Gamestop/EB sells Wii for low price of $549.92
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Apr 11th 2007 at 1:00AM }
Gamestop's Chief Operating Officer Dan DeMatteo is so mad about the Wii shortage that he's gonna show Nintendo ... he's gonna show them by charging customers who want a Wii $549.92 for a bundle. Gamestop and EB games will send you a Wii for that price starting April 23. For all the contents in the bundle, it's not really a bad deal -- you know, if you ignore the whole legal issue. Oh, there will also be an additional $9.99 shipping charge due to the "unusual size and weight" of the bundle.If you aren't part of the masses who have become disenchanted with the Wii since launch and are tired of waiting for the Sunday flyer to tell you when the console is available, then here's the chance to finally get your hands on the elusive Wii. Seriously, we don't know what's worse, the fact that a system with (relatively speaking) antiquated technology is so difficult to manufacture and is in short supply, or that you have to purchase an extra $100 in games you'll only play a couple times? The decision on which two games those are we leave up to you.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bluebreaker @ Apr 11th 2007 1:07AM
"Boy for sale! Boy for Sale!"
"Hey man, is this legal?"
And yes the shortage is ridiculous, but I think it has more to do with a vast majority of budget conscious buyers wanting a new system than anything else.
fawazr @ Apr 11th 2007 1:12AM
+5 Stars for the disenchantment and antiquated inadequacy jabs. It would be a far more entertaining slugfest if Nintendo fought back with something other than sales numbers.
dsub @ Apr 11th 2007 1:20AM
or you could just get on in an EB/GS store and buy the system only. I love how these bundles are always associated with EB/GS as a whole, when they are always online-only. Alot of people don't know this, but the EB/GS websites operate completely separately from the retail stores. People assume all the time that if the bundle is on the site, then it must be in the stores also, but this has never been the case.
Anyways, most EB/GS stores have started getting multiple Wii shipments per week, so they are becoming easier to find. It's tough to say what caused this sudden influx of Wii's to EB/GS stores. Prior to gamestop's accusation that Nintendo was purposely sending out small shipments of Wii's, we hadn't gotten a shipment of Wii's to the EB that I work at in over a month. In the two weeks following that accusation, we have received three shipments per week. Sounds fishy if you ask me.
ThatFuzzyBastard @ Apr 11th 2007 1:32AM
Look, I know this has been said before, and will be said again, but... As every month's sales numbers make clear, Nintendo is putting a hell of a lot of consoles in stores. They're just all being bought really really fast, because people really really want them. Would it be nice if Nintendo made *even more*? Sure. But it's not like they're slacking at getting them out the door---the number of consoles they're making would be a perfectly good number for any console at any point in its life. It's just that the Wii has been phenomenally popular, so they can't make enough consoles to meet the much, much higher than usual demand.
Cuja @ Apr 11th 2007 1:37AM
It's sad to see people throw their money at a system with less bang for bucks than the 360 or PS2, or even be manipulated by Nintendo using big oil company's marketing lies of high demand/shortages. Or their game library consisting mainly of ported or reissues from older systems.
Vegan @ Apr 11th 2007 1:37AM
If you don't mind paying full retail price (I do mind), that's actually the best lineup of games that I've ever seen in a bundle. It's usually absolute crap.
J @ Apr 11th 2007 1:40AM
They said 6 million units by march 31. they shipped a slightly higher number than they promised. Why r people still crying like nintendo is the enemy.
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 11th 2007 1:42AM
@#3 fawazr
But the sales numbers do show they're successfully out-slugging EVERYONE! Let's take that baseball analogy of slugging. In baseball there's the batting average which is how many times a batter gets a hit per at bat. Slugging average is how many bases are traveled from the initial hit per at bat. Batting average for some of the better players are .300 and slugging can reach high like 1.000 That means even if it seems the Wii is in shortage to get at bat, its average hit per at bat and its slugging per hit are so big the sales are huge.
