Too Cool for Internet Explorer

Pachter: Unbalanced Wii Fit shipments due to weak dollar

June 1st, 2008 by JC Fletcher

Filed under:

Superstar game industry analyst Michael Pachter told the LA Times that Nintendo’s smaller North American supply of Wii Fit units can be blamed, just like everything else that has anything to do with business, on the value of the dollar. “The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We’re seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere.” Then — seemingly to make sure blogs quoted him — Pachter added, “They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now.” The article states that about 500,000 Wii Fits were shipped to the U.S., versus “as many as 2 million” to Europe.

We think that if the disparity is indeed strategic, it has less to do with the decreasing value of the dollar, and more to do with two other trends: Nintendo of Europe’s increased friendliness toward nontraditional “expanded audience” games, and European gamers’ acceptance of exorbitant game prices. It’s not so much that $90 is low for Wii Fit — it’s that they can get away with selling it for $140 in Europe.

Gallery: Wii Fit

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in , Europe, exercise, exergaming, wii-fit, pachter, shortage | No Comments »

Want a Zapper? Go to a store!

November 20th, 2007 by JC Fletcher

Filed under:

One year ago, pretty much everyone failed to predict the success of the Wii. It looks like that may be happening on a smaller scale this week, as online retailers appear to already be out of Zapper/Link's Crossbow Training packs. The ones that aren't out of stock have yet to receive their stock, showing a release date of tomorrow.

As of right now, EB/GameStop, Amazon, CompUSA, Sears, and Wal-Mart are "backordered" or "out of stock." Buy.com, Target, and Circuit City list it as coming out tomorrow. Toys R Us, Outpost.com/Fry's, Best Buy, Micro Center and KMart refuse to acknowledge the peripheral's existence.

Basically, it looks like if you want one of these things, you're going to have to go outside. Try (the physical locations of) Wal-Mart, CompUSA or Sears where, if the in-store prices match the online prices, you'll be charged the MSRP rather than the premium $25 price some retailers are sticking on there. Of course, shark guns remain cheap and plentiful.

Permalink |