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LCD TV shipments forecasted to double by 2012
2012 is really turning out to be a banner year in the world of HDTV -- after all, we'll have 900 HD channels via satellite, 33 million homes engaging in HD streaming and everyone and their cousin will own a LCD TV. Okay, so maybe that's a stretch, but according to new data from iSuppli, global shipments of LCD TVs will "nearly double" from 2008 to 2012, "driven mainly by falling prices and consumer demand for flat-screens and the HD format." If you're scouting numbers, the report suggests that we'll see worldwide shipments rise to nearly 194 million in just four years, and unsurprisingly, the thin designs and big resolutions are at the forefront of reasons why. Oh, and if prices keep sinking ever closer to zero, we wouldn't be surprised one iota to see this milestone passed a few months earlier than predicted.[Via WidescreenReview, image courtesy of Sciam]
The one American store with daily Wii shipments
While most stores in this country (and abroad) simply can't meet demand for the Wii this holiday season, there is one store that seems to have no problem getting the systems in stock. GameDaily reports that the Nintendo World store in New York City's Rockefeller Center gets new shipments of the Wii every morning. The GameDaily reporter says that, on two recent visits, the store had "at least 20 [Wiis] lined up behind the main counter. Just Wii boxes waiting for the next person in line."Well, either that reporter had some good timing or the word has gotten out among New York's Nintendo fans, because WCBS Radio reports that 200 people were camped outside the store in the early morning before opening this Tuesday. One waiting New Yorker told the interviewer that she had ventured all the way out to Richmond, Va. to try and find a system. We bet Greenpeace would blame Nintendo for all the gas burned on the trip, too.For those of you who can't quite make it to New York City, you can always try using ZapTXT to alert you the moment when your local store gets shipments. Remember: nice guys finish last, so don't be afraid to break all local traffic laws speeding to the store upon receiving word. Godspeed, good shoppers.Read - Nintendo World gets daily WiisListen - Lines outside the storeRead - ZapTXT Wii alerts
Nintendo raising expected shipment quantity for 2008
In what should be good news for anyone who wants to purchase a DS, Nintendo announced that they're upgrading their shipping forecasts for the next fiscal year. They expect to ship 26 million DS systems, up from an earlier projection of 22 million. Software shipment forecasts have been increased as well, up from 130 million to 140 million units. All this time, it was possible for Nintendo to ship more systems?At this point, we imagine the market for more DS systems consists mostly of double-dippers and Japanese people who have been waiting in line for most of the last year.
Nintendo ups the ante on DS/Wii shipments
Nintendo has revealed that they will be ramping up production of both the DS and Wii. Previous Wii shipments were forecast at 14 million units for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008. Nintendo is now looking to pile 2 and a half million more units on top, bringing the estimate to 16.5 million. Software for the system has also received a push, as previous estimates put the figure around 55 million. This has been raised to 72 million.Are you still having trouble finding a Wii? Are you hopeful that this surge will help you in your quest to find one?
Target ad says Wiis in stores today or Tuesday? [update 1]
To get the most enjoyment out of Wii Fanboy, well, you need a Wii. Really, the site's a lot better when you can care about the screenshots and game announcements. Now, we realize the Wii can be hard to find, so we understand why some of you haven't been enjoying the site in its fullest.A Wii Fanboy friend just reported that his Target in Edmond, Oklahoma was advertising Wii consoles for sale Tuesday. We don't know how many, or if this applies to all Target stores. But, just in case, wait until Tuesday morning to go buy toothpaste, and check for Wiis while you're there. If you're the type of roguish loner who doesn't need an excuse to go somewhere, just go there Tuesday.Anyone else see Wii announcements in their Targets? The weekly ad has a listing for the Wii, but no indication of whether or not it'll be in stores.[Update: The ad might actually have been referring to today, in which case they're all gone! Might as well go check, we suppose. A couple of readers found them in stores today. Thanks to the readers who pointed this out.][Thanks, Zack!]
