Nintendo retracts promise of one million Wiis for US

Nintendo has retracted a statement made by Reggie Fils-Aime, who said yesterday that Nintendo would be shipping one million units to the United States by the end of the year. We tend not to pay particularly close attention to the estimates that the "big three" console manufacturers make about how many units they expect to ship. Particularly with the new generation of consoles, these targets have more often than not been missed when applied to the real world. But given Nintendo's relative successes this time around, this particular retraction could tell us one of two possible things about the situation that Nintendo currently finds itself in. Either they're having manufacturing issues (possible), or they're diverting units to the rabid masses over in Europe (we'd like to think this is equally likely). There is a third possible scenario: Reggie thought it would be fun to get the press to put a nice round figure of one million behind the Wii launch, which would bring us neatly back to the reason why we don't take these kind of announcements very seriously.

[Via digg]

[Matt Dusza @ Dec 10th 2006 5:08AM]

Now if this was Sony saying this, you'd be all over this saying that they're doomed to fail, and another broken promise

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 10th 2006 5:38AM]

Well, at least I'm not the only one to see that :p

[Grey Acumen @ Dec 10th 2006 10:36AM]

That's just cause PS3 is doomed anyway. Not just cause they failed to meet sales expectations :P

Ultimately, the difference is because of the different goals that the two companies have painted for themselves.
Nintendo is marketing the Wii is being simple, inexpensive and fun. It has already shown itself to be successful in this before it was even launched.
Playstation is being marketed as being the absolute leading edge of technology. Which it has not managed to establish. All it has managed to establish is that the Playstation is leading what SONY WANTS to be the leading edge of technology (ie, Bluray)

If I want the leading edge of technology, I'll get a new laptop. I can carry that with me and actually do work on it along with playing games.
But for a GAMING console, I'm sticking with Nintendo.

[Joel @ Dec 10th 2006 2:49PM]

I agree that the article is too forgiving. Not living up to these types of promises really sucks for the people who can't get the consoles.

[Prezzie @ Dec 10th 2006 5:12AM]

Such irrelevant news that it doesn't deserve the space it occupies.

Not that i don't want a Wii, i do, i'll just wait until they sitting by the dozen on shelves in costco, bundled with an extra controller and games...Current estimate to when this happens....earliest: March 2007 (My PC will sustain me until then)

[Ben Holmes @ Dec 10th 2006 5:38AM]

Hey - Just noticed that his surname Fils-Aime translates from French as 'Brotherly Love". Reggie Brotherly-Love! Now - that is funny.

[Moogle @ Dec 10th 2006 7:31AM]

Beloved Son is the intended meaning, IIRC.</stickinmud>

[Veritas II @ Dec 10th 2006 5:47AM]

You're definitely not alone in this observation.

[Matt B. @ Dec 10th 2006 5:51AM]

don't care. I've got mine and a backup sitting in the closet just in case - as do all of my friends that wanted one. it does seem credible, though - my store was supposed to get 12 in Friday and we only got 6. We're hoping for another 3 to 6 Monday, but until then the rabid soccer moms keep calling...

[Gil @ Dec 10th 2006 6:29AM]

They launched here two days ago (8th). They're just sitting there with nobody buying them.
The online stores say they're sold out and they'll put you on the list if you order but I highly doubt that's true.

Maybe nintendo should have diverted some of the consoles here to places that actually need them.

[gadjitfreek @ Dec 10th 2006 8:02AM]

Does not surprise me in the least. Checked the ads this morning and the Wii was not to be found. It's like trying to find a panda on the moon. Finally, a game system that I am interested in, first time since the Atari 2600 (which I still have) that a gaming system has even remotely appealed to me...I have been going nuts trying to get one, to no avail. I will probably end up waiting until they become available to the general population, not just to folks with no life, and apparently no job. The previous estimate of March seems about right. I had a dream last night that I actually found a store in the local mall (oddly enough, it's a store that does not exist, but I have dreamed about it before) that had three on the shelf, and I was in the middle of paying for two (one for me, one for my niece) when I woke up. Didn't even have the chance to bring it home and play it!

