Gamestop Taking Wii Preorders

On the heels of a successful PS3 preorder campaign lasting only hours, the Nintendo Wii is available for limited preorders at Gamestops across the nation today.

While specific launch allocations remain unclear, as compared to the tightly allocated PS3 with many Gamestop locations having only six systems available, the Wii is expected to have slightly better availablity, though the system is expected to sell-out quickly. Gamestop's website states, "Due to extremely limited supply, we expect to reach our limit very quickly, most likely in minutes."

Preorders for Nintendo's $250 system will require a more traditional deposit of $50, significantly less than the $100 required to reserve the Playstation 3. While the retailer is being cautious about overselling its allotment of systems, it does remind customers that a reservation is not a guarantee of receiving a launch system.

Gamestop was widely criticized in 2005 for vastly overestimating its allocation of Xbox 360s, leaving many customers, promised a system at launch, disappointed.