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Sorry, Wii scalpers: Nintendo firing up Wii Raincheck program @ GameStop
Lunker
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http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/12/nintendo-announ.html
Or, wait -- does this mean that Wii scalpers are just going to be buying up the rainchecks now? In either case, this is pretty crazy; I don't remember there ever being an official raincheck program not affiliated with a retail store before.
EDIT: I don't remember it because it hasn't happened yet! Chris Kohler clarified that it's being run through GameStop, so this is essentially a full-priced preorder. Still screws over Wii scalpers but GS is happy as a pig in mud. And it's tied to specific GameStop stores, so either Wii scalpers are fucked or people who don't read eBay listings carefully are!
Nintendo Announces 'Wii Raincheck' Program
To help assuage consumers' complaints that they can't find a Wii, Nintendo announced this morning that they will begin a 'Wii Raincheck' program. If you pay in full for a Wii before Christmas, you can get a raincheck that you'll be able to redeem for a Wii in January.
Fils-Aime said that the program will be run entirely through retailer GameStop, who he says has "many tens of thousands" of certificates.
The program, says Fils-Aime, is for people who want "something to put under the tree."
"A certificate needs to be matched to a specific Wii which needs to be matched to a specific store. Only this retailer has the ability to pull off such a program," said Fils-Aime in regards to why GameStop will be the exclusive partner for this initiative.
Reggie Fils-Aime also said this morning that Wii will be available this weekend in many stores, advertised in circulars for Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.
More from Reggie's morning conference call as it breaks.
Or, wait -- does this mean that Wii scalpers are just going to be buying up the rainchecks now? In either case, this is pretty crazy; I don't remember there ever being an official raincheck program not affiliated with a retail store before.
EDIT: I don't remember it because it hasn't happened yet! Chris Kohler clarified that it's being run through GameStop, so this is essentially a full-priced preorder. Still screws over Wii scalpers but GS is happy as a pig in mud. And it's tied to specific GameStop stores, so either Wii scalpers are fucked or people who don't read eBay listings carefully are!
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I think Nintendo found a way to beat the system.
Edit: And by "the system" I mean physical reality.
Switch - SW-3699-5063-5018
Those of us in Video Game retail beg to differ.
Although, we wish we didn't have to.
Interestingly, I wonder if this will count in December sales figures.
Especially considering they sold .9 million last month.
The movies popluarity was so off the charts, no toys where gonna be ready by Christmas, so they sold an empty box with a certificate that you could mail in, and they'd send you the toy set when it came out in like March.
I don't envy you.
Oh God.
All of the raincheck holders not getting the concept, coming in on 12/24, and DEMANDING they get their Wii before Christmas.
All of the folks who previously offered to pay in full, but were turned away, showing up after rainchecks are sold out and being extremely pissed off.
All of the systems coming in in January, and folks without rainchecks wanting to buy them, buthaving to refuse ALL of them, even if a system is lying around for WEEKS, because it is already paid for.
This is going to be annoying as FUCK to deal with.
It *sounds* like it won't be a problem, since each certificate is tied to a specific Wii's serial number that will be produced.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
I am seriously low on Christmas funds and was considering selling mine as well.... guess I won't, now. Ah well, got a good week left to figure something out.
yeah. It sounds like Nintendo knows how many they can produce a month, and rather than lowering the number produced after Christmas, they'll just continue at full strength. And there has to be a maximum number of rainchecks, and a limit per customer.
14 games :P
Still, it'd be better if Nintendo just set up direct order from their website. Unless there is something going on behind closed doors here that gets Gamestop to do this. Like maybe Nintendo promised so many consoles and can't deliver? Or Gamestop just saw dollar signs and approached NOA about this.
Wait till January.
The way it sounds, they are shipping as they can throughout December, but are reserving the Wii's they would normally ship in January for these vouchers.
It could make supply for January VERY thin.
Merry Christmas!
I doubt Nintendo will be advertising this.
I am sure Gamestop will, however. All over the place, as this will greatly increase their last minute shopping sales.
Wii Console allocations are based on DS sales. I don't know, but maybe that plays into this some how.
Newspapers will be running this too. It's on the Associated Press feed.
O_o
...
Are you fucking kidding me?
Are you outraged?
What by?
This has been done before. Pretty much exactly the same way to boot. The first wave of Star Wars toys weren't available in time for Christmas so they made a rain check"gift box" that you would bring to the store on the appropriate date and get your stuff.
Anyone who gives their child a piece of paper for Christmas in place of a Wii doesn't have a soul.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216380
http://gonintendo.com/?p=31496
I've never had a Christmas, so I can't comment on that aspect.
But it seems to me that finding out that you will DEFINITELY be getting a Wii in a couple of weeks is better than getting no Wii at all, regardless of the day.
Anyone who gave their child a piece of paper instead of a Star Wars toy 30 years ago (timely!) also did not have a soul.
Toys R Us even made fun of the practice in 1999.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG9-X3q5yis
I'm not doubting it's true, it's just that the logic behind it is a mite wacky.
I haven't read the thread (just knew about it from work) but I think it makes some ammount of sense.
Nintendo wants to gauge which areas have demand for Nintendo products, and which stores sell them most efficiently, so that they can send more Wiis there.
Gamestop has been having a HUGE push on DS systems lately, like, massive. Maybe that is somehow related to the raincheck thing.
The Wii will sell out even if they ship all of the units to Bumfuck, Kansas. They would like to push DS sales up this Christmas so they decide to give some "encouragement" to the retailers, and the Wii will probably sale the best where the DS sells the best.
The commercials for those Star Wars toys are hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05cK5srUNn4
They actually advertise that it comes with a playstand.
I assume that you meant GS
And to my knowledge, there has been ZERO official GameStop bundling on Wiis this holiday season.