Analysts Attack! Wii In Short Supply Until 2009

Nintendo will not be able to ship enough Wiis to meet demand until 2009 according to IDC games analyst, Billy Pidgeon - and this comes shortly after news of the 'last-gen' PS2 still outselling the Wii in the US in March.

Speaking to Home Media Magazine, Pidgeon said, “I believe the Wii will continue strong growth although supply continues to be a problem. I’d like to see Wii hardware shipping in larger quantities or mass market consumers may cool on it. Having said that, I don’t believe supply will meet demand for the Wii until 2009.”

2009! Nintendo's VP of marketing, Perrin Kaplan, recently admitted of Wii shortages, “we may see the situation last for some time.” We didn't think “some time” meant two years, though!

Pidgeon added, “Xbox 360 and PS3 need system-selling games ASAP. Halo 3 will help, as will Lair and Heavenly Sword, but that leaves a hole in Q2 which will be filled by Wii, DS and PSP hardware and software. We’ll also see more PC and PS2 software picking up the slack.”

That isn't to say, however, that Sony is not selling any hardware. Michael Pachter, the Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst (who we already know loves Sony's last-gen offering), said, “It still seems to be the year of the PS2. Notwithstanding all of the other choices, consumers keep buying PS2 games, with barely any drop off. Virtually all of the year-over-year growth is attributable to a slower than expected decline in PS2 software sales.”

Pachter's also supported by the US sales figures for God of War II, which in just one month of release has become the year's best-selling game so far.

^{Source: Home Media Magazine}