Topic: The Insanity Begins Again....Where can I still buy a Wii U?

[BranDonk Kong]

They don't set the price - they SUGGEST the price, based on what they sell it to retailers for. Just like a bag of chips will have an MSRP, but the store may sell it for less.

[UncleBob]

I didn't say Nintendo can force them to sell it at that price[...]

[...]refused to let Amazon sell the system at a discount[...]

[TJ Spyke]

Way to selectively quote me, you could be a politician. LOL. I clarified what I meant.

[UncleBob]

So, according to you, based off of what I'm betting you read on some random internet forum with no reliable sources, Amazon won't sell Nintendo products because Nintendo doesn't give them special discounts that they supposedly give the LARGEST RETAILER IN THE WORLD that likely orders in much larger quantities.  or something.

[BranDonk Kong]

Wal-Mart could sell Amazon in their store if they wanted to. Wal-Mart will rape you if you don't give them a .5 cent (as in half a penny) discount, and put your company out of business. Amazon doesn't have that same power, especially now that they are basically eBay.

[UncleBob]

Exactly.  As big as Amazon is, Walmart is still #1 (Amazon is #15 I think) and is bigger than the next five largest retailers (#2-6, for those counting) COMBINED.

TJ's story makes little sense - and if it's true that Amazon was demanding parity with a chain that has sales more than ten times what it does... well, Amazon was pretty darn stupid.

[BranDonk Kong]

You're replying too quickly, give him time to find obscure forum posts...

[TJ Spyke]

I can find the sources if I looked, but that is basically what happened. Amazon wanted the same treatment as Walmart, and Nintendo bulked, so Amazon decided to stop selling Nintendo hardware. If/when Wii U becomes a huge seller, Amazon will probably swallow their pride and order units from Nintendo.

[NWR_insanolord]

Nintendo needs Amazon a lot more than Amazon needs Nintendo.

[BranDonk Kong]

I don't think there's a person alive that has to use Amazon exclusively. The 3DS is doing fine without Amazon.

[lolmonade]

I love it.  Less than a day old and 2 pages long, and this thread has already derailed into a bicker-fest on what Nintendo can and can't force retailers to do with pricing, and whether or not TJ Spyke is deliberately backpedaling on his comments or is completely unaware of his conflicting statements.

I guess since there are limited answers to the actual thread subject, then there isn't necessarily a reason to try to keep on topic.

Stay classy, NWR forums.

[NWR_insanolord]

Neither one of them needs the other that badly, which is why it's gone as long as it has. It's only really a problem right now because of the lack of preorders, since you can buy a 3DS through Amazon from a third party and it even supports Amazon Prime, and if that holds true with the Wii U post-release then both sides may keep it this way indefinitely.

[UncleBob]

I can find the sources if I looked,

Please do.

[Mannypon]

Well, to get this thread back on track, I'd like to throw this out there.  I would advise everyone go to an FYE or similar stores and look for preorders there.  Most people never seem to go there right off the bat so you might luck out.  That's always been my go-to place when I've exhausted all other outlets.  Now I will mention though that their allocations are usually insanely small so act quick and don't put all your eggs in that basket (given allocations are low, you might miss out on the initial delivery and have to wait for another shipment). 

[MegaByte]

I especially like the part where the official Nintendo Wii U pre-order link list is still coming soon and everybody's already sold out.

[leahsdad]

Damn stupid girl at Best Buy.  So I drove over there only to find out that the girl I talked to on the phone was wrong, they are not taking in-store/in-person preorders for the Wii U yet.  Now, whether that means they'll start taking preorders at a future time, or if they will never take preorders in-store, I have no idea.   Does Best Buy take preorders for console launches?   

I also drove over to Target and Kmart.   They also are not taking preorders, though the clerks there don't know if they'll take preorders in the future or if they just won't until launch.

Anyone else had any luck?   It seems that other than online stores or online sites for physical stores, only Gamestop was taking in-person, walk-in preorders, and they're all gone.

And why is this craziness happening?   With all the sour faces and finger wagging at the Wii U, I did not expect things to explode like this.  It has been less than 72 hours people!  Less than 72 hours after the Nintendo Direct!   Are initial allotments super low, or are the Wii-Bowling grandmas back in force?

I love it.  Less than a day old and 2 pages long, and this thread has already derailed into a bicker-fest on what Nintendo can and can't force retailers to do with pricing, and whether or not TJ Spyke is deliberately backpedaling on his comments or is completely unaware of his conflicting statements.

I guess since there are limited answers to the actual thread subject, then there isn't necessarily a reason to try to keep on topic.

Stay classy, NWR forums.

