Please show me with math how in the end you net more sales by shipping less. I want supply over time, demand over time, and sales over time.
Every other company MUST SUCK at business for not engaging in this amazing tactic that nets free money.
It's not that complicated, if you want exact numbers go pay a marketing research firm. All this takes is common sense and reading this thread.
This thread is full of examples of people who bought one despite being on the fence because they were hard to find.
This thread is also full of people who will buy one no matter how long it takes to find one.
They don't lose basically any sales by doing this, and drive news stories/hype around the product.
It's been explained time and time again other companies (especially toy companies) do use this tactic especially in the run up to the holidays, but not every company follows this path because they have different goals or sales philosophies.
People defending Nintendo as if they are defending their family and as if pointing out this tactic is somehow calling Nintendo evil is continually hilarious.