Manufacturing difficulties 'hampering' Wii U launch plans - Report

NewsPublish Date 10/08/2012 - 2:00pm GMT+1

Wii U pushed into December following GamePad manufacturing issues, claims new report.

Nintendo is said to be facing "manufacturing issues" with its upcoming Wii U console, according to an online report, forcing the company to delay its launch plans across Europe.

CVG sources state that the problems stem from the manufacturing process of the Wii U GamePad, an advanced controller which features multiple forms of emergent technology, including a touchscreen display, motion-sensing and Near field communication tech, a camera and its own power supply.

According to the report, Nintendo now won't launch the console in the UK until "early December", despite initially targeting a November launch window.

CVG also claims that it was told by a "major publishing firm" that Nintendo had considered delaying the console into 2013, but that the idea had later been dismissed.

Back in June, ex-Nintendo UK GM David Yarnton told VideoGamer.com that the firm was "still planning to release in [the UK in] 2012".

Nintendo has yet to officially announce a release date for Wii U.

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Endless @ Woffls

You're misinterpreting my meaning I think :)

I'm not belittling the concept, if they do it right it'll be an excellent living room tablet.

What I was attempting to say, and clearly failed, was that the physical hardware is not anything that hasnt been done before and/or isnt in full production right now. And by that I mean they should easily be able to source the parts and/or resources to manufacturer the controller without issue. There is no shortage of 7" tablets on the market, Google hasn't reported that it is struggling to manufacture the Nexus 7 and there's no shortage of control pads. The only potentially unique item they need to have manufactured is the plastic shell that covers it all.

So in short I share bevan and clockpunk's view in that this is just another way of driving up interest, the same as they always do. Nintendo is not short of buying power.

Posted 16:36 on 13 August 2012

rbevanx@ Endless

That's how I feel on the new Wii as well Endless but I agree with Clockpunk it's mind games like they did with the first Wii to keep the console's price to a contant level for longer rather than drop in 8 months time etc.

Posted 11:25 on 13 August 2012

Woffls

Wii was only on shelves two weeks before Christmas anyway, and who would benefit from them shipping as many consoles as they could on launch day? Why not spread it out? Get a million units on shelves on launch day and they'll all go to Zelda fans. Get half out a week later and maybe, just maybe, some mums will get some for Christmas and put them in the living room. The latter was Nintendo's market, and not catering to them would have just been moronic.

It wasn't a "PR stunt", it was just marketing, and they might not even be able to have that much control over it this time. Nintendo wouldn't be hoping for manufacturing difficulties four months in advance of release, and if it were a PR stunt they'd have delivered the message themselves rather than letting some people "familiar with the situation" do the talking.

@Endless - Most meaningful innovation is done with technologies that are already in use. See: everything Apple has ever done.

Posted 11:20 on 13 August 2012

Clockpunk

I don't trust any claim by Nintendo of such a problem. Not when they have a history of inducing an artificial shortage so as to bump up hysteria and demand, before miraculously 'saving Christmas' by releasing a large amount of stock the week before. I saw this with both the DS and the Wii (when I worked in the detestable Gamestation). I see this as a PR stunt, that will likely amount to nothing except to stimulate sales.

Posted 15:36 on 12 August 2012

MJTH @ Endless

What does it matter what else has been on the market before, when a new product is having a production issues now. Answer: not much.

Lots of new product can have issues in their first production of for many unknown reasons. For all we know it could be to with the controllers specific configuration or munfacturing the shell, or the quality buttons. The CVG article isn't specific to what conponent is the problem it says just that it stems from the controller, them lists the tech in it.

The CVG article also states that "which are quite common for new console system launches" something VG sadly forget to mention.

Posted 16:33 on 10 August 2012

Endless

Two words: Any. Excuse.

Seriously it's a controller with a touch screen and NFC. On the other hand it's a tablet with gaming controls. They arent doing anything new at all, all technology exists in currently commercially available devices. Xperia Play says HI!

Posted 15:30 on 10 August 2012

pblive

Heading in to dangerous territory if they don't make early December, they need those Christmas sales so they've got to advertise hard in November and really make the general public aware of what the console actually is.

Posted 14:39 on 10 August 2012

MJTH

OH please Nintendo, don't make me wait longer then I already have to for this machine. I was hoping that it's early November release would be make feel like a belated birthday to myself, but now it seems more like an early Christmas present.

Waiting for 2013 is not an option, they need this one Christmas head start this time around.

Posted 14:13 on 10 August 2012