# Are Wiis still in production? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 8, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417 "2008-04-08T03:07:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/1 "2008-04-08T03:07:32Z")
I haven’t heard of any stores getting Wii consoles/bundles since January. No one seems to know when they are getting any in stock (Worst Buy, Circuit Shitty, Wal\*Tard, Target, any number of online retailers). Has anyone heard anything lately? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/2 "2008-04-08T03:17:34Z")
::: shrug::: Don’t know, but Amazon has a 123 listed both new and used. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/3 "2008-04-08T03:21:36Z")
Game Stop/EB Games gets them in about once a month, but the individual stores are not told when to expect them. Your best bet is to chat up an employee and find out on which days of the week they get their shipments in, then call about 1:00 pm on delivery days. The employees are not allowed to volunteer the information that they have Wiis in stock, but will tell you if Wiis are in stock _if you ask._ (My daughter is a GameStop employee, which is how I found that out.) ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/4 "2008-04-08T03:54:55Z")
you could freeze yourself while waiting for the next shipment to come in at your local game store, and have someone unfreeze you when the inventory arrives, that way the wait would seem instantaneous to you… …as long as there are no freak avalanches while you wait, frozen… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/5 "2008-04-08T04:39:15Z")
I have 2 friends (one in CA and one in OH) who got Wiis since January. In retail stores. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/6 "2008-04-08T09:49:25Z")
Stores local to me have Wiis in stock, have done since February. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/7 "2008-04-08T15:30:40Z")
I saw a bunch at Costco last Saturday. There were about 20 bundles (not just the unit, but the add-ons were not pure junk: WiiPlay, Super Mario Galaxy, nunchuck) when we walked in. When we checked out the pile was down to 8. This is the third time we’ve seen Wii’s at Costco since October, and we only go to Costco about once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/8 "2008-04-08T16:55:28Z")
I picked one up last week at a GameStop. They had just received three. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/9 "2008-04-08T17:07:23Z")
Seems i just keep missing them. Me and my horde of 3 other people who hunt them at whim. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mmouse9799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mmouse9799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmouse9799)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/10 "2008-04-08T17:09:19Z")
Of course they’re making them. The problem is that the demand is much higher than the supply. I’ve read that Nintendo recently upped production, so you should start seeing more of them in the next few months. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/11 "2008-04-08T18:45:50Z")
I think I read somewhere that Nintendo was actually focusing less on meeting demand in the U.S. because the U.S. dollar is worth less in the global market, and focusing more on making more Wiis for Europe and Japan. The same article also said they’re going to start upping American Wii production soon. I don’t know if there’s any truth to that or not. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/12 "2008-04-08T19:56:33Z")
[QUOTE=Pollux Oil] I think I read somewhere that Nintendo was actually focusing less on meeting demand in the U.S. because the U.S. dollar is worth less in the global market, and focusing more on making more Wiis for Europe and Japan. The same article also said they’re going to start upping American Wii production soon. I don’t know if there’s any truth to that or not. [/QUOTE] Interesting info, thanks. Oh, and nice name! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/13 "2008-04-08T21:29:37Z")
That would make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/14 "2008-04-08T21:48:07Z")
Easy way to get a Wii: When you get a flyer in the mail from Best-Buy or whoever, and it has a Wii in it, look at the day the flyer goes into effect. On that day go to the store in the morning and pick one up. I’ve given that advice to several friends, and it worked every time. If the store advertises something in a flyer, they are obligated to have at least one in stock when the store opens on the day the flyer goes into effect. Usually they have a bunch of them. You don’t have to wait in line before the store opens or anything - just get there as soon as you can after the doors open and you’re likely to get one. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/15 "2008-04-08T21:48:26Z")
I found one in a Best Buy about a week after Christmas. The key is that you have to ask. I knew (from someone at work) that they had Wiis at this particular Best Buy. The employees were used to just telling everyone no, so I had to actually insist that they check and sure enough - they had about 15 in stock. The manager had photocopied sheets that gave the cashiers permission to go into some back room for them. It was a little weird. It’s still pretty much a crapshoot. About a year ago, I went into Sam’s Club with some co-workers and they had about 20 of them in stock. We ended up buying about 8 or 9 of them for various people at the office. (My company is cool and let them deduct it right out of their paycheck). ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/16 "2008-04-09T04:10:42Z")
I got one in March. Target had them in their ad and I showed up at 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning and got in line. (I had Googled “How to find a Wii” and found a post on a message board that tipped me off that Target was getting them that day.) ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/17 "2008-04-09T05:38:01Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Interesting info, thanks. Oh, and nice name! 🆒 [/QUOTE] Thanks! 😃 And I found the article [here](http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-gamer_0329gl.ART.State.Edition1.464cd43.html). Apparently it wasn’t an official Nintendo statement but a theory. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/18 "2008-04-09T11:12:05Z")
[QUOTE=Pollux Oil] I think I read somewhere that Nintendo was actually focusing less on meeting demand in the U.S. because the U.S. dollar is worth less in the global market, and focusing more on making more Wiis for Europe and Japan. The same article also said they’re going to start upping American Wii production soon. I don’t know if there’s any truth to that or not. [/QUOTE] I think that would explain why there is a buttload of them in every store I visit down here in the Netherlands. No shortage here. ---
**Author:** ![GoodGrief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2acd7d/32.png) [@GoodGrief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodGrief)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/19 "2008-04-09T13:42:07Z")
Our Walmart would get a shipment of six every Tuesday morning around 11. Within 1/2 hour they were gone. We got ours three weeks ago, when one of our co-workers had the day off and went in at that time to get it. So they are being distributed, but not many at a time. There was one instance where the same Walmart had a shipment of 10 coming in early one Sunday morning. Tired of people complaining they never have them when they are there, Walmart told them to be there at 7am that Sunday morning, put their name on a piece of paper and they were going to draw 10 names at 7:30am. One of our other co-workers did just that (we didn’t, because we live 23 miles away and didn’t want to get up that early-she lived way closer). She said there was around 40 people there to try for a Wii. She got lucky and her name was drawn. We live in a very rural area-and at least 40 people got up early on a Sunday morning to get a chance at purchasing a Wii. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-wiis-still-in-production/444417/20 "2008-04-09T14:46:40Z")
[QUOTE=Pollux Oil] I think I read somewhere that Nintendo was actually focusing less on meeting demand in the U.S. because the U.S. dollar is worth less in the global market, and focusing more on making more Wiis for Europe and Japan. The same article also said they’re going to start upping American Wii production soon. I don’t know if there’s any truth to that or not. [/QUOTE] It’s a nice theory, but there’s actually a more practical reason why Japan and Europe were getting more Wiis for a time. Mario Kart Wii in Europe and Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit in Japan. You’ll see more Wiis coming to American stores over the next few weeks in anticipation of the American Mario Kart Wii launch. We got our last huge batch in early March for Super Smash Bros Brawl. And those have been long sold out.