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Nintendo considering pulling Wii ads due to consoles popularity

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7132935.stm

 

Nintendo is considering pulling UK television advertising for its popular Wii console in the run up to Christmas because it is battling to meet demand.

It said that holding back adverts until to 2008 would be a "responsible" move.

 

It now expects to have sold 17.5 million of the consoles worldwide in the year to March 2008 - up from the 14 million it had earlier forecast.

 

Nintendo is likely to use its advertising slots to promote its handheld DS console, analysts say.

 

'Act responsibility'

 

Globally, the firm is able to make about 1.8 million of the Wii consoles every month.

 

But it said that the demand had been "unprecedented and higher than Nintendo could ever have anticipated".

 

"We are doing everything possible to supply continued levels of stock and meet demand as quickly as possible," the spokesman added.

 

"As we are keen to act responsibly we are potentially looking at moving some advertising on some products into early 2008."

 

It is understood that because the television commercials do not have a festive flavour, they will be able to be used next year.

 

Demand for the Wii could mean disappointment for those putting it at the top of their Christmas list.

 

High Street retailers are struggling to keep up with demand and websites have been set up to help shoppers find out when stock becomes available.

 

Last month Sony said that it was taking advantage of Nintendo Wii shortages and a recent price cut of its PlayStation 3 console to double weekly sales of the PlayStation in the US.

 

Wow, this is utterly insane. The Wii simply isn't in stock anywhere, how is 1.8M consoles a month not enough?

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This is bluddy insane.

 

It's a year on since the launch, and the buzz is higher than ever. I still can't quite get my head around this. :)

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About time! I always saw the ads and thought....but...you...cant...buy...them.

 

Lol. Cant believe its been a year.

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This is bluddy insane.

 

It's a year on since the launch, and the buzz is higher than ever. I still can't quite get my head around this. :)

 

Me neither, especially as I haven't played mine since around this time last year. :heh:

 

I'm putting it on eBay this Sunday night I think.

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Nintendo has been forced to pull its Christmas ad campaign for the Wii due to already high demand for the console, claim reports.

 

According to MarketingWeek, the platform holder says that it's been forced to pull Wii ads because retailers are already running out of consoles and it would be "irresponsible" to continue with the campaign. Especially, we imagine, because Nan and Granddad might have a stroke if they can't get their copy of Wii Sports for Christmas.

 

Apparently the Wii adverts originally planned for Christmas will be replaced with ones for the Nintendo DS instead.

 

Advertisement:

A Nintendo spokesman said: "We have been running the campaign all year round, but we want to take a responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand."

 

Even though production has been stepped up to 1.8 million units a month, Nintendo says that it has not been able to meet the demand and you'll be hard pushed to find a Wii anywhere.

 

One well-known videogame analyst says that it will take as long as three months for Wii stock to even out after the Christmas rush.

 

Because the campaign isn't seasonally themed, says Nintendo, it can be put back to the New Year when Wii consoles start to trickle back into the shops, which is a bit of luck for them.

 

kinda stupid basically shows that Nintendo admit they can't even attempt to keep up with demand and that they would rather try and flog another console. Surely it makes sense to still keep it promoted and keep up demand rather than abadoning it completely.

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Their marketing department is so resolutely abysmal though, they'd probably be better off airing more.

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much of nintendos marketing is based on "...you lucky sausage, you found a wii get.... get it now cozz its so rare" .... a news story like this is exactly what they want.

 

If the wii wasnt so rare, would you want one? act responsibly my ps3

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Me neither, especially as I haven't played mine since around this time last year. :heh:

 

I'm putting it on eBay this Sunday night I think.

 

So, why did you buy one? :blank:

 

If the wii wasnt so rare, would you want one?

 

Huh? This whole post is just plain wrong. It sells well because its popular. :indeed:

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Huh? This whole post is just plain wrong. It sells well because its popular. :indeed:

Do you actually read anything blender posts? Cause, you really shouldn't.

