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Demand for Wii and DS cramping Nintendo's future plans photo

High sales usually equal good news, but for Nintendo great success is a somewhat of a double edged sword. It seems the demand for both the Wii and the DS are making it difficult to plan for Ninty, per Reggie Fils-Aime's recent comments:

The level of demand we are facing complicates all of our future business planning. All of that becomes a much tougher exercise until we have supply and demand curves that intersect."

Despite the Wii being sold out just about everywhere, the DS was actually the top selling console of the year, selling 1.5 million units in November alone. Some retailers have even expressed concerns about DS supply lasting through Christmas, although I've seen them regularly in stores so far (but as we get down to the last week before the holiday, that may change.)

There was nothing discussed about how things may improve after the holidays, but hopefully Nintendo can regain their footing and find a rhythm that will satisfy consumers. I like the Wii, but I can't help but feel that part of the craze to get one is that they are impossible to find. People pretty much can't resist what they can't have.

[Via Yahoo - Thanks Justin!] 








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Colette Bennett is a Destructoid features editor from New Orleans, Louisiana. She is also a founding member of Destructoid's sister sites Tomopop, a toy lover's blog and Japanator, our anime site. Likes Nintendo DS, NES, Silent Hill series, Rhythm games, RPGs Meet the rest of the team



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33 comments | showing # 1 to 33
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DV2FOX's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:25
DV2FOX
PWNED!!
ShadowXOR's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:26
ShadowXOR
They are shipping out millions every month...they can only create so many.
disneyninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:37
disneyninja
you know, if people could admit to their children that sometimes you don't always get what you want and that santa isn't real people could calm down during the holidays and enjoy them. you'll find one eventually if you put out the effort, but right before the big 25...have they never celebrated giftmas before?
Unicorn's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:40
Unicorn
i found mine quite easily in september this year. they should've bought them early and then hid them in the attic under their great grandmother's underwear... the kids would've never known and they would've received a funky smelling wii on xmas.
Tag's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:44
Tag
I work at Eb in canada. Yesterday we were informed that our warehouse is out of DS's and we will not be recieving any more till after xmas. Our region is already completlly sold out of DS's so no soup for you!
bhive01's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:44
bhive01
I seriously thought that it wouldn't be an issue this year to get one for Christmas/Chanakuh/Kwanzaa/Boxing Day, but damn. I've seen a Wii on the shelf ONCE this entire last year. ONCE. There were two and they were gone in minutes after viewing. I bought mine off of Ebay last year for just a little more than retail.

What is Ninty's current output at the moment?

They should've had this figured out by now.
Rockvillian's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:44
Rockvillian
What disneyninja said, only I wouldn't go so far as to say Santa's dead. I missed out on a lot of gaming when I was a kid cause my parents didn't buy into a lot of the hype, but you know what? I'm an adult now, I have money, and I'm currently playing everything I missed. And most of it was crap anyway.

Plus I made a ton of cool forts in the woods. Yeah, parents need to caaaaalm down...
SourGr8pes's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:45
SourGr8pes
How 'bout they reinstate the Nintendo Seal of Quality after they catch up?
Aaron Mxy Yost's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 13:51
Aaron Mxy Yost
Future business planning? Is that code for the next iteration of the DS/Wii?
AirborneToxicEvent's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:00
AirborneToxicEvent
@disneyninja: Absolutely! Win comment, but the princess is in another castle!
bhive01's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:01
bhive01
That's what I was thinking Mxy. Where is the DS2?
disneyninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:04
disneyninja
@rockvillian

you could always say that santa's elves don't know how to make wii's so he gets them from stores too. and you could leave a note from santa saying they'll get one soon. not as good but whats better than a super suprise extra day of giftmas in january. bonus!
rubadub's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:11
rubadub
Wii hysteria will end in January and by May you will see Wii's selling on craigslist/ebay for $100 because peoples kids will already be sick of them.

Its the American way! :D
Trev's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:18
Trev
"I like the Wii, but I can't help but feel that part of the craze to get one is that they are impossible to find. People pretty much can't resist what they can't have."

