Are Wiis still hard to get?

[XYXZYZ]

I haven't been paying attention to store shelves, and don't really go to game shops much. Are Wiis still impossible to find, selling out within an hour of receiving the shipment?

[Rogmeister]

All I know is I've never seen a single one in any store. I think it's a myth...Wiis don't really exist at all! :D

[scooterb23]

Well, I still haven't seen one on a store shelf beyond the one I bought last year.

I did see one used in a game store the other day packaged with 4 games for $400...didn't seem to be flying off the shelf, and I probably won't be heading back to that store anytime soon to check on its life there.

[norkusa]

In my area they're still impossible to find. The only one I've ever seen so far was at a Target in May-June of last year.

6-12 months after launch I can understand a shortage but it's been a year and a half already. Is Nintendo even trying to meet demand, or is making it impossible for people to buy their sytems all part of their marketing strategy?

[udisi]

yeah, they appear to still be pretty hard to get. every once in awhile some store will get 6-12 in, and they'll hang out for a few hours, but they still disappear quickly.

[heybtbm]

Besides the time I bought mine (in Feb '07), I've only seen a Wii on the shelf once. That was last summer...and keep in mind, I'm in the video game aisles quite a bit.

[Trebuken]

They seem to be, but my local Blockbuster of all places had a couple just a couple of days ago. One had been there a few days...not somewhere most people are looking...

[Superman]

It seems like they are coming in more often, but the quantities are still low - only a few at a time to many stores.

[skaar]

Every store I have been to recently has at least 10 in stock... so in Victoria, BC - no.

[smokehouse]

I look every time I go into a store (Wal Mart/K Mart/Target/Best Buy/CC/etc) and I've seen 1 on the shelf since I purchased mine last summer...1...

I think part of the problem is these morons still trying to turn a quick buck so they buy them up even if they don't want one...

Either way...what a cluster fuck...I can't believe its so hard to find one of these this far after launch.

I can only blame Nintendo...I guess...I don't know who else to blame. I've never seen a console sold out for this long and there have been many systems this popular in the past...who knows...

[Fuyukaze]

I look every time I go into a store (Wal Mart/K Mart/Target/Best Buy/CC/etc) and I've seen 1 on the shelf since I purchased mine last summer...1...

I think part of the problem is these morons still trying to turn a quick buck so they buy them up even if they don't want one...

Either way...what a cluster fuck...I can't believe its so hard to find one of these this far after launch.

I can only blame Nintendo...I guess...I don't know who else to blame. I've never seen a console sold out for this long and there have been many systems this popular in the past...who knows...

I'd like to know any system as popular as this one has been. With sales figures as high as Nintendo's posted for the Wii, I'm at a loss to name one.


I see them from time to time at Targets mostly. I've seen them only a handfull of times at Wal-mart though. Normaly they are sold out within a few days.

[Streetball 21]

I saw my first Wii at a store last month at a Target store. It was the last one left. When I was there looking at the games, someone was asking to buy it. I haven't seen any since then.

[ProgrammingAce]

there are a couple of problems to this... nintendo ramped up production as much as they can in the facilities they have. They're pumping out almost 2 million consoles a month, it just happenst to be that they're all selling out.

The problem with adding more manufacturing is that demand well outstripped what nintendo expected. They're not sure when the bottom is going to drop out and they don't want to be in the middle of building a billion dollar manufacturing facility when demand finally levels out.

The only sound business move they can make is to wait it out. It's not like a lack of supply has lowered demand. Why take the risk?

[Rob2600]

I just called Nintendo World in Manhattan. The woman told me they have the Wii in stock. I asked how many and she said, "I'm not allowed to release that number."

I said, "Okay, but do you have more than one?" and she repeated, "I'm not allowed to release that number."

Anyway, with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, and Rock Band, the Wii should be continue to fly off store shelves for the time being.

