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In addition to looking at the lighter and weirder side of the game industry, System Update provides the latest information on weekly console updates, DLC, game-specific updates, and other game-industry flotsam and jetsam.

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$349 Wii tops eBay Black Friday searches

When both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 launched, both consoles were scooped up en masse. One of the biggest factors behind the frenzied--and occasionally violent--demand was the consoles' resale value on eBay. The auction site helped enrich many amateur entrepreneurs, who hocked both Microsoft's and Sony's consoles for as much as $2,000 to spendthrift gamers.

While the supply/demand matrix for the two consoles no longer supports massive markups, there is one console that still commands an eBay premium. According to a survey released by the Palo Alto, California-based online bazaar, Nintendo's Wii console was the most searched-for item on the site, 3,171 units over the holiday weekend. It commanded an average $349 sale price, some $100 over the suggested retail price. Right behind the Wii in terms of searches was the best-seller Wii Fit, which sold 1,059 units at $140. That's a $50 markup over the balance-board-bundled title's normal $90 SRP.

55 Comments

  • FrankenLife

    Posted Dec 7, 2008 12:49 pm PT

    People want to buy it because others want to buy it. It has only a handful of great games. With the releases of any and all worthwhile games being few and far between. The people buying it don't know that though. And so the console is the frequent to turn up on Craigslist lightly used. Those who do receive the console on christmas morning will so excited to wave their arms like an idiot.

  • rokman83

    Posted Dec 5, 2008 11:29 pm PT

    this is so dumb. casual gamers need to get educated about this stuff

  • yman173

    Posted Dec 5, 2008 10:24 pm PT

    One word: Why?

  • technowiz999

    Posted Dec 5, 2008 4:55 pm PT

    people are stupid as hell, every store i go to has boxes and boxes of wiis and wii fits. idiot casual gamers

  • daveneonfarrell

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 9:52 am PT

    Wouldnt spend $3.49 for that junk

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 5:56 am PT

    yes.. more hardcore games such as more titles featuring mario, zelda, metroid and pokemon. Oh yeah and the conduit. Yep.

  • MFDOOMED

    Posted Dec 3, 2008 4:23 pm PT

    bought one at launch and realized it wasnt for me and got rid of it shortly after. different strokes for different folks.

  • ropumar posted Dec 3, 2008 11:02 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    ropumar

    Posted Dec 3, 2008 11:02 am PT (hide)

    Sell your wii before everyone realize how lame the console is.
    There is no good games coming for wii other than monster hunter3 that will only launch in 2010.

  • scouserfuller9

    Posted Dec 3, 2008 9:01 am PT

    Well for all those moaning your Wii's a waste of money here's probably one of your last chances to get some cash with it by putting it up for auction! But as I've said before they're all being kept by most people because they clearly know over the next 12-18 months we'll have all the hardcore games back.

  • trw534

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 5:08 pm PT

    nintendo should make more and quit making people wait and suffer

  • Triton posted Dec 2, 2008 4:34 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Triton

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 4:34 pm PT (hide)

    Maybe I should sell mine on ebay. Its been sitting all year after the I was bored after the first month. To bad they couldn't just made the controllers work with the gamecube pretty much the same graphics engine...

  • trex24

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 1:46 pm PT

    I guess I may be one of those 3171. I would never buy a Wii for myself because I am a PS3 fan who likes FPS games, but my two teenage daughters wanted it for Christmas. I knew I could get one locally no problem, but I got the Wii, Wii fit, a mat and a bag on ebay for $440 minus $110 live search cash back = $330, no tax, no shipping or driving to the store--much less than SRP for all three items plus tax and gas. So we are not all idiots, but I wish my kids just wanted a PS3 game or two instead.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 11:48 am PT

    Some poor ebayer has no interest in shopping around.
    An unwise move for the internet in general, but on Cyber Monday of all days...

  • NarcMonkey

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 11:25 am PT

    People = Dumb...

  • necronaux

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 10:10 am PT

    Wii's are every where...who'd pay an extra $100?

