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Fils-Aime: Wii Fit Supply To Fall Short For Holiday, Third Parties Still Don't 'Get' Wii

Nintendo of America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime says that while Wii hardware supply is in good shape for the holiday, the company will likely face constraints for Wii Fit, according to media reports. He also notes that third-party publishers

Eric Caoili, Blogger

November 19, 2008

1 Min Read

Nintendo of America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime says that the company will likely meet consumer demand for Wii hardware this holiday season but will fall short with its supply for exercise software Wii Fit. "I think we've got a good shot at meeting [Wii] demand during the holidays," says Fils-Aime, according to a report from financial site Forbes. Nintendo has struggled to keep its system on shelves in North America since the Wii launched exactly two years ago, despite increased production and lack of any price cuts. "With Wii Fit, I know we'll fall short," Fils-Aime continued. "That's a product we have consumers lining up for each morning outside of our Nintendo World store [in New York City]." In the U.S. alone, the Wii Fit is the fifth top-selling title of the year with 2.8 million sold since debuting last May. The $90 software, which comes bundled with Nintendo's Balance Board controller, is the top-selling title of 2008 according to revenue, generating an estimated $250 million in sales. Fils-Aime also said that most third-party publishers still don't understand the Wii audience, suggesting that many studios aren't bringing over their best titles from other platforms. "I will be able to say our licensees 'get it' when their very best content is on our platform," says the president and CEO. "And with very few exceptions today, that's not the case." According to Fils-Aime, Wii owners want to see more games that perform well on rival systems, like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, brought to the Wii.

About the Author(s)

Eric Caoili

Blogger

Eric Caoili currently serves as a news editor for Gamasutra, and has helmed numerous other UBM Techweb Game Network sites all now long-dead, including GameSetWatch. He is also co-editor for beloved handheld gaming blog Tiny Cartridge, and has contributed to Joystiq, Winamp, GamePro, and 4 Color Rebellion.

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