Toys”R”Us’ website may claim to have Wiis in stock, but as reader Nick discovered yesterday, they don’t. Nick ordered the elusive console first thing yesterday morning, but Toys”R”Us quickly sent an email explaining that the Wii was backordered and unavailable. As of this morning, Toys”R”Us’ website still inexplicably lists the Wiis as “In Stock.”
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Walmart Won't Let You And Your Friend Each Buy A Wii Because You're "Together"
By 4.29.08
Reader Dave said he was shopping with his friend (male) at Walmart, searching for the coveted Nintendo Wii. He was happy to find that Walmart had 7 or 8 of the consoles in stock — enough for both he and his friend to purchase one. Walmart, however, had other ideas. Dave says that Walmart wouldn’t let he and his friend each purchase a Wii because they were “together.” First they’re rationing rice and now men are forced to share their video games? What’s going on in America, folks?
Blockbuster Cancels Your Membership If You Demand A Refund On Unplayable Rentals
By 4.15.08
Andrew is having some trouble with Blockbuster: the 360 and Wii games he rented were unplayable, and the store manager refused to refund his debit card or apply the cost of the unused rentals to a purchase, saying “It’s not store policy.” She even tried to upsell Anrew to their Game Plan, saying, “Five bucks additional wouldn’t have killed you, with what you spent on the games previously.” What? He finally convinced her to credit his debit account—”however, she terminated my ability to rent games from the store” as a consequence. Andrew, don’t you understand? Blockbuster needs that money if they’re ever going to buy Circuit City. Here’s Andrew’s story:
By 3.25.08
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As a way of saying sorry to Guitar Hero III customers whose discs only supported mono sound, software maker Activision is sending out free faceplates to attach to your electronic axe. Not sure if that makes up for the 3-4 weeks people had to wait for a replacement disc, but good on ya, Activision. [Infendo]
Kelly’s Will Rent-To-Own You This Wii For $948
By 2.29.08 — Updated: 1.21.15
Here’s a perfect example of what a ripoff rent-to-own or “lease-purchase” (to use the Kelly’s phrase) arrangements are to the consumer. This $250 Wii console can be yours for only $79 a month, and after 12 months, it’s yours to keep. By that time, you will have paid $948 for it. By comparison, if you charged it to a credit card with 18% interest, you could pay $23 a month and have it paid off after 12 months. Kelly’s offer will cost you $673 more than paying with the credit card.
Guitar Hero For Wii Owners Are Furiously Angry At Having To Mail Their Discs To Activision
By 2.19.08
We’ve been getting a lot of emails lately about Activision and their requirement that people who purchased their defective game send it back and wait a month in order to receive a replacement.
This Wii Baseball Bat Is Not Regulation
By 2.1.08
I found this on Amazon’s video outlet. No wonder it’s on sale.
We’re not, like, Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa or anything, but yeah. Something seems a little off.
Someone From Arkansas Is Selling Wiis For Only $99!!!
By 1.17.08
Quick, type in all of your credit card information before he runs out of inventory! Omgwtf $99 Wiis! The website, http://www.wiifor99.com—which is being advertised on Facebook, according to a reader—consists of the two screens shown above and that’s it. What a lazy con.
Walmart Slaps Down Super Smash Bros. Brawl Pre-Orders
By 1.12.08
Don’t worry avid gamers, Walmart has “received your request to cancel” your pre-ordered copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Oh, you didn’t ask to cancel the order, you say? $19.82 is an amazing price for a $50 game?
By 12.24.07
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Researchers found that playing a Wii doesn’t burn a whole lot more calories per hour than an Xbox, 167 vs 107, respectively. [icWales via The Raw Feed]
Nintendo Officially Disapproves Of "Bundling"
By 12.18.07
Bundling may be a popular tactic retailers employ to force customers to spend more money, but Nintendo of America’s celeb-President Reggie Fils-Aime has come out against it, finally: “Retailers have already been given feedback that we are not big fans of that,” he told Reuters this week. Is the pre-purchase deal with GameStop one way Nintendo is preventing that from happening this December? If anyone actually buys one of those empty DVD cases, let us know if they try to upsell you to a bundle.
By 12.15.07
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“Shoppers who pay the full price of about $249 for an out-of-stock Wii on December 20 and 21 at retailer GameStop Corp will get a certificate promising a Wii ‘sometime in January,'” sez Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime. Only at GameStop, urg. [Reuters]
Wii Stolen From Porch, Amazon Executive Customer Service Replaces For Free
By 12.13.07
I read consumerist everyday and your tips help me procure a Wii for xmas. I had bought one through Amazon, and it was delivered when I wasn’t home. By the time I got home, someone had stolen it off my porch…
By 12.11.07
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The WSJ Holiday Sales Blog says that sales of the PS3 are picking up while Nintendo struggles to meet the demand for the Wii. Sony’s CEO claims that they’ve been selling 200,000 PS3 units a week in the U.S. since Black Friday. [WSJ Holiday Blog]
Confessions Of A Wii, PS3, iPhone Reseller
By 12.10.07
I saw your article on the Wii shortage and in the spirit of the holiday I want to come clean and confess my consumer sins. I am a reseller.
Why Are Nintendo Wiis So Hard To Find?
By 12.9.07
Nintendo thinks depriving potential customers of the coveted Wii is a sound business decision that will ensure its long-term survival. Sure, you want the Wii now, but your passions are fleeting and unreliable. If you can’t wait for Nintendo’s post-holiday production ramp-up, hit the jump and we’ll tell you how we snagged our Wii.
Activision Acknowledges Guitar Hero III Wii Sound Issue, Will Offer Replacement Discs
By 12.7.07
We recently became aware that some consumers have not been able to enjoy the full audio output in the Nintendo Wii version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. We are currently working with Nintendo and are planning to issue an improved audio experience in future versions of the game. We expect to have re-mastered discs available by early 2008 and we will be offering consumers replacement discs at no cost once they become available. We thank all of our customers for their support and patience.
No more rocking in mono, hooray!
The Wii Shortgage Continues, Might End Next Spring
By 11.29.07
Not even Nintendo anticipated how the market would react to the Wii, which is why they’re still hard to find a year after launch, even after Nintendo almost doubled production of the console from 1 million to 1.8 million units a month, writes Wired. “Last week was Nintendo’s best since the Wii’s launch, with 350,000 sold in the United States alone. In comparison, Microsoft sold about that many Xbox 360s last month.”
