Wii - what is keeping the demand so high?

[Kotatsu Neko]

Yeah, it is little better, but it is also obvious that Nintendo is already stockpiling Wii's for holidays. My personal estimation is around 400 000 units per month. After all, it would be terrible PR-disaster if there wouldn't be enough Wiis to cover most of the demand during christmas.

Nintendo said at E3 that don't expect there to be enough stock available over thanksgiving and xmas.

[dataDave]

Another shortage!? ffs!

That's impressive tbh!

[angelox]

Mario sells machines, if its really good then it sells lots of machines.

[Prophet Hero]

I went into town for the first time in weeks yesterday and it was the only occasion during which I've seen stores such as HMV and Virgin displaying 'In Stock' posters.

[parkinho]

Yeah I've noticed the 'Wii in Stock!!' sign outside of HMV a few times recently, and on each occasion it has been removed again within a day or two.

[Yoshimax]

Mario sells machines, if its really good then it sells lots of machines.

More than that though it's word of mouth and people "getting it" - I've seen so many non-gaming people now talking about how they were "round at such and such's house and they had a wii" - the next thing they say is how fun it was and that they're buying one.

It's a dream product - everything is right - price, form, function.

The removal of a pad (abstract control method) has really broken down the biggest (imo) wall between games and non-gamers.

[MikeRox]

Stock is definitely becoming more frequent, but I'm seeing the same sorta signs, up one day, back down then for a few days, then up again the week after.

It's appearing in more and more shops too.

[parkinho]

Just read the link from monomaniacpat and what caught my eye is that the Wii will have passed total UK Gamecube sales by the end of September - didn't realise that it would happen so soon into the Wii's life.

Also the report shows the 360 outselling the PS3 over here, and with a possible pricecut and all the big hitters arriving shortly I can see the 360 oulling further ahead in the run up to Xmas.

[ExtremePabs]

Its been a huge success but I think I have been spoilt by the 360 and the PS3 because I dont get it my Wii just sits there gathering dust. A lot of my friends have bought one on the strength of one night playing Wii Sports only to discover a month later its a shallow experience and is only ever turned on once a month or so.
Don't get me wrong I like the controller and the console setp up but for me the games are all feel old with new controls tacked on. Great for newcomers though I guess.

[ne0star]

I'm surprised at how well the Wii is still doing. My girlfriend bought me one for christmas and we have had a really good laugh with it, and both her parents and my parents love it, but it does tend to gather dust thanks to my 360.

I think we will see more invoation as far as control and games are conerned. The DS had a similar drought in the first year of its life with none exsistant games and tacked on controls as well.

[John Beaulieu]

for a lot of people (non-gamers) I can see the Wii ultimately being like the many kitchen utensils my mum used to buy (all the tosh you see on the shopping channels) ... its a fad that people will buy, use for a short time and then tuck out of the way in cupboards. I already know quite a few people who have bought Wii's on the back of all the hype and now never play them and I wouldn't put this down to lack of games available either, since they have no interest in buying any more now

Two to three years from now every carboot sale will be over-run with Wii's in pristine condition ...

[Dogg Thang]

Actually, I have wondered about that myself. If you did a study on the actual play time of the Wii, I know it would be high for some people but for most? I don't know.

Maybe it's like the modern stylophone.

[Lebowski]

for me the wii has failed to provide a substantial single player game (Zelda TP i got for the cube,) it sits there unloved until a few friends come round and then we play a bit of bowling and tennis and maybe some Wario and it shines it really dose.

This multi player aspect where everyone can join in has gotten quite a few of my wifes friends who see video games as silly and childish to purchase wii's, its this thats keeping the demand high as not only do we have the usual gaming demographics after this machine but a whole bunch of new demographics too.

Nintendo is also turning impressions of what video games are with things like wii fitt on there head and im sorry but this can only do good for the video game industry, and with major dev's like EA and Ubisoft back on board i can see the wii going from strength to strength in the next few years.

i really do doubt it will be a flash in the pan as so many seem to be predicting.

[Ady]

/yawn

[Neon Ignition]

I rarely use mine for gaming also at the moment but wouldn't for a second consider it to be a fad. We're nearly a year in and it's sales remain consistantly high even in the continued face of a somewhat dry release schedule.

To me, the Wii market is like the DVD one. Though there's a core market who praises the merits of the fancier, more expensive HD formats the mass market audience couldn't give much of a toss about them. There's nothing to suggest they'd stop buying the current format just as any "mass market" newcomers wouldn't stop buying Wii games.
Given the current trends of the big three and their future plans all 3 have merits but personally, I've seen nothing to suggest that the Wii is going to tail off and that the 360 vs PS3 hasn't already become a race for second place.