Nintendo’s biggest problem over the past couple of years seems to be that the company simply cannot produce enough consoles to meet consumer demand. This goes for both the Wii home console and the DS handheld, which sold over 1.5 million units last month, according to NPD numbers.
In a recent interview with Reuter’s, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime commented on this fact:
"The DS continues to perform exceptionally well, with some retailers voicing concerns about DS inventory going into the holiday."
Of course, the company continues to struggle to produce enough Wii systems as well, even a full year after the hardware’s release. Retailers have been capitalizing on this shortage, "force-bundling" the system with games and accessories at an inflated price. Reggie addressed this issue with disdain:
"Retailers have already been given feedback that we are not big fans of that. We think it masks some of the price advantage we have versus our competition and, frankly, the consumer should decide what they want."
When asked if Nintendo would restrict supply to ensure retailer cooperation, he said, "We don’t have to remind retailers of the strength we have right now. We are simply making an observation and that reinforces our point quite nicely with retailers."
Listen up, retailers. If you bundle that Wii, it may very well be your last.
