Wii: Finding the Wii in time for Christmas
November 15, 2007
Oh here we go again.
Last Christmas season, the Nintendo Wii was on the top of every video gamer’s Christmas wish list. As a mother, it was the first time I felt a certain sense of justification in paying $250 dollars for a gaming system largely because playing Wii requires physical movement. I was not alone and the shopping frenzy for Wii was on.
After visiting every local store that advertised a Wii and finding the shelves empty, I turned to shopping online. I quickly discovered that the only readily available Wii consoles were being sold on eBay at three to four times the suggested retail price. I was determined not to lose my head or wallet over the Wii and I was equally determined to find one to buy. For days, it became a quest to find a merchant with a Wii in stock.
Finally, I started monitoring message boards. The search for the Wii had taken on a life of its own and there were kind souls announcing where the latest stock of Wii gaming systems could be found. Early one morning, while checking the message boards I was monitoring for Wii related news, I found someone had posted on Amazon’s Wii page less than five minutes earlier a tip thay Circuit City was selling the Wii console bundled with two games. I followed the link, filled in the form fields, held my breath and waited to see if my purchase would make it through to confirmation. Success.
Ten minutes later, out of sheer curiosity, I went back to the Circuit City Wii page and sure enough they were already sold out. The BBC is reporting that the same scenario could occur again this year, as there has been a year long chronic shortage of the Wii console. According to Nintendo, the company has been doing everything it can to keep up with demand.
The intergenerational popularity of Wii has defied seasonal expectation for sales by remaining in demand year round. The Wii is not just junior’s gaming system. Grandma and grandpa are playing the Wii. As an example of how popular the Wii gaming system is, Amazon has posted this notice:
As you may know, the Nintendo Wii is in great demand, and there are shortages of this product across the U.S. In an effort to provide as many customers as possible with the opportunity to purchase a Wii, we are limiting the number of Wiis customers can purchase in a given calendar month. As a result, each household may only purchase up to 3 Nintendo Wii units per calendar month.
If you are considering giving the Wii as a Christmas gift this year, I suggest you start shopping now and be ready to purchase the minute you find a merchant with a Wii console in stock. Unless you stumble upon a Wii sitting on a store shelf, the best bet is finding a Wii online. Last year, people were driving down to stores at midnight and waiting in line until the store opened at 8 or 9 in the morning to buy a Wii. Some shoppers forked over three to four times the suggested purchase price for a Wii to opportunistic eBay sellers.