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Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Nintendo's Wii: Privily, Why So Rare Art Thee?

Having just filed my September 27 issue feature article first draft (phew!), I'm going to strive to spend the next few weeks whittling down my perpetual 'to-blog topics' list (which, I regularly need to remind myself, is a good problem for someone in my profession to have). I realize that I write about game consoles quite a lot; for any of you who are wondering why, I'll begin this particular post with a short justification list:

Consoles ship in high volumes (if they're successful, that is....anyone remember Atari's Jaguar or Sega's Dreamcast, or for that matter the Nintendo GameCube?) and can therefore have a disproportionately significant effect on the shipments of already-introduced technologies inside them, as well as the success or failure of new technologies that often appear first in them. The Sony PlayStation 3, for example, is today's 'poster child' for the Cell processor, for Blu-ray optical storage, and for Rambus XDR memory. And regardless of whether or not you design game consoles, wouldn't you be interested in evaluating and possibly designing in the same DDR SDRAM flavour (for example) found in the Microsoft Xbox 360, thereby ensuring yourself potentially-longer-than-PC product availability and high-volume-driven low prices?
Because consoles are so performance-demanding, and because of the 'razors and blades' model under which they're (with the notable exception of the Nintendo Wii) usually sold, which by not requiring profitability for the initial console sale somewhat diminishes the traditional bill-of-materials cost pressure, they tend to employ leading-edge ICs and other subsystems. They therefore provide an indicator of what components mainstream products may be using in the future
The latest generation of consoles focuses not only on traditional gaming functions but also strives to act as the total entertainment and information nexus for whatever room a consumer installs them. In that respect, they provide a means for me to monitor the progress of (as well as personally test-drive) emerging trends such as television-based web browsing, UPnP LAN streaming, and Internet-downloadable movie and television show purchases and rentals.

With that big-picture perspective out of the way, I'd like to now focus specifically on the earlier-mentioned Nintendo Wii. Launched in major markets in mid-November, 2006, it experienced the same initial shortages and long lines of interested consumers as did its competitors. However, whereas the Xbox 360 (launched one year earlier) and the Sony PS3 (launched at roughly the same time) are now abundantly available and have both experienced one round of price cuts so far, the Wii is still selling for its original price and demand still outstrips supply.

Why? Granted, Wii Sports is a lot of fun; bundling it with the console (along with creating it in the first place) was a stroke of brilliance on Nintendo's part. But neither Nintendo nor any of its third-party partners has yet come up with a follow-up 'killer application' for the console, aside from perhaps the until-recently-free Opera web browser. And frankly, everyone I've talked to who owns a Wii (and I've actually talked with quite a few Wii owners the past few months) admits that the console's now sitting in their entertainment center collecting dust. The Wii Sports novelty wore off after a few (or, for the truly hard-core, a few dozen) playings.

So again: why? My theory: clever marketing. One of the most effective ways to cultivate demand for your product is to create and perpetuate (as long as you can....keep reading) the perception of a product shortage. It's what some folks accused Apple of doing with the iPhone (I'm not one of them; if anything, I think Apple was abnormally quiet in the months leading up to the iPhone launch, but then again Apple didn't need to say anything when the popular media was already frothing about and creating 'buzz'). And, I suspect, it's what Nintendo's doing with the Wii.

Now granted, Nintendo's like any other company; it doesn't want to spend a lot of money overbuilding manufacturing capacity that'll just sit dormant and in mothballs once the resultant supply overshoots demand. It's a balancing act. But c'mon....9 months after introduction, no stream of content 'hits' to keep stoking consumer interest, and you still can't be guaranteed of finding a console on your favourite retailer's shelves? If it's not clever marketing, it's incompetent product management.

Regardless of the root cause of the lingering shortage, Nintendo's walking a tightrope here, and if it's not careful it'll have a dramatic fall. At some point, potential customers are going to hear about all the Wiis collecting dust in their neighbors' and relatives' homes. They're going to get tired of waiting for their own Wiis (if they're not already), and unless Nintendo or a partner delivers another game home run (with all due respect, I don't think Wii Fit is it), consumers are going to scratch the $249.99 Wii off their to-buy lists and pick up a $279.99 (new) or $189.99-plus-free-game (refurbished) Xbox 360 Core system instead. I guess it's a good thing for Nintendo that the Wii's profitable and therefore doesn't require lots of subsequent title sales to fiscally pull the corporation out of a typical, initial console-created loss 'hole', huh?

Agree or disagree, Nintendo fans, critics and dispassionate observers?

