It’s been just about a week since the Wii U bundles and prices were revealed but stores are now supposedly rejecting pre-order requests as they’ve already sold out their inventories. Does this mean that the Wii U will be a smash hit just like its predecessor?
According to a report from GamesRadar, many major US retailers are no longer offering pre-orders for the Wii U:
“GameStop is no longer offering pre-orders for either the Wii U’s $300 8 GB or $350 32 GB models. It joins Best Buy, Toys R Us, Sears, Kmart and Target in closing down early purchases, though Wal-Mart still offers a special store bundle featuring the 8 GB unit. Customers on Amazon’s waiting list for Wii U have recieved emails stating that the system is not currently available but to check back in the future.”
While it may seem that Nintendo has a home run, experts are quick to point out that selling out on pre-orders does not necessarily mean that the Wii U will be a success. This just means that the limited number of consoles reserved for pre-orders has been exhausted. It’s possible that Niintendo kept this number low. R.W. Baird senior research analyst Colin Sebastian spoke with CNBC regarding this and speculates that Nintendo could be doing this to create an important perception that the Wii U is highly in demand, especially with the holiday season fast approaching.
“I think seeing these sellouts on some of the websites is not a negative indication,” says Sebastian. “It’s either neutral or slightly positive, but it’s not conclusive.”
The Wii U will be available on November 18 in the US and will come in 2 variants, a white basic set that will retail for $299.99 and a $349.99 black deluxe set.
Will you be grabbing a Wii U when it launches? Do you think it will be a cultural phenomenon like the Wii? Give your two cents in the comments below!