Take it this way. X-Box 360 and PS3 lined themselves with top notch component players like blu-ray and x-box live and went for super beefy bleeding edge specs. Possible steroid abuse plagues them and causes uncertainty in their build. Some of the parts were haphazardly brought onto the same team without consideration of teamwork or interpersonal chemistry. Even if you got the best players, you don't have the World Series Champs team do you?
Wii looked at its past incarnation and towards its speeding little minor league brother DS. DS Lite had managed to beat PSP and amazingly the once thought invincible PS2 in Japan. Even if the sheer muscle wasn't there each player would cover each other and give each game their very best. That not only the hardcore fans cheer them but regular people from every walk cheers and support them can't be overlooked either.
arrrgh @ Apr 11th 2007 1:44AM
the only ppl still crying are the other console fanboys (Cuja)
funny how that works eh? Everyone that likes the Wii is havin a blast
Patrick @ Apr 11th 2007 1:59AM
@10, i don't think DS and Wii success are directly comparable. In th portable market, there two players, gba is dead, now the DS is more adapted to a portable experience and is easier to develop for. Where as in the console space, there are three major platforms, 360 and PS3 being much more comparable in terms of specs. so logic should say, that as long as 360 and PS3 sales are more combined then WII sales, then more games should come to those two platforms. My point being...... ITS ANYONE'S GAME!
jrieth50 @ Apr 11th 2007 2:08AM
@12 - GBA is dead? Ummm. ok. the SP sold outstanding all last year and continues to sell pretty well considering the hype surrounding the DS.
More to the point, what do you people want from Nintendo? Are they supposed to manufacture 100 million consoles at launch? Just consider what would happen is Sony made PS3's at the same rate that Nintendo makes Wii's - you wouldn't be able to walk into an EB/GS because it would be full of PS3.
As for shitty ports... name a system that doesn't have them. That entire PS2 library lookin pretty sweet? I'm sure you are routinely popping in your large collection of PS2 launch titles that have stood the test of time. Oh, no? Don't play Oni and Madden '02 anymore?
Get a life people, stop raging against Nintendo. There are plenty of FIRST AND THIRD PARTY titles to pick up that are well worth your $49.99.
Lastly, antiquated technology? Just because it isn't CUTTING EDGE doesn't mean its antiquated. Check the power consumption specs again and the size of the unit. Think its easy making chips that can fit in a box that small, use an extremely low amount of power, and never overheat? Ask Microsoft.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 11th 2007 2:09AM
They're bundling effing COOKING MAMA in? The game that offers the least bang for the buck out of all the Wii offerings? (Wii Play, included)
That's some COLD SHIT, Gamestop.
dark @ Apr 11th 2007 2:19AM
♫ That's why...........I say..............@*%& it! ♫
i79 @ Apr 11th 2007 3:49PM
Still to see a Wii in the wild here in the UK. Oh, and high street retailers (Blockbuster video to be specific) have knocked £25 (about $45) off the price of new PS3. I hope Sony lets us start the next generation soon....
Darkness @ Apr 11th 2007 2:27AM
It's pretty obvious Joystiq is trying to rouse up the natives. I know a manager at Gamestop who holds Wii shipments on purpose. Why? I don't know. From what I know of other Gamestops in town, they do the same. My question is, why hold the consoles hostage?
Also, this bundle is obviously meant to cash in on the demand. Gamestop/EB knows people will pay that price for a Wii. What's funny is that the demand for the thing is still high after all this time. Is that a bad thing? I don't see how it is. I don't see how not having systems on the shelf helps Nintendo at all. Seems to me that Joystiq just wants people to read and complain about something. Maybe they haven't hit their daily quota.
Sidepocket @ Apr 11th 2007 12:10PM
@ Cuja
I do not have nor want to won in the next 5-10 years an HD TV, Live is borring, and I am sick of brow post apocholiptic FPS, generic racers and melodramatic JRPGs.
