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Nintendo Says It Can’t Meet Wii Holiday Demand

Supply hasn't caught up with demand since the game was introduced

October 2, 2007 

In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Fils-Amie said the company continues to have a difficult time meeting demand for the popular game console.

“We have been sold out worldwide since we launched,” he boasted. “Every time we put more into the marketplace, we sell more, which says that we are not even close to understanding where the threshold is between supply and demand...Our inventory is lasting a day.”

The executive says the company is working hard to make sure consumers will be able to find the game system in stores, but at this point he said he can’t guarantee Nintendo will be able to meet the demand.

He said no matter how much the company ramps up production, demand quickly sucks up the excess.

Nintendo introduced Wii in the fourth quarter of 2006 and quickly became the favorite among gamers. Wii easily outsold the next generation PlayStation, introduced at about the same time. Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which had been out a year before Wii’s debut, suffered a number of highly publicized technical problems.

The Wii has won praise from parents and consumer advocates for featuring games that are generally less violent that its competitors. It also provides at least a little bit of physical exertion; it uses a motion sensitive wireless controller, requiring players to simulate swinging a tennis racquet or rolling a bowling ball.

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