You can't get a Wii 'cause Best Buy won't sell them to ya

[Zeus]

Even though they have them in stock, they're being held back for the last week of Xmas (Dec 17) as part of their pre-Xmas push

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_ ... id=6163184

This just is weird to me. They're going to sell them one way or another, why not get your money now? Think you'll gain more customers by having all your stores with stock at the same time? What about those you lose to other stores not hording the systems? And what about the backlash once this gets out?

Sounds like a bad business decision to me

[Kupek]

Probably so they can lure in more customers close to Christmas by screaming "We have Wiis!". I don't think that's a good strategy, but it's the only rational defense I can think of.

[Flip]

That is certainly it, they assume if they have one of the season's most popular items closer to the season you will get sucked in and buy other stuff while you are there since you cant procrastinate any longer.

[Julius Seeker]

Makes no sense, the day they open up sales, BOOM, they're gone. Unless they release them throughout the week a few at a time. Futureshop has been doing that all along here. People line up to get a Wii, they give them numbers as they come in the store and go to the desk (they lose them if they leave). Though they do not announce if they have a shipment in until Noon, the store opens at 9:00 =P

[Zeus]

Regretably, I'm agreeing with Seek on this one. People have been ankerin' for the system since it came out. They're going to come into your store to get it and, by extension, be looking around while they're there as much as they would when it's the week before Xmas. No real benefit, IMO.

UNLESS, they're thinking that there are THAT many people doin' last minute shopping that it's worth it to bring them in then than before. Does the last week before Xmas have THAT much more action than the two previous weeks? I don't know about you guys, but I'm basically done shopping and have been for a while.

[Julius Seeker]

Regretably, I'm agreeing with Seek on this one.

What the hell? Do you ENJOY arguing with me? =P

[Kupek]

I'm not arguing that it will <i>work</i>, I'm just saying it's probably their rationale. And one thing you didn't consider is that right now, the people who would buy a Wii are the same people who want to play it. If they can't get a Wii, they walk out of the store. Closer to Christmas, people who buy a Wii will buy one for someone else, likely their kid. And if they can't get a Wii, they'll buy something else because they need to give Johnny <i>something</i> for Christmas.

Again, I wouldn't do it like this, but I think their reasons are obvious.

[Zeus]

I'm not arguing that it will <i>work</i>, I'm just saying it's probably their rationale. And one thing you didn't consider is that right now, the people who would buy a Wii are the same people who want to play it. If they can't get a Wii, they walk out of the store. Closer to Christmas, people who buy a Wii will buy one for someone else, likely their kid. And if they can't get a Wii, they'll buy something else because they need to give Johnny <i>something</i> for Christmas.

Again, I wouldn't do it like this, but I think their reasons are obvious.

THAT many last minute shoppers? And there are just as many gamers looking for it next week as the last 3 weeks.

Again, I can see their reasoning, but I need to see how it works for them to see if they're truly right. I just think there's as many negatives as positives regarding actions like that.

Also, I've NEVER heard of a company not wanting their money NOW if they know they can get it

[Kupek]

I think there probably are that many last minute shoppers. Give people a deadline, and they'll often finish just before it.

[Julius Seeker]

I'm not arguing that it will <i>work</i>, I'm just saying it's probably their rationale. And one thing you didn't consider is that right now, the people who would buy a Wii are the same people who want to play it. If they can't get a Wii, they walk out of the store. Closer to Christmas, people who buy a Wii will buy one for someone else, likely their kid. And if they can't get a Wii, they'll buy something else because they need to give Johnny <i>something</i> for Christmas.

Again, I wouldn't do it like this, but I think their reasons are obvious.

I agree with you actually. Futureshop, is actually a subsidary of Best Buy, and they are already doing as I described above.

[Zhuge Liang3]

Got up at 5AM this morning, visited 3 best buys, 3 eb's, 2 gamestops, 2 circuit cities, and 2 targets. All of them had lines exceeding their allotment of wii consoles. So I didn't get one, and neither did a bunch of people who stood in line since 3 or 4AM. I guess that's one drawback of living in silicon valley. Nintendo seems to be having a pretty good season.

Alan

[Tessian]

this whole thing is ridiculous-- I want a wii but I ain't going through this shit. I'll wait till after Christmas.

[Zeus]

yeah, it's pretty insane. I was lucky that my friend's EB was one of the last places people went to (we have 2 Walmarts, 2 Futureshops, a Zellers, a Best Buy, a Toys 'R Us, and 3 EBs for 300,000 people) so it wasn't that bad for me to get one. But a month later and still insane lines even though they've got a million + units in North America? I'm interested to see what kind of lines they have in January...