So why the fuck should I buy a 360/PS3. Not to mention I have demoed 10 games for the Wii and I want all of them, with more that I want comming this year.
I owned a X-Box last gen mind you, so do not pull any "fanboy" bullshit k?
donnie @ Apr 11th 2007 3:01AM
Wii and DS Lite sell so damn much because they are cheap. A DS Lite barely dents the wallet and it is such a nice shiny present for my little brother/sister too!
"Get a life people, stop raging against Nintendo. There are plenty of FIRST AND THIRD PARTY titles to pick up that are well worth your $49.99."
COOKING MAMA is not one of them...seriously, who would buy this bundle?
Avinash_Tyagi @ Apr 11th 2007 3:11AM
Its funny hearing all the Wii hate, proves just how dominant its becoming (if it wasn't a threat people would ignore it and just play their PS3's and 360's, instead they come in and bash it on every thread).
Kudos Nintendo, Kudos
NintendoFanbot @ Apr 11th 2007 3:10AM
"Seriously, we don't know what's worse, the fact that a system with (relatively speaking) antiquated technology is so difficult to manufacture and is in short supply, or that you have to purchase an extra $100 in games you'll only play a couple times?"
The other consoles can only wish they could "manufacture" as many buyers at the rate Wii is going at.
But that bundle really doesn't sound that bad. One of the best ones I've seen so far. Too bad I don't rely on online retail and already have a Wii. :P
mo @ Apr 11th 2007 3:38AM
okay its still up to opinions and this just happens to be mine, i want to make that clear before i say anything
but
XBOX 360 and PS3 are useless!!!!!
my computer is more powerful than both, there is a larger library of games and a steady stream of new ones and multiplayer online is always full, and free since i have internet anyways
not to mention all the bootleg games i can get,
and all the mods,
and all the indie developments,
and direct to drive instead of driving to the store,
demo versions of games before i buy,
its saved to my computer so i dont need to change out discs,
if i want to borrow a game from a friend SWEET i can put it on my comp and have it indefinitely
i dont have to go out to my TV fiddle with all the TV controls, find the right controller, turn it on and pray the batterys work
the mouse is MUCH MUCH MUCH more accurate and easier to use then a joystick
ETC.
consloes are MEANT FOR MULTIPLAYER, as in YOUR FRIENDS, NEXT TO YOU. Not online, thats what PC's are for
xbox and ps3 have forgotten that and have pretty much made there systems into limited computers
xbox and ps3 are nothing but dumbed down computers, and there slowly becoming as expensive as a real on anyway
party games are the only reason i would break away from my VERY MUCH SUPERIOR PC gaming experience and go play a console, and thankfully, the Wii has remembered what gaming is all about and added fun features, has a list of fun multiplayer games, and the motion-controls just make it that much more fun
if you want graphics so bad GET A BETTER PC
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 3:47AM
If the GBA's so dead, why does it outsell the PS3 buttsniffers? OOH that's gotta hurt.
Wii @ Apr 11th 2007 3:53AM
Games for Mac FTW!
Anonymous @ Apr 11th 2007 3:59AM
The Wii is lame, might aswell sit and wait for 5 years untill they come out with a real next-gen system. Untill then, you only need a gamecube for Twilight Princess, and you can rent a Wii whenever the next Zelda game comes out (Really, what else has Nintendo got to offer). Disenchanted is the mildest word possible for what I felt when the specs list was released and it became painfully obvious that Hi-Def was out of the question. On the other hand, Microsoft and Sony are turning their machines (via their online services) into Hi-Def wonder machines, and the glorious part is that for the most part, you don't even have to pay for the HD content (tons of free Demo's on the 360, tons of HD game trailers, Video Documentaries from Bungie, you name it). Nintendo has been outclassed AGAIN for the second generation in a row. Sales numbers mean jack to me, give me good games (the Wii has some of the worst games....gah).
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 4:09AM
@Anonymous, I hope you have a blast with your demos, trailers, and documentaries. I prefer games myself, but that's just me.
