MIT researcher David E. Stone claims the Wii controller “is one of the most significant technology breakthroughs in the history of computer science.” So no wonder retailers can barely keep units on the shelf.
Why isn’t Nintendo supplying us with enough units to make it through the holiday season? Well, according to Nintendo Senior Vice President George Harrison, they planned on stockpiling Wii’s during the summer, when, statistically, demand for video games lessens.
Last year, the supply could not meet demand, but not for a lack of trying. Nintendo nearly doubled its supply from one million units to 1.8 million units this year alone, but the demand for the product was so steady through the year, they’re selling them faster than they can make them.
Wii is the must-have gift for anyone with a kid between 5 and 10 years old, but it’s not just kids who crave Wii. Grown-ups also want to get their hands on the console, which uses a new, less standard controller to make game play much more realistic than typical joysticks, so they can play Wii’s tennis and bowling games. The Wii is a big hit in retirement homes as well. I have one, and I have to admit, it’s fun.
I’ve been a gamer almost since I could walk, and what the Wii lacks in graphics and games, it makes up for in pure good time fun.
I called around and did a little investigating alone. Maybe in bigger cities I could understand the stores being out of them, but not here in Maine. I looked on the internet first, and the only real place that has the Wii in stock is eBay. For the low, low cost of $450 you can have your very own Wii. That’s almost double the price. I called Best Buy and they were out. I called Circuit City and they were out and don’t expect any more to come in before Christmas. I called Movie Gallery, where I found one last year, and the girl on the other end laughed a little bit and then let me know that they only get them in one or two at a time.
It seems like the only way you are going to get a Wii this year is by paying twice as much, or by stalking the UPS guy and waiting for that very special shipment.
Congratulations Nintendo, you struck pay dirt.
Jonathan Masker is a wireless solution expert and a self-proclaimed gadget guru. Reach him at jonathan.masker@gmail.com.