply as many Wii hardware units as possible in order to meet demand there."

Iwata added that more units will be allocated to the US, where demand for the system is disproportionately high compared to Europe and Asia.

The executive also addressed criticisms levied against Nintendo for its showing at this year's E3, which heavily emphasized games aimed at more casual markets, like Wii Music and Wii Sports Resort.

"If there is any perception that Nintendo is ignoring the core gamers, it's a misunderstanding and we really want to get rid of that misunderstanding by any means," Iwata said. "We are sorry about [the E3] media briefings, specifically for those who were expecting to see Nintendo show something about Super Mario or Legend of Zelda. However, the fact of the matter is the so-called 'big titles' need a long, long development period. ... We really didn't think this year's E3 media briefing was the time to do so."

316 Comments

  • just_nonplussed

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 5:18 pm PT

    i'm confused as to what a 'hardcore' gamer is, and what a 'casual' gamer is. there seems to be a generalisation that 'wii means casual', and '360/PS3 means hardcore'.
    i have a friend who has both PS3, and 360 consoles, and plays and completes a lot of the games for it - he also buys a lot of games for it; the type of games he buys are the latest 'block-buster' games (MGS4, lost odyssy, gears of war, heavenly sword etc.). however, he has no interest in lower-spec machines, or older systems (despite having previously owned a PS2, and N64).
    my other gaming friend has all current and next-gen home systems, including the portables; PSP and DS. however, he only plays these 'block-buster' titles, and popular nintendo franchises.
    then my other gaming friend plays on older systems, newer systems, and 'less-well-known-but-critically aclaimed-titles' like killer7, but mostly he plays on SNES titles like secret of mana, starfox, etc. however, he only plays these games 'lightly' (casual?), but has much understanding and appreciation for them.
    i play games that offer something new and interst me. when i have time and the game is good enough i try to get deep into it and play for a long time (vagrant story, Rez, super metroid, PN.03 etc.). other times i play less time-eating games such as gitaroo man, and bit generations on GBA. i try to play a wide range of games and how new the system is, does not concern me much (anymore).
    so what exactly is the meaning to 'hardcore' and 'casual'?

  • king_bobo

    Posted Oct 2, 2008 1:39 pm PT

    Sure... You don't need to be near finishing development to announce a game. They clearly had ignored hardcore gamers, otherwise they would have announced a hardcore game, even if it was only at the design stage. I like Nintendo's creativity, and you can't fault their flawless marketing, but I can't help but feel that they just want you to buy a Wii bundle with a load of casual games, and then pretty much forget about it. It seems to all be about getting more people onto the bandwagon as opposed to appreciating those who like the Wii. Announce some good hardcore games already...

  • BrunoBRS

    Posted Jul 28, 2008 2:32 pm PT

    i have mine
    and iwata said its a developing problem... better than the last statement i heard from a nintendo executive... "core gamers arent our market anymore" >_>

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Jul 28, 2008 9:59 am PT

    It's going on two years now. Talk about not having their crap together.

  • dendae_2

    Posted Jul 27, 2008 9:47 pm PT

    after reading the posts it appears nintendo is great at another thing besides game hardware creation. Making profits but how long can it last? certinly we the lovers of captain N have mario zelda metroid games (I personally love the phantom hourglass) maybe we can hold out for a true classic.

  • Sonicplys

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 3:02 pm PT

    Everyone and their pets have a Wii. Its those so called "gamers" who dont want a Wii that are left.

  • KnightwingX7

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 8:50 am PT

    I have a hard time believing that after this long, Nintendo just can't seem to keep up with production for the Wii. Before anyone blasts me, please listen, because I am not mocking the system, or even here to talk about what it can/can't do. I am speaking from a purely BUSINESS standpoint.

    Since the Wii has been out for over a year and a half, Nintendo has been aware of how successful the system was and continues to be. Knowing full well they cannot keep up with supply, why haven't they tried to expand the factories that manufacture the systems ENOUGH to keep up with supply? I know it has increased since launch but... it's not like the Wii's internal guts are that complex, they are basically the same as the Gamecube X 2 with some modifications. They could at least sub-contract or lease an existing factory or two (either here or overseas) to temporarily lighten the burden if they didn't want to create more factories. The money it would cost to rent these "working overtime" facilities would be more than returned by how successful sales have supposedly been. So if Nintendo is actually "losing money" for every Wii wanting customer that leaves a store empty-handed, how could they not try and capitalize on that profit? It just doesn't add up. They have had more than enough time to accomplish a high enough production rate to meet the demand, since the demand has been consistant. Someone please explain this to me.