In other news, here are the definitions of antiquated:
antiquated
1.continued from, resembling, or adhering to the past; old-fashioned: antiquated attitudes.
2.no longer used; obsolete or obsolescent: The spinning wheel is an antiquated machine.
3.aged; old:
The Wii's motion sensing isn't old-fashioned; it's the new hotness which sells the thing. It's not obsolete if it outsells everything but the DS month after month. It's definitely not old.
bm @ Apr 11th 2007 4:24AM
"i dont have to go out to my TV fiddle with all the TV controls, find the right controller, turn it on and pray the batterys work"
ROFLMAO!!!!
Using the "it's fiddly and annoying" argument against consoles in favour of the PC? LOL! Oh that's absolutely brilliant. You don't see that every day, very original.
orange.micro @ Apr 11th 2007 5:17AM
ive had a wii since launch and i havent touched it in 3 months. WHERE R THRE GAMESA!! im sick of playing wii sports and zelda. paper mario looks like crap. too much damn reading. my wii prolly wont get turned on till metroid 3 comes out. damn u ninty@!
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 5:30AM
Hey orange.micro, maybe your problem is that you only have 2 games. The Wii has 48 games out, not to mention 75 Virtual Console games and 500 GameCube games.
Did you really only buy a Wii for Zelda and Metroid? You'll probably only get one more of each over the next 5 years.
orange.micro @ Apr 11th 2007 5:42AM
48 games 46 of which suck. what am i supposed to play sonic? ha! minigame compilations? ha! i want REAL GAMES not crappy novelty minigame crap. gc/nes/snes/n64 had some great games but i bought a wii for NEW games not overpriced downloaded crap i can download for free and play on my pc.
Dane @ Apr 11th 2007 5:49AM
god, i hope you see that this is stupid.
AbleJames @ Apr 11th 2007 6:07AM
You know, Joystiq--I'm not a fanboy, but you o seem to have a journalism bias problem here. It isn't just that you keep putting out articles that criticize the Wii for some pretty stale reasons--technology, for instance. It's that you don't seem to reference really anyone except your own critical articles repeatedly to make your point. (Logic 101: Cooking Mama on the DS was a novelty too, but there are plenty of non-novelty DS games that use the touch screen effectively. The same is true for the Wii. Now that we've cleared that up, you can stop linking to that article every chance you get.)
I'm saying this method is just poor journalism, regardless of really any problem with what you're saying.
If you want to say the Wii sucks, you need to do better than vaguely alluding to the Wii sucking by pretext of referencing Gamestop's odious bundling practices.
You superficially seem to point to a larger backlash, but really just keep referencing previous Joystiq opinion pieces. These pieces are usually by the same group of editors who, for back of a better explanation, really seem to be going out of their way to show how different they can be by hating the Wii.
So in sum: The Wii controls aren't the second coming of Jesus W. Christ, we all know that. That said, I'm having a hell of a lot more fun with it than on the 'standard' consoles. They have their place, and the Wii has its place. What doesn't have a place is this weird Joystiq vendetta--I mean, great, your editors are so free-thinking enough to break the masses' stupor and say the emperor is naked. We get it already. Move on.
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 6:35AM
orange.micro, You really think 46 of the 48 Wii games suck? That's cool. You can totally think like that. Have fun waiting for Metroid. Whatever you do DON'T rent any fun games. You are doomed to only play 1 fun game per year. These are the standards you chose to have. Godspeed.
AbleJames, you have the right idea. I particularly enjoyed this blog's "If you aren't part of the masses who have become disenchanted with the Wii since launch" line. They just implied that the masses have become disenchanted with the Wii. I'm not sure why, as it had nothing to do with the GameStop/EB Wii bundle. And it's kinda not true at all.
