| Bodhesatva said: On the contrary, the Christmas period is the only time where you are likely to lose substantial portions of customers. During the middle of the year, people are buying video game systems largely for themselves; if they cannot find one, they'll usually wait. I'm sure a small portion get impatient and buy a PS3 or 360 instead. The problem at Christmas is that most people are no longer buying for themselves, they're buying for other people, and that changes the game. Instead of just competing against the PS3 and 360, the Wii is competing against HDTVs, GPS systems, Ipods, Silk Neckties, games for systems the people already own, and so forth. The criterion at Christmas is to find a gift that the receiver will like, and once that is satisfied, the gift giver stops looking. If they can't find a Wii with any alacrity, choosing another option besides a Wii will happen much more frequently at this time of year than it will in June. The fact that nearly every major electronics retailer stockpiles for the holidays is rather convincing proof of this phenomenon. |
I agree with normal business models, but not with Wii. It's uniqueness makes it irreplaceable in terms of numbers that will have a lasting impact on the consoles lifetime sales. People who can't find a 360 may buy a PS3, or vice versa outside of the most loyal Sony fanboys or Halo die-hards, but the Wii bucks that trend.
If a person wants a Wii, they'll wind up getting one.
