Nintendo, realizing that it's losing sales to competing consoles due to high demand and low availability (not to mention hordes of Internet scalpers who snatch the few available systems), is offering a way for you to get a Wii for the holidays. Well, not really. But they do want to sell you a raincheck that you can put under your holiday shrub of choice. In an exclusive arrangement, Gamestop will sell you a Wii voucher that you can redeem for a game system in January. Or you can try your luck at other major retailers this weekend for the real thing (better get up early and dress warm!). If you are looking to score, word is that Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, Sears, Target, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart have all been stockpiling for a weekend blowout.
A few comments: 1) We wouldn't be in this mess if retailers - especially Gamestop! - permitted reservations for consoles and other hot products after they launched (and not just for preorders - take that, eBay poachers!), and 2) what are you going to tell your kids, that the elves are behind on production but Santa gave the spoiled bully down the street an actual Wii while your polite, honest and considerate spawn settles for a lousy IOU? Nice try, but it's not going to dissuade many caring but busy and tired parents (read: can't afford to stand in lines all night, every night, until they succeed) from hitting up eBay in a panic - uh, right about now...
UPDATE (December 17): Predictably, Wiis on eBay saw a huge spike this weekend as a large percentage of the last pre-holiday barrage of consoles went to scalpers instead of shoppers. Perhaps the flood of systems will bring down the average price a bit, but it shows that the retail process is still hugely flawed. It's doubtful scalpers will get as much from vouchers, so this may be a step in the right direction - but until retailers offer post-launch reservations (and they won't until we and the game industry demand it - they don't want the added hassle), we're going to have to continue bidding for our gifts.
A few comments: 1) We wouldn't be in this mess if retailers - especially Gamestop! - permitted reservations for consoles and other hot products after they launched (and not just for preorders - take that, eBay poachers!), and 2) what are you going to tell your kids, that the elves are behind on production but Santa gave the spoiled bully down the street an actual Wii while your polite, honest and considerate spawn settles for a lousy IOU? Nice try, but it's not going to dissuade many caring but busy and tired parents (read: can't afford to stand in lines all night, every night, until they succeed) from hitting up eBay in a panic - uh, right about now...
UPDATE (December 17): Predictably, Wiis on eBay saw a huge spike this weekend as a large percentage of the last pre-holiday barrage of consoles went to scalpers instead of shoppers. Perhaps the flood of systems will bring down the average price a bit, but it shows that the retail process is still hugely flawed. It's doubtful scalpers will get as much from vouchers, so this may be a step in the right direction - but until retailers offer post-launch reservations (and they won't until we and the game industry demand it - they don't want the added hassle), we're going to have to continue bidding for our gifts.
