Nintendo Wii Preorder Strategy

Sold Out - two words every gamer dreads when searching for their beloved next generation console...  Well it seems like yesterday when everyone was scampering around trying to locate a Xbox 360 during the 2005 launch shortage.  The Nintendo Wii should be in better supply, but due to the simple phenomenon known as supply and demand, there will certainly not be enough units to go around. So what is an anxious Nintendo gamer to do?  Well, a good plan of attack is understanding where pre-orders may/may not exist and doing your best to jump when the opportunity is available. Certainly information is your best ally when looking to get your hands on a hot holiday product.  Not only are you competing with hard core gamers, but also the crazed mother who will go to the end of the earth to get little Johnny his Wii (now that still just doesn't sound right... but I digress...).  I kid you not, when I was in line for the Xbox 360, there were more mothers than gamers.  These moms where the ones that got in fights in school, you know, the ones where no rules applied - biting, scratching, ripping... etc...  The other set of competition are the greedy eBay bastards.  Thanks again to supply and demand during the holidays, these entrepreneurial folk can make a small fortune while you sit at home with your purple GameCube - replaying Zelda and telling yourself that you'll pick one up when the dust settles.  So the competition is tough as nails, and you can throw all the rules of society and law out the window. So you have to have a plan, a back up plan, and a back up to the back up plan...

Beware the Soccer Mom!

So certainly you can break down the pre-orders into two groups:

• Brick and mortar retail stores
• Web

Brick and Mortar Pre-order Strategy

First, find out which stores will offer pre-orders.  Typically EBgames / Gamestop will be offering pre-orders.  Another known store is FYE.  If you know of other stores please send your feedback below.  Typically big retailers like BestBuy, Circuit City, Target, ToysRus etc. shy away from pre-orders at their physical stores, instead favoring the first come, first server method on launch day.

With EBgames/Gamestop (or really any store), it is always a good strategy to get to know the employees or manager(s) who have detailed information about their pre-order process and list.  Even though it is not ethical, you will often get bumped up the list if you pre-order extra games/controllers.  Get to know the employees/manager EARLY, and don't be afraid to ask the manager!  Come the holiday time, these employees and managers will be getting pegged with pre-order/availability questions, so get to them early before they start blowing you and all those soccer mom's questions off.

Web Pre-Order Strategy

Speed is key if you want to pre-order your Nintendo Wii console on the web.  In late September, Amazon had pre-orders available for about 4 hours.  This was subsequently shut down, as word spread across the internet and the initial units were all spoken for.  Web sites that will most likely offer pre-orders include:

• Amazon
• Costco
• SamsClub
• Walmart

Some of these sites offer the option to sign up for an email newsletter.  Go ahead and sign up if available as they will sometimes tip you off to when the pre-orders become available.

Good luck with your quest and before you know it you'll be wii-moting!

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