Want a Wii for the holidays? No promises, Nintendo says

Wed Jul 23, 2008 11:44AM EDT

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After nearly two years on the market, you'd think it'd be getting easier to score a Nintendo Wii. But the red-hot console is still tough to find, and Nintendo execs say they can't promise a healthy supply for the coming holiday season.

Nintendo's CEO says that demand for the Wii in the U.S. is "unusually high" compared to Europe and Asia, according to Forbes.com. And while Nintendo is on track to crank out 2.4 million Wii consoles this year, that may not be enough to satisfy stateside gamers, Forbes reports.

Here's the quote from Nintento CEO Satoru Iwata: "We are really intending to increase the shipments to the U.S., especially compared to last year ... However, I can't give you a 100% commitment [that you'll be able to find a Wii this holiday season]." Ugh.

Based on the latest numbers, Iwata's probably right to hedge his bets. Nintendo sold a whopping 666,700 Wiis in the U.S. last month, and the console just passed the Xbox 360 in terms of total sales.

Meanwhile, this online Wii stock tracker doesn't paint a pretty picture. On Wednesday morning, the Wii was sold out at Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, eToys, Kmart, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart, while Buy.com and Newegg had only Wii bundles in stock.

Show of hands: Who's still in the hunt for a Wii?

Related:
A Wii Bit Short On Supplies [Forbes.com]

 

Comments on Want a Wii for the holidays? No promises, Nintendo says

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  • 46 Posted by eddyvzqz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    i got mine at the mall. I was an early bird A REALLY EARLY BIRD lol. Thats how i got it. My cousin got his at walmart. Which surprised me. Good luck for the ones still looking.

  • 48 Posted by trujillofreak on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I finally got mine July 1st after about a week of waiting after I got my stimulus check. I called every store that was selling them and kept getting told they were sold out - I finally lucked out with Wal-Mart.

  • 49 Posted by mab362000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    hey, if anybody reading this article wants a wii, im selling one at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110271758127 im also selling some ds games. and super smash bros brawl

  • 50 Posted by simba16160 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    I got my Wii a few weeks ago. I went to Walmart at 9:30 in the morning and was told they were out. I asked when they were going to be in? The gal went to check it just happened the UPS truck was there. I was told they had some on the truck I would have to wait for them to get checked in. Two hours later the Gal brought out a box and they had only gotten three. I got mine the other two went within 10 minutes. Good luck eveyone who is trying to get them.

  • 51 Posted by eewittme on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've got one. It really doesn't get much play time unless friends come over and we bust out Wii Sports. I'm on the 360 a lot more b/c it's got a persistent online presence and I can voice chat with my far-flung friends, even when we're not playing the same game. I really wish there were similar online voice capabilities on the Wii. I'd probably flip it on a lot more. The Wii is great as a social gaming device. If my wife played video games or we had kids, I'm sure it'd get a lot more use. But for solo gaming, I'd go with the 360 or PS3.

  • 52 Posted by xxwarkoala on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    I don't see why the nintendo wii is so hard to get. It never seemed to catch my attention. Maybe if it was getting Gears of War 2 then I would have been interested but its not. So I'll just be a 360 guy instead =].

  • 54 Posted by metallicviolin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    I actually got one recently but I moved out of my house and my mom refused to let me have it.....but I must say the wii is awesome...and I hopefully I plan to get another one.

  • 55 Posted by flare_princess_tsunami on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    My suggestion: Get a list of all the nearest game and electronic stores, and then some. Then, do the fun, fun work of calling them. Every day. Until they hate your guts. Then keep going anyway. That's what I did, minus the hatred (although I decided to not call a particular store again since the person I got came off rather snotty), and I got it in a week (got lucky on Saturday, with three stores with at least one in stock). This was the week following SSBB's release in the US, too.

  • 56 Posted by conlou40 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can see why the Wii is so hard to find, it is fun to bowl with out paying for shoes that smedll like sardeens and it is cheep in price compared to the 360, and PS3.

  • 58 Posted by jnwl905 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    At my job we get points based on our work performance. It took 6 moneths but I finally earned enough points to order a WII. At first I was going to wait and open it for Christmas but I was to excited. Now I am on the search for a WII fit. Wish me luck.

  • 59 Posted by walworth69 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'd love to have one, haven't been able to find one anywhere, and I refuse to pay any more than the retail price.

  • 60 Posted by deb_romero on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    I live overseas and can't get a hold of one. UGH!

  • 61 Posted by mitch1205 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have found three Wii's in our local Target in the last two weeks here in Colorado. I couldn't believe it. I think people are tired of searching and purchasing other game systems.

  • 62 Posted by kimmikbrat on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've had mine about 6 months now and found it at Best Buy. After a exhaustive 2 month search of all stores i finally just started asking store employees when they were coming in. I was given the date and how many were going to be available. I showed up 30 min before opening ans walked out with a WII. My husband was against having to go through all of this and was a sceptic, but played that game all day after i came home.

  • 63 Posted by flgirl60 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    We got our wii a while back but it took us forever to find one at the stores because they were selling as fast as they got them in the store. We did manage to get a wii Fit with board 2 days ago belive it or not someone had gotten it and decided they never played there Wii much anymore, so they sold it back to GameSpot. We love our wii :)

  • 64 Posted by sarahk_cow on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Lucky me I got mine in November of last year when if you had one, EVERYONE wanted to come over to your house. ;D

  • 65 Posted by inferno_falcon on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Try comming to Salinas, California to get one. Go to Wal-Mart... there's a Wii... Go to Gamestop... there's a Wii. heck I'm seeing so much of them recently I half-expect to pull one out of my Burger King bag as a prize. Seriously though, shelves are almost always stocked with a decent amount.

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