3DS surplus deliberate - Nintendo

Normally, the launch of any new gaming platform is quickly accompanied by shortages. Not so with the 3DS. Despite brisk sales--the portable moved over 400,000 units in a single week in the US--a quick survey of retailers shows that the glasses-free, three-dimensional handheld is in abundant supply at a variety of retailers, such as GameStop, Target, and Best Buy.

That's not a coincidence, according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime. Speaking to USA Today, the executive said that this time around, his company planned to have its latest creation on hand in quantity.

"I would characterize it as a launch where we learned significant lessons from the launch of the Wii, and we made sure to have not only ample supply in the marketplace, but we staged supply so it would not sell out," he told the news daily. "We had product going direct to store, and we also had product in retailers (distribution centers), so they could easily replenish when they had stores running low on inventory. That strategy is why you didn't see massive sellouts on the Nintendo 3DS. Obviously, a sell-through of 400,000 units in one week is exceptional. And the fact that we achieved that without people being worried about massive stock outs and shortages just underscored how we properly executed our supply chain."

Fils-Aime also addressed the possibility of Nintendo's supply chain being affected by the industrial disruptions from last month's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. "At this point, we can say that there are no negative repercussions to our supply chain from the tragedies in Japan," he said. "But as you know, it's an evolving situation and it is something we continue to review very closely and attempt to manage as small an impact on our business as possible." Sony executives aired--and then retracted--concerns the twin catastrophes might affect the launch of the NGP later this year.