We have no Wii
My wife and I just decided that we would like to get a Nintendo Wii. We’ve been kicking the idea around for a few weeks now about maybe doing that as part of a joint gift to each other. We decided against that in the end, but just this morning we tallied up birthday money, Christmas money, gift cards and the like and discovered we have enough money! Unfortunately for us, everybody around town is sold out. We’ve tried neighbouring towns and online stores, but to no avail. Not that anybody out there really cares 
.
What I wonder is why this problem seems to happen in the first place. It seems like had Nintendo released a couple months sooner they could have had enough systems produced by Christmas time to meet demand. It also seems that if they had enough systems produced so that everybody who wanted one could get one they’d have made more profit, too. And isn’t that the point of making it in the first place? Granted, I don’t have a degree in economics or anything, it’s just my opinion…
Update 9-Jan-2007: We now have a Wii.
Comments
Comment from Andy The Day Trader
Time February 22, 2007 at 9:37 am
It’s a marketing thing – engineered scarcity. News spreads that you can’t buy one (your post is living proof), and so Joe Public thinks “this thing must be HOT as you can;t get one for love nor money!”, which in turn makes you want one more, and then you too have trouble getting one, and you tell your friends. Viral scarcity if you like!
Microsoft did the same thing with the xbox 360.
Comment from Andreas
Time April 26, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I totally agree with “AndyTheDayTrader”. It is a great marketing trick. But now you got a Wii and I hope you enjoy it. Also my kids want to have one and I think about to buy a Wii. I am sure it is a funny thing and also family friendly. Greetings from Germany.
Andreas
Comment from Marky Mark
Time August 8, 2007 at 2:45 pm
The Wii is now outselling the PS3 by 3 to 1 in Japan and there is still a shortage of the consoles here in the UK. I think eveyone I know who plays on the Wii end up buying one!
Comment from Wii Tracker
Time December 11, 2007 at 8:35 am
Personally, I think it is pissing Nintendo off to see them all market up sky high. If the shortage was engineered, then why wouldn’t nintendo just charge more for the consoles, say $379 and keep the profits for themselves (instead of ebay scalpers). So Nintendo’s quick solution, force the big box retailers to “bundle” all their other products. $250 for the console, $400 worth of extras is your only choice online…unless you want to grimus in pain clicking ebay.
Comment from jawid
Time December 11, 2007 at 8:07 pm
The situation has even become worse. Although Nintendo increased the production of the Wii they can’t satisfy the demand. Nintendo sells every single Wii they bring to the market.
So the prices are rising and the stores are sold out.
Comment from electronicsretailsalesgirl
Time February 5, 2008 at 12:14 pm
The best way for the average person to get a Wii is to do the legwork. Call the stores, get the flyers, preferably from a paper that puts them in on Saturday as all stores advertised sales offering start on Sunday. And then just; yes I know you don’t want to hear it, get to the stores before they open or in the case of Walmarts that stay open 24 hrs, be there before midnight.
These are the tactics of ebay scalpers so why not out manuever them. and if you don’t feel you should have to do this then stop whining and pay the scalpers for the time and effort that they put in. or wait until july 2008.
Comment from Chris
Time February 12, 2008 at 6:37 am
the wii is far better than the other consoles, no wonder they are sold out
Comment from Chris
Time February 13, 2008 at 7:20 am
Wii Kicks ass thats why nt’s selling so fast when there in stock! I know it sounds daft but try Wallmart/Asda
Comment from MissDanni
Time March 5, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Jake – Did you ever get your hands on a wii? If so where did you manage to get one?
Comment from Ticket Guy
Time March 7, 2008 at 4:40 pm
It was funny that last summer I went on vacation with some other people and I had heard of the Wii but never played with one. Boy what a blast. How come they never had invented such great games when I was young. I might have never grown up. My wife says I never did.
Comment from Keith Ebay Watches
Time March 25, 2008 at 5:19 am
This seems to happen with every new lauch of any gaming system. They make enough to spread around the world just to ensure the main stock goes to those gagging for the new system, and then it is a few months before the new stock arrives, by that time the initial buyers have spread the word about how good it is, and got even more folk gagging for it. Great business practise for profit, but annoying for the consumer.
I live in the UK, and went to the Arizona, USA in January for 2 weeks. With the two kids birthdays coming up I told them they could have the NDS Lite, and my idea was to buy it in the US and save about $100 on UK prices. Never happened. Not a single NDS was available anywhere in Arizona, and after checking, none in the US unless you counted the Asian imports.
So in the end I returned with no birthday presents, and a promise to the kids I was not about to break. On top of that, none were available in Europe!!!
In the end I bought one off Ebay to check the seller out, and then ordered the 2nd off Ebay once that had turned up.
It appears Asia had stocks coming out of their ears, while the rest of the world had none. And when the new stocks arrive in the US & Europe, I guess they’ll all sell out pretty quickly, and then those that didn’t get one have to wait again!! Once demand eventually falls, they then reduce the price, as they have done with the Xbox 360.