 

This... is weird. *scratches head*

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Do you actually read anything blender posts? Cause, you really shouldn't.

 

Lol. I learn this now. :heh:

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kinda stupid basically shows that Nintendo admit they can't even attempt to keep up with demand and that they would rather try and flog another console. Surely it makes sense to still keep it promoted and keep up demand rather than abadoning it completely.

 

They can't keep up demand, and that's been reported for a long time. But, that is because demand is unusually high. And, when I say high, I mean Mount Everest-style high, not just speed-bump in the road high.

 

It makes sense to advertise the DS. Why advertise something people can't get their hands on? Why waste money advertising that?

 

The Wii's popularity will still be sky high after Christmas. Increase production for then, and then advertise. Sorted.

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I had a look in CEX in Sheffield today and they're selling a stand-alone Wii console for £290. I couldn't believe it. Trade-in value was like £230-240.

 

DS Lite is also in high-demand. They were selling them for £150, and offering to buy for £108 cash. Made me consider selling mine to make an £8 profit and save it for when they release some colours.

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I had a look in CEX in Sheffield today and they're selling a stand-alone Wii console for £290. I couldn't believe it. Trade-in value was like £230-240.

 

DS Lite is also in high-demand. They were selling them for £150, and offering to buy for £108 cash. Made me consider selling mine to make an £8 profit and save it for when they release some colours.

 

Not a bad idea, so you could get a nice shiny new one too. :smile:

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This actually makes sense.

 

Now we want games out the sametime as USA as we love the Wii just as much as they do....Thankyou.

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Shame that because the adverts nowadays are nice!

 

Yeah they are, your right, they will come back on air early next year when more stock is availible.

 

At the moment there showing people who already have Wii's the adverts, which is pointless.

:)

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Crazy stuff.

 

Maybe they should get rid of their website too - oh wait, they already did that for 2 weeks. :laughing:

Sorry. :heh:

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One day I'll bought about 5 around here and try to sell to uk...

 

Here there´s lot of wii at the sale and the adverts are minimum...I don't get it...

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I wish they would bloody well advertise down here. In the past year I've seen about 4 Wii Adverts and a trillion PS3 adverts. No problem getting a wii here folks, the shops are full of them. The last promotion I saw for the Wii was on the news the other night about a retirement home that had got one to entertain the elderly folks. They like to call it Nantendo. What a brilliant image that portrays in a country where Nintendo is generally hated. I'm bitter about the state of things down here in case you couldn't tell. It's been going on too long.

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I wish they would bloody well advertise down here. In the past year I've seen about 4 Wii Adverts and a trillion PS3 adverts.

 

This would be New Zealand (or Australia) then? I had assumed the Wii was selling the best in all territories. Which is the best-selling console over there?

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To be honest I'm not sure. I've heard the Wii is doing really well in Aussie but here in NZ I get the impression it's a different story. No TV advertising. Mailout brochures have pages and pages dedicated to PSP/PS2/PS3 advertisingwith little or no Nintendo products. Everything is bought to you by Playstation sponsoring. The Sony Brand is mammoth over here. Shop windows are littered with Playstation gear and lastnight I saw a PSP, PS2 and PS3 advert all within 10 minutes of each other on the tele. I'm glad the Wii is doing well in Europe, you guys are lucky to have all the advertising and support this time round. Over here it just feels like the Gamecube all over again. It's quite sad. I feel like a lone Nintendo player.

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That sucks. I don't miss those days of owning a Gamecube - a machine that was technologically superior to the PS2 but which was dwarfed in sales. It's refreshing to see the boot on the other foot.

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There is another factor in this that people seem to have over looked. Nintendo is being accused left right and center about manufactoring the situation in which supply isnt reaching demand to reinforce interest in the console. Sony certainly did it with the PS2....

 

I think this is as a response to that really. I have read more than 2 seperate statements from Reggie in the past month trying to protest Nintendos good intentions and the difficulty of the supply issue.

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