Wii came, Wii saw, Wii conquered. After hours in line getting worked into a frenzy, the unwashed masses were finally admitted into Toys "R" Us to pillage the store and escape with their Wii. Triforce, who we
spotted earlier, was of course the first to get his Wii on, and therefore he and Reggie chatted it up through the purchase, after which he was mobbed by an adoring press. Things really didn't get much more exciting than that. Most people in line seemed quite cheery throughout the evening, the temperature was quite bearable, and perks like the Segwiis, free hats, free t-shirts and other such frivolities kept everybody entertained. We found the exact number of consoles available and the exact number of people lined up to be a bit elusive, but the best numbers we heard were about 4,000 consoles on hand, for around 2,500-3,000 customers. Peep the in-store pictures after the break.
posted Nov 19th 2006 3:40AM
I was there and got out of the store at 2:30 am. I think it was very well organized and the store was well stocked. Nintendo and Toys R Us did a great Job.
Props to Nintendo - they actually know what they're doing. Way to keep everyone out of the hospital! Stupid Sony...
I don't know how we can define the fact that Nitendo actually prepared and had enough consoles to happy all their fans. Maybe "respect" is too big a word, but it could well apply.
Who the hell is this guy you keep talking about? The triforce guy.
He the first person to get a wii a profesional gamer and someon who gos on Nsider
Thanks to Nintendo and Walmart for a great launch here in CT. There were less than thirty consoles available, but all went smooth. The first person waited a total of 16 hours for the privilege and the last person cut it close by waiting just over six hours.
It was sad to see the people who arrived as time ran out at midnight only to find out they had to wait in line for 8 hours at Best Buy or Target to get one locally, but there were no incidents. In fact, it was an awesome time all around.
Oh MAN, Cant wait to pick mine up tomorrow. Toys r us opens at 11, and there are 20 console.... heres hoping there arent too many hardcores
Aaah! I've still got weeks to wait. Seeing things like this just makes it all last longer.
Damn UK.
I was at Wal-Mart tonight (Anchorage, AK) when they started the Wii process. They had 37 on-hand, and basically gave everyone in line a ticket, then drew tickets to determine who got one of the units. I know that another local retailer had 75 Wiis, and the line started around 5:30PM there. From what I saw of the Wal-Mart launch, it went pretty well.
I just got mine, suprisingly enough, at Rogers Video (usually movie rentals). Was third in line after waiting only 4 hours, only to have my debit card denied for exceeding my withdrawl limit. Had to phone the folks and have one of 'em come to my rescue, as I don't currently have a credit card. Got home, played some great rounds of Wii Sports golf with a couple friends (one of which was the fourth in line), bought Sonic the Hedgehog online, created a Mii, played Excite Truck (we were planning to race, but versus had to be unlocked [how stupid is that?]), and got really frustrated with the tutorials (chaining truck-spinning is apparently quite difficult to the uninitiated).
That's my story. Now, I am so freaking tired, I'ma go to sleep...
This could have been you Sony, had you only been patient and allowed BluRay and Cell to mature through other product lines. No fuss, no muss, and profit on each unit.
Then again, given Sony's financial sitch, it would have been a gamble either way. Still, their big card is brandname/loyalty. I think a better way to play it might have been to assume people would be willing to wait long enough for Sony to turn out a great console, as opposed to simply counting on (and even commenting on) the fact that people will buy one early even if it sux.
But suckage has yet to be conclusively proven. And with all players now on the field, the three sided knife fight can now commence in ernest.
Engadget...Kotaku...Gizmodo...keep us apprised.
(and many thanks for it to)
I arrived at Circuit City in Greenville, SC at 6:20 a.m. and was surprised to see only four people in line. At 8:15 they handed out vouchers for their 19 Wiis. At that time there were only 25 people there. I'm returning at 10:00 to pick it up, and then it goes on eBay. Hopefully I can double my money.
jerk.
Not even a fight at any of you all's launchings? Man....none here either!
Memo to Bill Gates, time to raise your bid, ummm again, on this company next door, and be serious on valuation for once.
Kudo to Nintendo for an excellent launch. They raise enough buzz to get people lineup, but they don't forget to actually sell some units while doing that.
