Nintendo cranking out 1.8 million Wiis per month

It's not like you really needed another PSA to reinforce just how difficult getting your hands around a Wii this holiday season will be, but a recent interview with Nintendo of America's marketing chief George Harrison did make mention of that fact. More specifically, he stated that it was "still expecting some shortages in December," but noted that the Big N wouldn't be "pulling back on its marketing." Potentially more interesting is Mr. Harrison's assertion that the firm is currently producing some 1.8 million Wiis per month, and it's having to make decisions of where to send shipments to "nearly every week." 'Course, the chat couldn't end without some reference to the rivals, and the exec concluded by proclaiming that Nintendo "doesn't focus a lot on the competition," as "its performance seems to be independent of those two."

[Via 1UP]

[Jonah Falcon @ Nov 19th 2007 8:13AM]

As Col. Sherman Potter might say, “Horse hockey.” First he claims that Nintendo’s churning out 1.8M Wiis per month, but there will be shortages? Furthermore, the NPD numbers (before they stopped producing them) don’t add up to that, even over the course of a few months.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Nov 19th 2007 9:04AM]

Jonah Falcon wrote, "First he claims that Nintendo’s churning out 1.8M Wiis per month, but there will be shortages?"

If the demand worldwide is more than the number they are producing or the distribution coverage is poor in some countries then there will be shortages. It's simple supply and demand economics. I wasn't able to find one until June.

As an aside, Nintendo is now the 3rd largest company in Japan,, nearly tripling it's value from $30B to $88B in the last year alone. Now that the Wii is more readily available and production costs have come down I suspect Nintendo to rise even faster.

[tom.tsai @ Nov 19th 2007 9:06AM]

Except that NPD only factors in US sales.

I'm sure Nintendo has to also be preparing some for the Wii's launch in Korea and China next year.

[Jonah Falcon @ Nov 19th 2007 10:06AM]

Um, the WORLDWIDE numbers don't add up to that either. Again, bull. shit.

[Derbeste @ Nov 19th 2007 10:52AM]

And I'm SURE you have a source to back that up?

Thought not.

[Travis @ Nov 19th 2007 8:14AM]

I just scored one at Target for step father for Christmas....he'll be one happy old man!

[soul7963 @ Nov 19th 2007 8:25AM]

Damn they must drink a lot of water! (sorry)

[Herman Manfred @ Nov 19th 2007 8:33AM]

Yeah, well, if they're cranking them out they must be shipping them somewhere else - nowhere around THIS part of the neighborhood is a Wii to be found.

[timatl @ Nov 19th 2007 8:42AM]

i got one at target for my daughter sunday morning at toys'r us. i have been trying for few a months

[Silverfrog @ Nov 19th 2007 8:47AM]

If Nintendo, according to NPD, is only selling 500k units per month, then how holy hell is it not keeping up with 1.8M units per month produced? Something just doesn't seem right.

[SRT @ Nov 19th 2007 10:16AM]

Stores are probably stock-piling them for Black Friday sales events. Nothing like a Wii on the front of your circular to get people in the door this holiday season.

[Surur @ Nov 19th 2007 8:58AM]

I did not believe it until I saw it, but it appears clear than Americans really think USA is the whole world.

You know, besides 500 000 sold in USA, there is also a little place called Europe, Japan, the rest of Asia and the rest of the world. Not to mention stockpiling for Christmas, when they will easily sell 3 million over 2 months.

[Gabriel @ Nov 19th 2007 9:00AM]

1.8 million production worldwide. 500k sold in America per month. the rest go elsewhere.

[Silverfrog @ Nov 19th 2007 9:05AM]

Thanks for the correction. That was not arrogance on my part by the way, it was ignorance. I thought the NPD posted world-wide numbers.

[victor @ Nov 19th 2007 8:50AM]

How can they possibly still be having manufacturing shortages? It's not like the Wii uses any hard to find parts. Nintendo can probably take the millions of old Gamecubes and retrofit them into Wiis rather easily. This is just Nintendo tooting their own stupid (and insanely successful) horn again.

(Written by a Wii owner)

[Leonard Nimrod @ Nov 19th 2007 9:12AM]

Note that Nintendo is producing and selling a good more units per month than MS and Sony. Sony has scarcely sold more than 1.8M PS3 and yet Nintendo is producing that many per month and should at least be double the number of Xbox 360s sold per month.

