Topic: Wii Out of Stock at Multiple Online Retailers

[Penguin_Of_Thyme]

The Wii is not in stock at major internet retailers such as GameStop.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/31180

Update: Wii is back in stock at the websites for Target and Best Buy.

Brand new Wii consoles are currently not in stock at a number of popular online retailers including Best Buy and GameStop.

On the websites for Target and GameStop, the Wii is listed as backordered, and Best Buy has disabled the shipping option for Nintendo’s home console. However, all three retailers show the Wii as in stock at the majority of their brick and mortar stores.

New Wii consoles are also not available directly from Amazon. Orders for the Wii can still be made at Amazon, but other retailers are fulfilling them.

Since last October, Nintendo has bundled the Wii console with New Super Mario Bros. Wii and a Super Mario Galaxy music CD for a retail price of $149.99. The Wii's recent lack of stock could be sign that this holiday bundle as Nintendo described it upon release may be in it's final days. The Wii sold nearly 95,000 systems last month. In June 2011, the Wii sold 273,000 units after a May price drop. Nintendo World Report will continue to keep on eye on the situation.

[Pixelated Pixies]

That's kind of funny. It's circular in a way. When the Wii was first released it was out of stock everywhere so it's only fitting that it would go out as it came in.
 
Go bravely into that good night Wii.

[leahsdad]

That's kind of funny. It's circular in a way. When the Wii was first released it was out of stock everywhere so it's only fitting that it would go out as it came in.
 
Go bravely into that good night Wii.

That's too bad.  I'm guessing that maybe they've slowed production, to phase out the Wii and avoid confusion on store shelves once Wii U hits.

Wii, rage, rage against the dying of the light.

[Ceric]

Someone with a longer memory then I remind me how the other consoles went. Looks like Nintendo had stopped Wii production and trying to bleed inventory without having to cut what they charge for the Wii.

[lolmonade]

That's kind of funny. It's circular in a way. When the Wii was first released it was out of stock everywhere so it's only fitting that it would go out as it came in.
 
Go bravely into that good night Wii.

That's too bad.  I'm guessing that maybe they've slowed production, to phase out the Wii and avoid confusion on store shelves once Wii U hits.

Wii, rage, rage against the dying of the light.

That's what i'd also assume.  I'm also guessing we'll shortly see stacks of Wii's in store for a clearance price of $99.99

[broodwars]

Yeah, I have a feeling that these online retailers have just not been ordering Wiis for a while because they bought a ton of them earlier in the Wii's life cycle when the console was much stronger.  Now they've finally sold through their inventory, and I expect in the future they'll be sold out more often as they order smaller shipments.

[geo]

Are they going to go the way of Microsoft and totally and immediately kill off Wii in an attempt to bolster sales of Wii U, or will they go the way of Sony and have the Wii be a steady source of income at a 99.99 price range for the next 3+ years? 

I'd bet on the Sony method, personally.

[broodwars]

Are they going to go the way of Microsoft and totally and immediately kill off Wii in an attempt to bolster sales of Wii U, or will they go the way of Sony and have the Wii be a steady source of income at a 99.99 price range for the next 3+ years? 

I'd bet on the Sony method, personally.

Considering the number of Wii games we've seen released over the past few years from Nintendo, I think it's pretty clear it'll be just like the GameCube's life cycle: once the Wii U is out, the Wii is done (if it isn't "done" already).  I haven't seen Nintendo support a console after its successor was out since the SNES, though on the handheld side they've still released DS games after the 3DS released.  Though in that case, it's probably because the 3DS had such a rough launch period.

[Ceric]

Are they going to go the way of Microsoft and totally and immediately kill off Wii in an attempt to bolster sales of Wii U, or will they go the way of Sony and have the Wii be a steady source of income at a 99.99 price range for the next 3+ years? 

I'd bet on the Sony method, personally.

Considering the number of Wii games we've seen released over the past few years from Nintendo, I think it's pretty clear it'll be just like the GameCube's life cycle: once the Wii U is out, the Wii is done (if it isn't "done" already).  I haven't seen Nintendo support a console after its successor was out since the SNES, though on the handheld side they've still released DS games after the 3DS released.  Though in that case, it's probably because the 3DS had such a rough launch period.