You know, I believe it was Winston Churchill who once said:   "The NWR Forums are the absolutely worst Nintendo-focused video game forums on the internet....except for all the other ones."

[ShyGuy]

So here was my Saturday, I went looking for the WiiU Pre-order at the brick and mortar rather than online:

Gamestop: Out of the Black, only White remain. Not getting any more Blacks. NEXT!

Wal-Mart: No, we don't have any pre-orders for the Wii U.

Hastings: No, but we did get an email about the Wii U this week. Check back.

Fred Meyer: No, we don't have anything for pre-orders, sorry.

Best Buy: Score! One Black Wii U please. Here is my five dollars. They just started taking pre-oders  I was the sixth preorder today. Probably going to have a midnight launch, check back for details.

Didn't have to check: Target, Shopko. K-Mart, Sears.

[ShyGuy]

LeahsDad: What they did at my Best Buy is there was a large vertical touch screen on one of the end caps. The sales clerk punch in Wii U and selected the black one (A customer could use this kiosk too) and it printed out a receipt. I took this receipt to a check stand and paid five dollars. I now have the pre-order.

[leahsdad]

LeahsDad: What they did at my Best Buy is there was a large vertical touch screen on one of the end caps. The sales clerk punch in Wii U and selected the black one (A customer could use this kiosk too) and it printed out a receipt. I took this receipt to a check stand and paid five dollars. I now have the pre-order.

ARRGH!   Yeah, I didn't get pushy or spend too much time with the sales girl because I was there with my wife and kids.    I'm going to have to go back tomorrow first thing in the morning.   

I admit that I don't shop at Best Buy often, but I've never seen this kiosk thing.   I'm in Los Angeles, CA.   You're not writing from some Canadian Best Buy, are you?  You know, where wishes are horses and all your dreams come true?   I must be sure!

[BlackNMild2k1]

I can find the sources if I looked...

Let me help you get started

www.wikipedia.org


  : :

[leahsdad]

I can say, albeit not with 100% confidence, that I got my preorder.   I ended up going with PC Richard and Son, whose website is here.

Now, I've never heard of this site or retailer before a few months ago, but apparently they are a large east coast chain retailer specializing in electronics.  I ordered my 3DS XL from them, because Amazon wasn't selling them, for all the reasons we've already covered in this thread. 

I say "not with 100% confidence" because I don't know if their site (which looks very professional) is updated in real time, i.e. their product page turns into "out of stock" when they run through all their preorders.  I figure I'll find out by Monday when their stock manager or whoever rolls into work and checks their online orders.

But I had no problem getting my 3DS XL from them, and while that didn't arrive as quickly as I would have liked (took about 7 business days), that was free shipping.  They're charging me 9 bucks shipping for the Wii U Black, but then again, since their east coast, they're not charging me sales tax (which starting today in California, Amazon would if they weren't giving Nintendo the silent treatment).

At least now I won't have to tell my wife in the morning "yeah honey, I'm going to run over to Best Buy real fast to convince some sales girl to take my money for a video game system I won't see for 2 months.  Have fun with the kids for an hour, okay?"

[Caterkiller]

LA Ca Leahsdad? What Best Buy did you try and shop at? Were you at the Wii launch party at Universal City Walk? Man if you didn't get one I know my idiot brother is out of luck. Told him to do it day one that ragamuffin.


Oh and yes the Bowling Grandmas are back, same with the Golfing Grandpas and just when we thought it was safe too!


It really is amazing how fast the preorders are going considering all the doom and gloom. Nov 17th even Broodwars will post in here desperately trying to buy one.

[leahsdad]

LA Ca Leahsdad? What Best Buy did you try and shop at? Were you at the Wii launch party at Universal City Walk? Man if you didn't get one I know my idiot brother is out of luck. Told him to do it day one that ragamuffin.

Yup, LA CA.  The Best Buy in West Hollywood, next to the Target and the Gamestop (which was how I checked up on those stores in one go).   I hate shopping, and especially hate going to stores.   That's why I'm glad I found a place online that won't charge me sales tax.   

And as much as I would love to go to these Midnight Launch parties (I really, really would), I've got 2 jobs, 2 kids and a a very non-gamer wife, so they're not an option for me.  Aah....to be young and single again.   

[BlackNMild2k1]

It really is amazing how fast the preorders are going considering all the doom and gloom. Nov 17th even Broodwars will post in here desperately trying to buy one.

I hope this means that they have a HUGE supply of (black) systems in production and that Pre-Orders are just really really high, and not that they only planned for a limited launch and pre-orders have already exhausted that limited supply.

[MysticGohan]

anyone hear anything if or when Gamestop will be taking pre-orders of the premium Wii U? I wanna upgrade asap.