Wii!~
December 16, 2006 4:18 PM Subscribe
So I wish to purchase a Wii for a Christmas gift. However, there are problems. Taking up residence in front of Zellers might not be an option, and I don't think I have the necessary funds to negotiate a purchase on eBay, with the scarcity premiums and the "Giant expensive package" traps. I live in Canada, and thus the WiiFinder sites I've found cannot seem to help me. Is there anything I can do to acquire a Wii, or do I have to wait until they can actually be purhchased like any regular consumer product?
As a side note, does anybody have any recommendtations for alternatives if I am unable to get ahold of this elusive console?
As a side note, does anybody have any recommendtations for alternatives if I am unable to get ahold of this elusive console?
wemayfreeze, that Amazon lottery is only for US customers.
posted by solid-one-love at 5:00 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by solid-one-love at 5:00 PM on December 16, 2006
oop! sorry.
posted by wemayfreeze at 5:03 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by wemayfreeze at 5:03 PM on December 16, 2006
Best answer: Both Red Flag Deals and Digital Home Canada have discussion threads regarding Wii availability in Canada.
However, being that it is this close to x-mas and the statement by Nintendo regarding the lowered shipment numbers to North America, I seriously doubt that we'll see a large number of available units before January.
Two co-workers of mine just picked-up both of the 2 available units at a Zellers last night after waiting in line for 9 hours. Apparently, there was about 20 people who were turned away even after being told that there were only two units.
Some of them still waited for hours "just in case". Good luck. Try calling stores and see if you can get lucky.
posted by purephase at 5:11 PM on December 16, 2006
However, being that it is this close to x-mas and the statement by Nintendo regarding the lowered shipment numbers to North America, I seriously doubt that we'll see a large number of available units before January.
Two co-workers of mine just picked-up both of the 2 available units at a Zellers last night after waiting in line for 9 hours. Apparently, there was about 20 people who were turned away even after being told that there were only two units.
Some of them still waited for hours "just in case". Good luck. Try calling stores and see if you can get lucky.
posted by purephase at 5:11 PM on December 16, 2006
There is a rumor on the Amazon forum that wemayfreeze mentioned above that Best Buy stores are holding a bunch for release on the 17th (tomorrow)...
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:14 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:14 PM on December 16, 2006
I have three Wii. Or, rather, have one and have sold the other two. My strategy was simply checking the tracking/discussion sites like PS3/Wiiseeker, but moreover, calling myriad stores like Target and Best Buy the night before each Sunday to determine their shipment numbers and then camping from 2-5 or so am until 8, when they sold.
That's about your only option.
posted by disillusioned at 5:45 PM on December 16, 2006
That's about your only option.
posted by disillusioned at 5:45 PM on December 16, 2006
Best Buys will have 15 min per store tomorrow morning Sunday the 17th. They will hand out tickets an hour before the store opens. This is in the Sunday Ad. I am in Ohio but I believe this is nationwide.
posted by imjosh at 5:57 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by imjosh at 5:57 PM on December 16, 2006
sorry I didn't see that you were in Canada, maybe they will have a similar deal at the Canadian version (Futureshop?)
posted by imjosh at 5:58 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by imjosh at 5:58 PM on December 16, 2006
Pay some kid to wait in line for you. Subcontract the Wii acquisition.
posted by jimmythefish at 6:00 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by jimmythefish at 6:00 PM on December 16, 2006
Response by poster: Thanks all, I'll definitely swing by futureshop tomorrow and check out that "deal"... or maybe I should start waiting in line tonight. Hmm.
posted by tehloki at 6:39 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by tehloki at 6:39 PM on December 16, 2006
I got one on Thursday 'cause my girlfriend was trolling amazon's forums all day, and for short bit Toys R Us had them. Also try slickdeals and fatwallet forums. Good luck!
posted by Mach5 at 6:53 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by Mach5 at 6:53 PM on December 16, 2006
This isn't a guarantee, but amazone is holding a lottery for both the Wii and PS3 this Sunday.
It won't hurt to try.
posted by carpyful at 7:21 PM on December 16, 2006
It won't hurt to try.
posted by carpyful at 7:21 PM on December 16, 2006
carpyful, as I said earlier, that lottery is only for US customers.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:11 PM on December 16, 2006
posted by solid-one-love at 11:11 PM on December 16, 2006
Note that some posts in the RFD thread turned out to be false leads, and that it's possible bad intel is being spread on purpose to get people to line up outside the wrong stores/chains.
Which is both hilarious and disgusting, but may indicate the extent to which people will go to get their hands on a Wii. Contrary to most highly anticipated console launches (though we've only seen a couple in recent years), demand for the Wii appears to have gone up as more non-gamers cop to the console's unique gameplay. In fact, arguably it's harder to get a Wii now than it was at release, which says a lot about your chances of getting one now.
If you can't get a hold of a Wii and your giftee doesn't have a DS Lite, that would seem to be the most convenient and obvious substitute.
posted by chrominance at 11:39 PM on December 16, 2006
Which is both hilarious and disgusting, but may indicate the extent to which people will go to get their hands on a Wii. Contrary to most highly anticipated console launches (though we've only seen a couple in recent years), demand for the Wii appears to have gone up as more non-gamers cop to the console's unique gameplay. In fact, arguably it's harder to get a Wii now than it was at release, which says a lot about your chances of getting one now.
If you can't get a hold of a Wii and your giftee doesn't have a DS Lite, that would seem to be the most convenient and obvious substitute.
posted by chrominance at 11:39 PM on December 16, 2006
How about a handmade coupon "Good for one Wii within 30 days" (i.e. January when it should be a lot easier to find) PLUS "eight hours of my time at a menial task of your choice" (i.e. the time you would need to spend lining up in the cold to obtain said Wii before Christmas, but hopefully indoors and at some job that the giftee would benefit from)?
posted by Gortuk at 7:20 AM on December 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by Gortuk at 7:20 AM on December 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
I lined up at 5:45am outside a Best Buy on a Sunday two weeks ago after reading about 10 forums for a week in order to figure out when there'd be stock worth lining up for. I was #25 of 27 to get a Wii that day. That says nothing about finding an extra controller in stock..
Good luck!
posted by kcm at 9:50 AM on December 17, 2006
Good luck!
posted by kcm at 9:50 AM on December 17, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by wemayfreeze at 4:38 PM on December 16, 2006