Nintendo may have already commenced production of the final retail units for its Wii console, according to an analysts note from P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research. In comparison Sony has yet to commence manufacturing of the Playstation 3 and Microsoft did not start mass production of the Xbox 360 until 69 days before the release date, argued to be the primary cause for the consoles shortages.
It has been suggested from industry insiders that if mass production of the Wii console is already underway then an early release date in the month of October or possibly even September is quite likely. In addition Nintendo may be able to avoid severe shortages that were a problem for the Xbox 360 and are expected to be an issue for the Playstation 3.
The combination of an early release date, sufficient units to meet consumer demand, lower price point and strong software line-up could be a significant competitive advantage for the Wii in the upcoming fourth quarter of 2006.
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