The early bird gets to pick up a Nintendo Wii U Deluxe package from their local GameStop at midnight on November 18. The rest of us will have to concoct a plan “B.”
Friday afternoon I called one of my local GameStop stores with the intent of confirming they were taking pre-orders for the Wii U Deluxe package (the $349.99 one that blows the basic package out of the water). Upon confirmation, I was going to run down to the store to formally put down a deposit. Since the GameStop employee said hello with a canned message about now taking Wii U pre-orders, I thought it would be quick and painless.
Instead of hopping into the car to lock up a Wii U for pickup, I was informed that GameStop stores nationwide had been flooded with Wii U Deluxe package pre-orders. They got so many that early Friday the console’s availability was removed from their system entirely. You could still pre-order the Wii U basic package, but the Deluxe was off the table across the country.
Currently my plan “B” is jumping into a pre-order at BestBuy.com and selecting in-store pickup. That’s not necessarily a guarantee that one will be available on launch day with my name on it. Right now it’s the best option available without having to rely on getting it post-launch while waiting for it to ship.
With how quickly the Wii U Deluxe package sold out at GameStop, don’t be surprised if other retailers start putting together $400 and up bundles of their own to try and sell more software. Hey look; Walmart already has.