Reader Comments

(Add your comments)

at 8/14/2007 3:52:27 PM, Ryan said:
Ho hum, yet another one-sided article predicting the Wii''s demise. I don''t know how many Wii owners you have spoken to, but I am a 29 year old "casual" gamer, who definitely fits Nintendo''s target audience right now, and I play mine on a regular basis. Many of my friends have the console and theirs are certainly not collecting dust. My brother and sister and I get together every Sunday to have Wii Sports bowling and tennis tournaments and to relive the good ole days through the virtual console service. The demand for the Wii is going to reach astronomical levels this holiday season with Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and other popular titles hitting. The Xbox 360 market is a completely different one and I personally believe that the 360 has no chance of catching up with the Wii at this point. Nintendo is going to sell the most consoles, it is only a matter of time.

at 8/14/2007 4:10:52 PM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Ryan: How many Wii owners have I spoken to? Dozens. From all around the United States (granted, not worldwide....Japan's a particularly Nintendo-friendly geography). Representing a diverse spectrum of family income levels. And both newcomers to Nintendo, and old-timers (who are, ironically, particularly underwhelmed, because they already own the virtual console titles).

at 8/14/2007 4:21:05 PM, Hi Ho, Hi Ho said:
Ho hum is right. I play with my Wii every day. Certainly no dust collecting there! Everyone I know who owns a Wii plays with thiers on a regular basis as well. I don''''t own a computer, and for Nintendo to add the Internet Channel was awesome! I''''m using it right now. Top notch Nintendo....I''''ll give you two thumbs up as soon as I''''m done playing with my Wii.

at 8/14/2007 4:38:34 PM, Dave said:
I too am a Wii owner who plays mine regularly. Not every day, but that's a good thing, you know? But the most important thing about the Wii: My girlfriend plays it!! That has never happened in my life--video games were something I had to do when she had gone to bed. I'm sorry, bro, but that alone makes the Wii the single greatest video game console ever created.

at 8/14/2007 4:48:21 PM, Madvillain said:
Ho Hum is correct, this is a one-sided article. Why no mention that developers are admitting they underestimated the Wii and have only recently started to allocate resources to develop games for it? (Only a one-sided mention of ‘no hits.’) Why no mention of the fall lineup? (Mario Galaxy, Metroid, Smash Bros., etc.) Yeah, the PS3 is sure a poster child. Look at how well it’s selling! What’s that? They already cut the price of the PS3?? Nothing stating how the Wii is about to pass the 360 in sales, and most people are on their 2nd or 3rd 360 (that’s right, 10 million Xbox 360s sold – to 5 million people twice). Here is the real question: Where exactly is Brian’s Brain? Perhaps Brian should use it before he writes another one-sided garbage article explaining why the Wii sucks, but will be the official best selling next-generation console by the end of the month.

at 8/14/2007 5:21:51 PM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Madvillain, I don't think that replacement Xbox 360s count as incremental sales ;-) I agree with you, we'll have a much clearer picture of how the Wii stands, both absolutely and relative to the Xbox 360 and PS3, after this Christmas. Although frankly I've never viewed the Wii as a direct competitor to either of the others; the 'Wii360' bundle always made a lot more sense to me than the single-console PS3 alternative.

at 8/14/2007 5:24:51 PM, NoMan said:
Come on, more accusations of artificial shortages? How ludicrous to suggest that they become successful by NOT selling consoles. Look at the numbers. The Wii, which has been out for less than a year, is about to overtake the 360, which has been out twice as long, in console systems sold. Maybe they are hard to find still because they are selling twice as fast as their closest console competitor? The only system selling faster than the Wii is Nintendo's very own hand-held system, the DS.

at 8/14/2007 5:37:01 PM, Joe said:
C'mon... The logic in this article = epic fail. Marketing can only go so far; A bag of feces is still a bag of feces no matter how glossy the flyer for it is. There has to be some "je ne sais quoi" about the Wii that extends beyond a gimmick. Contrary to unsubstantiated reports of the Wii "collecting dust", the Wii is selling spectacularly well most likely due to the fact that the majority of people who own one are having tonnes of fun with it on a regular basis, and are RAVING ABOUT IT to their friends, including non-gamer converts. kthxbye.

at 8/14/2007 5:44:11 PM, lol said:
to add to the odd casual above, i am leaning more toward the core gamer side of things [part of nintendos old demographic, so whoever thinks Nintendo are abandoning us is wrong]... i also play the Wii almost every day, As for wii-sports being the only "big hitter". ha what about Twilight Princess and Super paper mario, not mentioning resi-evil4;wii, which is a really great game and could sell really well despite having already been released on GC and PS2 i also find it strange you mention GC as a failed console, when worldwide it falls short of the x-box by about 2-3 million.