  • -Squirrel-

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 8:55 am PT

    Kinda surprising since they have become more common. After Nintendo severely amped up the US Wii production I have been seeing them at least once a week somewhere. But I guess it's worth it to people to not have to fight crowds and to assure themselves a Wii.

    I bet the Wii will be the first console to break the one million sold in one month for the US, in November. After last month's showing of 810,000, I think they can do it with a Christmas boost.

  • makemeweak

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 8:28 am PT

    Why would you pay that much for a Wii? They aren't THAT hard to find.

  • Jonnyd108

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 7:42 am PT

    People are so stupid. Wii's are so easy to find now. I must have seen at least 25 behind the counter at Gamestop on Black Friday at 5pm.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 7:33 am PT

    I keep hearing about Nintendo not caring about hardcore gamers. I just find that kind of funny because the gamers abandoned them first. N64 was an ugly flop, all the hardcore gamers ran to PS1. Gamecube was a slightly less ugly flop because they were already on the bottom, all the PS1 gamers lateraled to PS2 with some going to Xbox, who openly mocked Kidtendo's efforts.

    Should we really be all that surprised casuals get more attention? Many of us played our part, but we aren't the ones who brought them back to moneytown. The interesting point is that hardcore gamers DO want a place with the Wii, otherwise they wouldn't keep saying developers don't make games for them. If not out of enjoying the device than definitely on principle (can't be the backbone of the industry supporting second place).

    But in all honestly, I don't think it that Nintendo and it's supporters are neglecting us so much as this is first time casuals are catered to at all. All the hollering is because they're doing it enough that we actually noticed and are horrified at the thought of sharing the spotlight.

  • rikhan_z

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 7:31 am PT

    Is this for real? Well that what happens when Christmas is coming.

  • Kratos_OMEGA posted Dec 2, 2008 6:38 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Kratos_OMEGA

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 6:38 am PT (hide)

    Who the **** is STUPID enough to buy that crappy console for $250 let aloen $350!???

  • jmartin1016

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 6:21 am PT

    $350 for a system thats worth $250 and that should cost $150. Sounds like a great deal.

  • Hoodlym_UK posted Dec 2, 2008 6:12 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Hoodlym_UK

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 6:12 am PT (hide)

    .........And then you get the Wii and realise it's lame.

  • shadowblade99

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 5:15 am PT

    Not surprising. Casual gamers are still eating this console up. I wish Nintendo still cared about hardcore gamers though ((sigh)).

  • flyingteddy

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 2:28 am PT

    lots will be bought this xmas only to end up gathering dust in a corner come new year. its kinda like boardgames that you end up playing at xmas, great fun but then they spend the rest of the year at the top of the wardrobe.

  • mbchfdh2

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 2:23 am PT

    LM78 - I remember when the PS2 hadn't yet been released in the UK. Chumps in my home city were paying £875 for Japanese imports (that's about $1,500).

    Morons.

  • mbchfdh2

    Posted Dec 2, 2008 2:15 am PT

    xderi - couldn't agree more. I use my PS3 mostly for media playback and my 360 mostly for gaming... my Wii just sits in the living room, waiting for me and a few of my friends to get drunk and challenge each other to a game of Wii Baseball. Which is actually excellent fun...!

    CGGX - "Wiitarded"... hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

  • ocdog45

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 11:48 pm PT

    so did the supply meet the demand or what?

  • xdeiri

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 11:09 pm PT

    i am a nintendo fan , but frankly idont knew why the hell it is selling so much , the games sucks except for ( mario galaxy , zelda , super smash , and wario)
    i have all three consoles and i can say thay my wii is off almost 6 months

  • Henninger

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 10:23 pm PT

    People r stupid. I love Nintendo & will ride with em till either they're gone or im gone. The Wii is popular but 350 4 a Wii is insane. When wuz the last time a Nintendo system wuz more than 250? I cant remember if any of their systems were more than 250. If so some1 let me know. & they're now sold out acroos America anymore so y pay more on ebay?

  • aarow82

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 9:31 pm PT

    So the theme of the article is people are idiots.

