Oh where, oh where can I find a Nintendo Wii?
Not at any retailer here.
In fact, they're nearly sold out everywhere.
Demand for Nintendo's new video game system is white hot this shopping season, and consumers here have had to jump hurdles just to find a store that had some in stock.
But many have come up empty-handed.
"I have been trying to buy a Wii for over a month," said Rebecca Gingrich of West Manchester Township in York County.
So far, she's been unsuccessful, saying that she had repeatedly checked in at a Gamestop in Harrisburg for one, but to no avail.
"I went into this major panic mode because the stores all said they're going to be out of Wiis for the holidays," said Kim Shirker of Ephrata. "I was striking out, I was constantly checking Web sites, I just couldn't find it anywhere."
Many have turned to online retailers and
eBay.
"I finally ended up getting a package on eBay that included 10 accessories for $500," said a Lancaster Township woman who didn't want her name used for fear of spoiling the surprise for her 19-year-old son.
Wiis sold on eBay have been priced up to $700, $450 more than their usual retail price. A search for "Nintendo Wii" on the popular auction site turned up more than 19,000 hits.
Ads posted on
Craigslist.com list ask prices of $350 or more for the system.
Managers at Gamestop, Electronics Boutique, Circuit City and Wal-Mart in the county all said they had no Wiis in stock.
A sign posted on the outside of Circuit City told customers last week that it has sold out of Wiis.
In early November, online retailer
Amazon.com said it sold out of 1,400 Wiis in just 10 minutes.
Since its release in November 2006, stores and online retailers have consistently sold out of the system.
According to statistics released by the NPD Research Group, an independent firm that tracks video game sales, the Wii has sold more than 5 million units in the U.S. since its launch, nearly surpassing its closest rival, Microsoft's Xbox 360, which has been available since November 2005 and has sold more than 7 million units.
The Wii has been popular among many different age groups.
David Riley, an analyst at NPD, said that is a major part of Nintendo's success.
"It is the type of product that anybody can pick up and play," Riley said. "It's so incredibly intuitive and user-friendly, it's a nonthreatening gaming system. It fills a void that really hasn't been filled before."
The Wii's price has also attracted a lot of buyers. The Wii's suggested retail price is $250, whereas the Xbox 360 retails for about $350, and Sony's Playstation 3 for a whopping $499.
"The one big selling point for the Wii is the sales price," Riley said. "You cannot go wrong with a price of $250."
The Wii departs from conventional gaming consoles and uses a motion-sensitive controller that attaches to a person's wrist.
Action in games is determined by swinging the Wii's "nunchuck" controller. In games such as Wii Tennis, the controller is swung like a racket to hit a virtual ball.
The Wii sold more than 500,000 units in October alone, and Riley expects Wii sales to grow even more by year's end.
"The Wii is definitely helping the video game industry experience a banner year," he said. "We're expecting an $18 billion video game industry in the U.S. alone."
Paul Franz is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact him at pfranz@lnpnews.com or at 291-8753. 