at 8/14/2007 5:57:22 PM, Jon said:
Contrary to most commenters here, I actually think Brian's logic is fairly sound, albeit with one flaw: he underestimated the social value of many Wii games, which in turn feeds into their replay value. While it may be argued that the only games of note (other than Wii Sports) to come out so far have been the single-player focused Twilight Princess and the online play-driven Mario Strikers, he forgets that games focusing on social multiplayer (Wii Sports, Monkeyball, Wario Ware, etc.) are the ones driving the console's lasting popularity. Sure, I don't play my Wii all that much by myself, but whenever people are over it's the thing to do, and they all leave wanting one for themselves.

at 8/14/2007 6:05:57 PM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Jon, thank you ;-) Actually though, if you click on the Wii Sports link in my writeup and read my earlier coverage of that title, I think you'll conclude that I don't underestimate the social POTENTIAL of the console at all. I'm just waiting for more titles that harness that potential. Wii Sports alone can't sell the console forever

at 8/14/2007 6:27:11 PM, Peter Dahu said:
The last part of your article sounds like a 360 advertisement. Take a look at the last two month's NPD software sales figures. You'll notice that Wii owners are starting to buy games while 360 software sales are dropping. Furthermore calling the wii imcompenent production management is rather narrow minded. Producing Wiis costs money and it is sometimes more profitable to keep producing Wiis at their rate rather than increasing production and paying extra costs.

at 8/14/2007 6:35:09 PM, Peter Dahu said:
If Nintendo's no hits like Mario Party and Super Paper Mario have sold well while Capcom is please with RE4 sales. Nintendo wii titles are gaing momentum just like DS titles picked up steam after a few months of people buying the handheld.

at 8/14/2007 8:10:16 PM, Cipherr said:
The article fails because it calls Nintendos production of the Wii lackluster. But he doesnt realize (likely because hes to blind to actually do any research) that if you call the Wiis production lackluster you just call the PS2 PS1 Xbox GC Snes ETC ALL LACKLUSTER as well, Why? Because the Wii is the absolute fastest selling and highest volume produced console in the history of video gaming. Thats right sir, while your sitting back saying they are hording consoles to create a fake demand, you forgot to check history as NO COMPANY HAS EVER SHIPPED AS MANY OF A NEW CONSOLE IN THE FIRST YEAR AS THE WII HAS SO FAR. Now go sit on that knowledge and try and come up with a more original doom a gloom article about how somehow, in some far off universe there exists a possibility that the Wii will someday just vanish into oblivion. Either that or I want to see your article following this one about how terrible the 360 manufacturing was and the ps2 and the ps3 as they all got less consoles produced in the same amount of time. Comprende?

at 8/14/2007 9:03:38 PM, Potaso said:
Pointless article on Anectdotal assumptions as usual. No Killer Hits? What do you call Metroid, Mario and Smash then? What do you call Zelda, Paper Mario, RE 4 ? God I hate the ignorance of some people.. -_- Why is it always doom news for Nintendo no matter if they are doing the best. WHY! Just please stop this BS assumptions and try to be more realistic. A word to the author, you might need to rethink your topics. This article fails to convince me or anyone else for that matter (unless your stupid) that Nintendo is in any danger of doing bad. How could success be bad? How could too much demand be bad? How could articles like this even be POSTED period.

at 8/14/2007 9:46:36 PM, Deekay said:
Brian, you make some interesting points but I think that: A) You have overstated what you believe are some people allowing the Wii''s to collect dust. Just look at US sales: Wii play = 1,8 million Mario Party 8 = almost 1 million Zelda = 1,8 million Paper Mario = 800 000 Wario Ware = 600 000 (source: www.vgchartz.com) B) Nintendo''s restriction of supply. Note how close Nintendo is now to overtaking Xbox360 sales. I think what you have highlighted are potential dangers for Nintendo but definitely not imminent ones.

at 8/14/2007 10:25:15 PM, James said:
The Wii is one of the greatest console success stories of our time. It''''s interesting that all the author could find to write about the Wii was its impending doom. Nintendo has managed to take back the #1 spot in the console wars after it seemed that they would never recover their past glory. They have brought practically every major developer in the world on board, and even have them singing their praises. They outsmarted their better funded competitors and managed to turn the entire idea of what makes a good game on its head. And this is to say nothing of what they''''ve accomplished with the DS. I think we are going to see really great things from the Wii in the future. I don''''t see this party ending anytime soon.

at 8/14/2007 11:08:56 PM, Nathaniel MacKenzie said:
I really don't know who you're dealing with, but the whole crew at my job all play the Wii, we have one in our lounge, and play it during lunch as well as after work. Our age range is admittedly 24 year olds to a 59 year old, largely in the late twenties. We're actually saving up in the swear jar and the betting pool to get a new Wii and TV combo so we can play Super Strikers Charged and Wii Sports at the same time. Now, between the fifty of us, not a one is sick of the Wii, we're all hoping to get another to use during lunch. Perhaps you're just not playing with people? The system really is best with other players.