[Michael @ Dec 10th 2006 8:27AM]

I thought it was supposed to be 4 million before the end of the year?

[joe @ Dec 10th 2006 10:18AM]

Nintendo has sold nearly 2 million units worldwide.... I don't think they will get the 4 million by dec. 31st, but they're doing alot better than previous launches.

[Cap @ Dec 10th 2006 8:28AM]

To Matt Duzsa,

No, if this were Sony, I'd still be happy that they were shipping ANY units to the U.S., as opposed to that nice round not-even-a-quarter-million number that they hit. Regardless of whether they hit one million, Nintendo is at least still shipping consoles at a fairly regular rate. If they weren't doing that (like Sony isn't), I wouldn't have my Wii right now.

[audioboxer @ Dec 10th 2006 9:00AM]

Fourth scenario... demand isn't THAT high. Which points to the second scenario... send them to where there is more demand.

[Kev50027 @ Dec 10th 2006 5:16PM]

Are you stupid? Sony HAS been delivering PS3's regularly. Just last Sunday a local Gamestop in Cincy got something like 12 PS3s that sold out instantly. Please dont be stupid.

[sracer @ Dec 10th 2006 9:17AM]

Demand isn't high!? Weeks after launch there are people still camping out to buy one. Blogs and boards are filled with people (in the US) that still can't get a Wii. Even though they have been easier to buy this holiday season than the 360 was last year, buying a wii is still a hassle.

Maybe if everbody who dismissed the Wii as simply being GameCube 2.5 (but endded up buying one anyways) would give their's to a non-gamer, the shortage would just about be over. ;-)

Won't someone think of the non-games?!

[autechre @ Dec 10th 2006 9:38AM]

The likeliest explanation for Nintendo diverting more Wiis to Japan and Europe is the fact that the US dollar has declined significantly against the Euro since the Wiis price was first announced. Manufacturers can't easily raise prices in response to FX movements, so Nintendo is going to distribute their limited supply to protect/enhance their bottom line.

[Grey Acumen @ Dec 10th 2006 10:21AM]

Actually, yeah, I can see the Euro vs American dollar being an issue, though I thought the 1 million Wii units was supposed to be how many they would sell worldwide in the first week?

Anyway, the way I figure is that Nintendo was expecting the Wii to sell out in the first week, but not in the first 2 days. They knew they were going after a different slice of pie, but they didn't know how much of that slice they'd get right away.

Along with that, they've been shifting their production into churning out the thicker Wiimote straps.

Plus there was that lawsuit that the one goofy company came up with about an IR transmitted remote button or something that I'm not sure what grounds they have, but I'm also not sure if the legal stuff would tie up their production at all.

I dunno. I have to admit to being a little disappointed. They've been doing real good about meeting their own hype, I hate to see them fumble it on this. Hopefully we'll still see around 70%-85% of the expected 1000000 consoles by the end of the year.
Either way it doesn't affect me too much on a personal level, since my expenses won't cover it until around February or March.

[Revenant @ Dec 10th 2006 10:47AM]

They don't need to say Sony is doomed to fail - it's already known by all.

[FrankTheCrank @ Dec 10th 2006 10:52AM]

YEAH...Let's hear it for CRAP-O-VISION graphics!!!

YES!!! The gamecubes graphics live on!!!

Wooohooo!!!

And remember, don't whack little Johnny in the head with that "Killer" remote....I swear someone's going to lose an eye soon.

[FrankTheCrank @ Dec 10th 2006 10:54AM]

One other thing...

SONY is just the talk of the town aren't they??

People who own it, love it...People who don't own it, hate it.

I got mine...woohoo! Can't wait for Motorstorm!! The DEMO is KILLER!!!

[humpty @ Dec 10th 2006 10:57AM]

Nintendo needs to sell a lot of Wiis now and in the next 6 months since they need to sell on hype. Thats when people will realise they've bought GC1.5 with a fancy controller that is only good for point and click games.

The game reviews are already in, except for Zelda, games are getting shit reviews.. and all of the highly anticipated games for '07 are all Nintendo franchises. So, unless you're a Nintendo fanboy there's nothing left for you.

