Where to get the Wii: recommended hunting grounds

With the release of the Nintendo Wii a mere couple of days away, those who have managed to brave the cold and the crowds must be excited at the prospect of just walking up to the counter and picking up a console box which, quite literally, has their name written on it. However, not everyone was quite as sturdy or as lucky as these people, and he would still have to prepare himself for the expected chaos certain to ensue at most retail outlets come November 19. So, to help those poor souls, the people at WiiLoaded have compiled a short list of places which may or may not be good places to scout for a shiny, new Wii.

First up on their list to avoid would be EB Games and Gamestop as those shops are already completely SOLD OUT. These two have apparently received a delivery of consoles and then reserved each and every one. So, to get a Wii from either of these two, one would probably have to wait a few more weeks after launch, when the next shipment comes in.

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With the release of the Nintendo Wii a mere couple of days away, those who have managed to brave the cold and the crowds must be excited at the prospect of just walking up to the counter and picking up a console box which, quite literally, has their name written on it. However, not everyone was quite as sturdy or as lucky as these people, and he would still have to prepare himself for the expected chaos certain to ensue at most retail outlets come November 19. So, to help those poor souls, the people at WiiLoaded have compiled a short list of places which may or may not be good places to scout for a shiny, new Wii.

First up on their list to avoid would be EB Games and Gamestop as those shops are already completely SOLD OUT. These two have apparently received a delivery of consoles and then reserved each and every one. So, to get a Wii from either of these two, one would probably have to wait a few more weeks after launch, when the next shipment comes in.

Toys ‘R Us is ranked as the second-to-the-last place to look, since most of their units have already been pre-ordered, and they may have too few left in stock to sell to the throng that’s expected to line up at their doors, so competition will be tough. Then comes Wal-Mart who, though they may not have enough Wiis either, you can at least wait in the warmth and comfort of the store since they’re open 24 hours. Next up is Target who won’t be opening early on the day of the release, so the chances of getting a good spot in line at this store may be higher as compared to others.

Circuit City comes next, though the chance that the Circuit City branch near you may have Wiis for sale will depend largely on how prominent or popular that branch is. Less popular branches may not carry the console, though one can never really tell if they have one or two tucked away in the store room. Hence, WiiLoaded marked this spot as a “Wildcard”.

And the best place to get a Wii? Sam’s Club and Costco. Though these places require membership, these places do offer video game merchandise and they may also have good bundles or deals up for grabs. Another good thing about these places is that because of the fact that only members can shop here, you may have significantly less competition here.

IF all else fail… then there’s always next month when Nintendo is expected to ship out up to 4 million units before Christmas. And who knows, maybe some kind soul/relative/friend would just leave one under your tree on Christmas morning, and you wouldn’t have to go through the entire process of searching at all.

So, with that said, good luck, and happy hunting!