Analyst Predicts Wii Shortages Into 2009

IDC research analyst Billy Pidgeon has suggested that the Wii console will continue to experience supply problems until 2009, suggesting that Nintendo may see consumer interest in the console dip unless the issue is properly addressed. Referencing the recently released NPD March hardware numbers in remarks to Home Media Magazine, Pidgeon commented: “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.” Nintendo has a history of closely matching hardware availability to consumer demand, with the Nintendo DS Lite still seeing intermitten shortages in Japan, as has been the case since its launch in March 2006. There has been little sign of any improvement in the situation either, especially since availability has become more constrained in the West in recent months. Elsewhere, and commenting on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the light of their outpacing by the Wii in the latest results, Pidgeon added that the more expensive formats “...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.”