1 Million Wii Units At Launch In North America
September 24th, 2006 by Darren Stevens in Business
Speaking to Mackenzie Financial, Nintendo of Canada VP and GM Ron Bertram spoke about the Wii launch numbers North America. According to him, there will be 1 million consoles available at launch, compared to 400,000 PS3 consoles. From the interview:
“We’re looking at a million (units) for North America at launch. When Sony came out (with their PS3 announcement), they said 300,000 (actually Sony said 400,000).
“If we get what we’re supposed to get, this will be our most plentiful launch in the 15 years I’ve been at Nintendo. All signs are actually extremely positive.”
As many know, it’s one thing to have a million consoles, but another thing to actually sell a million consoles. While the 400,000 PS3s will most likely sell out to the loyal Sony fans on the first day of launch, Nintendo might have difficulties convincing the general gamers to get a Wii at launch.
Read (Mackenzie Financial)
Tags: Business
September 24th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
I actually think Nintendo will be able to sell a million Wiis at launch, or during the launch window.
They said 6 million consoles will be ready before March ‘07, so I guess a million at launch is pretty accurate.
September 24th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
I think Wii will sell out as well, many people are going for it on day one. And dont count out the better price and the Mario effect.
September 24th, 2006 at 3:51 pm
You mean the “Zelda effect”
Mario Galaxy is out in 2007.
September 24th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
It’ll sell like hot chocolate. No console in history have had this much hype
September 24th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Yeah wobbly controllers and limited launch titles, should sell like onion flavored chocolate! :p
September 24th, 2006 at 11:11 pm
Yeah, a new controller with a great feel and 21 launch titles, one of them being Zelda.
The Wii’ll tank alright. >_>
September 24th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
oh yeah limited launch titles indeed
i dont call somewhere around 20 titles on launch day limited
but maybe thats just me
or perhaps its the fact that its one of the largest launches in history
how many does PS3 have on launch?
September 24th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
Kaiser, its only hyped here on the internets, from the community that actually follows game news closely, which hate to say it is a pretty low number of people. Even then not everyone shares the same opinion on the Wii. Me, personally I think it’s overpriced for what it does, like a 100 dollars overpriced.
Only 2 or 3 people from my school actually knew what a Wii was (lol a dirty joke if you want it to be). The ones who did weren’t too excited over it. the PS3 and the 360 were the only ones ive heard people in general mention. 360 naturally, because its out already and PS3 because everyone and their aunt twice removed know of the PS2 and that another one is coming soon (not the exact date though)
September 25th, 2006 at 12:08 am
Are the parenthetical phrases actually spoken by the interviewee or editor comments? I’m inclined to believe the former, since square brackets are used for editor comments, but it doesn’t make much sense otherwise . . .
September 25th, 2006 at 12:15 am
Confused: It’s editor comments, and it’s usually not in square brackets. The original article at Mackenzie Financial uses the same.
September 25th, 2006 at 1:18 am
What I would like to know is details about the global launch.
Will Australia get the Wii by Christmas!?
September 25th, 2006 at 1:23 am
Yup, December 7th at $400 AUD.
September 25th, 2006 at 1:31 am
[...] More info… « Awesome Flash Game [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 1:52 am
[...] If we get what we’re supposed to get, this will be our most plentiful launch in the 15 years I’ve been at Nintendo. All signs are actually extremely positive. DigitalBattle Article [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 2:27 am
Haha, I love these anecdotes about how “nobody at my school even knows what a Wii is” All I can tell you is: in my city, there are 10 nearby game stores (nearby = within 15 min drive) I’ve been calling them every few days to get an update on reserving a Wii. Several of the stores aren’t even doing reserves but at those that are - well, it’s ridiculous.
I was able to get in the top 10 at one store just because I’ve been keeping up with it constantly; however, a couple of the stores already have 100+ preorders. One nearby FYE already has over 200 Wii preorders. Keep in mind, this isn’t just a “oh yeah put me on the list” You have to put 50 bucks down, give them your name and phone number, etc. At this point, if you live anywhere near here and haven’t pre-ordered, they are estimating you won’t get one until Feb-Mar 07.