  • Lucidmike78

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 8:32 pm PT

    Damn, I should have bought the entire Amazon's stock of Wii's when they told me they had them in stock at 249 and free shipping. I thought they had finally sustained production to meet the demand. I guess I was wrong. Could have made a fortune from people still willing to pay 350!

    Anyone remember how people were buying PS3's for thousands of dollars, and came around christams time, there was no markup 2 years ago, they could be found for retail price. That was hilarious.

  • stuffgamer1

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 7:43 pm PT

    I don't get the value of this news article, either. All it tells me is that people have no idea how many Wii's Nintendo is shipping out right now. I work at Gamestop, and we haven't run out of stock of Wii's in over a month, not even on Black Friday! Buying them at this mark-up on e-Bay is ridiculous.

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 7:42 pm PT

    I am a huge Nintendo fan...and all I can say is it has little value. My "fan-ship" is declining fast. I sure do love my 360 though. Greatest game library ever and I am not a young gamer. MGS4 best game ever though.

  • redskinStu

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:49 pm PT

    I need one of you Nintendo fans to explain to me the news value of this piece.

  • bgres077

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:47 pm PT

    Nice!!

  • Leick3

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:32 pm PT

    to georgeverity:
    you yourself are the type of person who might give a bad impression to nongamers, characteristic fanboyism and blatant ignorance. Also, videogames ARE toys, dont take yourself so seriously, lol peace man

    P.S. i own a PS2 and a wii and while the PS2 has some great titles(GTA, God of War), you just cant beat the wiis first party games (zelda, mario, smash bros.). That being said 350$ for a wii is ridiculous lol

  • Birdman1333

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:30 pm PT

    There have been plenty of Wii at my local GameStop.

  • Dark_knight109

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    I still love watching the people denying that the Wii is a good console and highly in demand and trying to justify it with ever-more flimsy excuses. The numbers don't lie, people. If they did, I could claim the PS2 was a crappy system without looking like a total moron.

  • Media_Mind posted Dec 1, 2008 6:01 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Media_Mind

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 6:01 pm PT (hide)

    the wii ain't worth $350, if it was a fusion of the ps3 and wii, then were talking!

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:17 pm PT

    anyone remember the pyramid scams on ebay where if the bidding got really, really high you would get the system, games, tvs, and eventually a car of some sort?

  • LindBergh2007

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:14 pm PT

    So the Wii is basically the "Tickle Me Elmo" of game consoles, Everyone has to have one because it's a trendy console even though is useless.

  • Lostboy1224 posted Dec 1, 2008 5:14 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Lostboy1224

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:14 pm PT (hide)

    Ahh man, you mean people aren't getting financially raped over buying game consoles? $349 for a Wii is insane, now if that was a 80 GB PS3 then that would be worth the money.

  • BenderUnit22

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:12 pm PT

    The sad thing is that's about as much as the Wii costs where I live. And there's no shortages here whatsoever.

  • georgeverity posted Dec 1, 2008 5:05 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    georgeverity

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:05 pm PT (hide)

    i hate the wii with every bone in my body... it gives people the wrong impression about videogames... the wii is a toy... thats why i dont like it.

  • BradHummr

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:04 pm PT

    Not surprised. I have pretty much accepted that the Wii is still hard to find by now. Although around where I live, Wal-Mart is usually in stock with them.

    Although Wii Fit is still pretty elusive.

  • khai411

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 5:00 pm PT

    While my local Bestbuy was building a wall out of the stock they had.

    By the way "hocked"???

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 4:57 pm PT

    This is what you called uneducated spenders. Do they understand what they are buying? No. All these parents know is that little Johnny wants one for Christmas and HE HAS TO HAVE IT. And or hey its SUPER popular .... there must be something great about it so i guess i should buy one too ... (3 months later it sits collecting dust as their child's PS2 continues to be out played).

  • ZumaJones07 posted Dec 1, 2008 4:56 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    ZumaJones07

    Posted Dec 1, 2008 4:56 pm PT (hide)

    The Wii is a fad!!

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