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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  • 66 Posted by lexee1202 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    i got mine when i first got out i was thinking of selling it but im not sure the wii is pretty cool the should continue making it its actually good exercise even now when the wii fit came out

  • 67 Posted by crawfishpunk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Wal-Mart in Farmington, ME has 40 some odd. I work there, we never sell out anymore. lol

  • 68 Posted by cob027 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    "And while Nintendo is on track to crank out 2.4 million Wii consoles this year..." Word on the street is that Nintendo has already upped its Wii production to 2.4 million per MONTH, not per year (source: http://technorati.com/posts/Lf8YXqSlLmehfFExnqGQiccVSPwYXIXGoL8uptYB7J4%3D ). Nintendo has a fiscal 2009 (April 2008 - March 2009) goal of 25 million units sold (source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6189785.html ), which should put it at 50 million units worldwide. Nintendo is a famously conservative company, so I would imagine that number to be right on or a touch low... I see Wiis "in the wild" quite often; anyone still looking for a Wii should hit Target Sunday morning right at opening time.

  • 69 Posted by dirtdevilkevin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    Some day you will get board of you wii and want more toys. I amm not saying its going to happen now but just wait.

  • 71 Posted by crewdogg15 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I borrowed the Wii the other day from a friend. I'm not too impressed. Baseball was ok but so stripped down. The characters remind me of play-doh people. I just don't see the big deal. Crappy grahics and an empty console with a remote.

  • 72 Posted by all4fields on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    Try going first thing in the morning to Target or Toys R Us-they don't tend to hype them as much as stores like Best Buy or Circuit City. I got two last year at Target 2 weeks before Christmas while there were lines wrapped around the building next door with people waiting for Best Buy to open!!

  • 73 Posted by msshonn2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    i just got a wii from game stop in santa monica ca i had to call over 4 stores and they told me the same thing we are out we dont know when we will get some in stock. so i called 3 different game stops and i called the one in santa monica and they had like 4 left. you should try them...good luck

  • 74 Posted by wheelycutetweety on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:44PM EDT Report Abuse

    You guys are paying too much for the Wii...My parents found it at a pawn shop for half the price or less plus 2 games and it was all under 50 bucks!

  • 75 Posted by aramnes on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    try looking at Sams club online. Found one last month but had to purchase a bundle. Had two controllers and 2 nunchucks, plus the battery recharge dock and a game. $460.00 including shipping, but it was worth it. Bestbuy has them online sometimes too. Good luck

  • 76 Posted by moeed121 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    I got the wii the first day it came out and I can't believe after all this time they're still out of stock.

  • 77 Posted by kevdolina on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    The WII is a very popular console and its bad that alot of places have WIIs sold out. I think they Nintendo Company need to increase their building activity or Xbox/PS3 might pass nintendo right by.

  • 78 Posted by mdiavaro99ro on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    WII is great... I used to get bored of other games sooo fast. But with WII I can have fun and exercise at the same time: cool. I don't care about the graphics, but maybe they can come with gloves (maybe even feet sensors) and glasses too for more realistic moves. I hear there's already gloves that can make you feel like you're touching objects :-) Keep going NINTENDO. Let the couch potatoes buy Xbox!

  • 79 Posted by trickpat_lafauci on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Phew!!! Thank god I already have a wii. If i didn't i would be toast.

  • 81 Posted by frenchfryfreak on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    i bought mine on Ebay last year. The price wasn't so bad.

  • 82 Posted by mathewwatson12 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    Try Zavvi! I got My Wii from there! They usally have some instock If not try HMV and other shops like them!

  • 83 Posted by ceuj4 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    who cares? Wii is a hyped machine. Don't fall for a marketing scheme by Nintendo Co. If there are flood of Wii console, the demand will be very like slow. I don't play Wii anymore. On the other hand PS3 is on the rise now. Being hip is a short term. That's what Wii is for.

  • 84 Posted by ajewel_3469 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    The trick is to go to a small community where the average household income is small, and they have a wal-mart and that's about it. Every time I go to my wal-mart, there's at least 1-3 wii's in stock.

  • 85 Posted by cartier.chase on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    Well, lucky me, I guess. I checked on Amazon.com one random Friday morning to find out that they had just then recieved a shipment, so I hightailed it to the check out page and bought it! But, of course, the second day I had the Wii, the circuit board had completely wiped-out and had to send it back to Nintendo and didn't get it back for 2 weeks....(ugh) But it's still working fine now, except the EJECT button is jammed, but still operational!!! (For now!)

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