Oddmanout, Blu-ray and HD-DVD players aren't the next DVD or the next flat screen TV that consumers must upgrade. I tried them both, and I do not believe feature films are the right driver for such mediums.
They're similar to a 7.1 to a 5.1 surround sound system, which won't hit critical mass until several waves of catalysts excite the market (about 2-3 years away). By that time, cheap bandwidth combined with affordable double-digit-tetrabye hard disk drives will make both technologies obsolete. You and I share the same consensus, Sony hedged wrong. They could gamble away their future during the process. I don't know.
What they should have done was to jam a regular DVD with a 500GB proprietary yet upgradeable hard disk drive into PS3. Launch the system with ample supplies, and begin lowering production cost on the first day of PS3 sale.
An Un-Wii-Warding Morning
I saw that the local Best Buy would be handing out tickets at 8, so I went there a little early, to find the line abut a tenth of a mile long. They had at most 30 units, so I tried Sears. They had two units and four people waiting. Circuit City was a zoo. I went to Toys R Us and the line was reasonable. I waited an hour. They had already given out tickets to people in front, and they supposedly had enough to get as far back as I was. An hour later they gave out the remaining tickets to people who cut in line up front and none of the rest of us got one. On the way home, I asked myself over and over what I was thinking. There were nowhere near enough units to sate demand, and I kind of lost interest in the whole thing. One guy drove past us to show off the Wii he had picked up at Target at 5 AM.
That was the first time...and the last time I do something as stupid as standing in line for a game system. I guess I got to save $250 + tax!!!
Just picked up my Wii about an hour ago. It wasn't worth it to me to stand in line all night and thought I'd take my chances and just show up in the morning. Walmart opened at 7am, but when I got there at 7:05, all the tickets were naturally gone. I don't know how many consoles they had. I then hoofed it over to Zellers. I knew for a fact that they only had 8 and just kept walking when I saw over a dozen people in line.
I finally ended up at Futureshop at 7:30am and found out that they had 60 units, and I was 41st in line. I did have to wait 2 hours until they let us in at 9:30 or so. It was very amiable, and someone even came around with Tim Horton's donuts for those in line. The first peron in line was there about 6pm last night. Someone with some time and masking tape crossed off the Sony logos and wrote "Bankrupt" on the window with the tape, on the Sony store which is right next to Futureshop... hilarious
Now to see what this baby can do...
Went to Target in Tallahassee, FL at 5:00 AM and I ended up 25th in line for 24 units. Continued on to Circuit City, they were giving out vouchers at 9:00 AM for 12 units to arrive Tuesday. Went to Best Buy, which was a mob scene, then I continued on to Kmart at around 8:30 AM, manager opened the door for me, handed me a voucher for Wii #5 and said, "This will get you a Wii at 9:00 AM". So I went and got breakfast and passed by Toys"R"Us at around 8:45 and there were only a few people in line. Went into Kmart at 9:00, guy walked about 15 of us back to electronics and was rummaging around in the back for about 20 minutes. Turns out they only actually had 2 Wiis and the rest of us with vouchers pretty much got fucked. Went over to Toy"R"Us again after that and they were out of units by then. Last ditch attempt at Sears, waiting out front with about 4 other people for an hour, manager came out and asked us if we were there for the Wii, because they didn't have any.
Should've pre-ordered or camped out, it seems. Guess I'll have to wait until later in the week to see if I can get one. Screw all you assholes who are putting your units on ebay for 2xMSRP . . . some of us actually want to play it.
Strolled into lcoal target at 6:30 when they said no camping overnight so i just woke up early. Still kinda buzzed/semi hungboer and got the 80 and 81st units which were the final two. Walked out of the store with zelda and COD3 no problem. It was wild though, after we got there 60 people tried to get one and we had to explain there were none left. Circuity city had 70 or so in line and walmart sold out an hour before it opened too. Some guy camped there since 2pm the day before to be the first at walmart. We were relaly lucky. The manager said i would be fine at 6:30 if i got to target and i guess he was just right. ^_^
maybe the launch went smoothly because the demand wasnt as great as it was for sony ps3. 2000 wiis in store, 500 in line for console, translation: smooth launch! go figure. The fact is the demand just isnt as great cus no self respecting gamer would be caught dead playing a game that requires standing in your room and swinging your hands like an idiot. Too toyish for me.
