Wii and sales

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 5:31 pm

i've been looking for a Wii for over a year now...and have NEVER seen one at a target, costco, gamestop, etc...

and i go into target at least 3x a week to pick up my son.

on ebay, right now there are at least 70 with auctions ending within the hour...

i just don't see it worth the $400 that they are going for...

and with all of them on eBay...is anyone getting them and taking them home to play?

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:03 pm

Sudz IMO they are not worth $400. I've had one since they came out. If you really want one I would look for one on wiitraker.com You'll get the latest info on when they be shipped to stores in your area.

http://wiitracker.com/

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:25 pm

Are you sure they have any games your even interested in ? Wii sports is still the best one. Cant believe there is still hype for this thing.
Wake me up if any decent games come out for it.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:32 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Are you sure they have any games your even interested in ? Wii sports is still the best one. Cant believe there is still hype for this thing.
Wake me up if any decent games come out for it.

Jimmy there are a few high quality games for it that take advantage of the system.

The games I have:

Metroid Prime
Zelda
Super Mario Galaxy
Raving Rabbids 1
Wiki and Zak

All of these games are top notch and there are a few others out there but i'm pretty much a Nintendo gamer in that I usually buy their first party games because they are a blast to play. It was the same for me with the GameCube.

Sport73 · Post by **Sport73** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:31 pm

I'm beginning to buy into the idea that Nintendo is fabricating this shortage. They must realize that once people have the console for a while they come to discover that they paid $250+ for Wii Sports. It's tremendous fun, for a while, but there is little else out there to justify the system.

I own Metroid and Mario, and both are great games, but it's clear they could've been done without the Wii's controls. So, we're left with a $250 Wii Sports peripheral to the Gamecube.

I certainly hope developers are working on breakthrough games, but right now I'd love to see Microsoft launch a true motion controller to knock the Wii into last year.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:42 pm

Concur Sport my thoughts to a tee. I have Zelda and i like it but not realy my cup of tea and i have red steel which i also liked but the controls dont add anything to any of these games other than the wii sports.

What are developers waiting for ? You would think by now someone would take it seriously and make something especially a sports game that can live up to the control potential.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:44 pm

Sport73 wrote:I'm beginning to buy into the idea that Nintendo is fabricating this shortage. They must realize that once people have the console for a while they come to discover that they paid $250+ for Wii Sports. It's tremendous fun, for a while, but there is little else out there to justify the system.

I own Metroid and Mario, and both are great games, but it's clear they could've been done without the Wii's controls. So, we're left with a $250 Wii Sports peripheral to the Gamecube.

I certainly hope developers are working on breakthrough games, but right now I'd love to see Microsoft launch a true motion controller to knock the Wii into last year.

I don't tend to view the Wii in that way. I guess because I own every system. I do enjoy the Wii for what it is. I also find Nintendo games brilliant most of the time. I can't wait for Mario Golf, Mario Tennis and others that take full advantage of the Wii controller like Wii Sports does.

I do agree if Microsoft launches a motion sensing controller it will add to the value of the 360. Maybe that's what Bill Gates is going to announce at CES this month.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:01 pm

I was listening to the Game Theory podcast and they were attributing all this brilliance to Nintendo, for thinking things through and doing it right.

Not just with the Wii but with the DS.

But I think a lot of the Wii's success was luck -- especially having their major competitors price themselves out of the casual gamer market.

Certainly there were a lot of people who played on simple parlor games at Yahoo Games and they've been able to tap into some of them.

They also have a lot of females interested in the Wii. Remember for a long time the games industry wanted to expand the user base to females?

The Wii is what a chick console looks like.

So a game like Wii Sports will quickly lose appeal to sports gamers, once you realize it's a gimmick and there's really no connection between your form and what happens on screen.

But for casual gamers, that is part of the appeal, having things simple, so that anyone at a party can pick it up and even when they discover you don't have to mimic the form, they still try to pretend to bowl or swing a golf club to keep in the spirit.

So Wii games sales, beyond a handful of Nintendo titles, are not that great given the hardware sales. But for awhile, casual gamers will seek it out, just to play Wii Sports and little else.

