Nintendo is now backing off their claim of 1M consoles shipped by year end in North America. First, the 360 comes out with a less-than-optimal supply. Then the PS3 does the same. Now, Nintendo is suddenly recanting their original supply estimates. Just make the damn consoles and ship them when they're ready!

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/nintendo-slip-up-points-to-wii-shortages/

Nintendo is now backing off their claim of 1M consoles shipped by year end in North America. First, the 360 comes out with a less-than-optimal supply. Then the PS3 does the same. Now, Nintendo is suddenly recanting their original supply estimates. Just make the damn consoles and ship them when they're ready!

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/08/nintendo-slip-up-points-to-wii-shortages/

You amuse me greatly.

this happens with every single launch. maybe it's to create demand, i don't know.

Best marketing statagy there is going right now.....pimp a product then underproduce.By boxing day the stores will be jammed full of these machines so people will spend their gift cards on them.

You amuse me greatly.

I have that effect on a lot of people. :)

Here's the November numbers from a GROUP (not all) retailers

Looking at how the new Sony and Nintendo consoles fared, the Wii sold through 476K units in the U.S. while the PS3 sold 197K units. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Xbox 360 (which is in far greater supply) sold 511K units and is now at 3.8 million total in the U.S. Interestingly, the PS2 managed to outsell the Xbox 360 yet again. In fact, so did the old Game Boy. The PS2 and Game Boy sold a respective 664K and 641K units. But the real winner continues to be the Nintendo DS, which sold a whopping 918K units and has reached an install base of 8.1 million in the U.S. alone.

I don't care. I have mine.

this happens with every single launch. maybe it's to create demand, i don't know.

That's the likely suspect with the Wii. The PS3 at least had a built-in excuse (and that's all it was) with the blu-ray diodes. The parts to make the Wii are readily accessable and they've been manufacturing these things for a few months now.

Here's the November numbers from a GROUP (not all) retailers

Looking at how the new Sony and Nintendo consoles fared, the Wii sold through 476K units in the U.S. while the PS3 sold 197K units. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Xbox 360 (which is in far greater supply) sold 511K units and is now at 3.8 million total in the U.S. Interestingly, the PS2 managed to outsell the Xbox 360 yet again. In fact, so did the old Game Boy. The PS2 and Game Boy sold a respective 664K and 641K units. But the real winner continues to be the Nintendo DS, which sold a whopping 918K units and has reached an install base of 8.1 million in the U.S. alone.

That's total sales, not just a portion. Nintendo said they have shipped 600K up to this point and I think the PS3 is now around the 300-350K range. Obviously, all have sold up to this point. The article must be correct that Nintendo is rerouting Wii's to cover shortages elsewhere and shorting North America as a result.

That's total sales, not just a portion. Nintendo said they have shipped 600K up to this point and I think the PS3 is now around the 300-350K range. Obviously, all have sold up to this point. The article must be correct that Nintendo is rerouting Wii's to cover shortages elsewhere and shorting North America as a result.

So. What we're still saying is that Nintendo is shipping twice as many units to the US and selling them all (at a profit instead of a large loss).

This still seems like by the end of the year Nintendo will be in a better position than Sony.

That doesn't mean it will be the case long-term as I think the demand for PS3's is still higher, but still.

Cripes! How hard is it to manufacture consoles????

Based on my attempts to whittle my own PS3--harder than it looks.

Based on my attempts to whittle my own PS3--harder than it looks.

I think the problem is not the manufacturing but the shipping.

If they'd just focus on the shipping...

So. What we're still saying is that Nintendo is shipping twice as many units to the US and selling them all (at a profit instead of a large loss).

This still seems like by the end of the year Nintendo will be in a better position than Sony.

That doesn't mean it will be the case long-term as I think the demand for PS3's is still higher, but still.

I don't believe I every said anything about one being better than the other due to any sold numbers. I was just clarifying that those numbers are total, not just some of the total as Fozzie suggested. I'm irritated that none of these companies have the good sense to simply meet a forecast.

Supply and demand..if you have a shortage you can sell them for more money. Why meet the demand up front if more profits are to be had by not. Then when sales drop you cut the price to what it should have been all along and everyones like wow, new low price

The more PS3's sold right now, the more money Sony Loses, so they need to continue to sell less hardware, until they can start turning a profit.

Well, they don't seem to sell the Wii's for any more because they are in short supply, so the supply/demand argument feels a bit weak.

These companies should simply come out with a 'First Shipment' price on these things, charge an extra $100 or something with everyone knowing that in a month or two they will be down to the expected price. Might as well rake in some money on that 'Gotta have it first' phenonmenon. Particularly with the expensive PS3's.

As it is the things fly off the shelves as soon as I get it where I work, and I've had people ask if they could pay to reserve units (and others who I know are just buying the units to put them on Ebay). How many people would pay extra you think to make sure they get one by date X?