Yeah, I’d say the launch is gonna be huge
September 25th, 2006 at 3:28 am
[...] Here’s some good news. It looks like Nintendo of Canada VP and GM Ron Bertram has let slip that there will be 1 million Nintendo Wii consoles bound for North America this November. [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 3:41 am
Hey thats alot of fanboys. i bet they will sell good, you know nintendo have the biggest fanboys of them all, and the sad part most of them arent even kids.
September 25th, 2006 at 3:43 am
[...] Nintendo will have 1 million units available, compared to Sony’s 400,000 PS3s.read more | digg story [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 5:42 am
I wonder why, shaka, Prehaps because Nintendo has constantly good games? >_>
September 25th, 2006 at 6:15 am
Alright Colonel changed that to most hyped system among the people who pay attention to game-related news. Go here http://nexgenwars.com/ or any other gaming related website. Even PS3 sites have opened a Wii subforum. Check any poll that involves the wii on Gamefaqs and look at the results. Oh, and Shaka, in all the haze of your Fantard-ness, you’ve just pretty much admitted the Wii will sell the most consoles.
Honestly, I’m quite worried about this. Getting a Gcube on launch day was no problem. With all this Wiinsanity I might actually have to camp out to get my hands on one before ‘07. Amazon took preorders for five hours. Had to close the service down because of too many orders.
September 25th, 2006 at 6:41 am
What’s more humorous (from the an old geezer’s perspective) is the fact that the youngins out there on those video game forums and here think that because their fellow teens and tweens in junior high and high school dont know how to spell or pronounce Wii, let alone what it is, that it’s proof positive that the Wii will bomb.
News flash kiddies, Ninendo isn’t targeting just your demographc with this system! People like me who were your age or younger when the original NES was released (back before gaming was ‘cool’) are now in our late twenties and thirties, and guess what? We have JOBS! We have our OWN MONEY! We dont need to ask mommy and daddy to pleeeease buy us another system because we ARE the mommies and daddies! And if we like what we see in a new gaming system (and the evidence seems to point in a positive direction for the Wii) we’re going to buy it!
Many of us 30+ types are fed up with “4x the pixel count and 2x the memory! wow a 20gig hard drive!” and similar “improvements” in game systems. We want innovative game design and control mechanics, and so far the only company providing that in a next gen system is Nintendo. Makes which system to buy an easy choice.
September 25th, 2006 at 7:36 am
[...] DigitalBattle is reporting that Nintendo is planning to ship 1 million Nintendo Wii consoles to the North American region for its official launch date. That number is extremely large and would dwarf any launches in recent history. Compared to Sony’s PS3, which launches two days earlier with a planned 400,000 console shipment, Nintendo his hoping to get a big lead on their rival by the end of the holiday season. [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
[...] * 1,000,000 Wiis will be available when Nintendo launches the system in November. Why do I still get the feeling that you won’t be able to get one if you haven’t pre-ordered one already. Has anyone here pre-ordered theirs yet? I haven’t, and I’m getting nervous now. [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Only a million? I know it’s 150% more than PS3’s launch, but still! In the US alone there are 300 million people. That’s only 1 per 300 people. And I’m not even including Canada.
September 25th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
[...] Story Link [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
Looks like I will be getting my Wii this Christmas afterall! Yay!!! And I won’t have to pre-order or wait in lines … I was going to wait for a price drop in a year or two … but why? This is going to be fun and go well with my 360 … Good news to hear … Nintendo is actually showing proof that they are really all about gaming for EVERYONE. Cool cool cool.
September 25th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
[...] “Speaking to Mackenzie Financial, Nintendo of Canada VP and GM Ron Bertram spoke about the Wii launch numbers North America. According to him, there will be 1 million consoles available at launch, compared to 400,000 PS3 consoles.
