Back in 2006, those hoping to obtain a Wii on Black Friday were hoping in vain. However, it seems that Nintendo hopes to avoid the same disappointment for fans with the new Wii U.
According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, fresh batches of Wii Us will be shipped for Black Friday. "We'll have more available on Black Friday in retail locations" Fils-Aime told CNBC.
There was no clarification if this new shipment will come from Nintendo's second batch or if it is simply a part of reserve units that many stores held on to. A number of retailers ran out of supplies prior to launch thanks to pre-orders. Some retailers held onto a batch of consoles for launch day to satisfy some gamers who waited on line for the console.
The Wii U is currently selling on eBay and Amazon for prices ranging from close to $500 all the way up $1,000 and above. However, all of the prices are from third party dealers who are adding considerable markup to the retail price. Price reductions for the Wii U across retailers have not been confirmed. Retailers have not made mention of Wii U deals because many of them have runt out of stock.
Availability at Walmart & Target
Both Walmart and Target websites currently display Wii U consoles available in stores only. Prices start at $299.99 for the basic 8GB model.
The Wii U sold well in its first few days, but its launch was far from smooth. A number of customers complained about the hour and a half long firmware update that could permanently damage the system if unplugged during the update process.