  • Gameboy2k

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 4:53 pm PT

    Is it selling out or is the shortage just low? Also, the pricepoint is lower, so more people will buy it. I almost bought a wii for Mario and Metroid... but then I said... nahhhh. I'll wait for next gen Nintendo, which will probably be one generation behind the current generation. Msg4 on the wii, when Msg10 is out on the ps4

  • matrixman2k

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 3:31 pm PT

    ...Still selling out.... so.... hm, hmmm..... never mind.

  • GonzoGuy

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 1:24 pm PT

    Does he even know what the problem is? Does he know what hardcore games are?

    I don't want another Zelda or Mario game announced at E3. I never finished the last Zelda and we just got a new Mario game anyway. We want to hear more announcements like Dead Rising (not even an e3 announcement) or the Castlevania on the Wii. That might satisfy the hardcore crowd. Are we going to have to rely on capcom for any sort of service beyond the bubblegum games? I'm not opposed to a Mega Man FPS on the wii but I hope they get some help.

    Announcements like GTA DS don't help when we have disasters like Burnout DS and Resident Evil DS to remember. GTA on the Wii would've raised my eyebrows. Even a San Andreas Wiimake would've been received better.

    He shouldn't feel too bad of course, the big three all had an extremely boring and predictable E3 this year.

  • Serbine

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 12:29 pm PT

    Nintendo doesn't have to be sorry about E3, it wasn't that disppointing only for those who got there hopes up, anyway we're just have to wait for those awesome games.

  • micmill

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 12:07 pm PT

    R3DN - The Nintendo sales so much because it has sewn up the casual gamer market. So yes, they have done something right; they have made a machine that by in large appeals to children and casual gamers. That's a large market and they obcviously do well with that market. My point is that the true hardcore gamer/tech head does not like the Wii. I don't know a single hardcore gamer that doesn't laugh at the Wii. Sorry bro, no HD, no memory capacity, no movie playing capability, last gen GPU and bandwith, etc, etc, etc. You have no possible argument here dude. When some of the best games on the Wii were last gen games (RE4, Okami, etc) do I really need to say more? And if you think next gen is just about games that look pretty... get real. Have you ever actually played a great next gen game like Gears of War or MGS4???? Hilarious.

  • Gameboy2k

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 11:00 am PT

    I dont think it's just Nintendo who's been a little "weak" with titles. All of these systems jump out and show us cgi cutscenes, but hardly any play. The game industry in general is getting Stale. We need some new blood. Why did last generation seem more exciting?

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 10:46 am PT

    micmill My question is this - how can ANY game on the Wii be meant for hardcore gamers when it has last gen animation technology? Don't true hardcore gamers demand better GPU than PS2 or the original Xbox delivered? I understand why little kids and chicks like the Wii, I don't understand supposed hardcore gamers liking it though....
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    True gamers expect good games. What you're refering to my friend is the typical "Graphics Whore" gamer who only cares about how pretty a game looks.
    the Wii is obviously doing something right if even by now they're still selling out of stock.

  • micmill

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 9:20 am PT

    My question is this - how can ANY game on the Wii be meant for hardcore gamers when it has last gen animation technology? Don't true hardcore gamers demand better GPU than PS2 or the original Xbox delivered? I understand why little kids and chicks like the Wii, I don't understand supposed hardcore gamers liking it though....

  • micmill

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 9:14 am PT

    The Wii is just that, a toy for little kids. It's not meant for hardcore gamers. And as far as next gen consoles, the Wii isn't even in the discussion, it's not a next gen console. Now, if someone wants to compare the Wii to the PS2 or original Xbox, now there's a debate... and PS2 has sold 140 million units, so the Wii has a looooong way to go to catch it.

  • GCwasthebestsys

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 8:42 am PT

    E3 is dunzo, no one really cares about it like they used to starting this year

    Nintendo is working on some big projects i think but they, more than anyone, like to wait a while to bust out new ideas. Thus the lack of games at E3 just proved to me most of the exciting games are earlier in development. that as well as the fact that nintendo, thankfully, doesn't want to sell itself out to some stupid little gaming expo.

  • raahsnavj

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 7:33 am PT

    Not enough Wii's for this year too?! I think now is the time to help show everyone that can't find a wii that the PS3 and X360 are probably better gift ideas anyhow... and you can find them!

