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Wii Warm Up: Are you still looking?
We're coming up on the second anniversary of our favorite console this November, and with the supply of Wii consoles still not catching up with the demand, we were wondering how many of you out there are still hunting for a system still? Are you hunting one down for yourself or for somebody else? Already have one, had your folks try it, now they want you to find them one?
Matsushita stumbles, LG becomes top plasma supplier once again
Believe it or not, it was around this day two full years ago that LG managed to climb atop Matsushita, Hitachi and the rest of the gang to claim the label of top plasma maker in the world. Shortly thereafter, Matsushita roared to number one and has remained there ever since -- until now. The aforesaid firm slipped from #1 to #3 in Q1 2008, as LG's share surged 34.8-percent on 97-percent year-over-year growth. Samsung SDI took advantage of Matsushita's folly and claimed the silver for the first time, while Hitachi, Pioneer and Orion closed out the bottom in that order. We've got a good feeling about PDP this year, but we aren't about to call it a comeback.[Via Tech-On]
Nintendo "passionately upset" about Wii shortages, won't give out free Mario cakes
Besides being infuriated with leaving over a billion dollars on the table this past holiday season, Nintendo of America is also "passionately upset about the lack of product relative to demand." Those words came straight from Mr. Reggie Fils-Aime himself, who noted that North America was the only Wii-serviced territory where supply and demand were still out of sync. Reportedly, some 40-percent of the 1.8 million Wii consoles manufactured each month are making their way over, but even after 17 months on the market, the average Wii sits around on retail shelves for "just an hour before [it is] purchased." Unfortunately, we're no closer to being able to clone the consoles in order to meet the insatiable appetite.
Pachter: Wii Fit could keep Wii shortage going
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pacter states that after attending a recent Nintendo event that he now believes in the sales power of Wii Fit. He thinks Nintendo's fun for the fatties system could "cause a new boom in demand for the Wii." Adding that Nintendo's marketing campaign will aim directly at casual players and make the already scarce system even more difficult to find. Pachter retains a "Buy" rating for Nintendo's stock and maintains the company's profit guidance is conservative. He believes Nintendo's momentum isn't stopping anytime soon. Wii Fit is available in North America beginning May 19 for $90.
Pachter: Shortages coming to an end later this year
Michael Pachter is at it again. This time, of all people, he spoke with a writer for the Dallas Morning News. Now, we're not experts in this institution that reports real world news, but we do know that video game news tends to usually fall below their radar. But they care about the Wii because, well, everyone and their grandmother bought one.Regardless, Pachter did, and he is saying that those of us in the U.S. need to blame it on the rain the Brits. You see, his estimation is that due to the weak U.S. dollar and high demand for the console in the UK, Nintendo has been shipping more consoles over there because they profit more from sales in that country. This has supposedly been the reason that store shelves in the U.S. still don't have the console stocked. His belief is that the console will be more readily available in the U.S. later on this year, when the dollar is expected to bounce back some. Based on the fact that the console released over a year ago, though, we're not going to hold our breath.[Thanks, Matt!]
Gamestop expects at least six more months of Wii shortages
The Nintendo Wii will be nearing its second birthday before there's any chance you'll see it routinely clogging up retail shelves. At least that's the determination of mega-retailer Gamestop, which predicted in a recent investors conference call that the Wii "won't meet demand for the next two quarters."While the Xbox 360 and DS have seen increased production to make up for temporary holiday shortages, Gamestop COO Dan DeMatteo said the seemingly endless lack of Wii supply looks likely to continue for at least another six months. DeMatteo also predicted shortages for the surging PSP, as well as price drops for the PS2 ($30), and PS3 and Xbox 360 ($50 each) sometime this year. For the Wii, though, it seems like a price increase is the only way they're going to be able to stay on the shelves. Not that Nintendo would ever do that. Would they? (Note: No, they wouldn't)
LG.Philips hooking Syntax-Brillian up with LCD panels
Not even two months after Syntax-Brillian announced that it would be acquiring at least 700,000 LCD panels from Sharp during 2008, along comes word that the firm will also be on the receiving end of a similar deal with LG.Philips -- er, LG Display, we should say. Nomenclature aside, the agreement between the two asserts that LG.Philips (or whatever it becomes) will supply Syntax-Brillian "with a minimum of 750,000 LCD panels during 2008," though it's certainly not the first deal of its kind. More specifically, it'll provide 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch Full HD units, and the option to purchase additional inventory remains alive. So much teamwork in the LCD industry -- those other sectors could stand to learn a thing or two.
Nintendo to help Blu-ray win the format war?
