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Gamestop Announces today Wii U Wait-Program "Demand off the charts"

P

pramath

Banned
Sheesh... Nintendo hasn't even started their huge advertising campaign yet... it's going to be pandemonium trying to get your hands on one of these puppies.

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...-wii-u-pre-orders-due-to-overwhelming-demand/

US games retail giant GameStop has stopped taking pre-orders on Nintendo's Wii U console due to 'overwhelming demand'.

Wii U Screenshot
The firm announced today that it has instead "created a Wii U wait list exclusively for members of its PowerUp Rewards loyalty program".

GameStop president Tony Bartel blamed the rushing Nintendo fans. "Demand for Wii U has been off the charts, he said, "and we know many of our PowerUp Rewards members are anxious to get their hands on one."

"We're happy to offer our customers this exclusive opportunity to join the wait list for this must-have item," added Bartel.

Customers are able put their names on the list via any GameStop store across The States, with no deposit required. Registrants will receive a notification when a Wii U is available for purchase and will have 48 hours to respond, but a launch day Wii U, at this point, would seem most unlikely.

GameStop isn't the only US retailer to halt Wii U pre-orders - Target stopped taking orders on its website earlier this week.

It seems Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime wasn't kidding when he told press that early Wii U pre-orders were "extremely strong".
Click to expand...

Overall availability is looking similar at all other major retailers

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49092227

Following Nintendo's [NTDOY 15.58 -0.12 (-0.76%) ] long-awaited announcement on pricing and availability last week, most retailers opened up pre-orders, letting fans ensure they would get the system on Nov. 18. Within days, though, Best Buy [BBY 17.81 -0.28 (-1.55%) ], Toys R Us [TRU 1.40 -0.04 (-2.78%) ], Sears [SHLD 57.96 0.50 (+0.87%) ], Kmart and Target [TGT 65.44 0.04 (+0.06%) ] had stopped taking those pre-orders.

Even Wal-Mart [WMT 74.45 -0.30 (-0.4%) ] hasn't been able to keep up with demand. Both SKUs are sold out on a standalone basis—though it is still offering a store bundle (which includes a Wii U game and a Wii remote for an extra $50)
Click to expand...
 
I

IHaveCandy

Banned
I work at Gamestop and I think we've gotten like 3 people to jump on this list over the past two days. There's no requirement to put money down and honestly, the demand for it just hasn't been there so far. Very small anecdote, but I can't help but buy into it since I already think the Wii U isn't going to do very well. Confirmation bias at it's best, I suppose.
 
W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
I hope demand is overstated because of scalpers and that we'll be able to walk into a store buy one easily after Christmas

Do we even know how many they'll have?
 
I

Instro

Member
IHaveCandy said:
I work at Gamestop and I think we've gotten like 3 people to jump on this list over the past two days. There's no requirement to put money down and honestly, the demand for it just hasn't been there so far. Very small anecdote, but I can't help but buy into it since I already think the Wii U isn't going to do very well. Confirmation bias at it's best, I suppose.
Click to expand...

...But you've already sold out of preorders no?
 
S

Sandfox

Member
IHaveCandy said:
I work at Gamestop and I think we've gotten like 3 people to jump on this list over the past two days. There's no requirement to put money down and honestly, the demand for it just hasn't been there so far. Very small anecdote, but I can't help but buy into it since I already think the Wii U isn't going to do very well. Confirmation bias at it's best, I suppose.
Click to expand...

I think that has more to do with people not knowing about this program; I don't even think its on the website.
 
E

Eusis

Member
Wario64 said:
I hope demand is overstated because of scalpers and that we'll be able to walk into a store buy one easily after Christmas
Click to expand...
I imagine it'll at least be enough of a fad item among children and parents to make demand tight, though I'm expecting it won't be as bad as the Wii itself was given that had LINES on the day pre-orders opened.
 
I

IHaveCandy

Banned
Instro said:
...But you've already sold out of preorders no?
Click to expand...

Our store got only about 10 preorders before they were closed. I obviously have no idea how many were done nation-wide, but I believe Gamestop has been more conservative with preordering the Wii U after the Wii debacle. I started working at Gamestop in 2008, and even then it was hard to fulfill Wii preorders. We had a lot of angry customers that felt they were promised something that couldn't be guaranteed. I suspect Gamestop had a much smaller pre-order threshold this time around.
 