Anonymous @ Apr 11th 2007 6:46AM
Want to know where Nintendo stole the motion sensing controls from? Arcades. And do you know what happened to the American arcade? 99% dead and gone. If that isn't clear enough of a message of how people view "motion controls" then I don't know what is. Despite the Nintendo fanboys earlier in this thread, regular people like me realize that Nintendo is 90% first party properties like Zelda and Mario and 10% 3rd party titles. The Wii is NOT the holy grail, it's not even the best this generation (Xbox 360 is absolutely killing in terms of games available, when compared with games available for Wii and 360 in the same timeframe from launch)
I'm tired, this argument will never end, and there will always be insane Ninty, Sony, and Xbox fanboys. There is no room for neutral parties like me, that just want good games.
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 6:55AM
@Anonymous,
You can't call yourself neutral after hating on Nintendo so much in the same post.
Why put motion controls into quotations? You control games with motion. It's a simple definition. What's with all this newfangled "XBox Live" and "video games" and "intertubes?"
What arcade games had motion controllers?
hegemonyhog @ Apr 11th 2007 7:35AM
Reading over the "are bundles illegal" post linked in the main post, I ran across this line:
"When we say $699 for a game console, a PS3 (plus game and tax) is likely the first option that pops into a respondent's mind. That may be true (given varying tax rates) but we're thinking of something completely different -- the GameStop Wii bundle. Most gamers find the bundle amusing, especially since the Wii is going to be available in droves on launch day."
Nintendo's production schedule was seen by *everyone* as aggressive and likely to result in a surplus of consoles. It wasn't until the system proved to be as popular as free sex that we started hearing "manufactured shortages" and rumblings about them having "difficulty" producing the system.
Long story short, Nintendo produced at least half a million more consoles from November to March than they said they would, and they all sold out.
It's funny how we're led to hate GameStop for the bundling, the awful trade-in prices, the aggressive reservation pitches, the resold opened games, etc., yet when the CEO of this sham of an enterprise launches an entirely unsupported broadside against Nintendo, it becomes gospel because it lets you stir up a little bit of controversy with every post.
gusrosado @ Apr 11th 2007 7:54AM
Man Joystiq sure has a lot of overly sensitive readers. Nothing but a bunch of complaining and whining going on these days. Very similar to when my wife gets together with her friends.
@26 Rubang B
Your comment was actually pretty damn funny. Don't you just love it when people are so quick to attack that they don't take the time to make sure what they are reading.
JSL @ Apr 11th 2007 8:12AM
Oh how amusing. Quite a few comments were deleted here that contained nothing offensive whatsoever. I guess someone doesn't like criticism.
Jason @ Apr 11th 2007 8:24AM
The extra $9.99 for shipping on that huge bundle isn't as bad as the extra $30 in shipping on the Halo 3 Legendary edition.
That's straight up price gouging.
Janet @ Apr 11th 2007 8:31AM
If the masses were disenchanted with the Wii, why is it selling out the day shipments are on shelves? Why is it selling better than every next gen system?
The Wii is not a perfect system, but it's sales speak for itself. It's doing more right than the other guys, at least right now.
Jack of No Trades @ Apr 11th 2007 8:30AM
Joystiq is pro-Wii. Thats why alot of Wii criticism gets deleted.
SNDS @ Apr 11th 2007 8:37AM
$549? That looks like price gouging to me. It would make more sense to include enough controllers and nunchuks for 4 players, 2 top selling party games and a 512meg mem card. I doubt anyone will be needing something as large as a 1gb mem card for a system that doesn't have any marginal media capabilities. The Wii is of course a casual gaming machine, EB/Gamestop are trying to sell this thing as if it's one of their XB360 or PS3 bundles which pretty obviously, targets hardcore gamers, not the casual bunch that the Wii attracts.
