Final reminder to get Wii before Black Friday (and holiday season)

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 21st 2007 at 11:20AM }

The Associated Press has a a fantastically long-winded article that boils down to a very simple premise: If you are buying a Wii for the holidays, get one right now! The article has lovely quotes and fantastic figures, but all it's really trying to do is give a "red alert" to a mainstream audience that Wii will be scarce this holiday -- the BBC already did a similar story last week.

One man on the street interviewed by the AP was John Lawrence of Texas who said, "People have not gotten into the Christmas shopping mode. Once people get into that mindset, this is going to be an impossibility as it was last year." That's what we say too, but maybe people will listen if John Lawrence of Texas says it. So, if you're a parent reading this, or a nice sibling picking up a Wii for your kid brother/sister, try go picking one up today. You've got today to shop in relative peace while everyone is at the supermarket picking up supplies. All bets are off on Friday.

Tags: business, shortage, supply, wii, wii-shortage, wiishortage

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Lou @ Nov 21st 2007 12:52PM

I went into 4 store last night and none had it in stock.

samfish @ Nov 21st 2007 11:25AM

Oh, they're just constraining supply is all! 1.8 million produced a month is nothin'!

Fernando Rocker @ Nov 21st 2007 11:33AM

Maybe Nintendo really was holding the Wii's to sell a lot this season.

They sold 250,000 here in USA this past week.

Kevin @ Nov 21st 2007 11:30AM

Ummm.... is this John Lawrence the same John Lawrence of the Cobra Kai? If so, then you better listen to him.

No mercy, sensei.

Martin @ Nov 21st 2007 11:41AM

Comedy gold! +++++++

Put him in a body bag!!!!

Shagittarius @ Nov 21st 2007 11:59AM

You calling Mr. Lawrence a liar?

FOXHOUND @ Nov 21st 2007 12:14PM

*pours out a 40oz* This is for you, Mr. Miyagi.

"It's Pat -effin'- Morita, you a'hole!"

FrankTheCrank @ Nov 21st 2007 11:31AM

I saw one at Target about 2 weeks ago. I grabbed it for my nephew, unfortunately, his mom(ex sister inlaw) was being a real d*uche about the whole thing, I had to return it.

I considered the Craigslist or eBay....but it's all such a pain in the ass...for what? $50. Puhleeze.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 21st 2007 11:31AM

I think it's too late by now. By this point any stores with Wii's in stock are going to be hording them in the back for sale on Black Friday. You really needed to pick one up a few weeks ago.

samfish @ Nov 21st 2007 11:36AM

Well, if you bring a chair and get to the store at about 5pm tomorrow (at best), you can probably still get one.
...if you're lucky.
I camped out for Black Friday last year at Circuit City and was one of the first people in the store and holy shit did I almost get trampled.
Those people get freakin' RABID. If you want one, you have to be prepared to RUN.

Vidikron (FU) @ Nov 21st 2007 11:41AM

Haha... that's not for me. Even if I didn't have a Wii already, we have a cold front moving through today. It started off in the upper 60s (F) and is supposed to get down into the 20's by tonight. I've never bothered to go out on Black Friday and certainly won't be this time with the cold.

A few weeks ago I saw Wii's in a stack in Best Buy on several different days. I'm wondering now if I should picked up a couple for sale after BF.

umm....hello??? @ Nov 21st 2007 2:28PM

I went shopping on a BlackFriday a few years back, and I refuse to do it again. Already have a Wii, but even sitting in the cold isn't worth the price I'd get being able to sell one on eBay.

WiNG @ Nov 21st 2007 11:36AM

Oh and just before some moron asks or makes some inane racist comment, it's called Black Friday because of all the sales (i.e. "in the black" or sales receipt ink) generated that day.

StrangeBum @ Nov 21st 2007 12:21PM

Being a former BestBuy employee I can tell you that the massive retailer calls it 'Green Friday' and not 'Black Friday'. Which when I first heard them call it that, I was shocked.

It's been known as 'Black Friday' ever since I was just a youngin' and probably long before that. The nerve they have.

Oh and 'Green' is for money. Greedy bastards.

