You're not logged in! That means you're missing out on the best features of
WiiLoaded! Be sure to log in or register if you don't already have an account!
While we hate to report news that cannot be confirmed, it would be a crime to not alert our members to two rumors that have recently reached WiiLoaded.
First of all, Game Crazy employees may be telling customers that, even though initial launch shipments have already been allocated and will likely sell out quickly, major retailers will be restocked as early as the next day.
Would this be a smart play for Nintendo? Sure. The news of a sell out will increase desirability, and unlike Sony, Nintendo could fill the additional demand from the following day, all the way through the holidays.
Would this reduce the need to spend hours in line, just to get a Wii 24 hours before they are readily available? Sure. But those hours in line will be worth a day of bragging rights for some of us!
Rumor number 2? Another viewer has submitted an image of Wii allocations by major retailers, seen below:
Units per Store are Averages
See anything interesting? If true, it almost looks like a little quid pro quo. Nintendo Wii making the Toys R Us "Hot List" for the holiday season, a first for any video game console. Toys R Us was then named as the official launch partner for the Nintendo Wii. Next, they receive (by far) the largest launch allocation. 200 units per store? That means that the preorders were only around 20% of their allocation, still giving TRU more launch units per store than any other retailer. If this is true, we may just have to upgrade Toys R Us's rank on the Guide to finding a Wii at Launch.