As for the shortage, everyone can just settle down and feel safe in the fact that it's just a tried-and-true marketing ploy to add more and more reverence for the Wii as a product that *saved casual gaming as we know it.*
Rallion @ Apr 11th 2007 9:21AM
THe worst thing about bundles is that they offer you a bunch of games, but very, very few people are going to want ALL of those games. With this one, I would certainly like Zelda, and maybe Super Monkey Ball. Maybe. But I definitely don't want Cooking Mama or Sonic. So that's $100-150 that I'm just throwing down the drain. And this one is full price, too, no discount at all.
samfish @ Apr 11th 2007 9:36AM
"Joystiq is pro-Wii. Thats why alot of Wii criticism gets deleted."
I guess you didn't read the post, laden with it's cheap shots and jabs?
Seriously, Joystiq – I know you guys think there's this "You can't criticize Nintendo" mentality (which is why you probably do it?), but this post is just pathetic flame bait.
Other people in this thread have articulated why already better than I could, if I wanted, so I'll leave it at that.
POOL'S CLOSED @ Apr 11th 2007 9:38AM
in b4 $549 US DOLLARS
hegemonyhog @ Apr 11th 2007 9:42AM
I'm sorry, but if you don't want to hear debate and discussion about what's being posted, why have a comments forum in the first place?
Anyway - bundles are crappy, but there's a reason they're up there. There's enough demand for a system that someone probably will pay a two-game premium to get the system now rather than wait potentially months to get their hands on a standalone system in a store.
Todd @ Apr 11th 2007 9:46AM
Actually, I think some of the more offensive posts were deleted. I love how the trolls just come in here, write a nasty post, and then never come back to defend their argument. I personally see no reason to spend $2,600 for the PS3. I'd be more willing to buy a 360 for my hardcore gaming needs first, anyways.
t_m @ Apr 11th 2007 10:00AM
joystiq jabs at whatever console they happen to be posting about at the time. Its just their style. Dunno why it upsets so many people.
Though, from a purely factual correctness point of view, the "disenchanted" comment is a bit disengenuous.. implying some mass anti-wii backlash. Apart from on these boards i've not met a single real life ower who is disenchanted.
itguy07 @ Apr 11th 2007 10:08AM
"i dont have to go out to my TV fiddle with all the TV controls, find the right controller, turn it on and pray the batterys work"
Guess I'm spoiled then. One click on the remote to change AV input and 1 click on the Wii power button.
And to easily check the batteries in the remote, press a button on the Wii controler with the machine up. 4 lights = full, 3-2, 1=dead.
Lots of effort there especially when I'm already in the living room.
"the mouse is MUCH MUCH MUCH more accurate and easier to use then a joystick"
Uh, no. I've tried and the mouse sucks. Keyboard + mouse better than a well thought out joystick/controller.
ItGuy @ Apr 11th 2007 10:14AM
"And do you know what happened to the American arcade? 99% dead and gone. If that isn't clear enough of a message of how people view "motion controls" then I don't know what is."
Price. When I was a kid, you paid $0.25 for a game and you got a decent amount of enjoyment. Now it's up over $1.00 ($0.50 is the norm) and then enjoyment factor is not good.
Back in the day, you could go in with $1-5 and have a blast for a couple hours. Now it's $20 and better to just get a console.
Slaziman @ Apr 11th 2007 10:37AM
@Rubang B
Back here in Europe the Wii is a pain. There isn't a Block Buster in every corner, so renting games is a pain in the ass.
We have no Trauma Center.
We have no Super Paper Mario.
We have no Elebits.
If you have a standard of games only above 75% rating, and you don't want shitty minigames, the only games left are Zelda and Excite Truck. Oh and Madden, but barely anyone gives a shit about American football here.
So yeah, you could say I'm disenchanted. Eagerly awaiting Super Paper Mario (I PLAY GAMES IN ENGLISH ONLY! FUCK LOCALIZING!), Metroid Prime 3, SSBB and Super Mario Galaxy, and every worthy title in between.
Todd @ Apr 11th 2007 10:48AM
@Petey
Freedom of Speech is all good, but you're posting on a blog which is owned by someone else. The owner(s) have every right to censor anything you say.