Who’s got the remote?
Wii Remotes seem to be just as scarce as Wii Consoles right about now. I have yet to see one in a retail store. Ever. Unless pictures count.
I’ve got a couple of theories on this, if you’ve got the time. One is that people are hoarding them. People are reselling them online for upwards of $75 a piece. Retailers are going to need to limit these to 1 per person or it might be months before anyone can just walk into a store and buy them. A friend told me today that he got a second one by chance at a Toys R Us when there were only two left. He plans to accumulate four of them. I guess that could be what’s happening, everyone wants four of them for their console. The other thing that could be happening, and I hope this is not the case, is Nintendo is holding onto the lion’s share of them since they’re going as a pack-in with Wii Play next month. I may end up getting Wii Play just for the controller. And there you have it: the reasoning behind my suspicion.
Or it could just be that demand is so high direct from Nintendo (the controller still seems to be available through Nintendo’s online store) that they’re spending most of their manufacturing energy on fulfilling those online orders. What do you folks think?
Tags: retail, wii remote
7 Comments »
Leave a comment!
I have been looking for a third Ww-mote for about 3 days with no luck. Another thing that disappeared recently is the point cards.
I definitely think the # 1 reason is high demand.
I think it’s also possible that Nintendo put the breaks on some shipments in order to get the new straps on as many controllers as possible before they hit retail.
And perhaps a little bit of underestimation on Nintendos part combined to create the impossibility that is shopping for a Wii-mote.
I was walking through the shops today and couldn’t help but notice the huge numbers of Wii remotes I was seeing. The only problem I live in Australia so maybe Nintendo is shipping them all here.
If they are readily available on the web site and not in brick and mortar stores, then it’s probably more of a case of high demand than Nintendo employing sinister business practices. I would imagine those Wiimotes slated to be packed with Wii Play (if that ends up being the case in the States) have been marked as such since “birth” and are not being hoarded. Oh, and it would appear all the Wiimotes are in Australia, so… um, go there.
Actually there can also be cases like me. That bought a Wiimote and nunchuck without owning a Wii. Consider it my way of dealing with the lack of Wii.
Also if you want to find it online may I recommend. That you register to nowinstock wii accesories alert.
http://www.nowinstock.net/wiiaccessories/index.php
They send you and email of whenever the wiimote or nunchuck is available online.
This has nothing to do with demand. It’s greed. I’ve seen people buy up half a dozen Wii remotes and I just knew they were going on Ebay. Some cases the cashier asks the person if they have a Wii and the guy says no. Every time I’ve been to the store and see any sort of accessory for the Wii, I come back the next day just to see and it’s always gone. How do 30 classic controllers sell in one day? Ebay. How do 40 remotes sell in just a few hours? Ebay. How do 15 nunchuks sell in half a day? Well because nobody has nunchuks.
I saw 30 classic controllers at one Target and 20 at another on the shelf. On another day I saw less than five but asked and found out that distributed over three targets in my area there was a total of around 40 remotes available. I was told there were a few people buying a little more than multiple.
In fact I HAVE seen the same people at the same stores a few times buying accessories so I know these things are being ebayed a lot.
Do yourselves a favor and buy them off Nintendo’s store. You are guaranteed to get one then.
try play-asia.com … i bought my nunchuck from them, still waiting to arrive though
…