Foo - Buying a Wii making me crazy

What is the deal with the crazy demand for these things. Kids want one, so we planned it to be the "big" gift this year. Online impossible to fine for $250, at stores, you get we had a couple, check back in the morning - yea right. Now several store said they will have them at 4 am Friday - WTF, they will have 10 and run out in 2 minutes. I'm thinking a nice gift certificate under the tree, but that's lame for little kids. Any ideas?

P.S. This has got to be a huge marketing scam by the company and retailer...

Rant Off-

BTW, have a Happy Thanksgiving, not really in a bad mood, getting ready to go see family, and just venting a bit.

What is the deal with the crazy demand for these things.
Every Xmas, there's some item that people get into a frenzy over. This year it's the Wii. Normally, I'd say just avoid it like the plague -- the supply problems will work themselves out as soon as the frenzy is over. Unfortunately, I am also in the market.

I remember setting in line for one of those things for four hours last year. I can't believe they are still in demand a year later, simply amazing.

http://mysite.verizon.net/tegants/ax07.jpg

Every Xmas, there's some item that people get into a frenzy over. This year it's the Wii.

If memory serves me correctly, this is the SECOND Christmas in a row that Wiis have been in short stock. My son picked one up last year before the crush started.

There's a place around the corner from my apartment that sells them. If you're desperate (and I mean really desperate :D), send me a PM. No need to worry about a Thanksgiving / Christmas rush here...

It's not just you - UK shortage too because DEMAND >>>>>> supply (rumor has it Germany has some in stock :D )

IMHO easily the most popular console without gimmicks and the idiotic emphasis of graphics over content

http://mysite.verizon.net/tegants/ax07.jpg

Dad...?

http://wiitracker.com/

Check out the times at the bottom that it takes supplies to sell out. One store actually lasted an hour and a half.

Your kids must have other interests that they don't need to get the Wii.

Buy a bike, ride the bike, yell "whee!"

Same thing with the 8800 gt's those things sold out in a day...

Same thing with the 8800 gt's those things sold out in a day...

there are wii's all over the place here

there are wii's all over the place here

Word.

The Wii is really, really fun. No joke. Its reputation is well deserved. Everyone has a blast playing it. And the commercial is right, even grandma will like the Wii.

Instead of being a one or two person thing, you can play games that involve the entire family. If nothing else it is hilarious watching your family members flailing around with the controller in an absolute panic.

Just make sure you factor at least one extra controller into the cost of your purchase.

The thing has been out for, what, over a year now? I've never seen one for sale in a store. One time a few weeks ago, GameStop had a used one available, but that's it. I mean, I haven't been looking super hard, but geez.

If memory serves me correctly, this is the SECOND Christmas in a row that Wiis have been in short stock. My son picked one up last year before the crush started.

What's funny is that at his point last year, everyone expected the PS3 to be a bigger hit than the Wii. Neither were easy to find, but there was a brief window where Wiis could be found.

Both of my brother's have Wiis, and this is how they acquired them:

1. Random calls to stores. Expecting to get one from the expected shipment is silly. My brother got lucky when the manager told him, "I'm getting two in 30 minutes. You get here before they hit they floor, and one is your's." You better believed he moved pretty fast on that.

2. Used. Although the Wii is popular, some people bought it for the "popularity" factor and then realized that this popularity did not include them. My brother bought a barely used Wi from a female in his dorm.

I'd check the used route, because you know everyone is checking the storefronts.

Wow, I did not know this. The Wii has been taken for granted in our house these past months. Can't believe it's been over a year since I got up at 4:30 am to line up at Wal-Mart on Wii opening day last year. I do know that the Wii's have slightly increased their retail prices from last year, while the PS3 are being offered at a discount these days.

...while the PS3 are being offered at a discount these days.

If I remember correctly, this would be the third or fourth discount on the original price and they're still not selling.

I got mine in the summer. Mario + Zelda + Metroid should keep me busy for a while...