[Chris @ Nov 19th 2007 9:45AM]

@victor

It is highly unlikely that Nintendo is running into supply shortages for producing the Wii. It is almost 100% certain, however, that their production facilities are only physically capable of producing a certain number of Wii's per month and they are at or close to that capacity. In other words, they are producing them as fast as they can given the current plant(s) that they have building them. If I may analogize... if you have two keyboards, you won't be able to type any faster.

They probably will not build another plant either. By the time it is done and ready to produce, they will likely be able to produce on pace or out pacing demand.

[Silverfrog @ Nov 19th 2007 9:45AM]

Sony has sold over 5.59 Million PS3s world-wide, as of Sept. 2007.

[Alex @ Nov 19th 2007 8:54AM]

Been looking for one for ever in Ohio. Can't find one anywhere.

[Irfan @ Nov 19th 2007 4:13PM]

Ive found one in ohio, so have all my friends that looked for one. where are you looking? check ebgames/gamestop/target/meijer. Also check on tuesdays in the AM when they usually get more. no walmarts or CC or BBs had them since everyone looks there.. a lot of people overlook EBGames and gamestops.. especially ones in strip malls and not big malls.

[B @ Nov 19th 2007 9:06AM]

Don't Worry guys your Wiis are doing okay over here (Dubai), Seriously, we have them in every corner,when you goto a shopping mall over here, you find them in Video Game shops, in Super Market's, and in those Tech Stands in the middle of some malls, although they aren't on sale for the orginal price, Most places sell them here with 2 games at a cost of 410$, you can select the Games of course :)

[Bobs @ Nov 19th 2007 9:39AM]

Wish i could visit. Over here, we get no say in what games come packaged with a console, like the console extra controller and 2 or 3 games bundles

[Silverfrog @ Nov 19th 2007 9:08AM]

Upon further investigation, it looks like the Wii (world-wide) has been selling 1.09 million units per month on average, since it's release.

[George @ Nov 19th 2007 9:12AM]

I dont understand why people want one honestly. Most people have hdtvs now that I know and there arent many great games coming out besides nintendos games. I had one till a few months back but i sold it cause most games coming out are junk. Look at ign.com reviews and youll see what i mean, most games are getting 6.0 or lower, theres way more junk on this system than any other system out there. But i dont care why people are buying it i just dont understand it.

[Fank @ Nov 19th 2007 9:20AM]

Maybe for the good games that are coming out. If you look at the PS2 ratings on IGN, you'll see that it is the same story. Graphic whore. Also, some people have HDTV's, not "most". Good job in making up an argument. Moron.

[Kennylad @ Nov 19th 2007 9:29AM]

Every game console takes a year or so for the game companies to catch up with the technology... how many stellar PS3 Games have been available other than Resistance fall of man... and as for the XBOX it was good twelve months of playing Halo before choice titles arrived... the same is true of the Wii... in the next few months some amazing games will be released. The difference with the Wii, even though it's dirt cheap... is that it has held it's value. I feel sorry for the PS 3 owners who saw that machine price plummet while they were forced to watch HD DVDs while waiting for good games to be released. If you bought a PS3 now you could buy a Wii with the savings in price from last year.

[Lemmiwinks @ Nov 19th 2007 12:59PM]

"Most people have hdtvs now"

Y'all don't know very much, do ya?

[noisia @ Nov 19th 2007 9:29AM]

i did some calculation:

of course i dont have any detailed numbers, i just assumed those.
wii's are probably produced in china where they have at least 12hours work days.
so: 12h x 6days = 72, 72x4=288hours in total per month of production. this means that calculated with 2'000'000 produced untis (i think they produce more than they sell, but have some shortages in some places) they are producing about 6500 units per HOUR (or 108units per minute). this is pretty impressive for me and i think it seems obvious that they have some problems delivering the units.

please admit that my calculations arent meant to be perfect or whatever, this is just done for giving you a bit an idea about what we are talking here.

[MfgGuy @ Nov 19th 2007 9:52AM]

I don't think that's accurate.

Its going to be a 24hr operation. Regardless of shift, 1.8mm units in 30 days at 24 hours is 2500 units/hour.

The better question is: What are the ratio of PAL, NTSC or SECAM video standards? Our piddly 275K hungry consumer base can't match the consumers of Japan, China, South East Asia, Europe, and pretty much the rest of the world. I believe NTSC is only for US and Canada. Most of the world uses PAL.

[MfgGuy @ Nov 19th 2007 9:57AM]

Ugh. sent it too fast.

