How Popular is the Wii?
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Sales for the Nintendo Wii have exploded since 2006 when it was released and they don’t seem to be slowing down, as can be evidenced by sites like wii.andallaccessories.com which showcase the amazing range of products now available on the Wii. In fact in many parts of the world there is still more of a demand for them than the supply. In areas where they haven’t been released yet people are paying for them on the black market. Many people in Canada are on a waiting list to get their hands on one.
The company itself didn’t even envision it being as popular as it is. While they did anticipate being highly successful they also knew they had some stiff competition from both the Xbox and Playstation 3. However, there are many benefits that the Nintendo Wii offers that others don’t. The fact that anyone from the age of 3 to 105 has played the games successfully really says a great deal about the Universal use of it.
Even though Nintendo doesn’t need it, many celebrities and professionals around the world have admitted to playing the Wii. Some of them you wouldn’t expect such as Queen Elizabeth II. Others include tennis pro Serena Williams, movie writer and director Steven Spielberg, and comedian Conan O’Brien.
Some believe that Nintendo wasn’t sure of themselves at all with the Wii. They assume that is why they limit the distribution in the beginning. It was a smart move though in the event that there were unforeseen problems. They didn’t want a mass recall on their hands after all the money they had invested in these gaming systems.
Others believe it was a powerful marketing strategy. After all the demand for a product always seems to increase when the supply isn’t readily available. By only releasing a set number at a time it really gets the buzz going for them. Yet with the frenzy that took place in late December you would have thought that there were only a handful of them being released at a given time.
Therefore it may surprise you to discover there were 1.8 million of them being released each month. With the presales in the United States that took place in November of 2006 where people could order them in advance there was a backlog from the very start.
More than 28 million homes and businesses around the world now own a Nintendo Wii. There is no doubt that it will continue to be a very successful product. You can be sure Nintendo won’t stop here either. They are going to continue adding new features and making modifications. They know their competitors are closely on their heels and they don’t want to be removed from their seat at the top of the mountain.
One feature you will see down the road is the Nintendo Wii available in various colors. It has only been offered in white so far. However in the next few years you will also see it in black, lime green, silver, and a bright shiny red. These colors were to be part of the initial release. However, Nintendo decided not to do so due to the overwhelming demand for the gaming systems. They wanted to focus on meeting that demand rather than color specifications.
There has been plenty of consumer feedback regarding the ability to play DVD’s on the Wii as well. It is in the works to release and updated version down the road that will play both DVD’s and Blu-Ray discs. This project was to be started in 2008 but has been moved back to 2010. That way they can continue to work on meeting the demand for the current model that is out there. One other issue is the question of availability of the top games – lots of people were looking for the Wii fit in stock, for example, because it sold out so fast. Not a problem that most manufacturers would complain about!
To their credit, Nintendo has continued to make the Wii very affordable. Generally you can get the gaming console for about $250. With the high demand for it they could easily be making more profits than they are. However, their goal is to provide a way for families to have fun. They are certainly continuing to do so in every possible way.