That's about how I feel about it. Because the Wii doesn't cater to what I want out of games (or at least hasn't yet), does not mean I don't recognize it as a good system. But Nintendo is really doing their fair share to pump this up. Pulling advertising and selling rain check things, along with mentioning the shortage at every possible convenience; they really don't want to see the wave subside.

Its that "oh no, we might not have enough! better run out and get yours right now." effect that invariably shows up at the holiday season. At least its better than a fucking tickle-me Elmo.
spoot-smeg's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:23
spoot-smeg
I haven't seen a DS for a few weeks since I got mine :)
but I have been seeing the Wii in stock in a few different places there past few days
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:29
PappaDukes
Oh, boo-fucking-hoo! "Our systems sell like crack rocks at a hustler convention, and we're complaining about our future plans!"
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:31
TheStripe
@Rubadub - Just because you want it to be doesn't make it so. Nintendo's juggernaut is going to continue moving unit throughout the current itteration of consoles. They're going to be readily available eventually, but don't expect the bottom to fall out with games like Smash Bros and No More Heroes yet to be released.

You must be thinking of the PS3.
vexed alex's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:47
vexed alex
*sigh*

When is this trend going to die?
vexed alex's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:47
vexed alex
Doublepost = fail

I just want to go into the store and get one. No, I don't want to buy 5 games I don't care about with the system.
Alael's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 14:52
Alael
@SDogg: I think it´s a nice thing Nintendo is focusing on their current console, not a future one. The more they invest in their Wii/DS combo, the better.

I believe Nintendo won´t go into the HD martket for the next 4-5 years, when there will be enough HD TVs around to display the pretty graphics.
Rockvillian's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 15:05
Rockvillian
Whenever Sonic talks, he's always callin Nintendo kiddy.

THIS IS WHY HE'S DEAD PEOPLE!
Grapefruit Juice's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 16:06
Grapefruit Juice
"The level of demand we are facing complicates all of our future business planning." = Weve made all our first party games and would like to start working on gamecube 3.0
Jim's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 16:36
Jim
Blah, I live in Europe and all of our electronics shops have literally HUNDREDS of Wiis - I took this picture a few days ago.

http://ggnxp.com/memex/0454_wii_in_stock/wii_in_stock.jpg

No shortages, just idiotic supply strategies.
savagesaladin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 16:41
savagesaladin
@grapefruit juice

Zing!
JohnTheCrow's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:09
JohnTheCrow
Can we hammer the final nail into the coffin that is referring to Nintendo as "Ninty?" For God's sake. If not for God's sake, then for you not looking like a pretentious cunt-bag's sake.
foxhound009's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:15
foxhound009
here's a little tip. :P buy one outside states.. ;P here in Hollland they're still avaible and still 250.. euro :P so no 500 bucks for a wii :/
9to5's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:18
9to5
Dear Santa
can you please ask Nintendo to make their next console generation shit so we can actually find them in the shops please?

Thanks.

PS- not as shit as the PS3 though FFS.
Namelessted's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:20
Namelessted
The DS is not a console, it is a handheld. There is a significant difference and people need to recognize it.
AlucardX24's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:23
AlucardX24
@Rubadub - If that's true, then why did the gameboy go for so long? I don't know about you, but my Gameboy lasted me about 6 years.
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 17:24
Cheeburga
I've been looking for one since day one.
Fading Star's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2007 18:07
Fading Star
@Namelessted
Is handheld console okay?

lol.
Clown Baby's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2007 05:01
Clown Baby
I have STILL

NEVER even SEEN a fucking Wii in person.
Well, ok. I've seen Demo Kiosks at Best Buy and the likes, but with no controllers and the TV not even on, that doesn't count.

I've never seen one for sale, I've been looking for one since they came out. Serious.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2007 08:47
Holyetheline
Yeah Wii's are hard to find. That's why I sat in line for 20 hours before launch. I needed one.
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