Nintendo (NTDOY) should have been ready for this, but it's still a high-quality problem: Company executives say there won't be enough copies of the top-selling exercise game "Wii Fit" to go around for the holiday season.
Forbes: Nintendo has been steadily ramping up production of Wii consoles--and while it can't guarantee you'll be able to find one this year, it's less concerned than in years past. For shoppers trying to get their hands on the popular "Wii Fit" game, though, that's another story.
"With Wii hardware, I think we've got a good shot at meeting demand during the holidays," [Nintendo of America president Reggie] Fils-Aime says. "With 'Wii Fit,' I know we'll fall short."
Wii Fit has a MSRP of $90, but prices at Amazon (AMZN) now hover around $140.
A little scarcity can be a healthy thing, so is this a problem for Nintendo? Well, the Wii's Achilles heel is a relatively shallow game library, and if people absolutely cannot get their hands on the Wii FIt they may not buy a Wii this Christmas at all. Nintendo's hope is that Wii Fit is so compelling that gamers who can't get it will just buy it next year when more become available. But by then, rival exercise games like Electronic Arts' (ERTS) EA Sports Active will be coming on the market.
See Also:
October Game Sales: Nintendo Wii Kicking PS3 Butt
Recession Boosts Wii Sales? Nintendo Ups Forecast
Photo: clankennedy
