Nintendo Faces Wii U Shortage After Debut in U.S. This Weekend
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Nintendo Co.’s new Wii U will likely fly off store shelves during the holiday shopping season, giving the creator of Mario and Zelda a temporary boost as it tries to rebound from its first annual loss.
The Wii U debuts in the U.S. on Nov. 18 starting at $300, and shortages are likely as the company is expected to sell 3.5 million units this year, according to market researcher IHS Screen Digest. The long-term outlook for the home console and its software isn’t so promising as the world’s biggest maker of video-game machines faces surging sales of smartphones and tablets, which players use for free online games.