That and kids asking their parents for the Wii and their parents going to great lengths to get it for their kids.

The CEA will announce next week that HDTVs are in over 50% of households and that in 2008, 32 million digital TVs will be sold, of which at least 80% will be HDTVs. Maybe a growing number of those HDTV owners will seek games which are prettier than those on the Wii.

Or maybe the gimmick will continue.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:15 pm

Wonder how many of those Wii's are currently gathering fluff in the corner of the living room ?

"The Wii is what a chick console looks like." - that is a bona fide classic, Wco

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:15 pm

wco81 wrote: Or maybe the gimmick will continue.

I pick B....the gimmick will continue.

People play games to have fun and to be entertained...The Wii does that...Sony sits waiting for Blu ray as it is crushed by a "gimmick".

The casual gamer , scoffed at as he is , along with the kiddies are who drives the market. They out number us....

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:16 pm

Weird. I saw 4 in Best Buy yesterday and didn't bother to pick one up because I figure the costs on ebay will eventually plummet. Oh well.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:18 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Weird. I saw 4 in Best Buy yesterday and didn't bother to pick one up because I figure the costs on ebay will eventually plummet. Oh well.

I passed 10 of them over last friday....came back an hour later after saying wtf?...too late...so sad...No bowling with chicks for me

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:32 pm

davet010 wrote:Wonder how many of those Wii's are currently gathering fluff in the corner of the living room ?

"The Wii is what a chick console looks like." - that is a bona fide classic, Wco

Well 1 here and especially after i hit my kid in the funny bone during a wii tennis match it was only a backhand dont know why he was crying and unable to play on. Any excuse to go in the other room to play cod4 with pretty graphics.

btmmayor · Post by **btmmayor** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:44 pm

Sport73 wrote:I'm beginning to buy into the idea that Nintendo is fabricating this shortage. They must realize that once people have the console for a while they come to discover that they paid $250+ for Wii Sports. It's tremendous fun, for a while, but there is little else out there to justify the system.

Fabricating the shortage? They sold over 740,000 Wiis the week before Christmas. That number is just for the U.S. alone.

As far as little else for the system I completely disagree. There may be very little out there for the adult, hardcore gamer (Metroid, Zelda, Galaxy) but there are quite a few games that are very good for the system including Mario and Sonic Olympics (a HUGE hit with my family) WarioWare, Zach and Wiki, Super Paper Mario, Excite Truck, Mercury Meltdown, MLB Power Pros, Mario Strikers and a few others. My family loves the Wii but outside of Rock Band and Eye of Judgment no one in my house will touch the 360 or PS3 besides myself.

There are 4 PS3 games in my house and 12 Wii titles. Judging from the sales numbers and Wii craziness I'm sure my family is not in the minority when it comes to this.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:26 pm

wco81 wrote:The Wii is what a chick console looks like.

Agree with DaveT. BRILLIANT!

Take care,
PK

WillHunting · Post by **WillHunting** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:29 pm

I have seen Wiis laying around in Best Buy several times this summer, but once September hits, I have never seen it in a store. Supposedly, TRU at Times Square get alot in 4th quarter.

It is worth $200, and not much more (say $50 for an excellent Wii sports game). I think the peripherals are a complete ripoff, a set of nunchucks+wiimote set you back $65...

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:31 pm

Nintendo has sold way too many consoles to support the manufactured shortage theory, IMO. They are guilty of underestimating demand, but after the Gamecube, who could blame them? Nintendo also could have opened additional manufacturing facilities, but again, who expected the Wii shortage to last through year 1?

The attach rate isn't up to the 360 or PS3 level, but I think people will be very surprised by the December NPD software numbers in a couple weeks--the Wii is moving some software. The large install base obviously helps, but considering many "hardcore gamers" (not labeling anyone here, moreso the Joystiq crowd) think the Wii is only used for Wii Sports and Wii Play, they'll see that just isn't the case.