Its going to be GameCube all over again.

[Zadillo @ Dec 10th 2006 12:19PM]

That simply isn't true that all the games other than Zelda are getting "shit reviews" as you put it. And in fact, some of the third party games like Madden 07 and Trauma Center and Rayman Raving Rabbids have actually gotten very solid reviews, overall.

[SporkRocker @ Dec 10th 2006 12:23PM]

"Nintendo needs to sell a lot of Wiis now and in the next 6 months since they need to sell on hype. Thats when people will realize they've bought GC1.5 with a fancy controller that is only good for point and click games.

The game reviews are already in, except for Zelda, games are getting shit reviews.. and all of the highly anticipated games for '07 are all Nintendo franchises. So, unless you're a Nintendo fanboy there's nothing left for you.

Its going to be GameCube all over again."
I wouldn't consider me a Nintendo Fanboy, more of a PC fanboy if anything. Nintendo said themselves the graphics of the Wii isn't superior or even next-gen. They focused on some hand projectile instead. I can't stand this close minded mentality. Your probally a Microsoft 360 Fanboy.

I remember the gamecube selling better than a xbox a few years back. The only reason why I have a damn Xbox was for Halo 1&2, what a waste. I don't think I'll be a xbox fan again til they drop their subscription fees for going online. Microsoft is a greedy corp that I don't support i.e Vista when Xp is still damn good. DX10 on only Vista pisses me off. Vista is Xp 1.5,probably less Xp 1.1-3, I believe you said that for the Wii. That aside.

People get so focused on the Hardware on systems. It's the games that make the system. Also, on another note; can you be at a party or host a party while playing GoW,Vegas(can't wait til it comes to pc), and etc, and have people interested in it? Even non-gamers and yes, probably females. Now a Wii is a party system (though Zelda ain't a party game.) I agree with what you're implying, sort of. For me, I won't get a Wii til Super Smash bros Brawl, Mario Galaxy, Wario Ware and the next Metroid. Hopefully they have enough units out by then. Same thing goes for the Ps3, well if Sony is not bankrupt, is Final Fantasy 13(both of them), MGS4, and White Knight.

The 360 feels like a waste to me. GoW is good, but not that good for me to play it again, or god forbid I signup for that blasphemous service called Xbox live, when I have BF2142, Counter:Source, Supreme Commander, and etc for disposal, which costs nothing to go online. Dead Rising is the same, good game, not enough to get me to replay it. Wow 2 games that makes think the Prem System was worth it.

Back to your quote, Yes, most Wii games have been getting horrible reviews, you know why? Cause, they are movie based games, or ports. 3 Reviews that I have read that depict the game as "fun/good" is Excite Truck(name?), Madden 07(Going to pick that up when I "Wii"), and Wii Sports (Free you say?)

[Revenant @ Dec 10th 2006 2:43PM]

A repeat of the GameCube?
So, tons of fun, with outstanding graphics? (When Resident Evil 4 was ported to the PS2, capcom had to reduce the graphic quality for it to play on the PS2.)
Or was it that it's 3 main franchises are all games that both Sony and M$ WISH they could get on their systems?

No, wait, you meant it's going to sell less systems because it's not as M-rated as the other two systems, right?

And that the graphics are less impressive on the TVs of the, what, 15% of people who have HDTVs (it's been a while since I bothered to look at the actual percentage...)? the trade off is that you aren't spending an extra $10 per game and $250-350 for the system. AS a gamer, when I go look at the 3 next gens, my brain went like this: hmm... I know I want a 360, so OK... now, PS3 or Wii... Hm... 5 games and a system, or just the system... hmmm...

Also, they had a Wii in stock, so that helped a lot. (3 of them, actually)

Ok, wait, maybe it's that the controller was too hard to use? It must be terrible having to move more than a thumb to play a game.

As for shit reviews - ignore the reviews. Play the damn games yourself befor eyou make a judgment, or STFU.

Besides: Zelda, Mario, Metroid and Smash Bros. are what SOLD me the system. Dead Rising and Gears of War sold me a 360. The PS3 has nothing that interests me now, nor announced - except for a couple titles that are also going to be on the 360.

