Big Games Are Coming, Will There Be Enough Wiis?
Suppliers hint at more hardware shortages in Nintendo's immediate future.
Over the next six months Nintendo fans around the world will finally get hands on with some of the biggest games due for the system, including Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime: Corruption, Super Smash Bros Brawl and more. If they can find systems to play them on, that is.
Nintendo has suffered through hardware shortages for a large portion of the brief life of the Wii. The situation has calmed over the languid summer months, but with the hot holiday season nearly here, Nintendo may see its plans for boosted hardware supplies going awry.
According to unnamed parts suppliers speaking to tech site Digitimes, components such as integrated circuit chips and printed circuit boards could run dry before the end of the year, putting a crimp on the number of consoles Nintendo will be able to produce.
The sources told Digitimes that it was unlikely that Nintendo would be able to stave off shortages in the latter half of the year.
If confirmed, the news will only add to what has been a thrilling nine months for the Wii. The system is outselling the PlayStation 3 around the world and it's catching up fast to the Xbox 360 in both the US and Europe.
Nintendo could not be reached for comment on this article.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo