Gamestop: Good luck getting a Wii this Christmas

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Nov 21st 2008 at 10:15AM }

With Nintendo's supply of Wiis having remaining spectacularly insufficient for over two years now, we've considerably streamlined our process of blogging about the supremely successful system's shortages. Oh yes, it's all done by the computer now. We just plug in the names, the quote and some other snippets of relevant information.

[NAME: Carlson, David], who is the [Position: CFO] of [Company: Gamestop] has predicted another Christmas marked by shelf scouring and anguished cries, noting that Nintendo's sought-after sellout and [ADDITION: its Balance Board peripheral] would likely be out of stock by then. [QUOTE:"Wii Fit is in very, very short supply. It sells through as quickly as it hits the stores,"] he said. [And although the Wii hardware is in very good supply right now we believe it may as well be out of stock by the holiday season."]

Don't worry, all good things come to those who wait. And if you wait long enough, there might be something other than [EASY TARGET: Wii Music] to entertain you on your new toy.

Tags: Christmas, Gamestop, Shortages, Wii, Wii-supply

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

ouphie @ Nov 21st 2008 10:30AM

I don't know about everyone else, but as of yesterday Best Buy here had 48 of them on the floor (I counted), Fred Meyers had 23, Walmart had around 25, and Target had 12. So should I stock up and go eBay crazy this year?

jorojoserojas @ Nov 21st 2008 10:36AM

Absolutely.

Duke @ Nov 21st 2008 10:36AM

I don't know where you are, you may want to tell people so they can find those Wii's.

Also, In Chicago at the Best Buy on Clark, they have a huge pile of Wii's on the floor.

thediminished5th @ Nov 21st 2008 10:42AM

I have been in Best Buy about 3 times in the past month. Each time there has been a pile of Wiis (at least 10) near the front door.

BananaBoat @ Nov 21st 2008 10:47AM

I've also never seen a shortage of wii's at any store in town. There is always just as big a stack of them as there is for the 360 and PS3. Wii Fit is usually sold out or very close to it though.

If there is another Wii madness this year, I might sell my Wii and Wii Fit and re-buy them later. Wii Fit was fun for about a day (I didn't buy it myself, it was bought for me) and I have no use for the Wii untill the next Zelda/Mario so it's win/win. I probably won't do it unless the price gets super inflated though.

victor @ Nov 21st 2008 11:15AM

same here in San Francisco (of all places). At Best Buy this past weekend there was a pile of at least 75 Wii's and about 50 WiiFits.

Comet @ Nov 21st 2008 11:45AM

I have never ever seen a physical copy of Wii Fit. Ever.

343 Guilty Fart @ Nov 21st 2008 12:38PM

I've never seen a Wii on a store shelf, ever.

baby sea tuna @ Nov 21st 2008 12:46PM

I just saw about 30 of them when I was at Best Buy picking up Left 4 Dead.

Yourself @ Nov 21st 2008 1:11PM

I hardly go into an electronics store without seeing one. Usually only 3-5 on the shelves, but they're definitely around. That's Baltimore if you guys are looking, but I don't really think the Joystiq audience is the kind that would want a console and still manage not to have it after 2 years.

bo @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:27AM

All the stores in my area have alot in stock. if you want a wii go get now!

joeythehobo @ Nov 21st 2008 2:27PM

I have also never seen a Wii Fit, ever. I have seen 1 Wii, and I bought it.

XGM @ Nov 21st 2008 3:55PM

Up here in Canada we have had Wii's on the shelves ever since last year, and those Wii fit's arn't moving off the shelves very fast.

Huan @ Nov 21st 2008 10:31AM

Most Costco's have Wii's on hand right now. Usually they sell like hotcakes and are out in a day, but recently their supplies have been holding up really well. Most people tend to forget Costco sells games at all.

stoik @ Nov 21st 2008 1:36PM

My Costco had a skid of them up front, only a few missing. Ah, I remember the days when Costco sold N64's and games in clamshells.

Erluti @ Nov 21st 2008 10:35AM

I like how the format assumes it will be a "he" speaking.

Shmil @ Nov 21st 2008 11:14AM

...grammatically that is correct, when in doubt you use he rather than she.

Erluti @ Nov 21st 2008 11:21AM

This is a computer derived form letter. Where if I was talking about an unknown person, "he" would be okay grammatically, if I was inserting a name of a specific person, I should adjust the pronouns to match. But since a woman couldn't hold a relevant position in a company, it doesn't matter!

Well, that's the joke I was shooting for, but I guess it was lost on some.

Obie @ Nov 21st 2008 10:39AM

Ya know, I have not a single game on my Wii wish list this year. When the next update hits that will let me play games off the SD card I will download "World Of Goo", but that's it.

Next year looks a bit more promising tho.

ganrob @ Nov 21st 2008 10:41AM

Wow, that Anti-Eidos post went down quick!

samfish @ Nov 21st 2008 10:45AM

huh?

Abdul @ Nov 21st 2008 10:46AM

Justin, I saw your post about the Eidos blocking low Tomb Raider reviews thing a few minutes ago. And then the story was pulled a few minutes later.

I really hope that you pulled the story because you felt it was inaccurate rather than pulling it because you got a call from Eidos.

samfish @ Nov 21st 2008 10:48AM

Haha- wow. You'd think Edios would have learned from the friggin' Kane and Lynch fiasco, but it sounds like they didn't.

LordChimp @ Nov 21st 2008 10:45AM

This is getting ridiculous that they are still hard to find. I have lately seen a lot more of them but usually stores are out of stock on them. Seems the Wii craze is over though.

samfish @ Nov 21st 2008 10:46AM

I saw Wii's for the first time ever in a store about a week and a half or so ago. There were a bunch of them behind a case in Wal-Mart.
I noticed Amazon had them for several hours the other day, too.

I guess if you're planning to eBay them for Christmas, get 'em now while the gettin's good.

outlawmoogle @ Nov 21st 2008 10:48AM

Gamestop: "The Wii will be very hard to find this Christmas...so how about coming down to your local Gamestop right now and purchase one while you can!"

gameplayFanBoy @ Nov 21st 2008 10:50AM

I'll probably sell mine to some kid who really wants one this Christmas. Its becoming more and more of an effort to find a reason to even turn my Wii on anymore. Once the excitement of getting something in high demand fades...you are left with a dearth (IMO) of quality games.

T @ Nov 21st 2008 11:09AM

That's what you get for buying something because everybody else wants it instead of because you want it.

I'm enjoying my Wii.

Dirty @ Nov 21st 2008 12:02PM

Thats what I did.

T, I wanted it for its potential its not our fault that what we expected is not what nintendo delivered.

Emonk @ Nov 21st 2008 10:59AM

I have a hard time believing the Wii will be in short supply. Maybe if the article said Wii Fit...

mafafu @ Nov 21st 2008 11:01AM

my local GS had over 4 dozen in this past week

dsub @ Nov 21st 2008 11:03AM

I work for gamestop, and this guy is just saying that because half of the damn gamestops in the US are currently sitting on at least 30 of the damn things in their stockroom and have been for almost 2 months. I'd take photos if it didn't cost me my job, but after I unpacked all the systems we got in yesterday in addition to the ones we had, the pile was taller than me, and I'm 6'3".

I'm calling BS here. The Wii demand is still high, but not high enough to exhaust the ridiculous amount of stock we have. We even have giant signs in the door that say "Wii In Stock" and answer the phones by saying "Thank you for calling Gamestop, where we currently have Wii's in stock" and we still can't move more than 3 or 4 on a Weekday and maybe 6 or 7 on a Saturday or Sunday.

primetime4 @ Nov 21st 2008 11:08AM

How many Wiis do you have in your bathroom?

Ranus Studios @ Nov 21st 2008 11:03AM

Science is a mystery to me.

HighFiveJesus @ Nov 21st 2008 11:06AM

like if i could walk with the ancient dinosaur.. boy i wish i had some of their stuff boy..

YouStayClassy @ Nov 21st 2008 11:06AM

OH NOEZ! Now how am I gonna play Minigame Compilation #4,926 this Christmas?!?

Nah, just kidding. I already have a Wii and am currently counting the days til No More Heroes 2, the sequel to one of the few Wii games worth a damn.

Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2008 11:09AM

Not to help undermine the Wii, but you do know that No More Heroes 2 is tentatively targeted for January 2010, right?

Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2008 11:08AM

Didn't they say that the supply should readily last through the start of December, though?

YouStayClassy @ Nov 21st 2008 11:11AM

*jaw drops*

N-no.... I did not know that. Oh wow. Day ruined. :(

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Nov 21st 2008 11:12AM

Im done with it. I felt burned by the experience of trying to find one the past two years. Screw it. This is new and exciting.

baby sea tuna @ Nov 21st 2008 12:40PM

Do you really want one? I have an extra.

Shmil @ Nov 21st 2008 11:17AM

Man I remember camping out for my Wii back in 06, and I haven't touched it since Brawl came out. Anyone out there want a good condition wii from 06 with 1 wiimote, nunchuck, 1 wavebird, 1 wired gamecube controller, and a copy of smash brawl and wii sports?

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 21st 2008 11:28AM

Sadly my wife wants to buy the Wii back from my mother-in-law.

To get.... Wait for it!

........

Wii fucking Fit!!! THE HORRORRRRRR!!!!1!!ONE!!!1!

Dirty @ Nov 21st 2008 12:07PM

Ahahahha your woman wants her woman console back... lolz.

Better get her a wii yoga mat and properly licensed water bottle too.

dabamf @ Nov 21st 2008 12:18PM

LoL...that's what my brother is getting for X-mas too, Wii Fit. But I've heard that the Shaun White snowboarding game is actually pretty fun on the board.

EMaster @ Nov 21st 2008 11:55AM

If this is true, those who felt betrayed during the last E3 keynote by Reggie "Moneybagz-I-Don't-Give-A-flying-fuck-about-core-gamers" Fils-Aime can EASILY sell their systems at a premium to desperate soccer moms on their local buy Sell Trade forums. Give those Wii's where they belong.