Assuming each unit (in an assembly line) takes 5 seconds before the next unit is completed then at 42 units a second, there must be a heck of a lot of lines. And to corroborate your statement, Yes, pretty impressive indeed.

[Surur @ Nov 19th 2007 10:02AM]

If NPD was worldwide Sony would kill themselves...

[Jonah Falcon @ Nov 19th 2007 10:08AM]

Even the LANGUAGE is bullshit.

"Hey, we're making 1.8M per month! We have TONS AND TONS AND TONS OF WIIS! Oh, sorry, there's going to be a shortage, too."

[Ken Rollins @ Nov 19th 2007 2:15PM]

That's Great, I Have Always had a Nintendo, it's Funny, Everytime I Go To an Electronics Store, I never See Any Wii's.

Nintentdo is Getting Ready for another Big Roll Out This Christmas. Let's Just Hope that there are plenty of Wii in stock during the Christmas Season,

You can go online and Check out all the Latest Wii Reviews

Give it Up for Nintendo Everyone. Wii Games are Awsome.

A big Congratulations is in Order. Never Give up, Nintendo Could have thrown in the Towel a Long time ago, but didn't and now The world has the Wii.

I don't Have a Wii yet, but I know I am about to Get One this Christmas and also run out and get the new need for speed Pro Street, I know this will be another big hit for Avid Racers like Myself. I can't wait to Play it on the wii virtual console.

Wii accessories are sure to be an easy christmas gift for someone with a wii.

Wii Like to Play. I know I do.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

[iofthestorm @ Nov 19th 2007 2:24PM]

Umm, This is a Blog Not a Book Title.

[computer.dude.28 @ Nov 19th 2007 5:55PM]

Did anyone Else notice the Random Capitals?

[zalpz @ Nov 19th 2007 2:39PM]

when are color'd Wiis coming out?

[js @ Nov 19th 2007 2:48PM]

I feel sorry for the kids in China.... they'll have no Christmas this year.

[a @ Nov 19th 2007 4:04PM]

now if they could only supply existing owners with decent games...
i have had one for a year now and it's collecting dust. honestly, the best game is that tennis game that came with it... I should probably give new games a chance but nothing has piqued my interest.. i really believe in this systems potential but nothing has come even remotely close to unlocking it.... it IS great when people come over but that's seldom.

[a @ Nov 19th 2007 4:20PM]

guys, they're probably stockpiling devices to build up inventory to produce a strong 4th quarter showing. that sets the pace for next year, gets all the press when it matters and good press (i.e., no shortages)....
It's called "sandbagging" and companies do it all the time.

There is NO way they're turning out 100 units a minute... that's absurd. there is no way they could have organized a supply chain to meet that kind of production target; maybe in a decade like an auto manufacturer, but not in a 14 month production cycle.

If they are actually going to introduce that many Wiis into the market over the holidays than I can guarantee you that they're sandbagging right now...
It's all about the shareholders after all...

[elisnook @ Nov 19th 2007 5:12PM]

my mom bought one from the local meijers about 2 month's back and they had 18 others. Hmmmm?

[Goebbels @ Nov 19th 2007 6:04PM]

I think the big N is about to flood the market. Here where I live (East of Toronto) it was pretty hard to find one till today. When I walked into futureshop today they had about thirty stacked in the aisle. I was just there Saturday and there was squat. I came home and I checked online for availability in the surrounding area and there was two other stores showing they had stock. Naturally, I picked one up for my daughter;).

[Goatee Man @ Nov 19th 2007 6:52PM]

Can't find a Wii? Try Montana.

No, I'm serious - our population is disproportionate to the number of Wiis we receive. Depending on where you go (try Helena or Bozeman), you're likely to find one pretty easily.

And no, we don't ride horses everywhere and talk with stupid accents, so don't even assume that.

[Eman @ Nov 19th 2007 8:09PM]

With all this hype regarding the Wii it seems hard what to believe. Sure they are cranking up production and marketing won't back off but that still doesn't put these game consoles on the shelves. Yes you can 'camp' at your local retail center and HOPE they catch a shipment that week. Of course you can pay the ebay pirates more than $100 over retail for one...plus shipping. Regardless, the Big N has an interesting market position in that limited supply with peak demand brings pure price stability and their profits will remain consistent. So I pose the question....Nintendo Wii systems holiday shortage or assured fiscal year stability?? Yes it's purely my speculative opinion as I wouldn't want to start any rumors now would I??