at 8/14/2007 11:40:40 PM, HGL said:
Yeah because the bad word of mouth that that most Wiis are just collecting dust is surely going to drive more people towards a Xbox 360 er.. $280 tard pack with open arms and totally overlook the rumors that they are unrealiable break often. This article is just horrible. And this is coming from a person who owns 4, yes FOUR, Xbox 360s and only ONE Wii.

at 8/14/2007 11:44:55 PM, J said:
The reason for the shortages is simply multiplying demand, and the fact that they are probably holding some back for the holiday season as is normal. I believe Nintendo has racked up production, but they are keeping the supply at a minimal increase because the remainder is being held for the holidays. The demand, however, still increases, I believe. Everytime one family has a party and has just gotten a Wii, at least three additional families that have just added it to their list of things to get. I have seen this several times, and was at another one last week. That is the reason for the shortage, not marketing... other than they don't want to look foolish for the second holiday season in a row.

at 8/15/2007 1:07:04 AM, RogerDune said:
The key reason why the Wii will surpass 360 and PS3 is that it is not targeted to just gamers. I''m 33 (last console I bought was N64), since I bought mine the biggest reaction has been from my parents. My 65 year old Dad just can''t get enough. We are going overseas in a couple of months to a wedding and he is insisting I bring it along. No chance of that ever happening with Xbox or PS3.

at 8/15/2007 2:41:29 AM, Goblin said:
I partially agree with this blog. I''''''''ve only had my Wii for under a week so the novelty is most definitely still there. But this is exactly the thinking that put me off buying one for so long. I too was worried that Wii''''''''s hype was a tad shallow, and believed much of the success was coming off the back of the DS. I cannot explain why I opted to get one in the end (though I think GTA4 being delayed to next year had something to do with it) but I do not regret buying it. Sure I may get bored with it further down the line, I may even trade it in if the demand is still high, but as long as my friends and I can squeeze as much fun out of it as possible I think it''''''''ll be worth the purchase.

at 8/15/2007 4:22:13 AM, Madvillain said:
Brian, Regarding your "don't think that replacement Xbox 360s count as incremental sales" comment... Most people were screwed by the original M$ warranty, which only recently changed, thus they purchased a new unit. This is an additional sale. I have purchased 2 units. Also, M$ normally states units SHIPPED, not sold. Take and honest look into this and let me know what you find. Madvillain

at 8/15/2007 5:23:14 AM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Madvillain, from my recollection it's SONY who normally focuses on units shipped, with the PS3 (for perhaps obvious reasons). Microsoft's usual approach is to share more meaningful units-sold data.

at 8/15/2007 5:46:29 AM, axt said:
You're out of the loop moron, they Wii already has a bunch of million selling games, like Mario Party, and rayman the fact that you don't like them is irrelevant, the gaming market has changed.

at 8/15/2007 7:03:34 AM, Peter Maranci said:
Yet another Wii owner who plays it (with his young son) every day, even though we''ve had it for some time now. There are several points worth making, I think. One is that the Wii is, in fact, moving beyond the Sony/Microsoft market, and is therefore no longer competing directly with them - or rather, in *addition* to competing with (and beating) them, it''s also expanding the market. Take me, for example: I used to be a hardcore gamer, back when the original Atari came out. But I hadn''t bought a new console system in more than ten years. Now I have the Wii, I''m buying games for it, and here I am posting about it online. Blogging about it too. Neither Sony nor Microsoft were able to bring me back, but the Wii did. What''s more, look at the huge number of people who had NEVER played video games before, and are now avid Wii players. Another point which hasn''t been covered much: the nostalgia factor. The Wii lets you download and play some of the best classic games ever made. I''ve already purchased and spent quite a few Wii points, sitting there in my living room. What''s the profit margin for Nintendo on a downloaded game like Mario 64 or Bonk''s Adventure? Very high, I''ll bet. The idea that the Wii is just a fad gimmick system is one that seems to primarily be promulgated by Sony and Microsoft executives, as well as third-party game companies who are only now realizing that they''re late to the game. It''s just sour grapes in my view, and it doesn''t reflect the reality that I''ve seen online. Wii has the buzz! I''d bet this article has gotten more responses and views than almost any non-Wii article that you''ve written, Brian - am I right?

