Wii U price gouging begins, selling for up to $750

Would you pay $750 for a Wii U? With launch day consoles selling out at most retailers, it may be the price you'll have to pay to snag Nintendo's next home console. As supply, demand, and eBay have taught us: the inevitable price gouging has begun.

According to Ars Technica, some who have snagged pre-orders for the system are already selling them at ludicrous prices. Some already-resold pre-orders of the Deluxe system have reached more than $500, while the basic is averaging around $350. These actually sell for $349.99 and $299.99, respectively. Amazon resellers, by comparison, are offering the Deluxe models anywhere between $600 and $1,500, and Basic from $440 to $1,000--but it's impossible to tell if people have been purchasing these marked-up systems.

Others are getting even bolder. One reseller got $750, the highest price that we know has sold. The free market is showing a cap on just how much people will pay, though, since one attempting a $1,550 payday failed to get any takers on his "Buy It Now" price.

If you aren't willing to shell out quite that much money for the system, you can hope retail gets another wave of fresh pre-order stock committed to their locations. You might try your luck camping out to secure a place in line too. Or you could teach your kids a valuable lesson in patience.