September 25th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
nintendo has kiddie games and more of them same it sucks, if you were not fanboy or pitty nintendo, you would know theres alot better out there.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
[...] 1 million Wii units at Launch in North America [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Wow, you don’t even read the intarweb huh junior? Maybe you should do that sometime: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/20/take-two-bringing-m-rated-games-to-wii/
Jesus, go talk to a grown up who owned an NES or Genesis as a kid before shooting your mouth off about the Wii’s chances with adults! When you get older you get this thing called self-confidence that allows you to play whatever system you want without worried about what the ‘cool kids’ would think. If we had cared what the cool kids would think, we wouldnt have been playing NES/Genesis/TG16 back in the day.
Some great trolling though, have to admit it.
As for the personal attack on me, sorry but Im married, you’ll have to tell your mom some other time I’m afraid.
September 26th, 2006 at 5:04 am
“Gramps” has pretty much proven his point. You haven’t. You’ve slung child-like insults. You’d be a perfect politician, but that’s what this is about. Come back when you can prove to me that Nintendo is for kids, dumbass.
September 26th, 2006 at 5:53 am
Such Tools,lol.
October 1st, 2006 at 9:31 pm
Its sad really. A console at 250$ USD is being called over-priced. A console from a company thats been around longer than its competition is referred to as a “kiddie” console.
I dont know about the Sony Fanboys but as a person who has been playing video games since age 4, I’ll stick with something that I know is quality. 20 games at launch including a Legend of Zelda game, I think thats quality. Only three games from Nintendo but 17 games from third-party (which has always been a problem for Nintendo in the past), sounds like quality to me.
Even if you are a fanboy of a different console, there is no point in saying that the Nintendo Wii will fail. You have little control over it. The Wii is geared towards everybody, not just the hardcore gamer.
By the way, would it kill people to learn how to write clearly?
~MKava.
October 2nd, 2006 at 8:21 pm
[...] Nintendo will have 1 million units available, compared to Sony’s 400,000 PS3s.read more | digg story Posted in Uncategorized [...]
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:11 pm
err.. i was going to say something, but MKava already said it best…
The Wii isn’t for just for kids, that is just ignorant to say so (FryCry anyone?)
Overpriced? 250? .. who the heck thinks they are going to get a controller and num. for less than 60 bucks, let alone the system, con.&num., and wii sports all for 150?!?!?! ill gladly pay 250, if for nothing else, just to support Nintendo’s cause of making newer and fresher gaming experiences.
Chris A, your not alone, im 23, been playing ninty for almost my whole life, and some of the best times with girls are while playing games
… anyone say strip-mario party? … no lie .. i have pictures to prove it 
October 5th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
OK, that is wrong.
Yes, yes PS3 will sell out quick, but COME ON!
amazon.com got so many more preorders than expected, they had to shut the preorder down after 2 HOURS.
The wii will probably sell 1 quarter to 1 half preordering, and the rest will sell out in 3 weeks, and that’s being GENEROUS.
October 7th, 2006 at 10:52 am
“anyone say strip-mario party? … no lie .. i have pictures to prove it”
Please show us those pictures
Anyway. Mario Party must be the best drinking game around. 80% of the time I’ve played it have been on a friday or saturday getting pissed before a party
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:29 am
YEs, because crap-for-logic and horrible spelling and even worse ideas make you SO much better a it.
Come back when you’ve finished 2nd grade.
January 15th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
[...] Microsoft’s Xbox 360 had a year head start on both of the other consoles. If we define the holiday season as the fourth quarter of the year, they came into the holiday season with just over 2.6 million systems sold. By now production has been ramped up to the point that it is relatively unconstrained, and it showed. Microsoft sold 1.8 million consoles in the fourth quarter of 2006. This beats the sales of the somewhat constrained Wii and dwarfs the sales of the severely limited Playstation 3. Nintendo did a good job of ramping up production and met (actually slightly exceeded) their initial projection of a million units shipped to the US. For all intents and purposes, all of these sold. [...]