C

cosmicblizzard

Banned
IHaveCandy said:
I work at Gamestop and I think we've gotten like 3 people to jump on this list over the past two days. There's no requirement to put money down and honestly, the demand for it just hasn't been there so far. Very small anecdote, but I can't help but buy into it since I already think the Wii U isn't going to do very well. Confirmation bias at it's best, I suppose.
Click to expand...

So... you're saying Nintendo purposely told Gamestop to cut preorders off at a certain point so they could drum up demand, and are now using this program as a way to "open up the floodgates" again? Holy shit, conspiracy!
 
R

Ridley327

Member
alfredofroylan said:
Nintendo Wii U Early Bird Certificate Package ????
Click to expand...

Im3kY.jpg
Click to expand...

Decent Photoshop material? I don't know.
 
I

IHaveCandy

Banned
cosmicblizzard said:
So... you're saying Nintendo purposely told Gamestop to cut preorders off at a certain point so they could drum up demand, and are now using this program as a way to "open up the floodgates" again? Holy shit, conspiracy!
Click to expand...

I'm saying GameStop doesn't want to have a multi-year queue of customers that reserved the Wii U and still haven't gotten theirs. There's no point in reserving a system you're not going to be able to supply anytime soon.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Manager at our Gamestop said pre-orders were cut off at 20 units (10 basic, 10 deluxe) because that's the absolute bare-ass minimum Nintendo told Gamestop they could count on having at every store on the 18th.

Says nothing about how many will actually be available on the 18 for Gamestop's supply chain though.
 
Z

Zoramon089

Banned
IHaveCandy said:
I'm saying GameStop doesn't want to have a multi-year queue of customers that reserved the Wii U and still haven't gotten theirs. There's no point in reserving a system you're not going to be able to supply anytime soon.
Click to expand...

So why couldn't they just order enough systems and say they don't have enough in stock?
 
P

Ponn

Banned
They usually do wait lists, not new. They had a wait list for PS3 and Wii when they launched. If you want one its the way to go though, you won't get it day one probably but should within a couple weeks and don't have to fight Black Friday crowds or pay scalper fees.
 
N

Naked Prime

Member
Saw this at work today and just smdh. As long as its not as bad as the 360 mess in 2005 I'm cool with it. But I'm never fond of taking names, that's Reggie's job. EIther way I'm number 2 in my store for a Premium pre-order.
 
P

pramath

Banned
Ponn01 said:
They usually do wait lists, not new. They had a wait list for PS3 and Wii when they launched. If you want one its the way to go though, you won't get it day one probably but should within a couple weeks and don't have to fight Black Friday crowds or pay scalper fees.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go that route. No money down sounds good to me.
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Naked Prime said:
Saw this at work today and just smdh. As long as its not as bad as the 360 mess in 2005 I'm cool with it. But I'm never fond of taking names, that's Reggie's job. EIther way I'm number 2 in my store for a Premium pre-order.
Click to expand...

Same here. If anything, no one knows about it...unless told, and even then its only 2 per household. Anyway, it shouldnt harm the customer since they dont have to put money down, they'll be called or emailed, and have a system on hold for 48hrs.
 
F

Fivefold

Banned
Video Game Retailer announces new Video Game will sell a "crap-ton" and urges you to pre-order but with some marketing gimmicks involved.
 
S

soxinthebox

Member
Kaijima said:
Manager at our Gamestop said pre-orders were cut off at 20 units (10 basic, 10 deluxe) because that's the absolute bare-ass minimum Nintendo told Gamestop they could count on having at every store on the 18th.

Says nothing about how many will actually be available on the 18 for Gamestop's supply chain though.
Click to expand...
Mystery solved
 
N

Naked Prime

Member
Kaijima said:
Manager at our Gamestop said pre-orders were cut off at 20 units (10 basic, 10 deluxe) because that's the absolute bare-ass minimum Nintendo told Gamestop they could count on having at every store on the 18th.
Click to expand...

No such thing was mentioned in my area, we got as many as we could as fast as we could. Not a single mention of a limited number of pre-orders per stores. Granted with only 24 hours of reserving, preorders weren't flying so it was kinda a non-issue. But thats not to say that stores in your area weren't limited to 10 units of each sku.
 
F

friskykillface

Banned
hmmmmmm they better not cancel my online pre order and give it to a power up member




i should have pre ordered in a store, i know they will cancel
 
A

apana

Member
Wii U looks like it is off to a great start. People seem to be genuinely excited for it. Maybe it is just the fact that it is the successor to the Wii or maybe it is the game pad, don't know.
 