Maybe out of your price range but here is a bundle on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16868100033

A friend of mine scored a couple of them at a Walmart in nowhere california a couple weeks ago. They had a two unit limit, and she got two. They had two more and she was tempted to go back and get them, too-- she's going to flip them close to christmas. The going rate in LA on Craigslist seems to be about $320 right now. She seems to be Wii-blessed or something-- she found one last year when they were rare when she was in Blockbuster and got it for her boyfriend for his birthday.

I tried to get one this morning at Kmart with no luck-- I had to be in the area anyway to get my sister at the airport, so it just meant getting there an hour early. No luck-- they only had 8 and the line was longer than that by the time I got there.

Funny, when the PS3 first came out people where buying them on ebay for thousands.

Funny, when the PS3 first came out people where buying them on ebay for thousands.Geniuses, the lot of 'em.

Especially once demand fell off after only two weeks or so, and they were piling up at stores for the list price.

The owner at work got us our Wii over the summer at a grocerys tore. They spparently had piles of them kicking around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cSd3df1znU

this amuses me

Kids only care for the gimmies and the corporate feel for wanting things. Parents become more in debt, because of this corporate scam for exploiting christmas.

Why are they still scarce? It's a new twist on gaming and it appeals to almost everyone. Wiitracker is helpful when supplies are ramping up, but you may also need to setup webmon on your PC and be ready to wake up when the alarm goes off at night and click the buy button -- be sure to setup user accounts on the stores you are willing to buy from so you can stuff the unit in your cart and checkout in one click -- timing is everything. Webmon (http://www.btinternet.com/~markwell/webmon/)is freeware that lets you monitor a specific section of a specific webpage (like the "out of stock" phrase on your local store's wii web page, and then when it changes to something else the alarm goes off. You can change the frequency of the checking to as fast as every minute. Its how I found mine in december 2006.

Nothing more hysterical at my house than a Wii tennis doubles tournament using a 10 foot diagonal screen with a front projector. Be sure to always wear the wrist straps once you get one, those wiimotes have a tendency to fly right into your display if not strapped on, especially for batting practice or tennis or when trying to toss a cow farther than anyone else.

Kids only care for the gimmies and the corporate feel for wanting things. Parents become more in debt, because of this corporate scam for exploiting christmas.

http://mysite.verizon.net/tegants/ax02.gif

I am a year round consumer, spending crap loads on xmas seems too disorienting to me.

I am a year round consumer, spending crap loads on xmas seems too disorienting to me.

why spend crap loads

http://texasholdemblogger.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/13campsite-outhouse.gif

when shed loads will do

http://www.gardens-and-decor.com/WoodShedHighEaves2.jpg






...God, I'm funny.......not :o

no guitar hero, no sale for me.... gotta have some standards.

I hope the people camping at best buy just to get stuff to resell are freezing there butts off.

no guitar hero, no sale for me.... gotta have some standards.

??? But Guitar Hero 3 is avaliable for Wii...

Wii will make you crazy. :)

By luck, I got one at Costco the other day. For now I am the bestest dad in the world.

I remember last year I called a Target to find out about a PS3 and they were going to have 4 or something the next morning. But they said no one can line up until about 6am. So I passed by at about 9pm and a line, not outside the door was forming, but a line at the corner of the store near the door formed.

There were about 20+ people waiting... Hhmmm... and they only had 4 PS3's... I guess 16+ people had a cold uneventful night! hahahaha!!

My cousin got the Wii last year because the PS3's were nowhere to be found and much more expensive. I think that's the reason the Wii got so popular. It was cheaper, available and fun. That is until everyone else had the same idea...

Zune is also on the rage I guess. Stores got rid of them fast today.

Zune is also on the rage I guess. Stores got rid of them fast today.

Last year they couldn't give the Zune away.


By luck, I got one at Costco the other day. For now I am the bestest dad in the world.

I'll see you at your house on 12/26!! hahaha!

