Nintendo, Gamestop to Offer Wii Rain Checks

Addressing the perpetual Wii shortage, Nintendo will launch a "rain check" program with Gamestop to guarantee shoppers get a Wii...once the holidays are over.

In a telephone press conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the Nintendo is working with video game retailer Gamestop on launching a "rain check" program for the company’s Wii video game console, offering shoppers a chance to reserve a Wii for delivery in January. The popular console has been in short supply since its introduction a year ago, and the shortages promise to make setting hands on a Wii during the holiday season quite a challenge.

Fils-Aime wouldn’t say how many units would be offered under the rain check program, but noted Gamestop already has "many tens of thousands" of rain checks. "We expect this to be…a great way for consumers who desperately want a Wii to be able to have something to put under the tree," Fils-Aime said. Rain check customers will pay Gamestop $249, and receive a certificate that guarantees a Wii console by the end of January. The program appears to be available now.