Wii demo kiosks to be under supervision?
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 18th 2006 4:20PM
posted Oct 18th 2006 4:20PM
We suppose any Wii is better than no Wii, but having to battle it out in a round of Excite Truck with a proudly-pinned employee watching over each shoulder just seems a bit idiosyncratic. While we already know that Wal-Mart isn't planning on hiring any more smiling faces to oversee the presumably fractious gaming crowd, you just might find a few "helpful staff members" at your side while flinging the Wiimote in your local GameStop. Nintendo's George Harrison has insinuated that all Wii demo stations will feature untethered controllers, but store personnel will be eying the players to ensure the nunchuck isn't used as a weapon (and that it doesn't leave in unauthorized pockets). He also noted that the big N has spent "considerable amounts of time" in designed the forthcoming kiosks, and mentioned (vaguely) that they "could be found at retail outlets, malls, the Nintendo Fusion Tour, and other consumer events." While we still aren't exactly sure where you'll wind up finding that ever-elusive Wii demo station, be sure to mind your manners when you finally do.[Via The Wiire]
God I hope not ... I work at Best Buy and the last thing I want to do during the normal seasonal work day is stand around and watch everyone who plays the Wii all day long. Not to mention worrying about some 12 year old faux-gangster strangling someone with the nunchuck or stealing it.
@mark,
yeah that would suck...
hey do you recommend doing a camping the night on the nov17 at BestBuy to be able to get a ps3?
why dont they just put a sensor in the controller, so that when you get like 10 feet away from the kiosk, it makes a loud alarm
... or just tether them to the kiosk.
I fail to see where that's a problem. The minute motions Nintendo says are all that's necessary shouldn't be hampered by a lightweight cable connecting the two halves of the remote to the stand.
Stupid little kids... nunchucking people in the face.... little bastards.
It's not just theft, I think it's a valid concern that people could get a little *too* into playing the Wii and pose a danger to other shoppers. Given the narrow confines of many store aisles the issue is even more pressing.
This is a problem for Nintendo. Because they are trying to promote a new product to non-traditional gamers it's absolutely critical that they give people opportunities to see and play the games. They're on the right track with their mall tours but need to find as many ways as possible to promote the console.
Retailers should afix dye packs like the ones banks put in with the loot that bank robbers try to steal. Imagine all those fools who walk out the front door with a Wiimote, and *bam* they are covered in hard to clean blue dye. I can only imagine the number of grainy videos of the event on YouTube. It would truly be priceless...
I don't see why they can't tether the thing, I mean what, six, seven feet? That's more than enough, slap it on the Wiimote, route it along with the plugin through the Wiimote to the other attachment, it keeps them both together and attached, plenty of room for motion, Bada Bing Bada Boom.
I dont know why they dont just teather it. would be so much better and I dont think it would hinder the Wiimote taht greatly.
Oh well, I can deal with that. As long as they do put them out for people to try, I'm happy. At one point they were questioning doing it at all.
its sad that this is even necissary.
would it be that hard for people to refrain from this sort of jackassery?
"I don't see why they can't tether the thing, I mean what, six, seven feet?"
Because some kid will play with it, drop it in the middle of the floor, and someone will trip over the seven feet of cord lying around and sue.
retractable cord
or make it incompatible with "home" wii's
There you go, retractable cord.
I just think it's pretty cool that you can name something Wii and people will be fine with it in a matter of months... of course it hasn't really hit the general public yet.
How about instead of an alarm triggering when someone walks out with a wiimote, the wiimote explodes? They would be accomplishing two tasks: Stopping people from stealing them and destroying crappy Wii hardware.
HERESEY!
ANDY IS A WITCH, BURN THE WITCH!!
Uh, I don't see how they could make an exploding Wiimote... why would Nintendo use Sony-made batteries?
I think it might be like this. Some employee is honored with becoming the wii-holder. Then someone wanting to demo the wii must ask him and he will hand you and a friend a wii remote and let you play for a certain amount of time, supervised. Maybe even play with you...hmmmmm.....We'll See!!!
At least some Wal-Marts will be getting the wii kiosks. According to our Nintendo rep, three of the five waaly worlds in my city will be getting them with either the classic controller or game cube controller (not sure which) attached and the wii-mote and nunchuku kept at the cash wrap for the customers who want to try it out.
I'd take a job protecting the Wii remote....
But then again, right now I'd take any job.....
I wonder if that means the Wiimote and Nunchuk will be plastered with the security stickers. That will sure bring down the aesthetics of the system won't it?
What if it hung from a beam across the aisles? That would work, and you won't be able to trip over it.
At our GameStop store, we keep the controllers behind the counter and if anyone wants to play they have to leave their driver's license with us or a parent does if it's a child.