This is something we never imagined we'd be discussing. With the Wii's lack of HD output, we never gave much thought to the new formats of HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Now, we're going to have to rethink things, as a very interesting piece comes courtesy of Rob Enderle.He seems to think that because the Wii is so popular, but unable to completely fulfill the incredible demand for the console up until now, Nintendo inadvertently pushed sales over to Sony's PS3. This, combined with the good numbers Blu-ray discs were getting at retail, are going to be big factors in what Enderle sees as Blu-ray's eventual victory.While the high definition format war isn't something that we usually cover here at Wii Fanboy, it's interesting to see someone look at Nintendo's problem of satiating demand for the console in this way. [Via Go Nintendo]
HTC denies report claiming chip shortages will limit output
Corporate denials are about as ironclad as the existence of the Nokia N97, but take this for what it's worth: HTC says "no worries" in response to rumors that Qualcomm's chipset deliveries would be coming up short next quarter. Though the firm -- known by most as the world's foremost Windows Mobile powerhouse -- admits that component supplies are tight, it says that it has secured all the stuff it needs to keep its own production humming along at full steam. For its part, Qualcomm says that it has been working closely with HTC "week by week" to keep the flow of supplies steady, and that it'll be ramping up production of its WCDMA silicon in January to better accommodate demand. So much for worries about Broadcom breathing down their neck, apparently![Thanks, Tom]
Nintendo: Wii shortage causing planning problems
When Reggie Fils-Aime talked to Reuters a few days ago, we were so focused on the Nintendo of America president's displeasure with unofficial Wii bundles that we didn't even notice the Reggginator acknowledging the business problems Wii shortages are causing his company. "The level of demand we are facing complicates all of our future business planning," Fils-Aime told Reuters. "All of that becomes a much tougher exercise until we have supply and demand curves that intersect."The hard-to-predict hardware supply complicates other company decisions, Fils-Aime said, such as how many units of Wii Fit to produce. "We at Nintendo America are focused on getting to the point when any consumer can walk into any of our retailers and find a Wii," he said. "Then we can plan, on an ongoing basis, the rest of the business."It might seem a little ridiculous for Fils-Aime to be complaining about the problems the shortages are causing Nintendo. After all, if this was really a concern, couldn't they just spend whatever it takes to turbo-boost the supply chain? Then again, that added expense could become a liability down the road if and when the current Wii mania eventually starts its downturn. Whatever the case, we're pretty sure that any supply problem so dire that it forces a company to pull advertising is less than ideal. We're just saying, is all.
One place in the U.S. is still getting Wiis daily
As the guillotine's blade falls ever closer to your neck (see: Christmas is right around the corner), you might be in a panic that you're not going to get that Wii for your loved one. It sucks, we know. But, if you live in or around the New York city area, there's one place that's getting Wii shipments on a daily basis: the Nintendo World Store.New York City's Rockefeller Center is no stranger to crowds. But, it's been commented that multiple people have been lining up outside of the Nintendo World Store each morning, as the news of consoles being seen at the store each morning gets passed around, with "at least 20 [Wiis] lined up behind the main counter. Just Wii boxes waiting for the next person in line." Bag, please open and release cat.If you live in the city, you might want to check this out. Any of our NYC readers planning on doing this? Did you get your Wii from the Nintendo World Store?
British flock to France to find Wii
British tabloid The Mirror is reporting that due to the scarcity of the console in the UK, many have apparently taken trips to neighboring country France in order to track one down. Where the console is going for upwards of £1,000 on eBay, many are apparently finding success in French shops, where the console sells for £150 (or about €209). The credibility of the paper is questionable, however our own UK blogger Chris has mentioned that he's heard of people being successful in Calais. So, if you're someone living in the UK and looking for a Wii, don't go over to France thinking you're guaranteed to leave with a Wii, but it might be worth a try. Still, the country just sold its millionth Wii, so the demand is there, as well.
Want a Wii? Wait until April.
It's been more then a year since launch, and demand is still heavily outweighing supply for the Wii. According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the two won't manage find balance in the U.S. until April. That means that people won't be able to walk into a store and find a healthy supply of Wiis for another four months. Pachter also estimates that the Wii will sell 1.7 million units this December, beating out the Xbox 360 and PS3 despite its limited supply.Need we really bring up the printing money meme again?
Activision CEO says $199 price point is 'critical'
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has some ideas on how things get done in the industry. To him, price is critical to the success of a console, he explained to Reuters. And, while we agree that a lower cost is going to help a console on the shelf, ultimately we believe the console's games and features are what help it stand out the most.Bobby K (as he's lovingly known here around the offices) said "The Wii at its price point is now setting a standard and an expectation, and people say, well, the Wii is less complex technically. I don't think that really matters as much to the consumer." He went on further to discuss Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 systems, stating "In the next 24 months they all will need to be at that $199 price point, and you can imagine Nintendo will be down to the $129 price point over the next few years." Now, obviously Nintendo has no reason to cut the price on their system since, well, not even the folks working the assembly lines can seem to find one (we imagine they disappear in a cloud of smoke upon completion at the factory). But, that doesn't mean that we won't entertain opinions on when you think the console will lower itself in price. So, what do you think?[Via NeoGAF]
Consumers: Dude, where's my Wii?
