You shouldn't come with hard facts like that, it isn't nice at all

Nintendo doesn't have the ACE when it comes to price wars because they can't drop the price as much as the other guys can. What looks better to a consumer? A 50 dollar price drop on a Wii, or a 100 dollar price drop on the others. I've said this before, I'll say it again. How much did GC debut for? 200, what is the price retail now? 100. What did the PS2 debut for 300, what can you get it at now? 130. You see, they can't lower the price as much as you think. Components always cost money no matter if it's even old technology. Nintendo will NOT lower the price by 100 dollars. They only lowered the price of the DS 20 bucks in almost 3 years now. What makes you think they would lower the Wii by 100 bucks? A 250 dollar system will probably only be cut to about 120-100 in final price in its life cycle. A 300 dollar to 150-130 in its life cycle. A 500 dollar system to 250-200. Looking down the road, the cost comparison gets closer over time not farther apart. _______________________ On the point of graphics and otherwise. 3rd party games for the Wii will have to be floor up, they can't be ports because ports will look gawd awful. Regardless, it matters as the NA consumer enters HD which it is doing so quickly. Wii sports is the high seller because it's bundled with the system. It does matter over time. Even though the PS2 had a plethora (way more 3rd party support than the Wii has now, and a much larger library). Xbox was still able to catch them in monthly sales in the US. It wasn't because they had better games, but comparable games (i.e. Madden, and all multiplatform titles) looked better on the Xbox. So why is it unreasonable to conclude that the power, graphics, advanced ai, large interactive environments will matter at some point in time? I've sited a very classical example, the Xbox started to sell better in US and Europe at one point in the PS2 life cycle. Granted, it was so far behind it didn't make a difference, and then the Xbox started losing support because 360 was coming, however it did happen. Why? It certainly wasn't because Xbox had better games because it didn't. It's games weren't more fun, it didn't have more exclusives, it certainly wasn't cheaper? I think it will matter at some point or another. I think it starts to matter when you get common games, sports games, sandbox games, rpgs, fps that have more realistic physics, AI, environments, and graphics are much better on the 2 other systems. I'm not saying the games are "more fun" Just that when people who own both systems, or think about what systems they would own see two games that cost about the same amount of money and one looks better, has better features, and offers more they would likely choose that one. It most certainly went that way with some Xbox titles vs. PS2 titles, even tough PS2 had a massive base advantage, the graphics won out. This time it's more than just graphics, the cores of the 360 and PS3 can generate more than just better graphics, but also more realistic large environments (which leads to replay factor, which is very important in games) more realistic AI, and in general more to do with more realistic physics.

Well does it matter if Nintendo succed in getting the casual to buy their consol in an higher rate before than. If nintendo is sitting on the games, note not hardcore fps here, why shouldn't people keep buying the Wii? I mean sure xbox360 has the graphical power, Nintendo has their Wiimote. The Wiimote is at least for one of my friends the reason why he is back in gaming. It is easy to learn. But well we will see in two years, but I do mark my self sceptical espesially here in Sweden were the xbox360 premium almost is costing the same as the Wii. Wii is still sold out, xbox360 doesn't seem to move the same numbers.

That's not what I was pointing out. I've heard several times that people have been unable to find DS in common retail stores. Would you refute that? (Meaning the system is still somewhat supply constrained at one point or another, whether it's Nintendos logistical model or manufacturing model, one or the other is not meeting its end) PS3 production was more than doubled within 2 MONTHS of release and it's a much more complicated piece of machinery. What nonsense?

First 50 USD brings the Wii to 200 USD, which according to me is a lot more budget friendly than 300 or 400 USD (xbox360 premium, PS3 20 GB). If you don't agree I am very sorry because then you have more money than me. Second DS have only had 20 USD cut, because it is sold out everywhere, and if Nintendo can keep that one coming I don't really see the problem if Wii cost 250 and the rest 200! Does it matter if Wii games has to be bundle up if they have a user base of 30 millions or more after 2 years? PS2 had a lot of 3rd party exclusivs why can't Wii have it (I mean they all ready have). Wii Sport is the high seller in the WEST because it is bundle, not in Japan! Somehow we seem to think that the 20 million+ that PS2 made in Japan is impossible to reach for the Wii. USA and EU is not the only market in the world. If Nintendo can replicate the DS succes in Japan or in EU and gett more female players (5 million Nintendodogs in EU says hello). I don't see why the couldn't continue selling for at least5 years. I don't say that they will be the only consol selling, I am just saying that Nintendo might actully sell to another crowd then the old male player. Just as Singstar and buzz is doing in Eu. Well the PS2 is still kicking microsoft butt all day long. It isn't but it is unreasonable to say that it is the only market out there. Brain Age, Buzz, Guitarr Hero, Singstar, Nintendodogs have shown that there exist a bigger market than just the hardcore Graphic nerds (note nerd for me is not a negativ word). Again I don't think xbox360 sales will die, or that PS3 always will sell as bad as it is now. I just belive that Nintendo can succed in doing one more DS, sell to both their old fans and a new crowd. So I don't see why the Wii just suddently will stop selling as long as they have the games for that other crowd.

