Although Nintendo is riding atop a wave of success with its Wii, its failed efforts to keep up with demand may ultimately bite them in the behind. Billy Pidgeon of IDC, a market research firm, says that the shortage of Wiis may continue well past 2008.
Pidgeon said, "I’d like to see Wii hardware shipping in larger quantities or mass market consumers may cool on it. Having said that, I don’t believe supply will meet demand for the Wii until 2009." In spite of his gloomy prediction, he still believes that the Wii will continue to be a popular item. "I believe the Wii will continue strong growth although supply continues to be a problem."
Videostoremag.com said, "Nintendo sold 259,000 Wiis in March and could have sold more, had it any in stock. Consumers of all ages continue to buy it up as soon as it hits retail shelves…Wii remains the fastest-selling new console in more than a decade, based on NPD sell-through information over the first five months of availability."
In an odd twist of fortune, Nintendo’s success is only threatened by its inability to produce enough Wiis to meet demand, and not through pressure from Sony or Microsoft. Time is money, and as each day passes without sufficient Wiis for sale, Mario may soon find out that having a product this popular also has its downside — frustrated customers who may eventually lose interest in the product.
