Nintendo DS Demolishes UK Sales Record

Success doesn't breed excess...

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Nintendo DS Demolishes UK Sales Record
ChartTrack has released figures via UK trade paper, MCV, that show it's not simply the Wii that is ensuring that Nintendo is having a very nice Xmas (or Shintomass) this year.

According to the stats, last week Nintendo’s handheld sold 212,584 units, beating its own previous record (and previous week) of 191,104.

This also, apparently, means that there are now more Wii owners than Xbox 360 owners in the UK. Because Chart-Track is notoriously tight-lipped with hardware figures, what we can't yet provide is a comparison chart of all three platform holders' offerings.

The fact that the DS has been available in the UK to set such a record could be a comfort to those seeking out Nintendo Wiis. However, if Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime is to be believed, the DS avalanche could be stilled.

Speaking to Reuters today he said, "The DS continues to perform exceptionally well, with some retailers voicing concerns about DS inventory going into the holiday", a quick translation via Boris our Businesspeak expert reveals that what Reggie means in English is, "Some shops might not have any DSs at Xmas".

But Reg also wrapped us all in a heroin-like fuzz with his Businesspeak explanation of why the Wii's failure to reach shops could have a domino effect on Nintendo's future plans. He said, "The level of demand we are facing complicates all of our future business planning.

"All of that becomes a much tougher exercise until we have supply and demand curves that intersect."

That second sentence means, "When we can get ourselves sorted out to have enough Wiis for the public to buy." But if you put it like that, it sounds less impressive and suggests that it's nothing to do with having a year to get things sorted out wasn't enough.
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Comments

YenRug 18 Dec 2007 16:22
1/3
That second sentence means, "When we can get ourselves sorted out to have enough Wiis for the public to buy." But if you put it like that, it sounds less impressive and suggests that it's nothing to do with having a year to get things sorted out wasn't enough.


There's actually a further part to that translation it should read thus:

"When we can get ourselves sorted out to have enough Wiis for the public to buy, without finding ourselves with overly expensive and excessive production facilities, when demand finally drops off."

They can't just go building new fabrication facilities at the drop of a hat, because they will find them surplus to requirements at some point, down the line, and even if they did they wouldn't come online soon enough to make a difference. So, we know, by now, that Nintendo have crapped out for this Xmas and can't produce enough systems, Nintendo know this, too; is there any further point in hitting everyone over the head with it, again?
TimSpong 18 Dec 2007 16:52
2/3
YenRug wrote:
They can't just go building new fabrication facilities at the drop of a hat, because they will find them surplus to requirements at some point, down the line, and even if they did they wouldn't come online soon enough to make a difference. So, we know, by now, that Nintendo have crapped out for this Xmas and can't produce enough systems, Nintendo know this, too; is there any further point in hitting everyone over the head with it, again?


Did I ever say anything about building new fabs? No I didn't. Nor did I mention hat dropping.
It's been more than a year.

What could have happened would have been for Nintendo to have called one of its mates in China and said, "Oi, get some near slave labour in and retool that fab down by the river - then make some Wiis. We'll pay you 3 Yuan a week."

They don't need to build fabs see... crikey.

Mr Bah and Ms Humbug are open for business.
Tim
deleted 18 Dec 2007 18:19
3/3
the problem here, is nintendo have completely under estimated the success of the wii, now thats fine for the first year but when summer came around and the wii was selling great but slower it appeared the hype had calmed down and no indication was mde to nintendo that it would pick up again, and once again they underestimated the demand for its console.

Now its unfortunate that people cant get a Wii this xmas and sad for many a kiddy and grown up alike, but i dont see a Nintendo conspriacy, i just think they have done well and after a few years of last place they dont want to lose what they are building up, its not nintendo who should be slammed for shortages even after this amount of time, but retail should be for hiking prices and forcing bundles, people will get one eventually and when they do they will be happy, and no one will have rememberance of this shortage..lol
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