Jack, please define "self respecting" gamer.
"Jack, please define "self respecting" gamer"
Don't mind if I do. A true gamer would be one that is always ahead of the general gaming public.
1. PC gamers (spend a ton to get the best)
2. PS3 owners (catching up to pc gamers)
3. 360 owners (good middle point)
4. Wii owners (4 steps back)
However, if it rocks your world, go for it. I just wont be playing a game that got its name from a bunch of women screaming weeeeeee while playing with the weeemote. "look, the ball moves when I swing my arms! weeeeeeee, its magic!
Meanwhile, people with Nintendo World Preorders are stuck waiting till 6am. At least we got a plushy mario/yoshi xmas ornament though. Meh.
I just would like to say I like the change in the RSS feed where it doesn't list all the photos anymore, but it says "continue reading..." like on the engadget homepage.
Jack is yet another fine graduate of the Mr. Kutarchini school of business.
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=212
Showed up at target in Oakdale, MN at 8:30 PM and waited over night. We were numbers 4-7 of 78 available units. We win for sure for the coldest launch. It hit 12 Degrees F last night and NO ONE was in tents, we were all sitting out in blankets. It was a little bit of the insain, but target did an awesome job. Gave out vouchers 30 minutes before hand, not a single fight or argument. Had PLENTY of wiimotes and numchucks. Also had TONS of Zelda, i think the first 25-30 people bought it.
Very fun night, very FANTASTIC system
LOL. This is too good. It just crashed on me. I hope this is only a rare occasion. It did update, however, and yes, you can copy stuff to/from the SD card. I think Nintendo should have put something in the manual indicating what to do when it crashes (i.e. unplug it and plug it back in; the power button(s) and reset will not do it).
In my county, stores aren't allowed to be opened on sundays.
Reading all these stories though, it looks like I'm going to spend the night outside of my Best Buy instead of showing up tomorrow morning.
My son has had the Wii pic as a screen-saver for 5 months. He knows everything about it. So wheen he and I discussed it, we decided to split 50-50 on cost (he's 11 and cuts grass). I went to Wal-Mart at a few minutes before midnight and they told me the tickets were long gone for 24 units (Louisville, KY).
I drove by Target (I had been in there earlier in the day and they told me they had 50-80 units coming) and saw about 40 people on line at 12:30. So I went home, put on my long johns, got my North Face bag out (it was 38 out)and joined the folks on line at 1:30. At 6 AM someone from Target showed up, handed out tickets, and we all left (we had until noon to pick them up). I got #59, and it turns out there were 69 total. So I have a happy kid, stayed warm, and actually got a couple hours of sleep out there and a few more this morning.
@jack
Yes I completely agree with you that swinging arms around would look like an idiot. I'm buy a PS3 for sure since there wouldn't be any games that require gesture input.
/sarcasm
ok, SIXAXIS has motion sensors too..... either way you'll look like an idiot like the guy trying to land the plane in E3
Even if the controllers didnt have motion sensitivity, I bet you STILL would be waving your hands around...that seems to be the natural tendancy of gamers anyways.
Really lucked out. Drove into Langley, BC, where there's a Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and EB Games all within practically the same parking lot. Got there at about 7:00AM, there were around 40-50 people at both Wal-Mart and Best Buy. EB Games was kind of off in the corner of the lot, with just a few people. I don't think most knew it existed. I ended up 7th in line. The Wal-Mart and BB lineups reached 60+, with only 40-50 consoles per store, some headed over to EB, others left altogether.
The EB I was waiting at ended up having 15 consoles available for non-preorder. Doesn't open until 11AM, though. The weather was awful, the manager finally decided to give us all numbers on the backs of business cards, and let us leave. Will be going back in about 40 minutes.
After I got my card, I headed into Best Buy to see if I could pick up the accessories I wanted, so I could just run in, grab the Wii from EB later, and leave. Nope. Practically everything Wii in the store was gone. Every single game, save for one copy of CoD3, and one copy of another game, whose name escapes me at the moment. All the accessories, too. The PS3 shelves were about half full, but I imagine the limited number of systems played into that, too.
