As the holiday season approaches many companies are pushing to get their new products into the hands of many of the celebrating children, and Nintendo is no exception. Releasing this November is Nintendo’s next iteration of the Nintendo Wi code named the Wi U. The Wi U comes hd equipped so you can now play games in 1080p, which is what the first Wi lacked in hardware. The Wi U also comes equipped with a new controller which has a touch screen built in, as well the Wi U is capable of syncing to the older model controllers for game play The Nintendo Wi U will debut North America, Europe and Japan and will come in two Models a basic set for $299 and a Deluxe model for $349.
Currently the Nintendo Wi U’s deluxe model preorders are sold out at Best Buy, Toys R Us, Sears, Wal-Mart and GameStop according to abcnews.com, leaving only the basic set available at Best Buy and GameStop. Analysts are forecasting that preorders sales are around 300,000 to 400,000, however it has been Nintendo’s history to stay tight lipped on the subject and they may not have even began manufacturing on the Wi U based on the fact that we haven’t seen any leaked pictures which always happen according to Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities. It has long been Nintendo’s operations and supply management strategy to have the perception that there are few units out and with a high demand and as Colin Sebastian of R.W. Baird on CNBC states “Nintendo tends to manage the distribution channel to generate some sort of perception that its [system] is in demand”. This strategy may prove purposeful for Nintendo either way they have to forecast properly to ensure that they have enough units to fulfill demand, any delay could mean Nintendo Wi U joining the original Nintendo in the video gaming system graveyard, however with the Wi being in the market for 6 years I’m sure they have enough historic data on previous sales to make the right assumption. So how many Wi U’s will you be getting this year?
To order a Wi U or read more on it check out theses sites:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/49092227/Nintendo_s_Wii_U_Already_Selling_Out_Online
The Wi U is something that is very interesting in the gaming world since its the first new non handheld consul that is being produced in the last few years. The problem with it is that it seems like it is just catching up to what Xbox 360 and the PS3 have already done and just adding a few minor details on top of that. For these reasons I wont be buying the Wi U especially since there are rumors of a new xbox and playstation 3 in the making. I’m not saying sales will be bad for this system but i don’t think the Wi U is a real appeal for serious gamers.
I believe that Nintendo’s strategy is much like their last console release. Almost like a bottle neck, in the sense that they have the product but release it in a small controlled order. But I believe that most of Nintendo’s sales are heavy on the console and less reliable in the gaming department due to a lack in original and exclusive games. Should this change in the new system, a lack in graphical power among the new systems may still allow a gleaming success in the future.
It is sad to say that I won’t be buying the Wi U this year (or ever). I have just bought an Xbox and a lot of investment has gone to buying the games for the system. However, I must say that the Nintendo system and games are a disappointment of late. I love the Nintendo 64 (still own one) and forever love it as it is very durable. I also own a Wii. I haven’t used it in a while as there hasn’t been a lot of new game (Mario Party 5,6,7,etc. are not new). Nintendo needs to step up their game as they seem to be losing out from their competition.
Being an owner of the Wii and barely have used it, I don’t think I would purchase the Wi U. As the comment above stated, Nintendo needs to come out with better games. While interactive games may be difficult to keep coming out with new ones, I think that maybe the Wi U should maybe imitate games that could be found on the iPad. I say this because for one Apple products are in high demand, and if this new Wi U has a touch screen controller it, these imitation games would be doable. As for the forecasting of sales for the new console, I find the numbers to be a little hard to believe. Just because the Wii isn’t a top game console seller compared to Xbox and PS3. However, because it is a new console on the market that may spark interest in consumers but unfortunately I don’t see the Wi U being as successful as its competitors.
I have no intention of buying a Wii and never have. I disagree with the strategy of making less units then the demand wants because I feel like Nintendo is just hurting their profits. If you can sell more and make more, why not do it? Also, I know many people that have a Wii but barely play it and would rather use their Playstation 3 or Xbox. With additions like the Playstation Move or Xbox Kinect they are able to please gamers that enjoy Wii and it seems like they easily outclass Nintendo.
I agree with all the above posts, and have never owned a Wii. I believe that Nintendo is a little late to the game when it comes to high definition gaming. PS3 has been in the market for quite some time now and has had the ability to play blue ray movies and high def video games, and NOW Nintendo finally has the capability to do this. Otherwise their marketing strategy resembles a lot of what Apple has just done with their latest iPhone release. Nintendo is not releasing any images of their new Wii U, and is relying on customer loyalty which is no where near the level of Apple. However, they have sold out their pre-orders of the new system and created this sense of demand. In the end, I am assuming the system will be a fluke especially with the latest rumors of new XBOX and Sony systems.