Everyone knows about the Nintendo Switch by now. It’s been hailed as a unique evolution of video game technology, being a hybrid of a home console system and a portable gaming device. It doesn’t hurt that its initial crop of game titles were very good, including some of the best gameplay experiences ever like “The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
The Switch may have been selling well since releasing last March, but that game outsold in copies the very system it was made to play on. There is little wonder indeed that Nintendo is keen to make up for any shortages in the stock of Switch units worldwide, which is why they’re ramping up production well ahead of the expected 2017 holiday mad rush.
The new hotness
Notwithstanding a slew of reports that the core Switch console component would warp and bend under intense heat, Nintendo’s latest game system is a guaranteed sale to most any buyers that can afford it. This, of course, means running out of stock at stores, something the company is keen not to happen for any long period.
To that end, Nintendo means to manufacture no less than 18 million Switch systems for this fiscal year up until March 2018. This they hope to reduce the likelihood of “customer tantrums” should they be unable to buy a Switch during the holiday season.
Of course while upping the number of Switch units in the market will help with customer demand – and give the extra copies of the “Zelda: Breath of the Wild” game a console of their own to play on – the geared-up production could also lead to possible shortages in material and internal components to build the units with.
One area of concern in the supply of LCD screens for the Switch console’s tablet component. Still, as long as Nintendo can keep their manufacturing plants well supplied then there would be enough of the system being available in stores later in the year for consumers.
Keeping up with demand
Nintendo has been grappling with shortages lately for their game systems.
The NES Classic Edition may have been meant from the start to be a limited run re-release of retro NES games on a replica console with emulation.
The cautious initial shipping numbers for the Switch, however, was a calculated move so as not to rock the boat for the company following the epic flop of their previous console, the Wii U.
Now that consumer interest for the Switch has been confirmed, all is clear for the Japanese game company to make as many Switch units as they deem necessary. The rise of their shares in the stock market is proof that they can afford to.