  • LordSpleach

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 6:25 am PT

    Nintendo is selling Wii like crazy. I'm waiting for this to be in Guiness.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 12:36 am PT

    I'm having a deja vu. Haven't I seen the comments posted below a thousand times before? This argument is getting old. Some people like the Wii, some people dont. It is outselling the PS3 and 360 and has mass market appeal, but it doesn't cater well to the hardcore crowd. Thats it, end of. Those are the facts in my comment.

  • DDS_StiC

    Posted Jul 25, 2008 12:20 am PT

    Nintendio came off the start really strong this generation, weve seen releases from nearly all of nintys major franchises less than two years from launch and I believe that they simply didnt have anything worth showing for the non-casual gamer at this years E3. Third party developers who complained they couldnt compete with nintendo software should use this opportunity to release some quality titles.

    On the hardware side.....
    I cant believe people still think nintendo is limiting supply to create demand. I dont think anyone expected the wii to sell as well as the ps2
    did last generation, but so far , worldwide, the wii is tracking at nearly twice the number of consoles according to VGChartz. Its easy to say Nintendo needs more factories to build more wiis, but whats the point until component makers can supply the new factories with enough parts to keep them running. Whenever there is a change in a manufacturing process there are quality studies, capability studies, sample runs, ect.. and all of this takes time, and it almost never works right the first time.

  • zfiftyfives

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:29 pm PT

    Failtendo , has left the hardcore gaming community behind and sold the house and dog and beach resort to the masses. pls, how many crap games can a system have, and how many zeldas and super mario games can u milk out, jeez people i just dont understand the love affair with the wii. well maybe if i had i little kid, but i could see the attraction to it.

  • Solid_Azeus

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:07 pm PT

    Wii is a big joke for hard core gaming. Buy it for a girlfriend or sibling or party treat or grand parents that need easy toy games with bright colors and fancy graphics. Young hardcore gamers at heart pls leave this joke and get a xbox360 or ps3. If there's any game to play a Wii for it's Zelda and mario kart period.

  • Jpleblancfinal

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 10:11 pm PT

    how is a lack of storage a misunderstanding?
    they talked about updates for games whar are my updates?

  • padouke

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 8:31 pm PT

    Yeah, I really was not expecting info about Mario, Link, or Samus. But I was expecting info about a Star Fox game or a new Pit Icarus game, or something at least semi-hardcore. and what happened to those games that nintendo showed screens of in early wii development? there was a game about surviving natural disasters, a third-person action game with mature content, all original from nintendo. is that just gone now? i really hope not. nintendo slipped up at E3

  • DannyRice

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 7:52 pm PT

    No one's really expecting a Mario or a Zelda anytime soon, we got one of each last year. Wii Motion Plus is nice, but how many more add-ons are we gonna have to take?

    Animal Crossing is a good franchise, it's good to see a sequel. Now how about Pikmin, Earthbound, Star Fox, Donkey Kong, F-Zero, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and Metroid get in development? That would help tide core gamers over.

    Some of those could reel in the casual gamer and still appeal to core gamers too. Star Fox and F-Zero would both be great options for that. If you got a Wii Wheel with Mario Kart, wouldn't F-Zero be a good way to utilize it some more?

  • fredwv

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 5:54 pm PT

    "Shortage? I'm seing stacks of them everywhere. Maybe I should buy a bunch to sell on ebay?"

    Better be prepared to hold on them until late November. Even then I don't think people will be able to make the profits on them like the past two holiday seasons, but who knows.

  • Dirk13

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 5:41 pm PT

    I guess you haven't noticed that they've taken over the top ten sales lists of late? Wii game sales for the last few months are GREATER than the Xbox 360.

    Fact.

    Now, given that the 360 has sold far worse than the Wii, it's attach rate HAD BETTER BE HIGHER, or it'd be a complete disaster. Of course the system that sells the least will have the highest attach rate, that should be obvious.

    I guess you didn't notice that i said i dont care what kind of sabre rattling they do at this point, with their money they are taking in, what over 50% of us know about the market, logical logistics and just plain damn common sense, it's pretty clear if they really wanted to they could get Wii's stocked and staying on the shelves within a couple months, but after a few grumblings about actual announced shipments way way way wayyy back a several months after it was launched, any real tangible talk about an organized effort to get more out there has been relatively evasive sounding.

    But there is one thing that is on the shelves in almost alrming supply, the software.

    Now, i'm not sure why you mean to say in that it would make sense that the wii sells 'so good that of course it has a low attach rate', maybe you just really like defending them, but it doesnt takea rocket scientist to have seen this issue looming.

