UK Wii Fit pre-orders cause shortage
Game out next week
The UK's will to lose pounds and get fit through videogames is so strong that the much hyped Wii Fit has sold out even before going on sale.
The title, which will be released in the UK on 25 April, sees gamers use a wireless Balance Board that contains pressure sensors to detect their movements during over 40 different muscle, yoga, aerobic and balance exercises.
But Register Hardware has trawled through some of the largest online retailers’ websites and found that pre-orders have sucked up most of the available copies.
Play.com states it has “currently sold out on this item”, and Game.co.uk has already posted a warning to chubby gamers that “due to massive demand we cannot take any further pre-orders on Wii Fit”.
The Wii Fit Balance Board
The misery doesn’t end with Play and Game though, because Zavvi.co.uk has already said that “Wii Fit is temporarily out of stock”.
Several websites have already sprung up to help gamers compare Wii Fit prices from various suppliers and, crucially, show which stores are still accepting pre-orders. For example, Buywiifit.co.uk shows that both Gamestation and Dixons are still accepting orders for the title at £70 a pop.
Wii Fit has already proven just as popular in Japan, where it was released in December and has since gone on to sell over 1m copies.
COMMENTS
Clearly people should get out more
Or watch more youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns
@AC
I suspect that for lonely types (or those who are lonely domestics) it's hard to get motivated alone and interaction provided by something like Wiifit keeps it from being too boring.
As for "I sit down. I get up. I sit down. I get up. I sit down. I get up.".
Isn't that a song by Chumbawamba or was it some grand old Parlamentary funk?
@AC
OOOOOHHHHH Tetchy!!!
Could it be that people nowadays need stimlation while exercising. Some don't like sports etc. I'm no great advocate of the gym or computer games to keep people fit but if it works and people stay at it because it works then great. If others prefer to play football or somethng then great. Whatever, I'm sure people playing football once a week will pay more in "subs" and fees in one season than you'd pay for Wii fit, so go figure.
Mines the one with the copy of "Everybody's free to wear sunscreen" in the pocket!!!
Consumers == Braindead Zombies.
But have you seen these people who are using the stair-master? Huh? Have we turned into gerbils ladies and gentlemen? People are paying money to go into a health club and walk up invisible steps over and over again for an hour and a half. "Where are you going?" "I'm going up! And I paid for it too! I can stay here as long as I want!" Folks, you wanna go up and down stairs, move into a fifth floor walk up on the lower east side. Ok? What's next? A fekking chair master!? "I sit down. I get up. I sit down. I get up. I sit down. I get up." The door master. "I open the door. I close..." What the fek?
Her We Go Again...
And I wonder how many of those pre-orders will be appearing on eBay on launch day (or even before) at fantastically marked-up "Buy it Now" prices?