I didn't think there'd be a shortage issue with the games, and extra controllers, and such. Will be stopping by Wal-Mart and a few other places on my way back over. Still, I'm excited. Holding a business card that guarantees me a Wii. :)
I wasted the whole of last night and today, trying to get hold of a wii. this is really frustrating. I am going for a xbox; goodbye forever nintendo.
It's not Nintendo's fault that: a) you didn't pre-order; and b) that the retailers are holding out for Black Friday.
Of the five stores I went to today, they had less than 400 Wiis in-stock for non-pre-orders. Considering that Nintendo has stated, multiple times, that it placed 1 million Wiis in the retail channel for launch (with an additional 3 million by the end of 2006), I think you are looking at retailers who are hoarding the console and going to use the Wii as a traffic device for Black Friday.
Jack, you're a certifiable idiot. As well as an arrogant prick.
Javaflash - I could not agree more. I have the xbox 360 HD drive and a 1080P tv - it's underwhelming. Give me a multi terabyte drive array with 50 gigabit download!
Europe keeps getting screwed, ironically only microsoft deserves respect.
Yes, jack...you are fucked up in your head...if you have one
now now, jack is just a closet wii fan who was turned away. let's just pity him.
btw jack it sounds a bit like being a "serious gamer" to you is just laying down cash. i think most of us would agree that being a serious gamer is more about the games, not the number of piggy banks you have to smash to get them.
because, of course, you wouldn't play them if they sucked :P
and nintendo...has a history of supporting good games.
Nintendo supports good games? Yes, for kids! I am a grown-up, I have no interest in super mario or zelda. So kids, turn your wii on, start swinging your arms like a moron, and scream weeeeeeeeeeeeee like you were meant to do. I will be playing halo, or just watching some bluray movies from the comfort of my couch. How you can look yourself in the mirror after playing the weeeeeeeeeeeeee is beyond me.
There is no need to wait in line for this console its availible widely.
Also they will be replenishing supplies way better than PS3. The tech in Wii isnt advanced so they are making a killing off this.
Plus those DS advanced games its selling as wii games.
"jack"
as in Jack Thompson by any chance?
i hear he's big on video game blogs looking to find ammo for his crusades.
Would that suprise anyone else if it was that jackass?
A good game is a good game, Jack - those of us who have been playing video games for 30 years, and are the core of the market, know that. The Wii has the edge over the PS3 and 360 in terms of gameplay, and even Microsoft has made noises agreeing to that.
So, go play Halo or go watch a Blu-Ray movie. We can all look past your shortcomings (such as your immaturity and inability to enjoy a new style of gameplay as opposed to have the same rail-based tripe spoon-fed to you over and over and over and over and over) to see that you really want a Wii... you're just concerned about what your "boys" will say.
"Jack"
You are not a "self-respecting gamer," because you have absolutely no concept of what makes a game and/or console great. Under your logic, the PSP would be a far superior alternative to the Nintendo GameBoy/DS lineup - yet anyone can see that Sony got owned in the handheld space, just as Sega, Atari, and even NEC (TurboGrafx Portable, anyone?). What makes a game and/or game system great isn't how powerful it is, but how good the EXPERIENCE of playing the game is. The Wii isn't a system designed to overpower the rest, it's a system designed to redefine the way people think about games.
I should also point out that your attempt to link "self-respecting gamer" to the amount of money you spend is moronic at best, and plain idiotic otherwise. It is clear to myself and others (judging from the responses to you) that you do not and can not speak for others when defining "self-respecting gamer". I'll take the Wii and games like Zelda, Metroid, etc. over the PS3 and overpriced drivel that is basically the same title with "prettier" graphics. I'll also have more money to spend elsewhere.