    No i dont beleive that the Xbox or PS3's "poorer sales" translate to inherently higher attach rates.

  • Vash67

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 5:27 pm PT

    At least he gave a good excuse for the lack of good hardcore games.

  • Grantsplace2004

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 5:09 pm PT

    Pencilpusher
    Next to none of the people who have posted recently are acting anything like fanboys, most of them have wiis, myself included. I didn't buy a wii just so I could come on the gamespot forums and use it to hide my secret fanboyism. Most of them are just pissed that nintendo didn't mention any interesting games other than maybe the new wiisports.

  • pencilpusher69

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:57 pm PT

    StillWingless In other words:

    "Lol, sorry hardcore gamers. We didn't show anything you cared about this year at E3 because you're not the one buying our systems like they're the new cure to cancer. Maybe next year."

    Shigeru Miyamoto:

    "So while attending an E3 event like this, they might be given the impression that Nintendo is no longer focusing on the games that appeal to the core gamer, in fact we’re still working on many of those titles, but it’s just not the type of event where we’ll be showcasing that anymore."

    The E3 is dead, kids.

    Or didn't you notice that NONE of the publishers really showed anything off at the E3?

    YOU DIDN'T???

    You should have paid attention.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25710005/

    When will the big games be shown for all 3 systems?

  • Grantsplace2004

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:37 pm PT

    enoslives7 said
    "I cant believe people are still falling for nintendo's false shortages. I gotta give then credit though. They have kept demand high for an inferior product with outdated technology." .
    Agreed, even if they aren't limiting supply on purpose, they deserve credit for keeping demand up on such on a weak system. I mean, I knew that is wasn't a very good system, but I still caved and got one. I shouldn't have had to "cave" in order to buy one, or feel guilty for doing so, anything that makes you feel like that is not a very good product, period. I think I'll use it as a door stop until mario universe or sonic XXII comes out.

  • bucanero05

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 4:14 pm PT

    3 years in a row, that's lack of planning.

  • phase4illini

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 3:09 pm PT

    He can take his E3 apology and shove it. The message Ninty sent at E3 was crystal clear. I've supported Ninty through the tougher 64 and Cube times, and far be it from me to get all high and mighty on them, but E3, and that jacka$$ press lady (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36819.html) pretty much told us to go **** ourselves.

    I cannot believe that Wii shortages are anything less than self-imposed in order to drive up demand. It's not as complex or expensive system to build as the 360 or PS3, which means Nintendo should have little problem expanding production to meet demand to keep resale gouging down to a minimum. Gamecubepad, you seriously underestimate the consumer in today's world. Little Timmy will instead take his $400 to Ebay and spend it all (plus shipping and handling) just for a system. Consumers in today's age are allowing themselves to be gouged. While the consumers certainly aren't helping themselves, Nintendo is hardly showing any sign of good faith in terms of meeting demand.

  • ctburesch

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 2:01 pm PT

    The wii shortage has nothing to do with Nintendo limiting stock. And to gamers such as Nintendokid who have no idea what a weak dollar is, here is an article of why wii's and wii fit are hard to find..
    http://www.gizmorepublic.com/gaming/wii-fit-shortage-due-to-weak-us-dollar-5630

  • gamecubepad

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 1:51 pm PT

    I just laugh at people saying Nintendo is creating demand by limiting stock. If little Billy has $400 and he wants to buy a Wii and some games, but can't find one...do you really think he's going to hunt for a Wii for 1-2 weeks? He'll buy a 360 or even in some outrageous case a PS3. Nintendo loses customers by having short supply. If you read the article it says "US shoppers". I remember last year the Wii selling some insane number like 2 million units worldwide in one month. Just last month in the US 666,700 Wiis were sold. So if demand hits 1-2million/month in the US, there's nothing that can be done. Microsoft and Sony could never keep up with demand like that, neither can Nintendo. Get real people.

  • enoslives7

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 1:04 pm PT

    I cant believe people are still falling for nintendo's false shortages. I gotta give then credit though. They have kept demand high for an inferior product with outdated technology.

  • necronaux

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:52 pm PT

    Shortage? I'm seing stacks of them everywhere. Maybe I should buy a bunch to sell on ebay?