P.S. This has got to be a huge marketing scam by the company and retailer...



Yeah right! It's because everyone else is just like you and trying to get one. It was the same thing last year as well. No marketing scam it's just more popular than other consoles that's all.

In Canada there's no "marketing scam" behind Bakugans and just try to find those in the stores after today. it's the hottest toy in Canada right now. Bakugans will be coming to the U.S. in '08. I suspect that you'll be back at this time of year next year *****ing about not fidning Bakugans either.

Oh and here's a tip: Go x-mas shopping before Black Friday! I saw plenty of Wii consoles back in October. I bought mine back in April and even bought a second one for gifting at the same time. Maybe I should flip it on eBay for a profit. LOL!

??? But Guitar Hero 3 is avaliable for Wii...

If you can find one. I've been looking for a GH3 for my Wii since it was announced. But you know... it's just supply and demand. Plenty of GH3 for PS2 but everyone wants the Wii version (because its better). if I can find one then so much the better, if not... ah well... it's not like my life depends on it. LOL!

By luck, I got one at Costco the other day. For now I am the bestest dad in the world.

I thought I was. LOL!

I found Bakugans, Transformers (Yes... bumblebee in the deluxe series), Wii console, Dance Dance Revolution for Wii and so on. if I get GH3 for the Wii I'll be THE ULTIMATE X-MAS DAD. MUAHHHAHAHA.

PS: Too bad Santa Clause gets all the credit for this stuff. Maybe it's time to break the news to the kids. ;)

PPS: I can't believe I'm now competing for "bestest dad for x-mas". I'm such a slave to commercialism. LOL!

I saw GH3 for the Wii today. What's with everyone buying a lot of Transformers toys?

http://mysite.verizon.net/tegants/ax07.jpg

:roflmao: :beer:

:roflmao: :beer:

I thought of you the minute I saw this. :D

Wii fever! It's back for another holiday season. Get one if you can. Nintendo has been genius in their strategy. The games have been seriously delayed and many of them lacking in content so the staggered release of consoles makes perfect sense, otherwise they'd be $149 by now if there was a huge initial push. Now there are games... Oh boy! Galaxy is amazing.

It was funny yesterday. The line was longer at my house for boxing rematches on the Wii than when the food was finally ready. As the empty wine bottles piled up I noticed the boxers were slowly getting closer and closer to the tv until they were almost punching the screen itself. Riotous. My Mom and Dad have been divorced 27 years and they were bowling against each other. The karaoke machine didn't even get mentioned once yesterday. That in itself says something in my house.

Side note: Nicodemus. Best avatar in forum history. :roflmao:She looks like the actor Deep Roy in that shot. Hilarious!
"She's not a Chris-tee-annnnnnnn!!! She's DARKSIDED!!!" :roflmao:

I saw GH3 for the Wii today. What's with everyone buying a lot of Transformers toys?

Because I keep hearing "I want transformers for christmas". So since I have a surefire toy that'll make the kid happy, I get it.

That's all I really want for x-mas; to make the ones I care for happy.

I thought of you the minute I saw this. :D

You know me too well... how'd you know I hate the christmas presents thing so much?

70 yr old took the wii bowling tourney at my brother's house. The teens were not pleased....

Tough crowd! We try to limit what the kids get, and this year we had decide on a Wii a couple months ago, never thought it would be like this. I went out late this morning and missed the Wii's that were available. I figure I have another month to keep looking, but it's a pain, hopefully online stock will catch up. As for supply and demand, they are creating demand buzz by tightly controlling demand, but I'm not buying any games until we have a console. So create demand for consoles, but lose revenue on games, doesn't seem to make great sense.

??? But Guitar Hero 3 is avaliable for Wii...

Wasn't trying to imply that it's not - was simply implying that unless it's Guitar Hero, I don't want it... which, btw I got for my birthday... and I'm stuck on medium playing Lou.

And Rock Band (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band_%28video_game%29) comes out mid Dec!