Wii harder to find than PS3?

[Thefremen]

I've wanted to buy a Wii for a while and started looking this week. Today, Gamestop got THREE from fedex...I saw the fedex guy go buy and said "i'll head up there in 5 minutes to give 'em time to check them in to inventory" but by that time people had already bought them. Meanwhile, they had 3 PS3s for the last 2 weeks. O.o

[kurisu7885]

I've wanted to buy a Wii for a while and started looking this week. Today, Gamestop got THREE from fedex...I saw the fedex guy go buy and said "i'll head up there in 5 minutes to give 'em time to check them in to inventory" but by that time people had already bought them. Meanwhile, they had 3 PS3s for the last 2 weeks. O.o

Damn, the PS3 is really turning about and biting Sony in the crotch, since that close to where the wallet is.

[SidewaysDownSidewalks]

Wii is definately harder to find than the PS3. In the weeks leading up to FINALLY getting my Wii every store I called I would ask the following;

Do you Have any Wiis or PS3s in stock?

Out of at least 40 stores called, not a single one had Wiis in stock, while well over half had at least a few PS3s on hand.

Finally getting my Wii at Toys R Us on the weekend (after waiting in line from 4:30am to when the store opened at 9:30) I found it quite funny that there was a line-up of at least 35 people, holding Wiis/Wii games/Wii peripherals standing in front of the PS3 display where 5 PS3s sat and collected dust. I would've taken a picture with my cell phone, except that would've involved putting the Wii down for about 20 seconds... and after 20 seconds unguarded it would've been gone.

I'm not knocking Sony here, but I think they have a lot of issues right now. Penny Arcade has - lately - been discussing these issues at length and they have made some really good points.

While the system itself has a HELL of a lot of potential, there really is no single game that would make people want to run out and buy one. You need at least one FANTASTIC, established title at launch to drive your sales (Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil... something, ANYTHING). When the price tag is THAT high, you need incentive, and thus far there is very little.

[steelcobra]

They didn't really have anything like that for the PS2 at launch beyond SSX either.

[Thefremen]

They didn't really have anything like that for the PS2 at launch beyond SSX either.

Different time, before gaming became mainstream, plus there was real demand for DVD players and everyone knew MGS2 was just around the corner. I bought my PS2 in feburary for MGS2 and had no problem getting one. I think if Wii came out 4 years ago or so, I'd be able to pick one up no problem, but thanks to the fact that even Kelly Ripa likes the Wii, I'm having a hell of a time getting one.

I'll be going to Oahu for data training tomorrow and calling all the stores there (around 20 or so). Hopefully I'll get it then. Otherwise, Wal-mart had them in stock this morning with 7 games for $650...

[Beacon]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/02/10

The battle's only just beginning, and Sony could recover from this. However, this is definitely a bad start. The 360's had a year's time to build up a library and user-base, and Nintendo just can't make Wiis fast enough. Sony's gonna have to work really hard.

[Thefremen]

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/02/10

The battle's only just beginning, and Sony could recover from this. However, this is definitely a bad start. The 360's had a year's time to build up a library and user-base, and Nintendo just can't make Wiis fast enough. Sony's gonna have to work really hard.

And I think this is something we're letting Nintendo get away with too easily. Come on man, 3 million in 3 whole months? Is that the best you can do? Obviously supply needs to be much much higher than that, like 3 million a month. Then maybe Gamestop in Kaahumanu shopping center can have them on shelves for more than 3 hours at a time. O.o

Seriously though, if anyone finds one and wants to do me a big favor, please buy it and send it to me, i'll gladly re-imburse you, pay for shipping, and also send you some Melange. It's highly addictive!

[SidewaysDownSidewalks]

The availability issues still stem from manufacturing shortages in major international plants. My understanding is that it's a result of a huge amount of faulty PCB components, and only recently have these issues begun to sort themselves out... but it's a trickle-down effect. They can start manufacturing Wiis at a much faster rate now, but the process itself, the shipping, handling and distribution will mean that it's likely to be another month or so before they can be considered 'readily' available.

It is getting better though. In November it was virtually impossible to find a Wii... in December it involved lining up (the night before) in anticipation of shipments at certain stores. January and February have seen more and more people luck out and simply walk into a store that has recently received some Wiis.