[jonjandran]

In Columbus, Georgia and Montgomery Alabama they are everywhere. I see 3-4 on the shelves in every Wal-Mart/Target/Movie Gallery/etc.

[otoko]

The story of "there is none" works for where I live. We had to talk up the managerial tree at a popular game store to get it one for my sister. (I've owned mine since launch day)

[Poofta!]

still impossible to find here in nyc, each gamestop has a little sign saying they are out of stock. if they do get any, they are gone within hours. clerks get over 30 calls a day, every day, asking about wiis.

[Poofta!]

wanted to add that the shortage definitely has nothing to do w/ people buying to resell, wiis on ebay, new, are going either for retail price or slightly above (shipping cost not included). the used wii prices which are really high at local shops are ridiculous, yes, but i dont see those 300-400$ wiis moving around here.

[Rob2600]

wanted to add that the shortage definitely has nothing to do w/ people buying to resell, wiis on ebay ... i dont see those 300-400$ wiis moving around here.

On Amazon.com, the lowest price for a Wii is currently $310, so I assume people are still buying them at that price.

[incubus421]

Still hard to find, people still selling them for 350+ on ebay, amazon, craigslist, etc.
Being an Assistant Manager at a GameStop around here I can tell you that they have been the same in rarity for the past few months, only getting some in a few times a month and only a few at a time...and those few go in the first half hour everytime we do get some in.

[NoahsMyBro]

Over the last couple of weeks I've been to Target two or three times, and seen Wiis in stock every time.

If I had more money and/or more time, I'd have bought one, but even if I wasn't broke, I've been too busy working lately to even think about playing the thing, so I left them for someone else to pick up.

BUT, they certainly seem to me to be easier to find than ever before.

[retroman]

My local ToysRUS in Maryland just got 68 of them in on Sunday morning. I was there about 1pm and they had 4 left the girl said.

[Trevelyan]

They had some in my local Game store last time I was in town (over here in the UK). I'm sure the drought is over where I live, though there was a shortage before christmas.

[DeputyMoniker]

Every couple months I see a Wii at Blockbuster, Gamestop, or some other game store. It's always in a large bundle so it sells a little slow. I saw a stack of Wii's at Best Buy early Christmas season last year. It was gone when I came back the next day. Other than that, I don't see them anywhere.

[Poofta!]

Still hard to find, people still selling them for 350+ on ebay, amazon, craigslist, etc.
Being an Assistant Manager at a GameStop around here I can tell you that they have been the same in rarity for the past few months, only getting some in a few times a month and only a few at a time...and those few go in the first half hour everytime we do get some in.

um no. ebay's price for the system alone, new, is average 280 (again, shipping not included). amazon is ALWAYS overpriced on anything remotely interesting or difficult to find.

with ebay and paypal fees, these sellers really arent making that much. the point is there is no longer a surge of people buying to sell, since the profit margin is minuscule (if even existant if you factor in time and gas).

edit: gamestop is not allowed to hold wiis, or sell as a bundle only. they do truly first come first serve basis, since management was apparently very adamant about strictly disciplining clerks who hold wiis for friends etc.

[Icarus Moonsight]

there are a couple of problems to this... nintendo ramped up production as much as they can in the facilities they have. They're pumping out almost 2 million consoles a month, it just happenst to be that they're all selling out.

The problem with adding more manufacturing is that demand well outstripped what nintendo expected. They're not sure when the bottom is going to drop out and they don't want to be in the middle of building a billion dollar manufacturing facility when demand finally levels out.

The only sound business move they can make is to wait it out. It's not like a lack of supply has lowered demand. Why take the risk?

I call this the Dreamcast Fear Theory and I agree 100%. When you consider the sales of the Gamecube, Nintendo is doing very well in terms of production for the Wii... well, as well as they can - safely.

