Wow, funny thread. I can tell you that my Toys R Us store has received two shipments in the last 7 days, and we're recieving another this week, so our shipments have recently increased. This represents all Toys R Us stores, by the way; they ship to all simultaneously, with the occasional exception I'm sure.

I especially like the prediction that the PS3 could (or would) outsell the Wii in March.

Yeah, surely having stock is a good thing. Nothing quite like actually being able to buy the thing you want.

Not that I disagree with you, Ion, but your comment does display how Nintendo can't win for some people. If there were a good portion in stock, people would be yelling "I told you so it's a fad" in every thread on the site. If it's not in stock, then your complaints are valid. 

Personally, I agree with you -- I'm just saying Nintendo can't win :p 

I think the 'out of stock' status works to increase demand for the console considerably because it makes the value or the perceived value of the item seem much higher because EVERYONE wants it.

When people have to line up with 60 or 70 people in order to get a Wii whenever they come in stock in certain places of the country that spreads and it gets the 'i've got to have one, everyones got to have one' kind of following and 'if it's so popular it MUST be good'. It's a very general market / casual market trend which isn't usually seen because gaming and pc part enthusiasts wont continue to wait after a certain point, but the casual and new market laps things like that up.

In Belgium i have the feeling that if you take less ordinary shops you can find one if you really want. Nintendo has even restarted making commercials on the TV.

But i think this is a temporarly effect cause sales are lower during the summer and they have increased production, so we should be seeing the effects now.

yet i don't really care, its however interesting how Nintendo can make so much consoles. Currently there are more Wii's being made then people born!
So demand will take off, eventually ;). (just kidding)

iTracker is not the measuring stick to see how Wiis are selling.

"RetailEmployee" is the measuring stick to see how Wiis are selling.

Why? Because working in the electronics dept. in these low paid jobs creates a healthy frustration with their daily work and they'll be able to tell you what's up based on their expression.

Ask 'em about a never-ending selling system like Wii and the tone of frustration or apathy in their voice as that often repeated word rings once more shows you the speed of sale.

"Excuse me, ma'am but are there any Wiis in stock?"

"*sigh* (grimaced deadpan face with virtually monotone voice) No, we ain't got no Wiis. They're sold out."

"Do you know when they'll get anymore in stock? Day? Time?"

"No sir/ma'am, we just put 'em out. If we got 'em in stock you'll see them in the case."

"When was the last shipment you received?"

"(gleam of irritation and frustration at your persistence) I don't remember sir/ma'am. Maybe 2 days ago. Whenever they send 'em we stock 'em that's all I can tell ya."

"Are they selling THAT well?"

"Yeah, they are. Every time I turn around I get people asking me what you just asked me and I can't tell them anything different. They always go out of stock again in, like, a day sometimes in hours. No matter how many times we stock 'em. I've been opening up the Wii case like crazy for months getting people some game or something out of there. If it ain't that it's that other thing they want...what do they call it?"

"The DS Lite?"

"Yeah that's the name. And I'm like Sir? Ma'am? What you see in that case is all we got. That's all I can tell 'em."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to add on to the aggravation."

"No it's OK sir/ma'am, you didn't know. I've been saying this so long it's like I'm a broken record now. I just switch on to 'No Wii explanation' mode. Just keep checking back and maybe you'll get lucky."

"One last question. Have at least the shipment numbers gotten better, like, more Wiis available at once?"

"Yeah I guess but it doesn't matter most are gone as soon as people walk by. You might see one left in case for the next day but the next day that'll be snapped up too. And then I gotta go into my 'No we ain't got no more Wii' routine until they ship again. I wish they just put an out-of-stock sign up there and get it over with! I get sick of saying the same thing over and over again."

"I apologize. I just can't seem to find it anywhere and just wanted to get some inside knowledge so I can stop all this damn hunting."

"No problem. Just keep checking back. They'll turn up eventually."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. (goes back to daily retail grind with grim waiting-for-the-timeclock face thinking 'I gotta get another job')"

The employee who has to continuously lock and unlock the shoplifting-protective case to retrieve Wiis, Wii games, and Wii accessories will give you the BEST gauge on how the Wii's doing. Especially if that employee knows little about videogames. There's a bit of looking down on people who want those silly toys so she hates her job even more and the frustration comes out in the voice and expression.

Then again you may find the more enthusiastic gamestore/retail employee who'll give you in-depth analysis on how the shipment/sellout thing is going.

But never iTracker. MyEmployee is a better service.

John Lucas 

I don't know about other areas, but I know in the Dallas area they are still next to impossible to find. Since I live in a fairly small apartment with a tiny kitchen and I like to cook, I go to Wal-Mart and Target fairly often to buy ingredients. I also go buy Gamestop pretty often (since it's connected to Starbuck's) and just browse. Since the night of the launch, I have seen Wii's on shelves a total of three times.

The first was at Gamestop late in the afternoon about a month ago. I was talking to the employee and he eventually asked if I had a Wii and if not if I would like to buy one. They got a shipment in that day (and a good sized one at that) and they still had one left. They weren't actually putting them on the shelves but rather just keeping them for when people actually ask if they have any Wii's in stock (no idea why). I didn't check back but I'm sure it was sold fairly quickly.

The next one was later that week actually when I was at Wal-Mart and saw two Wii's in their game display case. That was at about 4 and I had to go back a few hours later since I forgot a few things and they were both gone.

The last time was about two weeks ago when I was at a Movie Trading Company and they had a used one. I haven't been back since but I'm assuming that it's gone too.


So I'm guessing there's still a pretty decent demand for the Wii, at least in the Dallas area. Just like the others said, this really isn't a good or bad thing. It still makes people think that the Wii is this super valuable item but it also frustrates people that really want a Wii and can't find one.

Is there any way you'll make another prediction about the PS3 outperforming the Wii? Like say that in December of 2007 the PS3 will outsell the Wii because the Wii will be sold out throughout the year and during the holiday season they'll continue to be huge piles of PS3s everywhere for people to buy.  Or maybe you can predict that next month the Wii will be available everywhere or stay on shelves for days at a time because demand is dropping.

You're here for our entertainment, right?

Within Holland = still sold out. On every website I've checked there's not a WII available.

Games are ridiculous expensive here. Checked websites, games here are 60 Euro = about 80USD.... a piece!!! They're really out of their minds! With Japanese import I've got almost 2 of them.

itrackr is HORRIBLY innacurate. I tried to use it to get my Wii a few months back, and every time it told me Wiis were in stock in a store I would go check and the retailer would say "no... we won't have Wiis till XXXX".