The elusive Wii. 4 months shy of 2 years on the market and it is STILL incredibly difficult to find one in the shopping aisles...at least here in North America it is. The problem is so severe that conspiracy theorists have concluded that the shortage is done on purpose despite the system being the fastest selling (and therefore most produced) home console in history.
To counter this notion Nintendo is prepared to address this rampant shortage...
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's President and Chief Executive Officer, says to Forbes magazine in an interview:
"We are really intending to increase the shipments to the U.S., especially compared to last year. However, I can't give you a 100% 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."
How much is Nintendo's "best", I wonder?
Iwata also says that the company has been caught off guard by the Wii's unusually high demand in the U.S. as compared to Europe and Asia. "We could not imagine it would be that high," says the prez. That's the thing about blue oceans, I guess. Endless horizons with no land in sight. How DO you plan for it really? But with Nintendo's growing list of blockbuster system-selling titles they would be wise to ramp up production to make sure more holiday time shoppers won't disappoint their commercially influenced loved ones. 3 years in a row of a Wii I.O.U. makes for quite a sad panda. No coal in the stocking this year Nintendo. Ramp it up!
Thank you Forbes.com.
John Lucas
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