I’ve never met the man and I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors at Nintendo, but Reggie Fils-Aime seems like a pretty decent guy.
In an interview with GamePro, the Nintendo of America CEO speaks candidly about the state of the gaming industry, Nintendo’s seemingly-eternal Wii shortages, online console gaming, and predictions for the future.
Reggie’s biggest concern seems to be that Nintendo can’t keep the Wii in stock. He wants people who don’t normally play games or haven’t played games in a while to be able to walk into a store and pick up a Wii.
From personal experience as someone who owns a Wii, almost every time I introduce a friend to the console for the first time they say, “I’m going out and getting one tomorrow.”
Easier said than done.
It’s disappointing and I would have thought that by now the supply problems would have been worked out. Fils-Aime says to scour the Sunday circulars. The stores that advertise the Wii most likely have at least a handful of the units in stock.
To be fair, it’s not a production issue (according to Fils-Aime). It’s a demand issue. Too many people want a Wii and Nintendo is just trying to figure out how to meet that demand.
He also speaks to Nintendo’s commitment to hardcore gamers, online play, and where things are heading in the future. All in all, a good read.
Feature: GP Q&A: Nintendo CEO Fils-Aime talks Wii production woes, online plans [GamePro.com]