The Wii manufactured shortage hubbub is pure crap. Otherwise, they would have kept production down (to ~1 million units/month) instead of running all their facilities balls-to-the-wall. Although, Nintendo may be diverting North American supply to other regions due to the recent suck, that is, of the USD. ;)

[graciano1337]

They seem to be, but my local Blockbuster of all places had a couple just a couple of days ago. One had been there a few days...not somewhere most people are looking...

yup, i work at blockbuster and we got 3 of them last week. one sold very fast and two were bought by an employee a day later. blockbuster is trying to get more into gaming. we got some 360's, wii's, and even a PS3 for sale. and a ton of games and accessories, too.

[thetoxicone]

Ever since I quit working at best buy in Dec of 2006 I've seen them in stores twice, once when I was randomly stopping in a small town wal-mart to pick up a few things when I passing through the town.

Other was last Friday at a gamestop around here where someone was trading a 360 toward a Wii for their kid. Too bad there was only one employee and I had to wait there for 15 minutes to buy my one game, you think if a parent is going to ask 50 questions and then the employee is going to try and sell 50 other things to the parent that they'd kindly let the man with one single game in his hand pay quickly and leave. Not to mention when I finally did pay they put the wrong game in the case...good thing I check these things before I leave the store (sorry that was a little bit of a rant).

[rbudrick]

I've never seen one yet. However, the Wiimotes and nunchucks are finally plentiful in stock.

-Rob

[jjreason]

I haven't seen one for sale at Canadian retail since October - but I don't stop in stores specifically to look for them either.

[MeTmKnice]

If you are actively searching for one, know when shipments come, etc. Then there is no reasons you should not be able to get one. Yes, there are people that just buy them and some games and sell them for a recockulous amount. The Wii console I have currently ( I bought one launch day, and was offered a large sum of money so I sold it), I purchased used at the local GameCrazy when I was living in spokane. The person who traded it in, bought it on launch day and did not use it much, they never even registered it for the warranty, so after my 90 in-store warranty was up was when I registered mine (= . Granted they are fairily scarce, they are not tht difficult to find in most areas.

[segagamer]

I got my Wii as a bundled package at the local casino. It came with the console, Wii Play, extra Nunchuk controller, and two extra games. The package was overpriced but it was the only place I actually saw the console on the shelves. I have not yet seen it at the stores I frequent (Target, Meijer, EBGames, etc).

[Lothars]

I use to see Wii's all over especially till february but since February I haven't seen much, I am kind of looking for one for my cousin but it's all good.

[nickerous]

I saw about 30 in Wal-mart the week after Thanksgiving. Since then, maybe 1 or two on shelves.

A friend of mine decided on a Tuesday that he wanted one. He nearly got one that day as the Wal-mart had one. He missed out on it, but was able to get one the next week when that same Wal-mart received stock.

[The 1 2 P]

Since the Wii launched in November of 2006, I've seen a grand total of 2 in actual stores. Both were in Target, 1 each in a different Target on two different occasions within the last year and a half. Until you can actrually walk into any video game/electronics store at anytime of the day and pick one up with little to no problem, the Wii will continue to be hard to find.

[Hwj_Chim]

I see wiis all the time in my area. It seems like Best Buy always has at least one or two in stock.

[Ze_ro]

The Wii is still VERY hard to find here in Winnipeg. I was looking for one for about 2 months before I finally found one... and I managed to get the last one Future Shop had at 10:30 in the morning. Now, the Canadian versions have bilingual manuals and such, so I'm thinking Nintendo may be sending less of them to Canada, but who knows.

--Zero

[FlufflePuff]

There are none here. Haven't seen a retailer with one, except for ad-break events, since Xmas.

[RadiantSvgun]

I never see them in Gamestops, but I see them often in K-marts and Wal-Marts.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I haven't seen any around here"but I saw a used Wii at the Flea Market with a pile of Wii games..
Seeing a Wii at the flea market was a first for me.

[The 1 2 P]

I haven't seen any around here"but I saw a used Wii at the Flea Market with a pile of Wii games..
Seeing a Wii at the flea market was a first for me.

