Oui, Oui, We want Wii

I tried to buy a Wii, evidently still a very difficult proposition even though the game system has been out for over a year. For the grand occasion of my daughter's 13th birthday I made the mistake of picking the Wii off her wish list as the target present. She was thrilled.

We took a night off our regular schedule and trundled to Best Buy. There, in the video game section, were Wii boxes towering high amidst colorful ad posters and stacks of Wii games and peripheral controllers. Ahh, a smiling sales-boy approached. "Can I help you?"

A hundred questions ensued, along with earnest considerations of various games, controllers, and configurations. As time went on we slowly "built" the exact system we wanted, with enough controllers for the family, a satisfying inventory of games, and some extra equipment to make playing and maintenance easier. A half hour had passed. I was happy. My daughter was ecstatic.

"OK, I'll take it!", I beamed.

"Oh, we don't actually have the game sir, nobody does".

Stunned and uncomfirtable silence followed. Weakly I managed to emerge from my daze to murmur: "What? You don't have it?" I vaguely pointed at the stacks of boxes, which I now learned were actually empty displays.

I found out the hard way what everyone else in the world seems to already know: that Nintendo is not producing enough games to meet demand. Each truckload of a precious 10 or 20 games to a store is met by potential customers camping out as we did in the 70's for rock concerts, each hoping to get a precious ticket "allowing" them to take a game (1 per family!) home with them. Hopes for the remaining wishful buyers are gone with the last ticket, until the next truck comes in.

"When will that be?", I ask.

"Oh, we don't know until a day or so before just when the truck will come", is the dismal answer.

Well folks, I am 50. I am a bit jaded, and I don't want to wait outside a store for hours before it opens to get a video game system. They are upgraded and go obsolete as fast as computers. In a few months or so the Wii will begin to lose some of it's luster, I guess. Then I may spring for one. I consoled the daughter with a trip to the clothing stores and emerged several hundred dollars lighter - about the same as I would have spent for the Wii.
Nintendo's loss, I'm afraid.

I find it difficult to comprehend in the days of the global market, flexible manufacturing, advanced technology, and rapid-response, high-performance corporations that Nintendo's situation is anything but a marketing strategy. Kudos and raspberries to them, at the same time.

While the situation may be making Nintendo lots of money and generating lots of interest in the product in the short run, I predict that there will be a groundswell of resentment and ill will over time as more people are disappointed in the same manner as I.

I for one, am eagerly waiting for the next game technology release that garners interest away from Nintendo. It is a sad, sour way to be, but I feel righteous indignation as I take in the massive marketing for this vapor-ware, and then see the games popping up by scalpers on Ebay and other sites at serious premiums. They will not see my money either.

Today I got a flyer in the mail from Best Buy. The front page is nothing but Wii. Huge. Colorful. Promising great family fun and entertainment. The system, the controllers, the games, and the accessories are all there on the page. Prices are highlighted. A new store is open in my area! "Get everyone in on the action!!!! screams the headline. "We'll help you pick the right games and gear for your family!!!"

I open the Best Buy online website and search for "Wii".

Shipping: "Sold Out"
Store pickup: "Not Available"
Our price: "Sold Out Online"

Sigh.