Gamertell

The holiday season is upon us and, if Nintendo’s Wii is anywhere on your shopping list, you had best start looking for one now.

The popular console retails at an affordable $250 and is the top-requested game system this holiday season with a slot reserved in 32 percent of holiday wish-lists, according to a Weekly Reader Research survey of 1,000 8-to-17-year-olds. Despite the overwhelming consumer demand, however, supplies of Wiis remain scarce even a year after its release. A

lthough Nintendo recently increased expected supplies to be shipped worldwide by March 2008 from 16.5 million units to 17.5 million units, Nintendo simply cannot produce enough units to meet demand, resulting in inventories that arrive unexpectedly at retailers and completely sell out within a few hours. A few retailers have been taking advantage of this fact by only selling Wii in bundles, forcing consumers to pay extra for games or accessories they may not want in order to obtain the console.

The shortages may prove beneficial to the competing Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, as both have received price cuts this year that could make them a lot more competitive than they were last holiday season. The Xbox 360 Arcade package retails for $279, only $20 more than Wii, while Sony’s new 40 GB PS3 model delivers its Blue-Ray/console combination for $399, a $100 price reduction.

The price cuts, coupled with a string of recent hits that are not available on Wii such as Assassin’s Creed, Halo 3, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Rock Band and Mass Effect, make for an enticing offer for those weary of scouring electronics stores for Nintendo’s elusive console.

Of course, online shopping is always an option for those who are determined to find a Wii this holiday season. Availability is much higher, but you can expect to pay for it, especially on eBay, where sellers have picked up on the retail strategy of bundling Nintendo’s console with unnecessary fluff to warrant a larger price tag.

Read [USA Today] Site [Nintendo Wii]

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