How much did they want for it?

[Icarus Moonsight]

Probably your first-born... no, wait a minute. That was the golden spindle. My bad. :p

Also shouting "Wrinkly Foreskin!" at flea vendors nets you the special insiders discount. ;)

[Videogamerdaryll]

I didn't ask because I have dealt with him and his prices are always high...I'm going to guess $200.00-$225.00 without the games..Maybe $300.00 $350.00 with the games as they were the latest selling games/Mario Galaxy etc.(I get home that day and someone calls me wanting a Wii)

He had it set up next to a 32" HDTV.

With as many people that took a look at it I figure he sold it right away and kept a high price..He never seems to have the same stuff the next time I see him...

What weird's me out about this seller is the type stuff he comes with,he always seems to have someone's whole house/apt possessions with him,mainly everything that was in a living room.
This current Wii set up was next to a 32" HDTV..with a coffee table,couches,shelves,DVD player.DVDs,CDs surround sound stereo,..with all knick knacks and other junk surrounding everything.
Set up just like you'd see it in a persons house..It's like he cleans out Dead peoples apartments...either that or he's a burglar
Each week is a similar type set-up,..Big Used HDTVs surrounded by whole living room set-ups
This time he had a Wii as usually it's a 360

The next time I see him I'm going to ask how much did he sell it for.

[mb7241]

Wiis are still somewhat difficult to find here...though here's an insider tip... If you want one, check your local Wal-Marts every Tuesday between 9 and 11 AM, or if they're advertised in the paper, check Saturday night at midnight. How do I know? I work in electronics at the Wal-Mart nearest to me.

[thepiratemonk3y]

I think all stores need to just stock up on them and then have one day that they state like a week in advance and have people wait outside to get them. I did that last year with my dad around Christmas time. All night outside a Toys 'R Us. Cold night, but o such a happy morning. I honestly think they'd still get a pretty good turnout if they did it this way.

Aside from that the stores around me always say they get shipments like once a week either Tuesday or Thursday and there usually isn't more than two or three. To make it even more difficult the shipment could come anytime in between 9 and noon.

[rkotm]

In Columbus, Georgia and Montgomery Alabama they are everywhere. I see 3-4 on the shelves in every Wal-Mart/Target/Movie Gallery/etc.
how is montgomery these days?

well here in the middle or Ga we have none, but every now and then a few Wiis get onto shelves, hardly long at all though. Well this christmas will be like 2006 christmas with the DS shortage. They'll still be sold out, but restocked when they can. Nintendo ought to start bringing out the color variant systems by now, so people will actually buy a pink Wii or light puke green one.

[The 1 2 P]

Since the Wii launched in November of 2006, I've seen a grand total of 2 in actual stores. Both were in Target, 1 each in a different Target on two different occasions within the last year and a half. Until you can actrually walk into any video game/electronics store at anytime of the day and pick one up with little to no problem, the Wii will continue to be hard to find.

I actually saw 3 in a store today. And that store was of course Target. One couple was buying one and there were 3 more in the case.

[Press_Start]

At April NAVA, someone was selling a Wii, but I forgot to ask for selling price. From what I tell, it is maintained greatly judging by looks and also stating he doesn't often play on it.

I'm surprised Joe didn't jump on the chance of getting the Wii at first glance.

[jjgames]

Yesterday while doing some shopping I saw tons of Wii's at Best Buy and Target. This was for the Sunday Mario Kart launch so I am not surprised. The Target near me had 80 Wii's they said and Best Buy had 50.

Two of my friends were buying Mario Kart and they said the same thing at the stores they went to. One has been looking for a Wii for about an month and got one today at Target. They were there about 2 hours after opening and there were still about 75+ Wii's.

I'm sure these Wii's will all sell out fast, but it looks like buying a Wii is pretty easy on a huge game launch day. WiiFit day would probably be the next one.

[Oobgarm]

My Best Buy had over 50 left at the close of business yesterday, having sold maybe 30 or so.