Not to mention DS games sells were still pretty darn good when the 3DS came out. It was just time for a successor.

[Fatty The Hutt]

It's like 2006 all over again!
Only without the enthusiasm 

[TJ Spyke]

Are they going to go the way of Microsoft and totally and immediately kill off Wii in an attempt to bolster sales of Wii U, or will they go the way of Sony and have the Wii be a steady source of income at a 99.99 price range for the next 3+ years? 

I'd bet on the Sony method, personally.

Microsoft did not cut the Xbox off to boost sales of the Xbox 360, they did it (and several months before 360 even came out) because they were losing money on every Xbox sold and wanted to cut their losses.

[Chozo Ghost]

phase out the Wii and avoid confusion on store shelves once Wii U hits.

Definitely a smart move considering how similar the two systems are in both name and appearance. Its probably best that they don't sit together side by side on store shelves, because people will be confused. I made a thread on this topic awhile back.

[pololmejor]

It's almost seems like the Wii isn't a current generation console anymore.

[Mop it up]

Does anyone know if they still produce the Mario Kart Wii bundle? My sister wants one.

[Spak-Spang]

The thing is Wii U is backwards compatible with the Wii...so you really don't need the Wii on the market to add to confusion. 


Release the Wii U and slowly get all Wii units off the shelf.  Let the Wii U be the new Wii...you don't really see Apple promoting older generation hardware too often.  I think it will be like that.


If the Wii U was not backwards compatible it would be a very different story.

[joshnickerson]

We'll probably see one last push for Christmas... probably have like a $99 bundle with Super Mario Galaxy or Donkey Kong Country Returns.

[lolmonade]

We'll probably see one last push for Christmas... probably have like a $99 bundle with Super Mario Galaxy or Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Respectfully disagree.  The Wii U will be out during the holidays, and I doubt most retailers want to be carrying the old AND new Nintendo systems at the same time, especially with such a similar name and limited shelf real estate.

I would guess the retailers are trying to deplete their Wii stock completely now (I would expect their current stock to go for $99, not another bundle type, but i'm no expert).

[tendoboy1984]

Are they going to go the way of Microsoft and totally and immediately kill off Wii in an attempt to bolster sales of Wii U, or will they go the way of Sony and have the Wii be a steady source of income at a 99.99 price range for the next 3+ years? 

I'd bet on the Sony method, personally.

Considering the number of Wii games we've seen released over the past few years from Nintendo, I think it's pretty clear it'll be just like the GameCube's life cycle: once the Wii U is out, the Wii is done (if it isn't "done" already).  I haven't seen Nintendo support a console after its successor was out since the SNES, though on the handheld side they've still released DS games after the 3DS released.  Though in that case, it's probably because the 3DS had such a rough launch period.

Nintendo still made Game Boy (monochrome) games after the Game Boy Color came out, even going so far as to make "dual" versions of games that could be played in either monochrome or color.


They also still made GBA games for a couple years after the DS came out.


And we all know how the NES received support up until 1994, years after the SNES was launched.


So Nintendo does have a history of supporting older platforms after a successor is released.

[GrabMyBoomstick]

That's interesting for sure. I got a urge to swap my white laungh Wii for a black one about a year and a half ago when the last bundle that still had backwards compatibility released (the one that included Mario Kart Wii). Kind of glad I picked it up when I did since soon afterwards Nintendo stop producing Wii's that has the backwards compatibility. I actually lucked out and got the MK bundle sku for like $120 at Wal-Mart. They were running some sale I guess to make room for the NSMB bundle. I wouldn't be surprised if Wii's become increasingly difficult to find over the course of the next year.

[smallsharkbigbite]

Microsoft did not cut the Xbox off to boost sales of the Xbox 360, they did it (and several months before 360 even came out) because they were losing money on every Xbox sold and wanted to cut their losses.

Microsoft used the xbox to gain marketshare.  They knew it was going to be a money pit and weren't planning on making money that iteration. 
Microsoft had a spat with Nvidia and couldn't get new video chips after 8/2005.  Thus they were unable to produce any new systems without a major redesign with a new chip.  They chose to just push the 360 through production as fast as possible leading to the RROD issue. 