[steelcobra]

Of the three... I'll eventually get all of them. As for order, the 360 has Chromehounds. And Halo 3 will be on it. I'll definitely pick up the PS3 just for White Knight Story. And the Wii looks like fun, but having no ethernet jack and a fairly small catalogue so far, I'll probably wait till there's a better library, like I did with the DS.

I own both versions of the DS, in case you were wondering my opinion of it.

[SidewaysDownSidewalks]

Of the three... I'll eventually get all of them. As for order, the 360 has Chromehounds. And Halo 3 will be on it. I'll definitely pick up the PS3 just for White Knight Story. And the Wii looks like fun, but having no ethernet jack and a fairly small catalogue so far, I'll probably wait till there's a better library, like I did with the DS.

I own both versions of the DS, in case you were wondering my opinion of it.

The nice thing about the Wii's online capabilities is the range at which it will pick up a wireless signal. I don't exactly recommend hijacking someone else's wireless connection, but if they're close to you, and careless enough to leave it unprotected, go for it... at least until the ethernet adapter comes out in a few months.

I have a wired network at home and I am simply not willing to get a wireless router *just* for the Wii. Luckily I live in an apartment building and there are about a half dozen relatively strong - and unprotected - wireless connections floating around, so I've been online a few times already. :P

[steelcobra]

I think I'll need a new router at that point. My desktop will take up 2 jacks (nForce 680i, has dual gigabit ports with duplexing), plus I'll probably use my laptop for IMs while gaming. And then three more boxes that demand a connection. And I'm not using my hub for that, that's for sure.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

I've wanted to buy a Wii for a while and started looking this week. Today, Gamestop got THREE from fedex...I saw the fedex guy go buy and said "i'll head up there in 5 minutes to give 'em time to check them in to inventory" but by that time people had already bought them. Meanwhile, they had 3 PS3s for the last 2 weeks. O.o

Personally, I'm getting frustrated. Pretty much since November, I have been searching for a Wii in my area. Two gamestops, two wal-marts, circuit city, best buy. Every time I check (usually twice a week), there are no Wiis. They have *more than enough* PS3's (to the point that the gamestops and wal-marts are not ordering any more until they get their existing stock off the shelves.... the wal-marts have PS3's that have been on the shelves for over 2 months now).

What was funny, was one of the guys behind the counter at one of the gamestops keeps trying to sell me a PS3. One of his lines was "Nintendo really needs to shape up and bump up their production. Look at Sony, there's plenty of PS3's for the customers, but Nintendo can't keep up!" We both laughed at that one.

Oh, and it took me from November until last Friday to finally find a pink DS for my stepdaughter. It was supposed to be a Christmas gift...

[ZippyDSMlee]

Ebay is filled with wiis going for near normal price so I wouldn't say theres a shortage of them more poor distribution there of....or something of the like....

[Thefremen]

Ebay is filled with wiis going for near normal price so I wouldn't say theres a shortage of them more poor distribution there of....or something of the like....

Yeah but there's still enough demand so they're going for $300+$40 shipping at the least.

[ZippyDSMlee]

Yeah but there's still enough demand so they're going for $300+$40 shipping at the least.

while the PS3 is 100-50 less already 0-o

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

Ebay is filled with wiis going for near normal price so I wouldn't say theres a shortage of them more poor distribution there of....or something of the like....

I wouldn't make eBay a judge of anything about the distribution to stores. There could just be a lot of people buying them up and reselling them back on eBay for a profit -- resulting in a relative surge in eBay, but it still would result in a limited supply through non-eBay means.

Edit: oh, and for PS3's -- 2 Gamestops, 2 Wal-Marts, 1 Circuit City, 1 Best Buy, and 1 Toys'R'Us each have at least 12 - 18 PS3s on the shelves (with several of the people who work at those places claiming they have more in the back... the Wal-Marts and Gamestops have said they stopped ordering them until they start to clear some inventory). There's more PS3s on the shelves than X-Box 360's at these stores (about 4 - 9 360's at most of them), and they still have 0 Wiis available. I've heard that they get them in, but are usually sold out within a matter of a few hours.