"What makes a game and/or game system great isn't how powerful it is, but how good the EXPERIENCE of playing the game is. The Wii isn't a system designed to overpower the rest, it's a system designed to redefine the way people think about games"
Wake up and pull your head outta your ass. Checkers as a game is more popular than chess. A lot of people will swear it is a better experience than chess. Truth is, chess is a lot more complicated and a lot more advanced than checkers ever will be. Simpletons that cannot afford to or are not smart enough to grasp the game will always fall back to the "its a more pleasurable experience excuse" Not! You are just not smart to realize that your pleasurable experience is a joke compared to what chess players (ps3 owners) enjoy. Again, go play with your "toy" cus that's all it is, a toy. And dont forget to scream weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Jack,
This is why your opinion is regarded as irrelevant, misinformed, and full of BS. Your arrogance is astounding. Are you sure you're not a Sony employee getting paid to discredit Nintendo? For someone who claims to be an "adult", you're spending a lot of time making juvenile remarks. You never dispute the point that many of the games coming out for PS3 are retreads of older titles with prettier graphics. There is no substantial change to gameplay in those titles. In a way, it's the "same sh*t, different day" mentality. The problem is that the "same sh*t" gets old after a while.
what in the hell do "non-adult" games vs. "adult" games (by whatever definition it is... which is completely subjective) have to do with chess OR checkers? it's apples and oranges!
if you are worried about the presentation of the game is not adult for you, you have certainly not allowed youself a full range of interactive entertainment.
halo is good
KOTOR is good
Mario 64 is good
Zelda in it's MANY forms are good
Guitar Hero is good
Monkey ball is good
TETRIS is good
Half-Life 2 is good
DDR is good
Fallout is good
however i can think of just as many games that are horrid, regalrdless of the "adult" / "non-adult" peudo-non-existent-genre you propose (unless you mean games that are rated T and above - and that's just a rating)
it's all good... a game is good based on it's entertainment value, not if it "adult" enough or not. in fact, there are a whole class of games where the concept of "adult" or "non-adult" does not apply.
---------------------------------------------
"jack" is, IMNHO, short-sighted and represents a short list of gamers. I know a couple people just like him (as far as gaming goes) and I know numerous more people that like good digital entertainment, regarldess of its form.
A deathmatch? A little SSBM? Or maybe a multiplayer game of DEFCON? A good RPG? Yeah I like it all... as long as it is good. The Wii will deliver. So will the XBox360. In time - if the software and supply meets demand before developers abandon the system - the PS3 will hold it's own, even if it is first in sales or not.
Oh yeah, I'm getting a Wii... XBox360 :) The PS3 is just way too expensive for a single purchase right now (and I have no use for BluRay and most of the reviews, while not bad, are a bit lack-luster)
If anything, Jack, Wii is the Chess game and you're lucky if you can even get a tic-tac-toe game going.
Hrmm... let's see... do I want to play a FPS where I have to move teh control stick in order to aim, or do I want the full immersion of actually aiming my controller and shooting him in the head? Do I want to have to randomly hit buttons in order to get my swordsman to do a overhand slash followed by a thrust, or do I actually want to just do it myself?
Face it, Jack. You can have the best graphics in the world, to the point that you actually think you're watching it live, but you'll never get rid of that controller. You'll never really be the one swinging the sword, aiming the gun, flying the plane, or any one of a thousand different possibilities.
You aren't a serious gamer, you're just a seriously bitter guy who knows that he spent or will spend $600 for an overhyped HD-DVD player with net access and will eventually die out and become obsolete anyway, forcing you to shell out even more money for a gaming system that will probably belong to Nintendo anyway.
This is 100% true. PS3, and xox360 are just the same sh*t, different day just as xobx1 was as well as ps2. Wii is the first innovative console in a LONG time. Whether or not its successful long term will not be known....well for a while. But no one in their right mind should discredit Nintendo for trying something new. I have one, i have zelda, and its tons of fun, and very intuitive. Jack's comparison to checkers and chess is...well lets just say, 'go fish'.
I got to Costco at 8:30am and walked away with a Wii, Zelda:TP, and Excite Truck at 8:45am. They were very organized and prepared. Also, there was a *much* smaller crowd waiting since Costco gets overlooked and many people don't have a membership there.
So where in NYC is the best place to try and score a Wii on monday
Mike Street, Just picked one up at the Toys R Us in downtown Brooklyn.