[Cornelius]

Yeah, we finally picked one up at a Wal-Mart yesterday. Not sure how many they had in back, but there were three in the case when we asked for one at the counter. The guy just bent over an picked one out of a box. He had two boxes w/ 3 (i think) each back there. There was a stack of similar boxes back there, but I couldn't tell if they were the same or not.

Of course, now I have to get another controller, some games, a component cable, etc. New stuff is so expensive! It was my wife that actually decided to get it. My FiL was trying to talk me into it, but I was able to say no. SWMBO likes the Zelda Crossbow game, though.

[The Shawn]

Yeah I was in my local Wallworld tonight and they had a few Wii consoles in stock, I think their getting easier to get.

[norkusa]

Anyone think the Wii drought will last until Christmas? I remember reading some news story shortly after launch where some analyst predicted the shortage would last until early 2009.

At the time I laughed it off and thought the guy was the worlds worst analyst but now it seems like it's actually going to happen.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I don't know about Wii consoles in NJ ... but I walked into a GameStop today and they had TWO Nyko Perfect Shots in the Wii accessory section!

I bought one, making my grand total of Perfect Shots' : TWO.

[Rogmeister]

I did hear someone say more were coming...and I actually saw a few at my local Wal-Mart a few days ago. As Colin Clive would say, "It's alive, it's alive!" :D

[jjgames]

These are definitely easier to find. The prices online are coming down very steadily too.

http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/static/images/wii-April08-price-chart.png (http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/game/wii/nintendo-wii-with-wii-sports)

This is a chart of the average price per month from Amazon and Half listings. The prices online are getting closer and closer to the retail price so they are definitely getting easier to find. Source (http://www.videogamepricecharts.com/game/wii/nintendo-wii-with-wii-sports)

[norkusa]

This is a chart of the average price per month from Amazon and Half listings. The prices online are getting closer and closer to the retail price so they are definitely getting easier to find.

Those charts don't necessarily mean Wii's are getting easier to find. They just show that Wii prices on Amazon & Half spike up during the holiday season.

I'd bet if that chart went back to April-May '07 (which was the only time I've seen a Wii on a store shelf), it also show Wii prices below $300 there too.

[jjgames]

I'm sure most of the price decrease from December is because it is no longer Christmas, but the prices are lower now than they were last August. And I don't think there was any holiday buying then. The average price then was $359. Now it is $296 and if you look at today's price, there are Wii's listed right now on Half for $259.

Compared to last year the Wii is much easier to find. The prices last May and April could have been the same, but I don't have any prices for back then so we can't know for sure. If the they were that low, then yes I think the Wii would have been just as easy to find as it is now.

[TurboGenesis]

I was Target getting some thing, and I browse over video games section, and I see at least 6 Wii console in the showcase.

This mark the FIRST time (that I actually look) that I see the Nintendo Wii in stock as I have seen PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. There was no need to ask if any were there as they can be seen easy…

[GarrettCRW]

The Target I work at got 79 on Sunday. As of 4 PM Pacific, we had 29 left in stock.

So yes, they're getting easier to find.

[kingpong]

I've been to a number of stores the past few days and all of them were fully stocked with Wii hardware. We know Nintendo built up inventory to release with Mario Kart, but perhaps they missed the mark a bit. Mario Kart, much like the recent Smash Brothers, is clearly a fan service game, wouldn't sell a ton if it wasn't a Mario game. By this point presumbly the overwhelming majority of the fanboys already have a system, so they wouldn't be buying Wiis now. Non-fanboys wouldn't be rushing out to get Mario Kart, so they wouldn't be snatching all the systems either. Basically Mario Kart isn't a huge system seller this far into the system's lifetime, resulting in a relative excess of systems in stores. They'll certainly sell before too long, but I think Nintendo overestimated the demand this weekend.

[The 1 2 P]

Today Best Buy had a whole bunch of Wii's. I was shocked to see so many in one place.