What's the point of your unsourced 2 months statistic? If I have 1 factory today and start the 2nd tomorrow I can double my capacity within 1 day... I was talking about total shipments based on quarterly financial reports and compared year over year. It's nonsense to say "Nintendo can't get their manufacturing together" (like you did), because they doubled their output year-over-year and are now at a PS2-like level, shipping more than 2 million units per month (based on their forecast of 13 million units for Oct'06-Mar'07). Likewise they could start shipping 2 million Wiis per month within one year if necessary.

Then why was Moore quoted saying the next Xbox will be in 2011-2012? That'd put the 360 at a 6-7 year lifespan. Also, with the R&D involved + costs associated, MS can't afford a 4 year lifespan. Some track the sales differently. The argument I'm making against the standard Wii selling 80m+ is the fact that I believe Nintendo will be quick to release a WiiHD or whatever. A WiiHD would be more powerful, not smaller/lighter/better battery life. Its like saying the GBA sales should be counted with the GB sales entirely....Both are the same family of systems, but the GBA is more powerful despite looking similar. Here's the big issue with just magically ramping production up instantaneously: It takes TIME to make the parts, aquire the factories and everything else involved. Nintendo has to buy the custom made Broadway CPUs from Intel. Intel has a specific area of a factory to make these chips. If Nintendo wants more systems, they have to contact each and every part maker, negotiate new deals with each company to get a good deal on these parts. The factories then have to re-tool their dies to output more, go through HR departments to hire new workers and train them for the factories, ect, ect for the 100-odd parts in the Wii. Because of that, it's difficult to just say "oh, the Wii is selling out, lets get more parts and make more tommorow". I sincerely believe that Nintendos production increase is due to them initiating the purchase orders for the factories and parts in November once the Wii was selling out, if not earlier. Look at the 360. Winston Flextronics and another factory were the only 2 producing 360s, and it was late Febuary before the 3rd factory came online....That was 4 months AFTER the 360 was selling out. It's not just a Nintendo thing, its a life thing. Thats why Sony actually owns their own factories and produces quite a bit of items in-house - they can reach their agreements for production capacity faster. Nintendo is producing the supposed 2.5m DSes a month after months and years of contract negotiations with the parts manufacturers. Again, it's a business thing that involves time. Why? If Nintendo had the honest ability to make a large amount more systems very quickly, they would. Why? If Nintendo theoretically had the ability, they could probably make and sell 5 million Wiis a month right now and 5 million DSes for a few months. MS could of as well for the 360 for the first few months.

I just saw a post on NeoGAF that is relevant to this topic, hope you don't mind, ioi. :)

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=148502&page=16 last post on that page, #800

@mrstickball So basically you say if Nintendo can't increase their shipments within one day it will take them 5 years? I and others have suggested a lead time of 6 months or 1 year to increase production. Nintendo shipped 5 million DS in Nov'04-Mar'05, 11 million in the following year (05/06), and another 23 million in its 3rd year (06/07; forecast). That's double shipments every year. The Wii can go the same way if demand is there. You're just exaggerating. @robjoh: I'm totally on your side. I regard the Wiimote as being more unique than 720p graphics. However we have to see how the market reacts in 2009 when PS3 and 360 become affordable. Nintendo will do the same. If people want HD Nintendo will release a WiiHD by 2010. If they don't care, we will get a Wii 2 by 2011 or 2012.

Yes, yes, YES. Absolutely. Wii and DS match "Blue Ocean" completely. Also... Nintendo are planning 2 production increases for this year. And it sounds like for the second, they will be bringing a new partner onboard, meaning its a big increase. If they've already announced publicly multiple increases, and we've heard leaked the parties they are negotiating with already, certainly its reasonable that they've been working on this for some months already, and may have more factories building Xmas stock by the start of fall. Nintendo is a $30 billion dollar multi-national corporation, who currently have the two best-selling videogame systems in the world. They have the ability to dramatically increase their production over the next 9 months, and continue increasing it as needed over the next 5 years. They aren't going to have any trouble producing Blu-Ray diodes, for example.