Rick @ Nov 21st 2007 12:51PM

Actually the phrase Black Friday has nothing at all to do with the ink from the sales receipt and is only related to the volume of sales, not because of the volume of sales.

The phrase today refers to the generalization that it is the day when retailers finally exit the red and enter "the black" or profitability. Although it also used to refer to the amount of traffic.

Never the ink from the receipts though.

Clack @ Nov 21st 2007 1:50PM

I just figured it referred to the mood anybody would be in by midday if they tried to actually get to any of the deals that morning.

GRANTED @ Nov 21st 2007 1:51PM

congrats you all win the no shit award 2007

Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2007 3:14PM

I couldn't even think of a way to misinterpret Black Friday to be degrading to Black People, and I watch the Boondocks, so i've heard a lot of them...

flameofdoom666 @ Nov 21st 2007 11:37AM

I'm lucky I got mine last year at launch :-)

I hate when people say that the Wii does not have hardcore games. I own 9 already, and that is a lot for 1 year!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wario ware: Smooth Moves
Super Paper Mario
Resident Evil 4
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
Battalion Wars 2
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Super Mario Galaxy

PLUS I own Wii Sports and Wii Play. I am a hardcore gamer, but alto of my friend's are not- and it is awesome that they can play a few games with me.

The Wii is a very versatile system! It deserves the success it is getting.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Nov 21st 2007 11:41AM

How is battalion wars? I was thinking of getting it, but I"m just not sure, and finding a game to rent at a blockbuster is more pain in the ass than anything.

WiNG @ Nov 21st 2007 11:42AM

Super Paper Mario is one of the easiest game's I've ever played in my life, easier than the Ronald McDonald Genesis platformer. In fact the only place I think it is even reasonable to die in is the trial Pits, and only because you are constantly torn between going on with no backup and turning back.

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 21st 2007 11:57AM

Wario Ware is a hardcore game?

religiousjedi @ Nov 21st 2007 11:58AM

Ah flame...it did feel good to pick up the Wii on launch. I can still remember my mom laughing and telling me off for a stupid grim that was creeping over my face...

Also, don't forget about VC. Full of hardcore games there!

SoulBlade @ Nov 21st 2007 12:05PM

flame - get mario strikers if you can - me and my buddy play that all the time.

Paul P. @ Nov 21st 2007 12:05PM

I thought I remembered the Genesis Ronald McDonald game being pretty hard because of it's hit detection and loose controls.

I've had, counting games I've traded in at some point, probably about 25 Wii games over the last year. And a similar amount of VC games. Enough that I've run out of memory and had to erase some in any event.

Dale @ Nov 21st 2007 12:08PM

I own...

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree
Elebits
The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Rayman: Raving Rabbids
Resident Evil IV: Wii Edition
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
Zack & Wiki: The Quest For Barbaros' Treasure

... and traded in...

Excite Truck
Mario Strikers: Charged

... because both annoyed the piss out of me.

The store shelves are deceptive as the licensed pap is most prominent, but there are a lot of good games out (and coming soon) as this list shows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wii_games

Slaziman @ Nov 21st 2007 12:09PM

Nice list, except for Radiant Dawn, which should've been a gamecube title

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 21st 2007 12:15PM

Oh let me make a list too.

I own:
Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Sports

Traded in:
Super Paper Mario
Twilight Princess

And I've rented games too.

flameofdoom666 @ Nov 21st 2007 12:17PM

I was thinking about getting Mario Strikers Charged, it is one of those games I wanted to play first before I bought it- I will def consider it :-)

People I know have Sonic, SSX Blur, Elebits, Monkey Ball and Trauma Center- they are all good except Sonic is kinda bleh...

I am debating whether tr not to get Link's Crossbow Training- I think I may- lol

flameofdoom666 @ Nov 21st 2007 12:19PM

Silent Xenocide, Why did you Zelda TP and Super Paper Mario? They are fantastic games!

You should try Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It is phenomenal! Also0 I like Battalion Wars 2, and Zack and Wiki ALOT!

flameofdoom666 @ Nov 21st 2007 12:21PM

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School),

Battalion Wars 2 is great. The controls are like Metroids- It took me awhile to get used to because of the type of game that it is. After you are used to the controls, it does work well though.