The Wii kicks ass, The 360 kicks ass. The PS3... well, it's very big literally.

[Revenant @ Dec 10th 2006 11:13AM]

Besides, if the unit I played at Best Buy is any indication, the PS3 is in serious trouble.

Shouldn't a system that is touted so highly be able to have at least 50 unique audience members, rendered in 3d, and in motion, in a racing game? Also, shouldn't the same game, which uses words like "destruction" on in-game selections, have EXPLOSIONS? Or dust that tries to look realistic?

But, as the guy playing with me said, the shadows look great!

Admittedly, the game is a demo, and probably incomplete... but If they are trying to SELL ME A $600 CONSOLE, they should do 2 things:
A)Show me games that are available right now
B)Show the games that really show off the system's graphical prowess. (IE: that make the 360 look sad)

What game you ask? MotorStorm. There were about 10 repeating audience members. they were stationary, flat, and not animated in any way. And there were NO explosions. I rammed a wall at full speed, drove other cars off the road, and drove off a cliff - my car was a little banged up, then it vanished and I was placed back on the track. It also, according to Sony, is 720p... where's the 1080p love, Sony?

The only other game available to play was one of the NBA games - and it too so long to lead I left before I got a chance to play it. The were some nice videos of Lair, and a couple other 2007 games... the same ones I've seen since E3.

[FrankTheCrank @ Dec 10th 2006 11:53AM]

Dude....you want audience members in your Motorstorm? What the hell are you talking about? No explosions? Are you serious?

I saw the demo at a Target, and I must say the demo at Target was not good....I recently, three nights ago, downloaded the latest MotorStorm Demo and it is impressive. I can't believe you when you say there are no explosions in this game, the truck blows up if you use up all your nitrous...What the hell are you talking about? Also, the cars blow up into a million pieces...The store demo is not as good or complete as the Sony Store(online) demo.

Don't hate it just cause you can't get one.

[chenry @ Dec 10th 2006 12:00PM]

good thing i got one :P

[Scabies @ Dec 10th 2006 12:02PM]

Yeah, the PS3 kiosks have a different demo than those that managed to take one home. I remember playing it at the store and being like "what am I getting myself into..."
I got it home, updated the firmware (twice), grabbed the demo, and was pleasantly suprised by better framerates and higher detail.
And no explosions? apparently you didnt touch a thing, I blow up like six times in a race. Oh, and always while crossing the finish line :P

[Chris @ Dec 10th 2006 12:05PM]

To FrankTheCrank:

Your name says it all. You must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Are you just pissed b/c the Wii is so much cooler and inexpensive than you'd hoped it would be? You're a ridiculous PS3 fanboy. You and your love of the PS3 should have just saved your $$$ and stuck to PC gaming... Blu-Ray? Hey, I've got this awesome BETA VCR I'll sell you cheap!

and to humpty:

Do you have a Wii? I assume not. Don't knock it until you've tried it fool.

[PreGHz @ Dec 10th 2006 12:12PM]

You call Frank a fanboy, but aren't you one yourself?

That's why there's fuel to the fanboy fire. Fanboys calling out other fanboys whilst talking enough shit to continue the argument.

[Zadillo @ Dec 10th 2006 12:22PM]

Also, the Wii controller is "only good for Point and Click" games? Give me a break..... it seems like we're already seeing a pretty wide diversity of things the controller is good for, frankly..... honestly, I think we're seeing the Wii controller potential a lot earlier than we did with the DS (which took a while before games started coming out that really showed how much potential there was with its touch screen abilities....... like a game like Kirby Canvas Curse, or even the final version of Metroid Prime Hunters, which showed a lot more than the initial "First Hunt" pack-in showed).

[Chris @ Dec 10th 2006 12:28PM]

PreGHz:

Your statement clearly places you as a PS3 fanboy. No matter, I have both systems (and a X360) and by far everyone plays and wants the Wii hands down.

As for fanboy-ism, I'm just telling it as it is. Once both units become readily available in March '07, go get yourself both and see what happens...