Gamestop COO: Nintendo holding back Wii supplies
It's our second "Nintendo holding back Wii shipments until April 1st" conspiracy theory of the day! This time, it's for a completely different reason. GameStop's COO Dan DeMatteo posited that since Nintendo has met their sales goal for this fiscal year, they're putting off the next shipment until the next year starts, which is April 1st. DeMatteo expects to see Wii supplies pick up right about then. We hope he's right! Not necessarily about the conspiracy thing, but about the increase in Wii shipments. The 1st isn't that far away![Via GoNintendo]
Rumor: Wal-Mart holding Wiis for April 1st
For those of you who have yet to find a Wii, we have potentially good news! Or a totally mean waste of your time. We don't really know.Tipster Memnoch tells us he saw a handwritten sign in a Wal-Mart electronics department in Fairfax, VA telling employees to hold Wii shipments for April 1st, when a new advertising circular would announce their availability. Our readers have yet to lead us astray with these shipment tips, but we aren't 100% sure about it. It's not that we don't trust Memnoch-- it would just be foolish to take a rumor involving April 1st at face value. Hence the more skeptical, pensive Matthew Lesko. Good luck if you check this out!
Sony sez Nintendo Wii is an "impulse buy"
Here's one that's sure get at least half (or so) of you fired up. In speaking with the New York Times, Sony Computer Entertainment of America spokesperson Dave Karraker was boasting about how "100,000" PlayStation 3 units were being shipped stateside each week, and were continuing to "sell out" nationwide. Aside from the fact that a large majority of the country can find, secure, and purchase a PS3 now without worry over being shot up or forced to pay ridiculous prices, Mr. Karraker proceeded to dig himself a little deeper by insinuating that Sony's latest console is "much more powerful and should therefore be regarded as being in a different category." As if sparks weren't already about to fly, he then stated that Nintendo's Wii "could be considered an impulse buy more than anything else," simultaneously slamming any citizen who doesn't consider $250 a drop in the bucket and indirectly proclaiming that millions upon millions of Americans are still unable to resist their "impulses" by snapping up Wii units as quick as they arrive. Of course, he attributed the vast shortage of Wii consoles to Nintendo's stingy shipments, but the Big N's vice president of marketing, Perrin Kaplan, simply deemed that "absolutely inaccurate." So, inquiring minds are dying to know: was your Wii purchase well-planned, or are you still coping with buyer's remorse?
PSP shipments down 75%; Sony refuses to give up
Momentum is clearly not on Sony's side. Newly released figures today revealed that the PSP shipped 1.76 million units the holiday period from October to December. While that's certainly not a small amount, it's dwarfed by the incredible performance of the PSP the year before, where the system shipped 6.22 million units.In spite of significantly weakening hardware performance, gamers are still buying games for the system, much to Sony's relief. Software sales were up 24% for this quarter compared to last year, reaching 21.2 million units.Sony CFO, Nobuyuki Oneda commented on the surprising plummet in PSP sales by stating that Sony will not give up on the platform. He noted that Sony is still implementing new ideas for the constantly evolving system. For the sake of PSP fans everywhere, let's hope that they can reinvigorate the public opinion of the system.[Via IGN]
PSP shipments down, but software gaining momentum
While we were so hyped up about the new 2.80 firmware, some of the smaller news stories fell through the cracks. For example, Sony revealed their quarterly results, and revealed that yes, they finally made money. But, that money certainly didn't come from the games division. Rather, sales of digital cameras, cell phones, and the theatrical release of The DaVinci Code seemed to pour the cash into Sony's pockets. The games division has seen a 29.1 percent drop in sales and operating revenue for this quarter, and the operating losses have increased this quarter to $232.2 million.Sales for PlayStation 2's notably aged hardware and software predictably went down. Unfortunately, it appears that demand for PSP hardware has dropped worldwide, resulting in approximately 3% less shipments this quarter (note that shipments and sales are two different figures). However, shipments for software have nearly doubled, reaching 9.1 million (an increase of 4.2 million).While hardware may have seen a small dip, that software figure shows a still-impressive run for the PSP. It appears that the games division will be making most of its money from the PSP for now, as analysts predict that PS3 manufacturing costs will cost the company $2 billion within a year.[Via Gamasutra]