It is also a huge single player campaign (15-20 hours for that type of game is long!) Also- it has 3 different WiFi modes. Its really cool.

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 21st 2007 12:31PM

Yea Zelda was good but after I beat it, I didn't really have the money to get a new game or whatever I wanted, so I brought it to EB and they gave me 40 credits for it which was pretty good.

As for Super Paper Mario, that game was just not fun for me. The N64 version was pretty good but I couldn't get into this one.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 21st 2007 1:01PM

I'm pretty sure that that McDonald's game on Genesis was done by Treasure.

Yeah, that Treasure. Sometimes you've got to pay the bills.

Clack @ Nov 21st 2007 1:58PM

I've had mine since the end of August and have bought 10 Wii games and 4 GC games since then.

Wilson @ Nov 21st 2007 12:04PM

Ha! I got two over the past weekend at a Walmart in McAllen, TX :D

One for my little brother and one for my sister's boyfriend.

And those were the last ones they had ^^

Cap'n Jack @ Nov 21st 2007 1:04PM

Must be nice to have $500 to blow like that.

Wilson @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:12AM

I may hate to work, but it does have it's advantages ^_^

Vertigo @ Nov 21st 2007 12:17PM

man i love the wii, i own about 6-8 games right now and then there are all the VC games i own. i think i power the sucker up everyday at least once as i play vc games for about 30 mins in bed. and then there are all the ours spent during the day. with all the releases recently from third parties i am kept busy and the 2008 release list on gamespot looks pretty nice!

i love my wii, soon to get ps3 :D, and the pc is great to me too!

dsub @ Nov 21st 2007 12:19PM

The Associated Press is dumb. Best Buy, Circuit City, Meijer, Wal-Mart, Target and Gamestop, yes Gamestop are all HOLDING all their Wii's until Black Friday. Therefore, you will not get a Wii before Friday.

To all interested, every Gamestop in the U.S. will have a minimum of 12 Wii's in stock the day after Thanksgiving.

Cyro @ Nov 21st 2007 12:25PM

I guess in my country people are not too crazy about the Wii. I live in the Dominican Republic, (Its right next to Puerto Rico for those who dont know) and in all the video game stores I find Wii's in stock. Its every where. What you can not find are 360's.

Though prices are not to hot either.

The Wii sells for 450.00 USD
The Xbox 360 sells for 500.00 USD (thats the Arcade)
The PS3 sells for 950.00 USD (thats the 80GB I believe. They still haven't sold out from launch)

But I am willing to bet that those Wii's are going to start selling like crazy during the holidays.

The problem with the Wii here is that its viewed as a kids console and not 18 and over.

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 21st 2007 12:37PM

Uhhhh what? That pricing is a little ridiculous.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 21st 2007 12:39PM

Dominican is beautiful. I want to go back someday.

Cyro @ Nov 21st 2007 12:52PM

@ Silent:

Yep they sound ridiculous but thats what the are. You guys are lucky. We have to pay almost double for everything. This is because the import tax made on all electronics in customs.

We do have a new Free Trade Agreement with the US but its a bunch of crap, because it states only products completely made in the US dont pay import tax. And can some one please tell me what fucking product is manufactured in the US any more?

Everything is made in China/Mexico/Taiwan/Japan now!@#$

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 21st 2007 1:20PM

How much you guys make on average there per hour?

Cyro @ Nov 21st 2007 1:37PM

@ Silent:

I make around 8.50 bucks an hour. Thats a lot compared to the mayority of the people which is around 3 bucks an hour. But I work for an American Company.

Yes Video games are extremely pricey here. They are only considered by middle and upper middle class up to filfthy rich.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 21st 2007 12:38PM

I actually went to the mall in Natick last night (first time I've been in a mall in...forever) to pick up a Toshiba HD-A3 at Sears (had to specifically ask for it, then the guy checked that they had them in the back, then I had to ask him to actually let me buy one :D). Anyhow, the mall's crossbeams between the first and second level were papered with Wii banners.

For a product that has massive hype and massive demand, and short supply, Nintendo sure is spending a lot to advertise it. I've even seen Wii ads on television lately, and I don't watch a lot of TV, so that means they must really be saturation bombing the marketplace (I suspect that it was during the Pats game on Sunday night football).