You can't deny that $700+ just to get started doesn't plant you in direct competition with the PC gaming market. That's a big mistake for Sony.

[FrankTheCrank @ Dec 10th 2006 12:45PM]

$700 bucks?? What? I paid $499 and $60 for resistance. And got everything I needed to get online and watch BluRay flicks in HD.

Apples to apples...the PS3 is cheaper. 360 Core $299, Wireless controller $50, Live Subscription $50, 20GB HDD $100, HD-DVD(NO HDMI) $200...that's $700 right there without a game. Apples to apples...the PS3 is cheaper.

Oh...Motorstorm, VF5, Tekken5, Metal Gear, F1...just not on XBOX...

[SporkRocker @ Dec 10th 2006 12:36PM]

Also, Everyone seems to be forgetting about how horrid the 360 launch was. Also, another thing that grinds my gear is they don't do accurate surveys. As such as 7million 360s have been sold, while wii has sold 700,000 and ps3 has sold like 100,000. These total comparisons suck, and blow major chunks. Instead I want to see a comparison of the first month or weeks when each system was launched. I know the 360 probably sold less than the Wii and probably the Over-hyped Ps3(Mainly the stupid Ebayers thinking that they are making a profit, instead they are stuck with a useless piece of coal, which they'll have to give it away or sell it for 50-90% of what it's worth. Since every Sony Fanboy will go ape crap over a ps3 and will pay double or triple amount for a Ps3. When there is no solid launch titles......)

[JV @ Dec 10th 2006 12:39PM]

Is it as easy as just diverting consoles to other parts of the world? I mean don't they have to change the region formats, power supply and all that other stuff?

[BlackMagix @ Dec 10th 2006 1:29PM]

Why would you buy the core, then proceed to buy all the "extra" accesories. When you could just buy the premium $399.99 + HD-DVD $199.99. Furthermore, why would you want an HD-DVD player when all I buy a gaming console for is to you guessed it play games.

And if we take that gaming formula one step further you could purchace

XBox 360 Core - $299.99
Nintendo Wii - $249.99
GoW - $50.00
Zelda - $50.00

All for a nice round $650 which is the price of a PS3 + Game

[SporkRocker @ Dec 10th 2006 1:59PM]

Except, if your getting GoW which is $60, you would most likely get Premium System which is $399.99 if your a very Hardcore gamer who plays on an HDTV and online for the Xbox Live Silver which is free with the bundle, or take the 1 month free of gold, with a headset, Hi-def cable, ethernet cord, wireless controller, and a hdd. Which is much cheaper than 700, unless you buy another 1-3 controllers(which I will exclude, since this affects the PS3 and Wii), HD Dvd Drive which is not built-in($199) to compete with the blu-ray, Wireless controller battery charger? $19-29, Wireless Network adapter $99, Live Gold $50.

399+99(the Ps3 premium system has this innately built in,same for the Wii, so I have to figure in the Wifi to compete.)+ 199 HD Dvd Drive.
$700 Xbox Prem with 20 gb(no hdd for core)+Wifi +HD DvD vs the $600 Prem Playstation with a 60 GB.

As you said you don't need the HD Dvd to play games... what about when they ditch the dual layer dvds to the Hd Dvds? Or about Sony's and Microsoft's Format war with the Blu-ray vs Hd Dvd? That doesn't matter? Which one wins or loses will play a fate in both systems. ie Sony Beta-max vs Phillips VHS. This time I don't think Sony is willing to lose again, and Microsoft isn't Phillips.

[Cowboy Bob @ Dec 10th 2006 1:46PM]

its okay, i got my wii on launch date.

[Lewis Roberts @ Dec 10th 2006 1:48PM]

So Gil, enlighten us... where exactly are they sitting so those people that want one can get one from the shelves they're sitting on..

[BlackMagix @ Dec 10th 2006 2:36PM]

I suppose it all depends what you want a �gaming� system for I for one am certainly not going to use a �gaming� system for watching HD Movies. What I will use it for is gaming surprisingly. But theoretically the 360 has downloadable HD Movies on the live marketplace so making the argument �oh, but the PS3 can play HD-movies straight out the box� technically so can the premium 360 in the U.S.A.