at 8/15/2007 7:29:56 AM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Peter Maranci, it's certainly been a popular writuep ;-). For those of you interested in my background coverage of the Wii, check out www.google.com/search?q=site:www.edn.com+Dipert+Wii, www.google.com/search?q=site:www.edn.com+Dipert+Revolution and www.google.com/search?q=site:www.edn.com+Dipert+Nintendo. Thanks for writing

at 8/15/2007 8:04:14 AM, JR said:
The OP needs to do some research. It is common for brand new consoles not to have an awesome lineup of games in the first year. It takes a while before the best games come out. That''''s how it''''s been for ALL game consoles, past or present. You also seem to be forgetting about Zelda: TP. One of the highest rated games of this console generation. RE4 is also a great game. And while there isn''''t much else out right now, look at the amazing lineup coming before end of the year. Mario Galaxy, Smash Brothers, and Metroid.. all promising to be awesome games.

at 8/15/2007 8:21:38 AM, Anonymous said:
Hey, Brian, why don't you have a "contest" and give away your Wii?

at 8/15/2007 8:26:14 AM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear Anonymous, because it's not detachable. Oh....you're talking about the console ;-) Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I'll take a pass....

at 8/15/2007 9:34:44 AM, MR said:
I don't think you sell 10 million Wiis in 9 months with people saying, "Yeah, this system is fun for a week, and ten it will collect dust. You should go and spend $250 on it." As if the system only has one good game on it. What do you think this is... the PS3? :P

at 8/15/2007 11:08:03 AM, D said:
Unfortunately, I fit one of those people in this group. I bought a Wii at launch and I haven't used it that much. Being in the gaming industry, I know what Nintendo has done in the past (DS is a great example. Its only popular now as better and more creative games came out for it). Their releases of games are minimal and there hasn't been another great game since Zelda. Yes, its fun with friends to play Wii sports, but tell me another besides that. Also, where is the online play? It would be great to play bowling against people from other parts of the world. I know that next year we will start seeing more creative games coming, but until Metroid comes out, there isn't anything to brag about. I know the Wii will have great games coming. Newbies to video game consoles, which was what Nintendo wants, won't feel the difference. Avid gamers enjoy some of the games, but the quality of games released in the past 6 months have been ok at best (maybe 1 good game a month). The Wii will win in sales over all the other consoles and I think it could even help promote sales for Xbox and Sony. Its getting people who use to play video games back to playing them again.

at 8/15/2007 11:56:13 AM, Brian Dipert said:
Dear D, thanks for backing me up. ;-) Others: I'm not an Xbox 360-loving Microsoft mouthpiece. In fact, if you look at one of my prior comments, you'll find that I see the two consoles as primarily complimentary, versus competitive. Nonetheless, not many folks have sufficient disposable income to justify going the full 'Wii360' route. And to that point, a) with its recent price moves, the Xbox 360 is encroaching on Wii turf, and b) potential customers (who can't afford both consoles) who give up on the Wii and buy an Xbox 360 instead are lost Wii customers.

at 8/15/2007 1:22:15 PM, Keith said:
I have always been intrigued by the Wii based on its popularity and price point. It frustrated me that they were never available. I finally found one and my family loves it! The thing is always being used. I think the most amazing aspect of it is that it bridges the generation gap... Kids through grandparents can play Wii Sports with no prior video game experience! My Mother wants one for herself!! Wii's are hard to find because they are simply a revolution in gaming and have opened up the experience to the largest audience ever. We love Wario Ware and the Mario games... All consoles suffer from the "100 to 1" "crap to quality" game ratio...

at 8/15/2007 2:04:47 PM, Kirby said:
Having bought a Wii just because I was standing line line and the store had just brought out their allotment, I can attest that this article certainly has an element of truth to it. As for it sitting on the shelf, that''s difficult to say right now. Winter is long here, and that means making the most of summer. My 8 year old is always up for a game though, even if he forgets it''s there. And the price is not bad - even it is used on rainy days.

at 8/15/2007 2:12:05 PM, David Guidos said:
I think you're way off-base here. The shortage isn't terminal (I've seen them on the shelves recently), and if there is any shortage, it's due to one simple reason; people are buying the Wii. It offers them some darn good entertainment and a very innovative controller technology for a very reasonable price. They could increase the price and generate a serious shortage, but I applaud them for keeping the price down so that more can afford it.

at 8/15/2007 2:51:56 PM, Howard said:
I must say I think you''re totally wrong on this one. Almost everyone in my daughters class has (or wants) a Wii. They play Harvest Moon (and old GameCube game) in emulation as well as Wii sports. The hardcore gamers in the group aren''t thrilled but everyone else loves it. As more games like Harvest Moon come out that don''t depend on rendering zillions of polygons Wii should become more populur. It is a paradigm shift that the game makers haven''t gotten quite yet.

