Was Buying the Wii a Huge Mistake?
Mar 17th, 2009 by Nut
Lots of people think that if you write about personal finance then that makes you a responsible shopper that isn’t tempted by shiny new gadgets and useless tchochkes.
I wish it were true.
One of the big things PF bloggers write about is how they overcome the urge to buy stuff. JD had a great post yesterday on some of the techniques he uses to beat the voices inside seducing him to buy, buy, buy!
I went through this when I bought my Android G1 phone (which is great) and our new TV (even though it was a gift)—spending big bucks is hard for me (especially because I usually don’t have the money). And the Nintendo Wii was not an easy purchase either—I debated it A LOT.
And now I’m wondering whether or not I made the right decision. The Wii is quietly sitting in the corner like a lonely pet that hasn’t been played with in a LONG time. Poor guy, I haven’t fired it up for a quick game of Guitar Hero or even a go at Wii Bowling in so long. Even the newest game I bought, Pro Evolution Soccer, has been neglected.
And the less I use it, the more I feel like it was a bad buy and that I messed up.
At the time I bought it, I was obsessed. Being obsessed can be a good thing—you’ll get a better deal and do your due diligence when it comes to research. But if you aren’t using it regularly, that’s a bad sign.
I keep asking myself one question: Have I gotten “enough” out of the system if I were to stop playing it as of today? If so, then it was worth it. If not, I made a big mistake.
But as they like to say in the stock market, things are forward looking—there’s nothing we can do about what happened in the past. So I’ve had the itch to sell the system and get some cash for it. At the same time, I just got a $50 gift card for my birthday and part of me wants to buy another game.
Regardless of whether or not I sell the system (I’d have to check with M first—I doubt it would fly), I know buying a game is a terrible idea for a few reasons:
- I don’t play enough as it is because of a lack of time.
- Buying something that will take up time from things like writing is not something I want to put myself in the position to do.
- Guilt: always in the equation.
The Wii is one of those things you go in and out of playing. One day we’ll come home and get the itch to play and we will. Other times people will come over and we’ll break it out to play some bowling or something. But unless they come out with a Wii version of MLB ’09 The Show (which looks awesome), then I won’t be playing too much.
So now that I’ve tried to give a really long-winded answer to my question (without succeeding), I put it to you, my trusty reader, to tell me what you think: was the Wii a bad buy in my case?
This post was included in the Festival of Frugality over at MoneyNing.
You can not look at the machine as I paid $200.00 for it and I only used 20 times. You have to look at other factors: spending time with your wife and friends having fun while using it. You can not put a price on enjoyment. I have spent about $5000-$6000 on barney this year for everything and I have to pick up his poop. We could have taken that money and gone on a nice vacation instead. Is he worth the money? No way, but I would still not trade him for any amount of money because he is fun to have, most of the time.
Go buy some new games.
Go pick up more poop you pooper scooper!
But seriously, you bring up a great point. And I like your closing line—gave me a good laugh.
I still use my Wii about once a week. I just wish there were higher quality games for the Wii. The average Wii game rates like 6/10, while the PS3 and XBox games rate about 8/10 average. I’m hoping Wii game develops catch up with the other console’s titles.
@FupDuckTV I know it sucks. Right now I’m looking at maybe MLB Power Pros to quench my baseball search. That’s why I was excited when I saw the reviews for Deadly Creatures, that looks good and even a little innovative.
And have you seen Winter? Check out more on it at IGN—it looks awesome but of course still has no publisher. Go figure.
Have you tried some of the exercise gadgets & programs that come with the WII? That might add a new dimension. As it were… And save on gym fees.
Never tried the Wii Fit but I did try a game that came with a floor pad a la the old NES powerpad. It was pretty fun and definitely a work out. More of a party game than a “game” game though.
I like how you’re thinking though
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