[thetoxicone]

I saw some at the local wal-mart while I was waiting for a prescription to be filled.

[Oobgarm]

My Best Buy had over 50 left at the close of business yesterday, having sold maybe 30 or so.

Still sitting on over 30 after close on Tuesday. We did go through a good number of them yesterday.

I'm sure it's a regional thing. I've been telling customers to call their friends that are looking for a Wii and have them come by. Surprisingly, most folks are telling me that they don't know of anyone who is.

And I think kingpong nailed it with the overestimated demand. I think I sold maybe one Mario Kart with a Wii yesterday.

[jjgames]

Still sitting on over 30 after close on Tuesday. We did go through a good number of them yesterday.

I'm sure it's a regional thing. I've been telling customers to call their friends that are looking for a Wii and have them come by. Surprisingly, most folks are telling me that they don't know of anyone who is.

And I think kingpong nailed it with the overestimated demand. I think I sold maybe one Mario Kart with a Wii yesterday.

The Mario Kart numbers surprise me. When I was out on Sunday, almost everyone buying a Wii was getting Mario Kart too. Maybe that was just Sunday since it was launch day.

I'm glad to hear Wii's are lasting for a few days now. Hopefully that will turn into a few weeks and they will last until the next restock. I'm getting tired of the sell-out thing.

[Volcanon]

Yodabashi Camera in Akihabara has more than one thousand in stock. Get them while they are hot.

[zektor]

After selling mine a little under a year ago, and seeing all of the neat stuff released and regretting it, I made another purchase today. I live in Northern NJ, and have only seen the Wii on shelves once at Sears, once at TRU, and once I believe at Walmart. Of course they were gone by the next time I came back to these stores with the money...heh. I went in to my very local Target yesterday before they closed and noticed three units in the case. Came back today after work at 5PM and saw two. Purchased one of course.

I went to some other locations with my wife (Walmart, another Target) just for the heck of it. None to be found in any of these. Also went to Best Buy and Circuit City...none there either. Not too sure about the demand letting up honestly. This particular Target had them stocked in the case sideways (so you could not really tell they were there) although I am sure someone that is looking would have noticed. Either way, still a pretty hot comodity in this neck of the woods, but in the very slightest somewhat easier to get I guess.

[Poofta!]

Those charts don't necessarily mean Wii's are getting easier to find. They just show that Wii prices on Amazon & Half spike up during the holiday season.

I'd bet if that chart went back to April-May '07 (which was the only time I've seen a Wii on a store shelf), it also show Wii prices below $300 there too.

actually prices were higher around when it came out.

[The 1 2 P]

In Maryland they are still hard to find. However, during the last two weeks I have seen more here than the entire year and a half it's been out. Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy have all had Wii's stocked lately.

[norkusa]

I haven't seen any since the Mario Kart release. Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Meijer's....all sold out now.

[Battlehork]

Amazon.com had new un-bundled units in stock last week. Of course, they don't anymore :v

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I saw about 30 of them on the sales floor of the Best Buy on Rt. 46 (Wayne?) NJ on Sunday around 5PM.

[Rob2600]

We know Nintendo built up inventory to release with Mario Kart, but perhaps they missed the mark a bit. ... Basically Mario Kart isn't a huge system seller this far into the system's lifetime, resulting in a relative excess of systems in stores. ... I think Nintendo overestimated the demand

Perhaps Nintendo was "building up inventory" for Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit, a definite system seller.

[zektor]

Went to Walmart in Boonton, NJ and saw eight I believe there. So, perhaps I am wrong. They are getting easier to find. This is a good thing!

[Lothars]

Perhaps Nintendo was "building up inventory" for Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit, a definite system seller.

See I wouldn't call Wii Fit a definite system seller, heck I wouldn't call Wii Fit a definite anything

but I've been seeing more and more Wii's again so hopefully this is the time that it's not hard to find them again.