at 8/15/2007 2:57:13 PM, kers said:
<i>old-timers (who are, ironically, particularly underwhelmed, because they already own the virtual console titles). </i> They must keep their original systems in amazing condition. Do you know how quickly NES pins wear out? They also must be total hardcore gamers because not even I have all those games and I was hard into Nintendo back in those days. Not to mention who wants to play with those old controllers when you have wireless? It's such a glorious luxury.

at 8/15/2007 3:28:28 PM, kid in the arcade said:
The wii is great with new difrent games not the same ol same ol with up dated grafix and lets not forget that the high powered psp is loseing to the ds

at 8/15/2007 5:55:44 PM, Brian Dipert said:
By the way, folks, don't you think that all those other supposed 'hit' titles are being influenced just a 'bit' by the fact that since the console's so rare, retailers are predominantly selling it only in Wii-plus-multiple-extra-title bundles? ;-) Artificial volume inflation via extortion doesn't count in my book....

at 8/15/2007 7:15:34 PM, Tommy said:
I do find it frustrating that bundles are being offered with bundles at the moment. Business wise, it is a great idea but a lot of the games being offered with it I really do not want. Hopefully this marketing ploy goes away just before Christmas or sometime next year. I would love to get my hands on the console and break into the nostalgia of Virtual Console.

at 8/15/2007 8:40:44 PM, 1TECH said:
BP - For what it's worth I don't think the article is written to "hate" on Nintendo or the Wii. Seems like these are your own observations of what COULD happen and I agree with you. I have a 360 and a Wii, both acquired within a month of launch (still play both). I mostly play the Wii with family and friends for local play and the 360 on XBOX LIVE. The primary audience for a 360 is gamers (casual - XBLA, hardcore - gameplay, best graphics) and Home Theater enthusiasts (TV/Movie DL, media streaming, HD-DVD). The primary audience for a Wii is everybody else plus gamers. But as a gamer I'm left wanting. Yes - Wii Sports, Madden 07, and the numerous party games are fun, but the gesture controls are NOT perfect. Online on the Wii isn't worth it - "it's like giving a cracker to someone starving". Yes Metroid, Mario, and Smash are coming, but what 3rd party games are coming this year for the Wii that anyone just has to have on Wii. Graphics and AI are never going to match up to a 360, so from a gamer's perspective I would suggest picking up a 360 for more of the best games. I do disagree with one point - I think the Wii will continue to sell well, because no matter what, when you put in Wii Sports it's still cool to see first timers reactions and I think that stream of people will flow through this generation of systems. I just hope Nintendo addresses all the things Microsoft does so much better in their "next generation" Wii-4EVER.

at 8/15/2007 9:02:39 PM, Any Donkey said:
Agree with Madvillian. The 1st 360 died out of warranty. Purchased a new machine. Later the warranty on the first machine was extended and I had the first machine repaired under its "Christmas" warranty extension. Two machine purchased - one sits idle.

at 8/16/2007 3:07:33 PM, JimOM said:
I too have wondered why the Wii is still so hard to get. I can't imagine that Nintendo would be purposely holding back supply. The more they have out there, the more they would sell. And witholding supply eliminates impulse purchases. My son wanted one for Christmas, but since it was so hard to get I didn't even try. I refused to stand in line to buy something. Then my son's birthday came along in July and he was still begging for a Wii. A friend of mine told me the secret of how to find out when the stores were getting shipments. Once I found out it was easy to drive over to a store before it opened and get a voucher to buy one and there was no line. I am very impressed with the Wii, it seems so 'different' from other video games. And I like Nintendo because they are very kid friendly. So far we have only bought one game for it, because they are too expensive, $50 apiece! I let my son buy a DragonballZ game that was only $30. It doesn't really utilize any of the Wii features, but he plays it a lot. And I play the Wii Sports once in a while. Otherwise I never play video games.

at 8/17/2007 4:01:43 PM, Madvillain said:
Brian, Here is a link to a copy of a M$ Investor Relations News Release for the quarter that ended June 30th, 2007. www.microsoft.com/msft/download/fy07/letterhead_Q4.doc On page 18, you will see where M$ states how many Xbox 360s they have shipped. Please show me where they state how many 360s they have sold. Madvillain

at 8/17/2007 4:16:27 PM, Madvillain said:
Additional questions for Brian, our M$ savior: What did it say on page 18 of this document? Shipped or sold? www.microsoft.com/msft/download/fy07/letterhead_Q4.doc What is the failure rate of the Wii? What is the failure rate of the 360? If an Xbox 360 unit that is not under warranty fails, and the owner buys another one, does this count as a unit sold or not? If so, does this not artificially inflate the popularity of the 360 buy selling multiple units to the same person or household? Where does any of this appear in your article? I would like to see some actual answers with sources rather than blowing off legitimate questions, if that isn't too much to ask.