.... I ended up buying two :-P some guys behind and in the very front of the line went to the back of the line and got two also. The guy next to me got three! One of the units are mine the other is an early christmas present. I went to target in south east brooklyn and they had 200 units so i got units 100 and 101!
ok people we get it, there all good consols. If you like the wii buy a wii if you like ps3 then buy a ps3 and if you like the 360 then good lord just buy one! People are going to buy what there going to buy so let them. They all have good points and bad so if you like the wii don't bash the ps3 and if you like the ps3 don't bash the wii simply as that. Theres no reason for people to get mad at other people just because they like a different console and complening about it over the internet isn't going to change anything. Besides video games are about haveing fun and to me playing the game is a lot more fun then looking for chances to bash another console.
p.s i'm buying the wii, but I also own a playstation 2 and gamecube so i'm not a fanboy (girl) I may even get a ps3 in the future who knows
Jack, you're one of those guys who can win at chess, but get owned in checkers, aren't you? Don't be ashamed, it's not that uncommon.
Fact is, for a non-team sports game, the Wii makes sense. Wii Sports proves that to me beyond a shadow of a doubt. I swing my arm, the racket moves. Backhand, lob, spin, etc all just work. Bowling's probably the best example of this, to be honest. Baseball, which probably requires the most swinging, CAN be played by just moving your wrist.
FPS games make more sense on Wii. Ever seen the CAVE demos? You get a navigation control and a gun. Shockingly enough, people understand this interface, and use it very effectively. By comparison, in a typical PC/console FPS, you're twitching around with a keyboard and mouse, possibly learning new mappings just to make the game work. It's silly, as any arcade shooter can demonstrate.
The Wii works. No other console has ever managed to make that claim, and they certainly haven't done it for less than the competition. I don't learn controls on Wii, I learn the world that I'm exploring.
(Additionally, to call Twilight Princess a kiddie game, sight unseen, is ridiculous. It's absolutely BLEAK. Once you get the plot moving, which doesn't take very long at all, the whole game is just eerie.)
Wii doesn't try to be anything more than you need. Do you need a DVD player, like the XBox 360? Not really, you can buy one at Wal-Mart for under $50. Do you need a music player? Probably not, you've got an iPod, or some MP3 set top box, and you certainly have a CD player, at the very least, in that Wal-Mart DVD player. You just need enough power to make a good looking game, and the Gamecube already had that. Boost it a bit, just in case, and have some CPU power left for added logic/control management, sure, but beyond that? We're done. Realism isn't going to come from what you see on your TV anymore. TV can't handle it, since no matter what, you're looking at a screen, which is only part of your field of vision. Until a console hooks up to your brain, or has a holographic projector, the visuals just don't NEED to be any better. The problem still remains in the control system. Do I want to drive a car with a Dual Shock? No. Do I want to buy yet another wheel controller? Certainly not, I haven't bought one since the Dreamcast, and they're too bulky. However, what if we just put a plastic ring around the default controller? Suddenly, a $2 piece of plastic turns the standard controller into something more appropriate to the task.
Nintendo's got a good idea here for anyone mature enough to be able to sit down and enjoy a game. It's such a good idea that MS admitted it, and Sony copied it (poorly.) Of course, neither of them have been involved in the console industry for as long as Nintendo, so of course they're a few steps behind.
Finally, who's the bigger fool? #500 on line for Wii, who walks away with a console with another 1500 remaining, or #500 on line for the PS3, who finds out that he wasted his time, just like the 495 people ahead of him, when the store only had 4 units? Market saturation's a big deal, and happy customers tend to be return customers. Since everyone makes money off of games, even if the console itself *is* profitable, it's in any manufacturers best interests to have the consoles available for anyone who wants them, so that on launch day, more people buy a launch title, finish it, and buy another one ASAP. The sooner this cycle starts, the faster Sony/MS/Nintendo get their cut of those profits. If Sony ever got their collective heads out of their asses for long enough to realize that, they'd make a hell of a lot more money. Hype might sell a few more $600 consoles, but hype alone doesn't pay the bills.
The UK launch seemed to go pretty well. I got mine this morning at 8am: http://gamepeople.wordpress.com/2006/12/08/life-after-wii/
There's so many Wii's in that place for sale, i wish stores had that many Wii's!