Home › Entertainment › Video Games
Sharp eye, fast reflexes help nab a Wii
RELATED STORIES
More Video Games
- Review: IPod Touch is a great gadget while on the go
- Review: 'Rock Band' is greatest party game ever
- Video game reviews: Dec. 19
MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES
-
ABQTrib.com to remain available
08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008 -
Congressman is indicted
08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Series of attacks target Green Zone
08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Iran is defying U.N., agency says
08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008 -
Waterboarding approval probed
08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008
TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*
- Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
- Is Rome Burning?
- Ominous Skies
- The Road to Invalidation
- Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.
STORY TOOLS
SHARE THIS STORY [?]
Finding Wii games and accessories isn't very hard. Finding a Wii console is a challenge.
Nearly nine months after the November 2006 launch of Nintendo's gaming console, finding one still involves a good measure of luck. And for the gamers, parents and resellers looking for a Wii as Christmas season nears, here's a piece of advice from a Nintendo official: If you see one, buy it.
"There is no guarantee that we are not going to have `out-of-stock' this holiday season," George Harrison, senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications for Nintendo of America, said in a Reuters article. "If you see one, buy it. Don't assume that you can come back later and find one."
It was early June before I saw one in the wild. Within minutes, a Wal-Mart shopper went home a happy customer.
Calls to retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy and CompUSA all get the same response: "Yes, we have no Wiis."
Finding a Wii console requires work. You can surf local ads online at craigslist. Most Wiis are more than $300, which isn't very much above the retail price of $249.99. You can actually order online, but they aren't cheap.
At GameStop, you can order a Wii adventure bundle, or a Wii party bundle. Both include four games, extra controllers and a memory card. All that for the grand total of $484.93, plus tax.
There are four ways to land a Wii here in the Duke City before Christmas:
Do your homework: Talk to retail store employees about shipments. They can tell you when shipments arrive. All you have to do is time it.
Call ahead: With fuel hovering near $3 a gallon, let your fingers do the walking and call the stores frequently. I called the Rio Bravo Wal-Mart and an associate told me five were in stock. Amazingly when I arrived, all five were still there.
Go off the beaten path: The best way to find a rare Wii? Go to places that aren't in heavy traffic areas. It's harder with the usual suspects — retail stores near Coors Boulevard, I-40 and San Mateo Boulevard.
Wait if you can: Nintendo vows to ramp up production. Then again, the company isn't the one telling your loved ones they won't get a Wii for the holidays.
