I guess Gamestop just wants to pad their balance sheet at year end.

very sneaky way for GameStop to make some quick cash. $250 is way too much for what is little more than a preorder.

Well, I guess if people are desperate...

Damn I want that shirt.

This still won't stop scalpers though. WiiBay will thrive (still...)

I'd buy that shirt :P

I'm sure they'll get plenty of stock to cover all their pre-orders, just like always. Right? Right? My guess, there are going to be some angry reports come Jan. 25 from some people who threw down $250 dollars for an empty dvd case and an apology from a gamestop manager.

wouldn't a simple online order be much more simple.
Thats how i got my Wii for launch
Thats how i got an ipod touch
Thats how i got a PS3 for launch [ordered two days before UK launch]

A whole month...?? O__o Wow... but I guess that's not too long to wait for a guaranteed Wii. I was looking for a Wii around Christmas time last year and had no luck... for 6 months. >.<

So instead of waiting in line in December...you ruin Christmas and pay $250 anyway. So you are poor and your children are crying. Gee, that is swell.

Genuis! How many retards are going to do this! Awesome.

Try a reimport from europe. Steal it. Hustle for it.

But don`t give gamestop 250 bucks for godsake.

I saw you caught the "too" instead of "to" but you still spelled customers wrong.

"Happy Holidays! Your Wii Is On The Way!" was the best they could come up with?

What about...

"Happy Holidays! Just Imagine, You Could Have Been Having Fun Right Now With An Actual Wii If Your Parents Loved You More!"

or

"Nothing Says Merry Christmas Like An Empty Box And False Hope!"

or

"I O U! I Hope Santa Brought You Patience This Year..."

I genuinely feel bad for anyone who is desperate to acquire a wii. I love mine, and have had it since launch, but its saddening to see the amount of hysteria that people get swallowed up in. Get one later - and please just have a Merry Christmas

You didn't explicitly specify, but I'm guessing the 'raincheck' is tied to a specific household?

How is it an "empty" promise? It's not, and that's why you are paying the full price. Forget about themmaking interest on your money... the "benefit" here is not having to pay the scalper prices. It's not like you'd make something off that money in the mean time if you found a Wii elsewhere... unless you were scalping it (if so, this isn't *for* you; scalpers want to take advantage of the holiday demand, not sidestep it).

man this just really seems like a bad idea. Did EB/GS not learn anything from the cluster F that was the 360 waiting list?

I don't see what is so bad about this. "Ruin Christmas"? Please. If your children are so spoiled that they are upset about a guaranteed, paid-for wii arriving within the month, they're the ones who ruined christmas, not the parents who are doing their best to make the magic happen.

Wiis are still being sold-out at 3 in the morning in the freezing cold rain. I don't think preorders are such a bad idea anymore, even if Gamestop makes some money on it.

It's sort of what they do as a retail store. Make money.

Wow, insult to injury much? Bad enough it's not the Wii but a promise of one, but they don't even throw in any sort of DVD! It's EMPTY!?! I mean, there's got to be enough promotional video material out there to fill a DVD, isn't there? At least it'd remind the consumer "hey! You're getting a Wii! Why don't you buy some games too?!"
Too bad Fortune already published the 101 Dumbest Business moves; this sure rivals Goathead-gate.

This is just really funny. I love that slogan. See you in therapy!

@frogbot: It's quite easy to limit rainchecks to production numbers when it's a known quantity. My guess is at east 75% of the raincheck Wiis are already manufactured but wouldn't be able to make it to retail in time for Christmas.

@Ubisoft Angel: So people should pay above retail instead of getting one from Gamestop? That's what's retarded.

It sucks, but I can't see what other options the parents have at this point. The kid isn't getting a Wii for Christmas and buying something other than what they ask for isn't going to help much. At least this way they're guaranteed one sooner rather than later.

It's a shame Gamestop and Nintendo didn't atleast throw something in to ease the pain. They can think of plenty of preorder gifts for games, but not for a console? Some sort of goody bag with a t-shirt and Mario figures would have been a nice gesture.

This is stupid, the preorders are going to sell out just as fast as them actually getting in the systems in stores.

I don't see how this is any different from pre-orders that Gamestop already takes. Are you telling me if I walked into a gamestop right now they'll take a pre-order for Super Smash Bros 3, Devil May Cry 4, I've even seen pre-orders for the next Final Fantasy, but they won't take a pre-order for a Wii??? until now?

No thanks, maybe if this program offered.. something. Can I get a promotional DVD? promotional item of any sort? how about those Mario Galaxy coins? heck give me a $5 off coupon at least.

@nago: You don't see a problem with paying full retail price for an empty box and a promise which may or may not come to fruition?

I'd love to buy the crystal ball gamestop uses to magically predict how many Wiis they will have instock to fill these orders.

@nago: Nah, the lazy parents that couldn't be bothered to get in line somewhere on the 16th ruined Christmas. Perhaps you don't remember, but part of the magic of Christmas is that you had tons of free time to play with your new shit because you most likely did not have school for the entire week after Christmas. It just isn't the same when little Johnny gets it in January.

@manok: The wording of the article and the earlier article seem to suggest it's a guaranteed wii. What's the "may not" part?

The empty box is a tad crappy, but it's what the box symbolizes! Kids are supposed to be good at make believe. So these kids better start make believing or some parents might have to break out the 'ol hickory switch.