[VGLeo34]

DAMNIT! I STOOD IN LINE FOR 8 HOURS JUST TO DISCOVER THAT HALF THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT IF THEY HAD A WII THAT THEY WOULD BECOME GAMERS! NINTENDO NEEDS TO POINT OUT THAT BEING A GAMER TAKES EFFORT, TIME, BAD GRADES, AND YOUR DAD BECOMING JACK THOMPSONS BEST FRIEND AFTER BUYING BULLY. PLEASE ALL NOOBS! STOP BUYING THE WII! TO BE A GAMER YOU NEED AT LEAST 2 CONSOLES AND ALOT OF GAMES!:mad:

[Anjin-San]

Whoa there Tex. Let's turn off the caps lock and type rationally. I humbly suggest the following:

1. Write in a rational tone. Try reading what you said aloud to somebody else. Don't read what you thought you were trying to say. Literally read it word for word to somebody. Notice the reaction.

2. Again, TYPING IN CAPS LOCK DOESN'T EMPHASIZE THE POINT. IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE ANNOYING.

3. Don't be esoteric. I can't read minds, so I can't have any idea of what you're talking about unless you piece it together for me.

4. Make sense. How exactly does owning two consoles make you a "gamer"?

[Thefremen]

Whoa there Tex. Let's turn off the caps lock and type rationally. I humbly suggest the following:

1. Write in a rational tone. Try reading what you said aloud to somebody else. Don't read what you thought you were trying to say. Literally read it word for word to somebody. Notice the reaction.

2. Again, TYPING IN CAPS LOCK DOESN'T EMPHASIZE THE POINT. IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE ANNOYING.

3. Don't be esoteric. I can't read minds, so I can't have any idea of what you're talking about unless you piece it together for me.

4. Make sense. How exactly does owning two consoles make you a "gamer"?

Historians will mark this day as the day Fremen agreed with anjin-san. It's true, all caps is annoying and your post was insane.

[steelcobra]

I concur, especially since he's being a very odd elitist AND it's his first post.

[ZippyDSMlee]

I wouldn't make eBay a judge of anything about the distribution to stores. There could just be a lot of people buying them up and reselling them back on eBay for a profit -- resulting in a relative surge in eBay, but it still would result in a limited supply through non-eBay means.

Edit: oh, and for PS3's -- 2 Gamestops, 2 Wal-Marts, 1 Circuit City, 1 Best Buy, and 1 Toys'R'Us each have at least 12 - 18 PS3s on the shelves (with several of the people who work at those places claiming they have more in the back... the Wal-Marts and Gamestops have said they stopped ordering them until they start to clear some inventory). There's more PS3s on the shelves than X-Box 360's at these stores (about 4 - 9 360's at most of them), and they still have 0 Wiis available. I've heard that they get them in, but are usually sold out within a matter of a few hours.

Ebay s a good messureing stick of real price sometimes

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nintendo-Wii-Game-console-bundle-Zelda-Excite-truck_W0QQitemZ290084719965QQihZ019QQcategoryZ6205 4QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

with 2 games(zelda & exite bike) under 450 with shipping this is not a bad price buy it at any store and you are more likely to pay tax. in TN tax is 8%

[beemoh]

4. Make sense. How exactly does owning two consoles make you a "gamer"?

And how will actively not buying a console help you reach this mythical number? :D

[ZippyDSMlee]

And how will actively not buying a console help you reach this mythical number? :D

play games of all kinds video games that is, that makes you a gamer keeping up is not a requirement its more a smart move to wait 2 years before buying new.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

Ebay s a good messureing stick of real price sometimes

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nintendo-Wii-Game-console-bundle-Zelda-Excite-truck_W0QQitemZ290084719965QQihZ019QQcategoryZ6205 4QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

with 2 games(zelda & exite bike) under 450 with shipping this is not a bad price buy it at any store and you are more likely to pay tax. in TN tax is 8%

It still doesn't reflect the availability in the stores, really. The stores keep selling out FAST. All the eBay stats are showing is that there's a lot of people who are buying the Wiis just to resell them on eBay for a quick buck.

Mind you, I'm not exactly a fan of eBay anyway -- so that's basically the absolute last place I'll look for a Wii.