In a GamePro report just last month, IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon predicted that Nintendo would not be able to fully supply Wii demand until 2009 at the latest. Although most of his analyst brethren have not yet committed to such a late date, another analyst has recently chimed in with a recent investor note, forecasting that Wii shortages would easily last until this year’s holiday season.
“Demand still appears to exceed supply, and we believe that shortages could persist through the remainder of the year, including the key holiday period,” said Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets, in a report by Next-Gen.biz.
Based on sales data from both Nintendo and GameStop, Sebastian also comments that the console developer is fulfilling its target of 1.5 million Wii units per month, but those numbers may not be good enough to satisfy the nation’s hunger for Nintendo’s next-gen system.
Oddly enough, Sony seems to find itself in a sort of reverse situation. Sebastian also states in his investor note that the company is “temporarily” slowing down production for the PlayStation 3, according to “reports from Asia”. He believes that Sony will return to full-scale console production as soon as costs stabilize and its more anticipated software titles hit the market. He also notes that such a scenario makes the chance for a PS3 price cut “less likely” this year.