Nintendo Exec Says Wii is Recession-Proof
Happy Anniversary to Wii: It was one year ago that the wildly popular videogame console hit the market, taking interactive play to a new level -- and giving Wii maker Nintendo a huge advantage over Sony and Microsoft in the game game.
With the official start of holiday shopping still several days away, Wii is at the top of almost everyone's wish list -- especially the merchants who are already reporting shortages.
"We can sell every single unit that we put into the pipeline, from a distribution standpoint," Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, told CNBC.
"For us, it really is all about maximizing where we put those units on a worldwide basis."
Wii's big advantage includes its motion-sensing technology. "Right now, there is no competition for us using this similar technology," says Fils-Aime.
For those who already have Wii, there's new content this year: Activision's "Guitar Hero III" and Sega's "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" are two high-profile examples.
Fils-Aime is not overlooking those new to Wii. "We just launched a title called 'Super Mario Galaxy,' which takes our key character, Mario, to a whole new place...making it easy for new players to get into the game," he said.
And he's not worried about a recession: "Historically, when that happens, our category tends to do fairly well," he said.
"Consumers look at our products as small luxuries that they can take home and enjoy with the entire family, and so, while we're concerned, we think that we're well poised to have a strong holiday season, as well as a strong 2008."