@nago: It's not the kids' fault that so much emphasis is put on presents at Christmas. The first thing they pretty much learn about it is that some fatguy gives them whatever they ask for. Any tantrums thrown on Christmas day because of this are well deserved.

Ah this is why I said 'rain check' a while back. This is worse than the eBay scalpers. You know Nintendo will count it as a sale too.

This whole Wii shortage thing is a farce, a ploy generated by Nintendo to drive up sales.

I've had one for weeks now I have been trying to sell, and so far no takers. I'm not even trying to make a profit, just cover my expenses.

I've been looking for a wii since last christmas. not very hard mind you, but I'll stop by a local game store or what have you and ask if they have any and when they think they'll get more in. this seems like a viable option for people who would like a wii, but really don't feel compelled to stalk ups drivers or camp out to get one.

I won't do it, only because I can't see spending that much money for a couple of first party games that will get one play through and then sit on my shelf. but still, seems fine to me.

btw, a month's interest on 250$ is like 8$. sure, I don't like throwing money away, but it's 8$ and that's your biggest gripe? people are paying 400$ for wiis on ebay, 258$ seems like quite a bargain, does it not?

What...the...HELL?

So essentially this is no different than your average day of a Wii shipment coming in and getting snapped up...they hand out 1000 of these reserve tickets and that's it.

What the fuck is the point?

I hate on Gamestop for a lot of things, but this will probably be a nice thing for parents. Stick that sucker under the tree and tell the kids to blame Japan for having lazy manufacturing.

Seem mental to me. I thought the point of this was not only to avoid disappointment but also to avoid the stress of looking for one. Now parents have to endure the stress of queuing up with loads of other people and put up with push and shove only to this time get the promise of a Wii? A promise that it is possible the company will back out on due to shortages again. Maybe I should say it: 'The Wii is a lie'. It could happen. Just a way to lure customers looking to buy something you don't have into the store and maybe sell them some other crap they don't need while they're hanging about.

@nago: Gamestop can't guarantee anything. Who holds them accountable? I don't trust these businesses and don't want to see people disappointed come the 25th when they can't fill orders. Why would nintendo up their allotment just because they presold at full price?

@manok:
I agree. Please don't trust them on this. Gamestop has no control over inventory. They do this with system launches, and offer only apologies afterwards.

They may have some inside information, but until they come out and make a a public statement saying, "Nintendo has made us their preferred distributor for the holidays" I would not count that they're doing anything but selling people a store credit.

I implore everyone to please spread this sentiment. I am sorry I don't have a counter option, but I would not be sure of your "sure thing" if you buy a $250 dvd case.

so... you geniouses would prefer that these parent rush madly from store to store for another week with NO real hope of finding anything? this is BRILLIANT on nintendo's part, as they get to sell wii's that aren't off the production line yet. THAT will mean a couple a hundred thousand more wii's sold instead of those folks picking a competing machine (which is exactly what most parents do when time runs out on the WII hunt. Anybody who know this qrtr will tell you that TIME is definitely ticking away and those parents WILL spend the rent check on something big for their kids for Xmas morn. If they cant get a WII (or even a guarantee of one) before dooms day they will plob that cash on something else, be it xb360, ps3, or (god forbid) a bike/ipod/power wheel or some other NON game related item.

OH, and somebody do the math and show people that the interest earned on 250 + tax for less than a month is a bit more than NOTHING. ( like less than $400 grand on the wildest estimate. not much to a company like gamestop.)

There should have been some kind of decent reward for forking over $250+tax to Gamestop/Nintendo for what essentially is a Gamestop/Nintendo IOU.They could have at least offered an extra controler or year old game.It's not like Nintendo can't sell the things or loses money n each unit(they don't).

This is such a dirty way to boost revenues for the quarter. I wonder who audits Gamestop and I wonder if they'll be paying extra attention to this deal.

Get your kid a Xbox or PS3 or an OLPC.

People will bitch about anything eh.

Why do you want something in return for paying retail price ? What sense does that make.

If you want a Wii within a month, put down your money, and it'll arrive.

As I hear, the quantities aren't even that high, so chances are if you aren't in line at the moment, you aren't going to get in line anyhow.

@mpmaley:

never has a gamestop preorder gotten this much attention

Only the people who botched the 360 launch by not filling preorders for several months could handle this one.

@Sentientv2: "Sucks to be you that don't have a Wii, but hey...we gots your money!"

So what happens when they don't arrive on January 25th?

OR...you could just go to the Toys 'R Us in Time's Square b/c they have hundreds of them for sale RIGHT NOW!!!

the thing is people will think "hey that sounds good"(retards at best) but ill say...F*%k you nintendo and leave it at that

I'm surprised Nintendo/Gamestop's getting a lot of flak in this thread. Whatever happened to patience being a goddamned virtue?

Kids these days...

I agree -- since the number of "rain checks" is limited, this is no different than anything else. People will buy the rain check, and then just auction off the Wii. It's ridiculous -- you're going to have people lining up to pay for the joy of waiting.

I think this reservation thing is a bad idea all around, if they'd opened it up to anyone, no problem -- but the limit ... what do you bet some stores get like 24 reserves or something? It won't even make a dent in the demand, but it will piss off a lot of people. I can hear the customers now, "I waited in the f'ing line for 6 hours to reserve a unit, and you're f'ing telling me I can't even reserve one right now?"

That's when the weapons come out.