This is "Wii-tarded".

At one year in, there's no real reason that production couldn't have been ramped up to meet demand. By February, they could have seen the writing on the wall. Instead, an artificial shortage serves only to hold back the install base and scare off third-party developers.

Moreover, people who face leaving the video game store empty-handed may instead opt for a different system, be it a DS or a console. And the problem there is that it gives a parent the ability to say "But I already bought you a video game system" to the child later on.

A system in the home is better than a rain check in the mail.

Or, wait 3 months and go to the store of your choice and pick one up. I really don't understand the craziness every year over one item. I guess this is better than everyone duking it out for an Elmo doll, but not much.

@omg-ponies: If they buy a DS it's still a win-win for Nintendo.

Maybe we all underestimate how many people are actually out there wanting this? If there have been 5 million copies of Halo 3 sold for the so-called "hardcore gamers" playing Xbox 360, imagine how many more "casual gamers" there are wanting to get their hands on a Wii.

It's a shame the Wii isn't region-free, plenty of euro-Wiis available, even during this holiday season.

@omg-ponies: You're right about the shortage being artificial, but wrong about who's to blame. There are plenty of Wiis for sale, just not on the store shelves because scalpers are swooping in and stripping them clean.

There are 20,000 Wiis for sale on eBay right now. Figure that quantity is constantly rotating. That's easily half a million a month being scalped (probably more), not counting Craigslist, Amazon third-parties, other auction sites, and parking lots and street corners. There's your artificial shortage.

Well sure! Just imagine how much GameSpot will rake in with this little Nintendo Wii scheme. For every fool that gives them $250 -- and likely even more on top of it for accessories and games -- they get a full month or more of interest and capital cash siphoned into their corporate coffers!

For every 100,000 that take the offer, that's 2.5 MILLION dollars in the bank, imagine if they sell a million+ consoles this way! Plus they get extra foot traffic into their stores (again, high possibility of picking up extra $$$ from side purchases) by being the sole source for this magical rain check.

It doesn't help that in June and August are when sales are annually at the lowest. But during those two months Nintendo (Assuming slowness) disabled one of its Facilities to save on manpower and resources.

Then they get the stats back that the month of June was 2X the projected sales, nintendo turned around and opened that building right back up. But two months worth of downtime when sales should of been near null.. Thats harsh for supply and demand, and lets look at it processing wise... Nintendo is pumping out mad amounts of Wii's. PS3 and Xbox360 brag about being 'sure' they will have a full stock for the holidays... That would be because Nintendo is the one making mad sales.

Strike that bad math! Apparently I can't count all the zeroes when the calculator display is so tiny...

It would be $25 MILLION dollars for every 100,000 buyers. :P Even more appalling!!

I think shoving a handful of coal into the child's gift box, wrapping it up nice, and giving that to him / her would be less traumatic.

Nice concept GS.

Is it out in black yet?

What's the damn hold up?

@strider_mt2k: They haven't learned the Oldsmobile/iPod lesson yet - people like things in different colors.

@sumocat: AND I doubt most of them are paying taxes which makes their business illegal. Don't we have prisons for these assholes?