Despite major hype and record-breaking pre-order boasts, the Nintendo 3DS did not sell out and is pretty easy to come by in most territories. Nintendo, however, is acting like a confident supervillain, saying that they had planned for this all along.
"I would characterize it as a launch where we learned significant lessons from the launch of Wii and we made sure to have not only ample supply in the marketplace, but we staged supply so it would not sell out," said meat-fleshed president Reggie Fils-Aime. "We had product going direct to store and we also had product in retailers' [distribution centres], so they could easily replenish when they had stores running low on inventory.
"That strategy is why you didn't see massive sell-outs on 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 stockouts and shortages just underscored how we properly executed our supply chain."
So, Nintendo's official line is that it meant for this to happen. In the wake of all the bad PR the system seems to be getting, perhaps it would've looked better to stage some shortages and make it look like a sellout success. Doing it this way does not present a superior image.
Interview: Nintendo sold 400,000 3DS systems in first week [USA Today]
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Contest:
2:40 PM on 04.15.2011 | 
Dammit.
...Really.
All I can see is a PR doctor working his magic to explain WHY they didn't sell out.
The number of units Nintendo is shipping is huge!
How can you try to spin it as a negative that a supplier has finally been able to pull off a near simultaneous global launch WITHOUT stock shortage. That's fantastic work!
Him = The stuff of nightmares.
In all fairness, there haven't been a whole lot of handhelds on the market...ever
Nintendo doesn't sell out: "The system is a dud. What a stupid launch plan! Nintendo stinks!"
Just another day surfing the internet tubes.
You're right. And those few handheld consoles don't outsell the big three home consoles in some territories... Oh waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait.
The 3DS has had a very strong long all over the world. People say it doesn't have games. Nintendo isn't stupid. They didn't launch the 3DS on the strength of the titles, they launched it on the strength of the hardware. They didn't need games on launch day. When Nintendo wants to boost interest again in the product, that's when they will talk about the software and secure further sales of the hardware.
What matters is that in almost every region it has broken records in sales and that worldwide it already has sold far more than any other, and as many as all other consoles handheld or not combined so far. 1st week in the west it sold worldwide nearly 1 million, while the second in rank was PSP with about 100K units.
That means not only it is the most popular than any other device at launch, but also more popular than any other platform so far for this year, and all that while in standby mode to anticipate the sales during ocarina of time launch as well as the yet to be pinned down Mario Kart 3D launch of 2011.Can you even imagine how many 3DS are going to be sold by these titles alone? not to mention resident evil etc etc..
I think everyone is ready to see whatever they feel like in order to get rid of the extra acid in their mouth.
As for the 3D, to each their own. My eyes got used to it like a new glasses prescription, and I quite like the effect.
you should check out kotaku, ign.. etc. they are even worse than when the name of the wii was released.
Not only they make fun of it, they also make up "facts" and try to terrorize people away from the device. Out of the many people who were amazed by 3DS, 2-3 people became like statues when they held it. When i told them that it's ok, you can loosen up no need to be still they still didn't listen to me, their brain was stuck with the idea that if they move 3D is gone.
One of them when i told him he was too influenced by the forums and blogs, said that he had not read or heard anything about 3DS at all. :)(while it is all over the news for months now) he just instinctively became a statue so maybe the blog and forum guys (those he had not ever read) were right :D the most smartass and venomous reply from a hater i ever heard :)
I actually felt sorry for them.
http://www.vgchartz.com/
if possible check out US+EU launch week's sales ;)
in a month and a half it sold as much as others in 4 months.
at launch it sold more than all others combined. kool aid or not, numbers don't lie ;)
These conversations are beyond pointless.
http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/news/23728/
We've known this since (at least) September 30 2010
So it's either they've prepared the lie months ago or they've REALLY did what they meant to do. I wonder which one it is?
Also,get over this already and go back to your damned IOS games. I'm sick of this spinning shit.
This ties in with the smaller marketing campaign and spring launch. Why spend extra money on advertisements if you don't have the stock to sell anyway? They mentioned repeatedly they didn't want to have supply problems again.
The 3DS launch was perfectly fine considering it wasn't a holiday affair. Breaking sales records in the spring season is actually pretty damn good!
And I keep hearing reports of people getting braincrushing migraines from looking at the 3D screen, but I haven't experienced anything of the sort, nor have the 5 other people that I've seen with one. I'm inclined to label that as a "myth" until I see it with my own eyes (someone broken down to their knees crippled and riddled with blood gushing from their eye sockets as everyone says they are). Maybe those people are trying to watch the 3D on Max at all times. Turn it down some. I tend to think of the 3D just like volume. I'm not trying to burst my eardrums when I listen to music, so I only turn it up a little bit. 3D should be treated likewise, I'm sure.
And Jim, I've never been one to accuse you of trolling but lately I'm beginning to wonder.
Now can we all just STFUAPG?