For the second holiday season in a row, the Wii is one of the most difficult consumer products to get ahold of – we are all aware of this fact. How does Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime feel about it, though? In an interview with MSNBC he covered topics ranging from his employment history to hardcore gamers to the future of the Nintendo DS, but also weighed in on Nintendo’s current supply-and-demand dilemma.
With regard to the production of the Wii, and Nintendo’s ability to meet market demand, he stated:
"You know, the very first annual estimate for Wii was 14.5 million units. No home console had ever sold that many in a first year. And so we were very aggressive at the start. Our issue is one of unprecedented demand and for this holiday season, we are putting more than twice as many Wii consoles into the marketplace as we had at launch. So we are not conservative in our manufacturing. If anything, we’ve been too conservative in understanding the depth of enjoyment and passion that the consumer has for the console."
He also addressed the conspiracy theorists out there, and the idea that Wii shortages could possibly be a part of Nintendo’s marketing strategy:
"In absolute terms, it is highly, highly unfortunate that consumers cannot find a Wii to purchase. And anyone who suggests that a shortage is good for business really doesn’t understand business. We want the consumer to walk into any retail establishment and find the product. And that’s what we’re working tirelessly to make happen."
At present, Nintendo has sold 13.2 million Wii consoles, trailing the Xbox 360’s worldwide numbers by only a small margin. Given the fact that the 360 had a one year head start, I’m inclined to believe that Nintendo is doing their best to churn out their little bundle of joy just as quickly as Reggie says.
