Technology Blog

Last week, I talked about my feeling on the obvious shortage of Wii’s available to the market

In my previous article I mentioned the biggest draw for me personally to this console was that it would help my get off the couch and up and active again (during those times where I actually have free time to play games). I still think it’s a brilliant idea, especially when I’m facing roughly 3-5 months of fall/winter rain on the west coast of Canada.

Apparently this idea is striking a chord with others as well, as Seniors trade walkers for Wii

The article also touches on something that’s close to what I’ve witnessed as well with my mother-in-law who is a dependent to us. Playing games of some description provides the kind of brain stimulation that television watching alone does not provide. Puzzles on the computer, like bejewelled helps her to focus more and think. I’m just not sure that the Wii would be a good idea for her after seeing all those home accidents that teen boys posted in the early days of Wii on Youtube. At least not with me.. I’m too competitive.

Nintendo Faking Wii Shortage To Raise Holiday Demand

I ran across the above article today and got immediately ticked off at Nintendo all over again. Now granted, I do not make it a priority in my life to have a game console. But with step kids and kids of friends, I’m not one to ignore a console and often think of buying one. Wii was one such console I seriously considered because it would get me up and active off the couch. I thought that was cool.

But given the on going shortage (and to be sure, I check about once a month to see if it’s available at Best Buy, and I’ve done that for months), I’ve decided that I made the PERFECT purchase in California last month at Salvation Army.

Yep, that’s right. for $3.50, I bought myself a 1 game console called ping pong, complete with wireless paddles. I don’t know how old this console game is, but the wife and I went to the Salvation Army on a Thursday, which just so happens to be 50% off day for small appliances. My $3.50 investment became $1.75 at the cash register.

So one could say I’m ready to hold off on a Wii even longer. As much as I want to get my ass off the couch and play some games and work up a sweat doing so, I refuse to jump through hoops for this console that only seems to exist in online electronic catalogs.