Well then, who saw this coming? Certainly not us. With a console being scarce and incredibly popular for a whole year now, we never would've figured that consumers would be angry they could not find one. The nerve!But, in all seriousness, we feel your pain. It's been tough trying to get a console ever since it released and when stores like, oh we dunno, EB Games tell you that they're getting stock in on a certain day and you show up that day to try and get one and they say "Sorry, we don't have any,"we'd be pretty ticked off too.And Robert Whitted is the latest casualty, stating "They [EB Games] said they should be getting in a shipment this week, went by there on Tuesday of this week when the shipment was supposed to arrive and they're telling me now what they don't have any in stock." Thing is, they did get the console in, but they're not selling them until Black Friday. "They're telling me that the message from the store should be that they're not selling them until Friday."Robert feels cheated, going on to say "They're telling me a lie, they're telling the community a lie, that they do not have them in stock and we all know that they will no be getting them in Thanksgiving Day or the morning before they open."
Final reminder to get Wii before Black Friday (and holiday season)
The Associated Press has a a fantastically long-winded article that boils down to a very simple premise: If you are buying a Wii for the holidays, get one right now! The article has lovely quotes and fantastic figures, but all it's really trying to do is give a "red alert" to a mainstream audience that Wii will be scarce this holiday -- the BBC already did a similar story last week.One man on the street interviewed by the AP was John Lawrence of Texas who said, "People have not gotten into the Christmas shopping mode. Once people get into that mindset, this is going to be an impossibility as it was last year." That's what we say too, but maybe people will listen if John Lawrence of Texas says it. So, if you're a parent reading this, or a nice sibling picking up a Wii for your kid brother/sister, try go picking one up today. You've got today to shop in relative peace while everyone is at the supermarket picking up supplies. All bets are off on Friday.
Nintendo says they're making 1.8 million Wiis a month
Hey, if they are, we haven't seen any of them.Store shelves are barren, with only a fine film of dust to rest atop their usually proud selves. Online retailers often respond to requests to purchase a console with nothing more than a "404 - You're boned" or "Ha Ha." All searches for the console have come up fruitless, often leaving one in such a sad state that suicide is not only considered, but seen as a better fate.Well, apparently Nintendo has been manufacturing quite a bit of the beautiful white console that could. George Harrison, who is due to call it quits anytime now, said that the company is pumping out 1.8 million units a month, commenting "We're at a rate now worldwide of about 1.8 million Wiis produced every month, and that's going to sustain itself until we get on top of this." He adds that Nintendo analyzes supply distribution every few weeks, citing that it is an "embarrassment of opportunity."[Via 1UP]
Wii Warm Up: Shortages
Nearly a year into the release of the Wii, the shortages continue. Some areas enjoyed a little short-lived respite, but with the holidays around the corner, it seems that once again -- for a variety of possible reasons -- getting your hands on a Wii is about as common as spying a leprechaun in the wild. As a Nintendo fan, does the continued demand for the console surprise you? Certainly, during the holidays, it makes sense; during November and December, it can be difficult to find a toothpick, much less a hot commodity, but it's not like this is new. Did you expect things might taper off a little? Nintendo seemed to expect it, even if you didn't, at least now that we've all gotten over the initial shock that came with everyone demanding a Wii.
Playing the AH on Patch Day
Richard and Paul are both way smarter (and by consequence, way more rich) than I am. They thought ahead, took notes on all the ingredients for the brand new recipes in 2.2, and had all the supplies sitting at high prices on the AH yesterday, ready to be sold to anyone who didn't want to wait to make the new items. Beautiful. I'm jealous-- wish I'd thought of it first.Soulcloth is the big winner, it seems-- it requires Netherweave (which pretty much everyone has), and tons of Soul Essences, which basically drop like candy in Karazhan. If I recall correctly, Soul Essences have sold ok but not great in the past (at least on my server), and they probably still won't sell well, once everyone's made everything they want. But for the next few days, while everyone's learning the new recipes, you'd probably do well to clean out your Soul Essence inventory.Primal Shadow and Primal Air are also doing well from the patch, but since those are Primals, they're fairly rare anyway-- if they were really everywhere (like, say, they dropped off of every demon in the world), Blizzard would change things. But over the next few days (and probably every few days after a big set of crafting changes, so keep an eye out for 2.3 profession news), there's lots of money to be made.
Wall-to-wall Wiis in stores this holiday season
In an interview with The Mercury News' Dean Takahashi and Mike Antonucci, Nintendo of America president (and t-shirt subject) Reggie Fils-Aime assured us all that there'd be tons of Wiis forthcoming this holiday season. "The good news is we're flowing more and more product into the marketplace, and the amount of Wii hardware that will be in North American stores will be unprecedented-- substantially more than the launch, substantially more than has been seen to date," Reggie told "Dean & Nooch." But don't start clearing warehouse space for Wii forts yet, Toys R Us employees: "The bad news is that given the level of demand, and given the fact that the more we put in, the more we sell, it is still gonna be difficult to get hands on the Wii."Which, of course, means that you still need to do a bunch of legwork to get a system. Reggie suggests calling retailers, figuring out shipment dates and times, and basically the same kind of stuff we all had to do to get our Wiis over the last year.[Via Game|Life]
