Gamernode: News - Still want a Wii? The drought will continue

Still want a Wii? The drought will continue

Category: Wii, Posted: 03/18/2008 at 04:52PM CDT by Frank Ling, Editorial Director

Wii Desert When Nintendo's Wii was first launched almost a year and a half ago, who would've thought that shortages for the popular game console would still be here?

Those who are still looking for the rare machine won't get a break from the drought as GameStop executives predict that there won't be enough Wiis to meet demand for quite awhile.

GameStop COO Dan DeMatteo guesstimated that the Wii supply "won't meet demand for the next 2 quarters," and that means at least six months. A quick look around the Internet seems to prove out his point as online websites such as Amazon.com and Circuit City still report the game console as being sold out.

Although the Wii isn't expected to have any price drops in the near future DeMatteo thinks that there will be a $50 price drop for the Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime later this year. He says he doesn't have any inside information on this happening but has a gut feeling that a price drop is coming.

The continued shortages of the Wii demonstrate that Nintendo was not only inaccurate in predicting how popular their machine would be but that the manufacturing process can't seem to quite catch up with the immense demand. By the time Nintendo reaches a stage where it can produce enough of these machines for the public, will the public still be interested in buying them?

[via Gamasutra]

(11)

Posted by jambo on 03/18/2008 at 05:05PM

Well there are plenty Down Under if anyone wants a PAL console.

Posted by Quasar on 03/18/2008 at 05:09PM

Thanks Jambo. That's sort of like saying to a guy in the desert that's dying of thirst, "Hey, I've got plenty of water but it's sort of got poison in it..." lol.

Posted by Coyotegrey on 03/18/2008 at 06:24PM

Haha I love that picture.

Posted by -=BINGO-BANGO=- on 03/18/2008 at 06:40PM

thats odd, never seen an empty shelf before

Posted by CUatTHEFINISH on 03/18/2008 at 07:38PM

I have seen empty shelves... I had to wait in line for 2 and half hours on Sunday to get one. D:

Posted by ninjalegend on 03/18/2008 at 07:49PM

I walked into my local best buy for one right before SSBB released. Here in Florida, I don't see the wii shortage.

Posted by YukoAsho on 03/18/2008 at 11:51PM

ninjalegend - Depends on where you go. However, I'm convinced Nintendo's perpetuating the shortage to keep their console in the news and mask the lack of games.

Posted by ChristIllusion on 03/19/2008 at 12:12AM

@yukoasho it may be different then what everyone else is doing but i think its pretty good that they arent making enough supply. this is just imo but if there always constent news about how theres a shortage people are going to be like "o that must be a great system now i want it". i guess it builds hype. :P

Posted by bu11eTJuNkiE on 03/19/2008 at 09:21AM

Glad I don't want one. I'd take a PS3 before this...I know people have different tastes, but it's just incredible people like nintendo games....or at least the same people that are playing cs and cod and all them games. They just seem so boring to me.

Posted by rtanger on 03/19/2008 at 01:21PM

I'm still a conspiracy-nut who thinks NIntendo is overblowing this demand to...drum up demand.

Call me crazy.

*I'm crazy*

Posted by enben980 on 03/20/2008 at 08:08AM

I"m wearing my foil hat with you rtanger.