The Wii's top 10 will destroy the PS3's if Mario Galaxy holds it's own against the Call of Duty 4 juggernaut. Beyond Guitar Hero III, There are some non-Nintendo (non-casual even!) titles regularly outselling most PS3 games and even coming close to matching the 360.

Do I play the 360 and PS3 more than the Wii? Absolutely. But has the Wii been worth every penny of the $250 cost? Hell yes, if for no other reason than I've gotten my family and many friends to game for the first time I can remember.

One other thing: I think wco is right when he mentions luck--MS and Sony completely missed the pricing this generation and allowed some of the mainstream market to migrate Nintendo's way. For no real reason, I'm starting to think Sony's going to start capturing that market again in the next 18 months instead of Microsoft.

fanatic · Post by **fanatic** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:39 pm

I would have to argue that the Wii controls allow for a huge jump in accuracy in first person shooters like Metroid Prime. While there aren't a tonne of shooters currently on the system, the controls certainly aren't a gimmick when it comes to free flowing pointing and shooting.

I agree there aren't a tonne of "gamers games" but the following list isn't too bad in my opinion...

Currently out:

Metroid
Zelda
Mario
Paper Mario
Resident Evil
Zak and Wiki
Power Pros

Upcoming:

Smash Brothers
Mario Kart
Wii Fit
Force Unleashed (lightsaber duels anyone?)
Okami
Spore

With the amount of gaming time I have these days, combined with the 360 , I don't really mind having only a handful of Wii games to play every few months.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:42 pm

how did you guys get one?

store?
ebay?
sex for $?

Gamecocks625 · Post by **Gamecocks625** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:54 pm

I have one and it is not worth $400. But for $250 with a pack-in game, it is a great deal. Best Buy typically gets shipments in quite often. Heck, I saw a handful being delivered to a BestBuy on Christmas Eve.

Anyways, the Wii definitely has a lot of unique control possibilities. PES 2008 looks like it will be very interesting. Plus, NCAA football will make its debut later this year.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:02 pm

i wonder if certain areas get more than others...

never seen one in raleigh...

Gamecocks625 · Post by **Gamecocks625** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:08 pm

I saw them in Summerville, SC. Columbia, SC gets them every now and then.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:30 pm

I asked at my local Gamestop here in Queens and they told me they usually get shipments on Wednesdays. I popped in the next Wednesday night and they had one left. I don't play it terribly often but there are moments with friends and family that make it worth it, like having my mother beat me at bowling. I don't think I'd go over the retail price, though.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 10:32 pm

If you see the Wii advertised in the weekend paper, then head to that particular store early Sunday morning. Your chances are pretty good at finding one.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:20 am

I stood in line last January to get ours. After 1 year, I'd choose a Wii over a 360 or PS3 even if they were all the same price. The Wii is now getting more than enough quality games. Even MLB 2k8 is scheduled for reelase in March. I have lost any urge I once had to get a PS3 or 360 because I'm more than happy with the setup I've got going now.

I get my sports sim fix out of the XBox with NFL 2k5, Inside Drive, Moto GP, and MS Superfly , and for the PSP it's the Show and NCAA. I don't care much for FPS, but I'm fine with the Xbox or PC for those. I am interested in trying out the Zapper on some games like Metroid Prime or COD, but it's not a high priority.

The Wii is succeeding because it is FUN. It expands the gaming demographic beyond males between the ages of 12-40. We've been having a blast with games like the Olympics, Guitar Hero, Tiger Woods and Boxing. Others have said that they could never go back to PS2 graphics. Well, I could never go back to playing SSX or golf with a standard controller. Plus, it gets our butts up off the couch. I sit at a desk most of my work day, so gaming that gets me moving is a good thing.

And there are 3rd party games that make great use of the controls. Marble Madness and Mercury Revolution have perfect control. In these games you're never "failing around". It takes fine tuned control and tilting the Wiimote with precision. Other 3rd party games have gotten the controls right as well. SSX, Tiger Woods, and Carnival Games are good examples. The Wii is past the fad stage. Call it a gimmick if you want, but it's a gimmick that works, and has been selling better than any other console for more than a year.