Comment from Kate Jones
Time April 13, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I was very lucky to get mine at Christmas time (2007) everywhere had sold out but managed to be in the right place at the right time when an order came in
I saw that Nintendo even pulled advertising because they knew that people would not be able to get one, therefore no point in spending their advertising revenue. Shame they couldn’t forsee the rush at Christmas time!
Comment from Brian
Time April 18, 2008 at 4:32 pm
They slowed production exports to the US thats probably why most of us will never see one. Maybe its not fair ours are shipped to them on a regular basis. In Fact I just saw the Head of nintendo with his new shelby Mustang with all new mustang parts
Comment from Mark Blaszczyk
Time May 4, 2008 at 1:36 am
hey i got stung with the same thing, ended up getting it on the 3rd of January after a few upsetting phone calls.
Comment from water powered cars
Time May 5, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Its their marketting strategy just to make their product hot in the market so that coming version can become more popular.
Comment from Trucking News
Time May 6, 2008 at 12:55 am
I am still waiting for wii. Man, I am really deperate to lay my hands around wii. Looks like I have to wait for some more years now. 
Comment from videos
Time May 6, 2008 at 7:18 am
Wii sucks. The best for gaming continues beeing a last generation computer 
Comment from John
Time May 7, 2008 at 2:21 pm
The Wii and the DS are still cheapest game devices when it comes to the other big 2 ,360 and PS3.
Nintendo has no reason to lower the price until the 360 and PS3 do their price cuts.
Comment from General Contractor
Time May 15, 2008 at 11:06 am
I have been trying to get my hands on one for my son for months. Unfortunately, they still cannot be found anywhere.
It’s just a simple supply/demand scenario created by Nintendo that will allow them to maintain their higher pricing for some time to come…
Comment from Games to Play Now
Time May 19, 2008 at 9:36 am
I’ve written a couple of posts on my blog about the cheapness of these consoles, particularly the Wii – when you can find one! I’ve only just started seeing them in stock in shops.
I am very tempted to get one now though, I’m not a hard-core gamer, so some of the Wii’s innovative features do appeal to me!
Comment from Unblock myspace
Time May 19, 2008 at 2:50 pm
@videos
Are you joking? Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Kart, Zelda, Pro Evolution Soccer, NFL, Super Smash Bros… do I need to go on? I hate it when people say – the Wii sucks – when they have never even played it!
Comment from Treffit
Time May 22, 2008 at 7:31 am
Snes is so much better that this new Wii console! Games are too stupid and similar.
Comment from Wii Fit Accessories
Time June 9, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Well, i was going to say… if you hadn’t gotten a Wii, i really would have suggested it…. but, i saw at the end of the article that you did get a Wii… I hope you are enjoying it!
Comment from cod4source
Time August 24, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I feel you man, I tried to get one a couple weeks back and it was absolutely impossible. It really plays to Ninentdos advantage to keep them out of stock, the less people have them the more demand there, and therefore hype there is for the wii which leads to greater sales in the long run. Oh well…
Comment from Stephen Shone
Time August 26, 2008 at 7:39 am
Yeah, it took me ages to find a Wii as well. I’m really happy with it though – we’ve got Wii Sports, Wii Play, Super Mario Galaxy, Resident Evil 4, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and Guitar Hero. Something for all the family there!
Comment from Hosting
Time November 14, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I bought a Wii some weeks ago and I really enjoy it. It’s a totally unique experience.
Well, I have to recognize I had already played with my friends’… but it’s different when you have your own Wii, isn’t it? A totally new experience!
In one sentence: I’m as excited as I think you were.
Back to topic… I think they could not expect such an excitement on Wii’s launch. They could have sold thousands more if these problems wouldn’t have arise… at least that’s what I think.
Comment from Chesapeake Mitsubishi
Time December 4, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Who knew that you could get tennis elbow and have to get surgery from a little video game.
Comment from Wii Fit Accessories
Time December 6, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I was going to ask if you ever got your Wii but I saw the update at the end of the article… how are you liking it? Did you get Wii Fit?
Comment from <img src='http://jacob.steenhagen.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/rpx/images/google.png'/> kitnebaje
Time March 20, 2009 at 3:40 am
It is a thing of sale – machine shortage. Diffusions of news which you cannot buy one (your post is alive proof), and thus public of Joe thinks that this thing must be HOT as you can; T obtain for the love nor the money! , which alternatively encourages you to want one more, and then you have also the trouble to obtain to one, and you known as your friends. Viral shortage if you like!
Comment from <img src='http://jacob.steenhagen.us/blog/wp-content/plugins/rpx/images/google.png'/> john.as.curious
Time July 11, 2009 at 8:29 am
I think ps3 is better than wii.
but wii is good too.
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Comment from David Tenser
Time December 26, 2006 at 5:15 pm
I’m a bit upset by the shortage too. It’s impossible to get a Wii in Sweden and has been ever since the launch day on December 8th.