at 8/17/2007 4:17:54 PM, Madvillain said:
buy*** by Need edit function! :)

at 8/19/2007 10:21:05 AM, Mark said:
Gotta disagree with the author too as I use my Wii really frequently, even if it is just for surfing the web. And even now I still have the occasional game of Wii Sports between Mario Strikers and Resi 4 games.

at 9/6/2007 5:31:15 PM, Paul Perry said:
I have never owned a games console, and I doubt I ever will. However, I have seen enough "non-game" applications in art, music, and industrial training to make me realise that it is definitely a qualitative step foward. Maybe a few elderly yuppies who bought them as exercise machines have abandoned them - but they could easily sell them for near new price, and what other games console can you say that about?

at 11/21/2007 11:18:46 AM, Laughing said:
Posting about Nintendo Wii without knowning what you are talking about...No impact. Getting your ass chewed up by others for doing so ....priceless !!!

at 1/4/2008 2:12:18 AM, NH said:
It is amazing that after so long, all the arguments here are either how good is Wii or comparison of Wii to other game consoles. That''s the problem with techies

at 1/4/2008 2:14:37 AM, NH said:
It is amazing that after so long, all the arguments here are either how good is Wii or comparison of Wii to other game consoles. That's the problem with techies; specification comes first. But guys, if any of you have read "The Blue Ocean Strategy", the answer is clear. Whether in purpose or solely out of luck (more like luck, since Nintendo itself caught unprepared with the huge demand), the Wii is addressing non-gamers market that 360 or PS3 alike weren't interested in. Do we need market research to tell us that the non-gamers market is much-much larger? Wii, a low cost console, is neither complimentary nor competing against existing game consoles that are entangled in cut-throat competition for the greatest and latest hardware & software, unfortunately along the way further "discriminates" non-gamers. The nearer Wii competitors is probably TV program, or any home leisure activity. Until Microsoft, Sony or others wakeup and see the vast opportunity in non-gamers market, Wii will rule.

at 1/15/2008 9:39:44 AM, Josh said:
I strongly agree that Nintendo is creating fake demand for the Wii by limiting supply to a bare minimum. I also think that internet based companies/businesses are taking advantage of the whole situation by monitoring online stores and immediately buying up most of what becomes available. There are a number of sites such as www.wiitracker.com that can identify when Wii's become available through various online stores (bestbuy.com, circuitcity.com, amazon.com, etc. etc.) and my guess is these internet companies have the same mechanism in place. Just do an internet search for something along the lines of "Wii in stock" and you'll find plenty...for $400-$500 that is. All in all, I think there is more demand right now for the Wii because the games that have been released recently (Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, etc. etc.), but something still stinks. Since the release of the Wii in November of 2006, only one time have I seen one on the shelf in a store (walmart). I usually make it a point to look everytime I got to best buy, walmart, target, circuit city, etc. etc. to see if any are available. In the end I think the lack of availability is due to Nintendo trying create demand and these online stores taking advantage of the situation. Both have the same result: the consumer gets screwed!

at 1/30/2008 5:42:41 PM, Myiasia said:
Wow, this post has held a lot of interest. And the funny thing is how I found it. More to the point, though - and it may sound somewhat "fan-girl"-ish because I've been hard-core Nintendo since my NES - the Wii held a lot of doubt, even for me. I, too, thought this console was going to be another falter, just like the VirtualBoy was and the N64 almost turned out to be. Until I got one, that is. Sure, the graphics aren't much an improvement over the GameCube, and the games for it didn't hold a whole lot of interest at first, but now? Man, oh man, am I looking forward to Smash Bros. Brawl. Since I've had this console, I and my roommates can't seem to get enough of it! Day in, day out, everytime we have company, and a lot of times before we go to bed. Our poor projector is going to cost us more than that console ever did, just because of the $300 bulb in it. But it's worth it. The only other console that ever struck this much interest in me is my Sega Saturn, the only real "stray from Nintento" I ever did - and I'd still play it, if I could find some games. XD

at 1/30/2008 5:56:28 PM, Myiasia said:
P.S. - I would like to note that I have another drive for believing Nintendo's quality VS that of Sony or even Microsoft. I used to work in an old "Mom & Pop" electronic repair shop, and they also did a lot of console repairs. Of all the consoles repaired, Sony's PSOne (both original [AKA PSX] and second-gen model) and PS2's beat out the repairs done on any other console by almost 200%. That's double the repairs we ever did on Nintendo, Sega and Microsoft all together. They might be the highest seller, but they're also the most repaired. A little factoid that seems to get overlooked when dealing with the console wars. Truth be told, Nintendo's stuff can take a beating and usually don't break down on their own (with the exception of the stupidly-designed US model NES - the only console brought in to us for repairs that Nintendo had.)