F

Fuzzy

I would bang a hot farmer!
Kaijima said:
Manager at our Gamestop said pre-orders were cut off at 20 units (10 basic, 10 deluxe) because that's the absolute bare-ass minimum Nintendo told Gamestop they could count on having at every store on the 18th.

Says nothing about how many will actually be available on the 18 for Gamestop's supply chain though.
Click to expand...
4,434 Gamestops in the US = minimum of just under 90K for the chain nationwide? I wonder what kind of allotment other retailers were promised as a minimum.
 
I

IHaveCandy

Banned
I'm going to throw this in here just because I think it might help somebody out.

Gamestop does the usual 30% power trade deal for upcoming games. It works for accessories too. If you trade in a Dual Shock 3 controller towards select upcoming games and have a PUR Pro card, you'll get $42 for it. The price of that controller preowned with the rewards card is $40.49. If you have a spare, you should trade it in now towards a game you want. I did today. Worst case scenario, if I need another controller, I'll buy one and it's not like I lost any money since I got it for less than I sold it for.
 
P

pramath

Banned
IHaveCandy said:
I'm going to throw this in here just because I think it might help somebody out.

Gamestop does the usual 30% power trade deal for upcoming games. It works for accessories too. If you trade in a Dual Shock 3 controller towards select upcoming games and have a PUR Pro card, you'll get $42 for it. The price of that controller preowned with the rewards card is $40.49. If you have a spare, you should trade it in now towards a game you want. I did today. Worst case scenario, if I need another controller, I'll buy one and it's not like I lost any money since I got it for less than I sold it for.
Click to expand...

Wut?
 
I

IHaveCandy

Banned
pramath said:
Wut?
Click to expand...

Let's say you want to get Assassin's Creed 3 and have a spare Dual Shock 3 you don't plan to be using. Trade it in towards AC3 and if you have PUR PRO card, you will get $42 for it. It's a crazy high amount that I don't think will last. And if you have to ever buy another controller later, you can get it for less than $42.
 
X

XenodudeX

Junior Member
IHaveCandy said:
I'm going to throw this in here just because I think it might help somebody out.

Gamestop does the usual 30% power trade deal for upcoming games. It works for accessories too. If you trade in a Dual Shock 3 controller towards select upcoming games and have a PUR Pro card, you'll get $42 for it. The price of that controller preowned with the rewards card is $40.49. If you have a spare, you should trade it in now towards a game you want. I did today. Worst case scenario, if I need another controller, I'll buy one and it's not like I lost any money since I got it for less than I sold it for.
Click to expand...
What about an 360 controller?
 
G

Glass Joe

Member
IHaveCandy said:
I'm going to throw this in here just because I think it might help somebody out.

Gamestop does the usual 30% power trade deal for upcoming games. It works for accessories too. If you trade in a Dual Shock 3 controller towards select upcoming games and have a PUR Pro card, you'll get $42 for it. The price of that controller preowned with the rewards card is $40.49. If you have a spare, you should trade it in now towards a game you want. I did today. Worst case scenario, if I need another controller, I'll buy one and it's not like I lost any money since I got it for less than I sold it for.
Click to expand...

Hmm have any idea how much normal Wii remotes go for? I have a few spares laying around and I wouldn't mind using them toward a motion plus if it's at all reasonable.
 
B

bill0527

Member
IHaveCandy said:
I work at Gamestop and I think we've gotten like 3 people to jump on this list over the past two days. There's no requirement to put money down and honestly, the demand for it just hasn't been there so far. Very small anecdote, but I can't help but buy into it since I already think the Wii U isn't going to do very well. Confirmation bias at it's best, I suppose.
Click to expand...

You'll sell every single WiiU that comes through your stockroom door from now until at least then Jan 31 2013.
 
X

x Power Pad Death Stomp x

Member
Kaijima said:
Manager at our Gamestop said pre-orders were cut off at 20 units (10 basic, 10 deluxe) because that's the absolute bare-ass minimum Nintendo told Gamestop they could count on having at every store on the 18th.

Says nothing about how many will actually be available on the 18 for Gamestop's supply chain though.
Click to expand...

Nah. I think there is a set amount for the company that was monitored all day. There wasn't a set amount per store. The one I preordered at is a lower volume store and got cut off at 15 deluxes while the one about an hour away (highest volume in the district) did 48 deluxes before the cut off came down.
 
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