Playing HD Movies (Why you would want to is beyond me)

Xbox cheapest option - Xbox 360 Premium - $399.99 (Market Place HD Movies & TV Shows) - Total - $399.99
PS3 cheapest option � PS3 20gb $499.99 - Total $499.99

Xbox mid-priced option - Xbox 360 Core $299.99 + HD-DVD $199.99 - Total $498.98

Xbox expensive option - Xbox 360 Premium $399.99 + HD-DVD $199.99 - Total $598.98
PS3 expensive option � PS3 60gb $599.99 - Total $599.99

Most �gamers� I know don�t give a crap about the format war there just waiting for the dust to settle. Even then I seriously doubt any of them will be willing to re-buy year�s worth of DVD collections.

Pure Gaming Solutions

Wii $250 + Zelda (Average Rating 95.5%) $50 - Total $300
Xbox 360 Core $299.99 + GoW (Average Rating 95%) $60 - Total $359.99
Xbox 360 premium $399.99 + GoW (Average Rating 95%) $60 - Total 459.99
PS3 20gb $499.99 + (Average Rating 89%) $60 - $559.99
PS3 60gb $599.99 + (Average Rating 89%) $60 - $659.99

Even the least expensive PS3 is the most expensive option compared to the others. Looking at it from a gamers perspective the PS3�s launch lineup is mediocre at best for me it�s hard to justify such a meaty investment.

[Andrew @ Dec 10th 2006 2:06PM]

[quote]
Today, however, Nintendo of America alerted the media that its statement from yesterday which read, "Despite spot shortages in some locations, well more than a million Wii systems will be available in the United States by the end of the year," has been retracted and should be ignored.
[/quote]

They didn't say they would be shipping less than 1 million, they said to ignore the 1 million statement. Could it be because there will be more than 1 million by the end of the year?

[BlackMagix @ Dec 10th 2006 2:46PM]

PS3 Game I used as an example was Resistance Fall of Man

[dml @ Dec 10th 2006 2:57PM]

All this hype about a PR retraction and no further details? Sounds like someone has an agenda they just can't let go of.

The Wii sold nearly 500k units in November, and has been available at various points at large national retailers in December. Walmart and Target each had large shipments in the past week. Just about every major retailer is stockpiling shipments for December 17 for advertised sales. Now tell me: does another measly 500k sound like too much for Nintendo to sell?

[Billy @ Dec 10th 2006 4:07PM]

That's disappointing. They were originally saying 4 million is US by end of year, and now it's not even 1 million? :P

[Mr.Ortiz @ Dec 11th 2006 3:46AM]

Billy, that was 4 million worldwide, not just to the US. Still, it's hard to see how they'll reach that goal if less than 1 million come here.

As for being too soft on Nintendo, if this were Sony there wouldn't be any announcement. We'd have to figure it out ourselves by adding up the final sales figures a month from now. And even after they got called on it they still wouldn't comment.

[evilfixx @ Dec 10th 2006 5:56PM]

"We tend not to pay particularly close attention to the estimates that the "big three" console manufacturers make about how many units they expect to ship."

Liars! That's all you talked about when it came to Sony! So now that mighty Nintendo does it, you make excuses, bloody hypocritical if you ask me.

"which would bring us neatly back to the reason why we don't take these kind of announcements very seriously."

Unless it's Sony.

[nick @ Dec 10th 2006 7:49PM]

I'm really surprised this is not on Joystiq, especially when there's barely any new content there today.

[Scabies @ Dec 10th 2006 8:28PM]

I am still mystified as to how people can take sales numbers as a validating point. Both new systems are sold out across America and Japan, with supply being the only thing holding back those numbers. If the PS3 had 1.5mil units in the US on launch, it probably would have sold most of them. I imagine a similar thing would have happened to the Wii. Saying that Wii is winning this season is moot, since demand for both systems is probably equal. [and PS2 (TWO) is winning anyways. research before you deny it]
(actually, look on ebay. how many wii's do we see? what does that say about demand?)