Kristina Kendrick, Staff Reporter

From Pong to Ms. Packman and original Nintendo to XBOX, the video game world has gone through many changes; most recently the Nintendo Wii has taken over as the hot new console to have.
For those who don’t have access to a Wii or have been living under a rock for the last year, the vast complexity of this machine is astonishing.
Not only does it play video games like Zelda, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and Rayman Raving Rabbids, but the Wii allows users to organize personal photos, check the weather and news and have access to the World Wide Web.
With features like these, it’s no wonder finding a Wii to buy might be more difficult than one might think.
“I tried for a week and a half, calling seven different places until I found one,” said Sam Myers, junior CSU Monterey Bay TAT major.
Retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City, and EB Games carry the console, games and the many accessories but they don’t even know when they will get a shipment in until very soon before they hit the shelves.
“We usually know we are getting a shipment only one day ahead of time,” said Seaside’s EB Games manager, Aaron Cranson. “It’s on a first come, first serve basis, those who walk in when we have some get lucky.”
Crason has witnessed many crazy things involving the Wii. One person he dealt with spent over $1000 in one visit on Wii products. It’s not only kids that are into these games either.
“Most of the people I see are parents buying for themselves and their kids,” said Cranson. “It’s so interactive, making it different than the other consoles.”
Those still looking to find a Wii are encouraged to get to retailers right when they first open for the day.
Calling the stores is a start but by the time one finds out a store has them in stock, they are gone, though this could be part of Nintendo’s grand scheme.
“I was more stoked when I finally got my Wii because I waited so long to get it,” added Myers, who has owned a half dozen other consoles.
While the Wii involves many interactive qualities, this might be at the price of cutting edge graphics found in the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3.  With this said, the cost of the Wii is about half of the other two.
For more information about the Wii including tech support, software updates and uploaded videos from Wii users, check wii.com.
Buying off the internet is another option by visiting, buy-wii-online.com, which gives availability and prices for many retailers like Amazon, E-bay and Wal-mart. The console runs around $250 and games go for around $50 a piece.