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Nintendo Says Wii Fit Demand Is Very High

Not enough copies to go around, says Reggie Fils-Aime

Nov 28, 2008 07:29 GMT  ·  By
Reggie says Wii Fit is a hot title, sales prove it
   Reggie says Wii Fit is a hot title, sales prove it

Nintendo is really happy this time of the year, especially considering the fact that sales are already through the roof, surpassing the ones from last year, and that the demand this holiday season is very big. So big in fact, that, although its manufacturing plants are working overtime, the company has stated that customers should buy a Wii or a DS ahead of time, as it cannot guarantee that the full stocks of products will be available.

Without a doubt, this piece of advice, given by the president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, is quite valid, though his company still hopes that all of its customers will have, on Christmas, a Wii or a DS in their homes. However, it seems that chances are not as promising for Wii Fit, one of the hottest titles of the console.

He recently stated, while talking with Forbes, that, although his company might surpass the holiday demand for hardware, with software, it was a different problem. "With Wii hardware, I think we've got a good shot at meeting demand during the holidays," Fils-Aime says. "With 'Wii Fit,' I know we'll fall short. That's a product we have consumers lining up for each morning outside of our Nintendo World store in New York City."

Quite "bad" news for Nintendo, as the fitness title is making a lot of profit for the company, even though the stocks are pretty slim, and people are "hunting" stores that have it on sale. Although the price of the game, 90 dollars, is a bit big, customers are more than eager to pay for the fitness lessons in front of their own TV, in the comfort of their home.

While the product has no rivals at the moment, Electronic Arts definitely wants a piece of this new market and will develop EA Sports Active, a game that will take the Eastern-oriented perspective of Wii Fit on fitness, which focuses on balance and relaxing exercises, to a more Western one, which emphasizes physical exercise and calorie burn.

But before EA launches its game, Nintendo has all of this market in its palm, and will have a massive profit this holiday season.