  • TheGreatGuero

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:34 pm PT

    I can't believe people are still trying so hard to get their hands on a Wii. I've had mine since launch, and it's been sitting in it's box for the last month or so. I had to pack it up to move it and haven't had any reason to take it back out of the box. There just aren't enough good games on the Wii. I don't think Iwata realizes that none of us necessarily wanted and definitely weren't expecting another Mario or Zelda game so soon. But another big Nintendo franchise could have been nice. Star Fox? F-Zero? Pikmin? Hey, maybe Earthbound. Or they could totally have shown off a new Kid Icarus game or something, or brought back an old franchise. Or they could have tried something totally new that would appeal to hardcore gamers. But all we got was a new Animal Crossing game, and though I loved the original, this one hardly looks like a sequel.

  • legocom

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:06 pm PT

    @acsam12304 "no Nintendo just has no games."

    Glad to know that you know what Nintendo has in store.

    Nintendo did show off a bunch of cool games, granted they weren't FFXIII or GoW2 (both of which I'm excited for), but the particular games they decided to show off were games that appeal to a wider variety of people rather than the hardcore. That's what you're not getting. Course they did announce GTA for DS.....

    I do agree that I wish they had shown off something more, but I am excited about Animal Crossing Wii and the new Pikmin... now we need another Luigi's Mansion...

  • cyn0113

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:03 pm PT

    It's amusing how everyone's complaining that E3 is dead, irrelevant and rather boring, yet also complaining that some companies aren't really bothering with it. It probably mattered a lot before things like youtube and whatnot made disseminating information at a low price much easier. I say go Nintendo, go! Make lots of money! As long as they keep making fun games that I enjoy playing they've done exactly what they needed to. Having just picked up Mario Kart after playing Mario Galaxy, I salute them for keeping quality up.

  • bawkbawkboo1

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:01 pm PT

    I don't have any complaints about the the current Wii overheating/using too much power or anything, but I think they should switch over to a 45nm manufacturing process for the main chips for the units being sold this holiday. They make such a big deal about lower power consumption compared to the 360 and yet they haven't even made an effort to reduce the console's comsuption other than making it weak to begin with. 90nm is unacceptable at this point, and I had hoped that would have relized that before the production jump for the holiday season.

  • StillWingless

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 12:00 pm PT

    In other words:

    "Lol, sorry hardcore gamers. We didn't show anything you cared about this year at E3 because you're not the one buying our systems like they're the new cure to cancer. Maybe next year."

  • HylianHeart

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:43 am PT

    As far as Mario and Zelda haveing long developmental periods; that's pretty much what I figured. Hopefully next year they will show us SOMETHING that has to do with those franchises.

  • acsam12304

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:39 am PT

    last year. E3 was about the hardware.. Sony vs. Microsoft war. This year was really about the games and Nintendo had notthing to show. they showed up with empty hands

  • starerik

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:38 am PT

    "We really didn't think this year's E3 media briefing was the time to do so."

    THIS year's? So he means... next year's? :S I'm not waiting a full year for just a trailer...

  • acsam12304

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:37 am PT

    "Cipher92

    I don't mind as long as my Wii is my secondary console. I know they have big games in development, just E3 is a developer's conference again, and not a place to show off new Games to end users. Developers don't care about games in development that don't pertain to them, they care about new hardware and features. THAT is what E3 is all about since the big change 2 years ago. And that's why Nintendo did not show off their games."


    no Nintendo just has no games.


    grigjd3

    Shaun373, you're not getting it. Nintendo doesn't necessarily want everyone to be able to get a Wii. They got burned with the game cube last generation because they had way too much in stock. We started seeing game cubes at ridiculously low prices just to get them off shelves. This way, Nintendo doesn't have to deal with that. What's more, with the shortages, this creates the image in people's minds that the Wii is desirable, which drives up demand. I believe from Nintendo's perspective, the shortages are a good thing.

    Thats the thing it was the Game Cube, no one wanted a Game Cube. But now a lot of people wants to get there hand on the Wii, so for sure they wont over stock on the Wii they know it everyone knows it. so your wrong.



    also guy, does high demand means the higher the price of a product gets? just something to think about.

  • JCM28PR

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:29 am PT

    PhazonBlazer
    "I miss the old Nintendo"

    We all do Phazon, we all do.

  • grigjd3

    Posted Jul 24, 2008 11:29 am PT

    Shaun373, you're not getting it. Nintendo doesn't necessarily want everyone to be able to get a Wii. They got burned with the game cube last generation because they had way too much in stock. We started seeing game cubes at ridiculously low prices just to get them off shelves. This way, Nintendo doesn't have to deal with that. What's more, with the shortages, this creates the image in people's minds that the Wii is desirable, which drives up demand. I believe from Nintendo's perspective, the shortages are a good thing.

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