Spak-Spang
The thing is Wii U is backwards compatible with the Wii...so you really don't need the Wii on the market to add to confusion.

I disagree.  The Wii could easily be had for $100 last holiday season.  The Wii-U lowest rumored price is $300.  The Wii-U will have a limited selection and few cheap games when it launches.  The Wii (despite the drought) has a bunch of games that are good and low priced.  There are lots of reasons to buy a $100 Wii instead of a $300 Wii-U and one is you don't spend $300 on a system that doesn't have games that you don't want just because it exists. 


I also don't get the market confusion thing.  How many Ipad and Iphones are there?  Consumers are used to different iterations.  And if they weren't, they surely will ask an employee why the $100 Wii is cheaper than the $300 Wii-U. 


From a financial perspective there are benefits since Nintendo needs to sell their new model to get games to be profitable on their new system.  They also should make a bigger margin on the Wii-U than selling a Wii unit. 

But they'll have to be careful about losing the budget minded consumer.  The Wii is the budget console right now.  When the Wii-U comes out it will certainly cost more than the PS3 and 360.  Having the Wii available still allows them to pick up the market where cost is still the biggest factor. 

[Ceric]

The big argument in this thread is that Nintendo has done it for the Handhelds and NES.

Nintendo's Handheld bar none were Really popular and still selling well when they introduced a new one.  Same with the NES.

You can't say that for the Wii.  Its been on a death spiral for over a year and a half.  That well is tapped.  I know it, Nintendo knows it, and if you think about it you know it as well.  There is enough inventory in the wild to satiate any latent demand for the Wii.  Moving on to the WiiU is the right choice.

[lolmonade]

I disagree.  The Wii could easily be had for $100 last holiday season.

In some ways I understand your reasoning, but I'm thinking that the main reason Wii's sales are plummeting are more to do with market saturation than being at the correct price point. 
 
Realistically, anyone who is truly seeking out a Wii at this point and is put off by the $150 price has options to get it at a sub-$100 price point (I think both Gamestop and local places in my area are selling their used systems at a $75 price point).  I think $99 price point may boost sales to an extent for people not aware of the used market, but I also think most of these people who are actually wanting a Wii at this point wouldn't have been put off at a $50 price difference. 
 
IMO, these retailers want to get rid of their Wii stock so they can 1) make room for the Wii U and 2) make sure there aren't two products on their shelves with similar names and physical attributes, causing potential confusion with them.

[Penguin_Of_Thyme]

Just put update. Both Target and Best Buy have the Wii in stock on their websites. Best Buy says it should only take 1 business day for the console to leave their warehouse.

[smallsharkbigbite]

Just put update. Both Target and Best Buy have the Wii in stock on their websites. Best Buy says it should only take 1 business day for the console to leave their warehouse.

Way to ruin the thread of our endless speculation. 


Lolmonade, I'm not going to argue.  There are good reasons to keep making the Wii and good reasons to cut it off.  They have a marketing deparment that makes a good deal more than me to make the decision and has better marketing data than I could dream of having. 
I think the issue is there aren't enough new games which leads to a lack of demand for the system rather than market saturation.  Still, http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/25/nintendo-earnings-idINT9E8I900020120725, 710,000 for typically the slowest quarter of the year isn't that bad for a console 6 years old with an announced successor on the way. 

[Ian Sane]

Anytime a system continues to exist after its successor is out it's always because it continues to have games released on it.  The N64 and Gamecube disappeared pretty quickly because there were no games for it.  I can't think of any first party N64 game that came out after the Cube launched and the only post-Wii first party Cube game I can think of is Twilight Princess which is kind of different than a typical title.  With those systems the releases dried up before the next system even came out as that is exactly what is happening with the Wii.  For what purpose should Nintendo attempt to sell Wii's after the Wii U comes out if there are no new Wii games being made?  Any time they've tried to do that they have made an effort to create new content and they are not going to do that here.  Surely if the Wii had some new game on the horizon they would have been shown at E3.  The Wii is DONE.