at 2/2/2008 1:02:22 AM, Wii = concert ticket said:
The Wii console has become like the concert ticket market. All these websites immediately buy them all up and screw over the consumer. Nintendo loves them selling out quickly because it's a quiet way to market their product. They also limit the amount of consoles shipped because they know there still are not many good games for it yet. They are still trying to convince big game developers to produce games exclusively for their console. Overall, PS will catch up and surpass both the Wii and Microsoft due to their large fanbase and amount of games available. PS3's biggest competitor is the PS2. But once the PS2's begin to phase out, the PS3 will rise to the top.

at 2/2/2008 12:45:11 PM, Adam said:
Still have my original PS2, never repaired. Most of the Wii fans I know are kids (under 30). My philosophy in this regard is that if I wanted exercise I would go outside and actually exercise, and if I want to play video games I want to relax on the couch...

at 2/9/2008 1:50:46 PM, wiiwisher said:
This article was written 6 months ago and there are still no Wii''s to be found. Still searching for a Wii after nine months. The stores can''t (or won''t) tell us when they might get a delivery and you can forget about buying one online, unless you are looking for an overpriced bundle. Brian is right, I refused to be ripped off on Ebay and will wait until someone developes a similar system and actually makes it available to consumers. Shame on Nintendo.

at 4/18/2008 12:07:07 PM, Bush said:
Wii, market sales.. selling millions... xbox... still stuck on Halo... what is xbox without halo? nothing... most people arent into halo, yeah its fun.. but i dont buy systems for one games.. the wii is FAMILY BASED thanks nintendo for sticking with the families. xbox and playstion are just like the other satanic things of this world trying to break up the family by having the kids sit in their room alone playing dumb games that kill brain cells... haha just kidding its no so drastic as that... or is it?

at 5/28/2008 2:33:33 PM, Average Gamer said:
Wow, after 18 months on the market the Wii is still "selling" strong. (copy/paste this link to see the sales chart) vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1=All&cons2=PS3®2=All&cons3=X360®3=All&start=39047&end=39593 I would love to hear a final response from Brian on this as the Wii continues to "out sell" the other consoles each and every week (Except for 3). I''m trying to figure out how this can happen with the Nintendo creating the "perception of shortage". So they make less consoles to create a shortage, but still continue to outsell the cometition? I don''t get it.

at 6/18/2008 2:46:09 PM, Andara said:
There was never anything artificial about the Wii shortage. The Wii was a leap into completely uncharted waters, and Nintendo was optimistically cautious in their original production schedule. While they anticipated that the Wii would sell largely to segments of the community that Sega and Microsoft are largely ignoring, they couldn''t possibly anticipate that it would be nearly as popular as it was (especially with all of the extremely negative press from nearly everybody over the idea of the wiimote). They have increased production as quickly as is economically feasible for any company that has any sense of fiscal responsibility. And yet, with new factories having gone into production several times, they still can''t keep up with demand. Oh, and to all of you who claimed they were holding back units for Christmas... yeah, the numbers show that to not have been the case. The only time an artificial shortage would be beneficial is if you cannot move every unit you can produce. They are still selling pretty much every unit that they make, so there is no financially advantageous reason to hold them. Not only would they not be receiving the funds from sales of the units immediately, they would be spending a lot of money for no gain just to store them. As for game availability, unless you have a lot of in-house resources tied up into making games that will ship with the console, no new system has anything particularly interesting in its first year. Now that the game developers know that the Wii isn''t some failed experiment or some flash in the pan, they have started serious game development, and I expect some seriously innovative offerings to start showing up by this fall.

at 8/13/2008 2:45:06 PM, Shade said:
Andara - There is a significant financial benefit to limiting availability of a popular item, it inflates the market price and thus increases the total profit. If you expect demand to support the sale of 25 million units and to stock the stores with 25 million units and anyone can buy one whenever they want, many people will wait for a "sale" or a "deal" on the unit. If you, instead, build 1 million units and provide each store with an allotment, then built 1 million additional units each month so stores are perpetually sold out, people "grab" units at full price whenever available, because if they don''t et it now, they might not be able to get it in 6-months. The truth is, Nintendo could have ramped production much faster than they have without incuring significant cost if they wanted to, but they don''t because the demand keeps their price point high and, in theory, keeps them making a profit on the sale. As long as demand is exceeding supply, stores are willing to pay a higher price for their Wiis. They know they''ll sell them quickly and they don''t know when they will be able to get more, so they are willing to pay a little extra for them now, even if it drops their profit margin somewhat. That isn''t to say Nintendo is with-holding shipments of Wiis to inflate the price, rather they are intentionally reining in production to keep supply less than demand and maintain their price (Not unlike OPEC cutting production to keep gas prices high)

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