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Nintendo Refutes Wii Shortage

Posted: March 31st, 2007, 9:52
by News Reader
Image Nintendo Refutes Wii Shortage
Nintendo has responded to accusations leveled against it earlier this week by GameStop, saying that Wii shortages are due to demand. Nintendo's George Harrison told Next-Gen.biz in a phone interview that "That's not at all the case. We have worldwide territories that are all competing over the available production. The Japan and European markets are doing extremely well with the Wii. People in Japan at NCL [Nintendo Co. Ltd.] are making the best decisions that they can about which products get shipped to which market and when." An EU marketing director is also quoted at GamesIndustry.biz responding to criticism about the lack of new Wii titles, as well as the supply shortage. Nintendo's Laurent Fischer asserts that the company has a 'release it when it's ready' attitude, and that they'll release products when they meet the company's standards.

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Author: Zonk
Category: nintendo
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Source: Slashdot: Games
Description: News for nerds, stuff that matters
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Posted: March 31st, 2007, 10:14
by Dog Pants
Well I've still not found one in the shops, five months after release. I'm getting to the stage where I'm thinking of what else I could spend the money on.

Posted: March 31st, 2007, 22:22
by Woo Elephant Yeah
Hmm, wonder what the deal is on buying a Wii in the U.S.A, are they region free or not.

I'd pick one up for you if they were going cheap!

Posted: April 1st, 2007, 9:35
by Dog Pants
Ooh, that might be good. I'll do some investimagating once I've come back from Tesco.

Posted: April 1st, 2007, 11:50
by tandino
IIRC, Wiis are indeed region locked. A lot of people on an alternative, dull gaming forum were considering getting a US or Japanese Wii due to the availability of Virtual Console games previously unreleased in the UK.

A brief search backs this up, <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3155597">clicky</a>. You can use your foreign Mii's on a different region's console though.

Posted: April 1st, 2007, 21:24
by FatherJack
tandino wrote:the availability of Virtual Console games previously unreleased in the UK.
Which? I think I've seen most of them. The TG16 and NES ones are a bit plop, but like the SNES ones still quite appealling as I never owned the originals.

I bought 3000 Wii points, but have only grabbed the SNES Zelda so far. Actually it's a bit annoying, so I don't know what I'll spend the rest on.

Posted: April 1st, 2007, 23:34
by tandino
FatherJack wrote: Which? I think I've seen most of them. The TG16 and NES ones are a bit plop, but like the SNES ones still quite appealling as I never owned the originals.

I bought 3000 Wii points, but have only grabbed the SNES Zelda so far. Actually it's a bit annoying, so I don't know what I'll spend the rest on.
It's primarily games that were never released over here the first time around that still won't be getting a VC release. I think Nintendo deemed it too much hassle to have to translate titles etc. List of the different regions and their titles <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vi ... s">here</a>.

Posted: April 2nd, 2007, 0:07
by FatherJack
Dog Pants wrote:Well I've still not found one in the shops, five months after release. I'm getting to the stage where I'm thinking of what else I could spend the money on.
Just holding on to the money won't get you one. Try a few shops, particularly ones like Argos and Woolies where a couple of us managed to get them after they had sold out on Play and Amazon (largely because gamers tend to scoff at them, since they sell everything at RRP). Ask them about waiting lists, expected delivery times, hand over the money, get in the queue and wait.

I was reticent dealing with Argos, particularly as they took my money straight away, but they delivered the goods. Paying RRP is just fine in this case, particularly looking at what the fucking thieves are charging on Amazon Marketplace and Play Trade.

Posted: April 2nd, 2007, 7:08
by Dog Pants
FatherJack wrote: Just holding on to the money won't get you one. Try a few shops, particularly ones like Argos and Woolies where a couple of us managed to get them after they had sold out on Play and Amazon (largely because gamers tend to scoff at them, since they sell everything at RRP). Ask them about waiting lists, expected delivery times, hand over the money, get in the queue and wait.

I was reticent dealing with Argos, particularly as they took my money straight away, but they delivered the goods. Paying RRP is just fine in this case, particularly looking at what the fucking thieves are charging on Amazon Marketplace and Play Trade.
Thing is, I'm not actually that bothered about one. Why should I be having to go on a waiting list so long after release? It was sort of an impulse buy that's taken a long time about being bought, but the impulse is fading fast.

Posted: April 2nd, 2007, 9:57
by eion
I've seen a few in the shops here - I have absolutely zero interest in getting one though.

Posted: April 2nd, 2007, 10:16
by FatherJack
Dog Pants wrote:Thing is, I'm not actually that bothered about one. Why should I be having to go on a waiting list so long after release? It was sort of an impulse buy that's taken a long time about being bought, but the impulse is fading fast.
Well, you shouldn't have to. They suck at making enough. I was only thinking that I'd have spent the money at least five times over.

Still worth waiting until there's a better selection of games, anyway. Like Mario: Virtua Plumber.

Posted: April 11th, 2007, 10:30
by FatherJack
amazon.de seem to have them, 250 euros. (£167)

Don't know about how to get it shipped internationally, as mein Deutsch ist sheisse.

Posted: July 1st, 2007, 10:08
by cheeseandham
FatherJack wrote:amazon.de seem to have them, 250 euros. (£167)

Don't know about how to get it shipped internationally, as mein Deutsch ist sheisse.
Post about this by fabyak
Mine was a German one (via Ebay rather than Amazon). There's no problem other than the European plug (and occasionally I come into the living room and find beach-towels on my chairs)

Posted: July 1st, 2007, 13:19
by Dog Pants
cheeseandham wrote:(and occasionally I come into the living room and find beach-towels on my chairs)
Pfffft

Posted: July 2nd, 2007, 1:18
by FatherJack
Someone was asking for one in Gamestation on Friday, and while they were all out, they did say they were getting a few in each week. Morrisons reckon they have three in, which is another one of those unlikely places like Woolies where gamers often forget to check.