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Wii smashes launch records in Australia
Much like operatic cringe-group Il Divo, the Wii has been mercilessly destroying familiar records as of late. Aussie-Nintendo picks up the pieces of yet another one, this time in the land of Australia. Selling 32,901 units in the space of four days, Nintendo's Zelda player can now confidently claim "the biggest launch of a videogame console in history." In Australia. Previously, the Xbox 360 held the record for selling just over 30,000 units in four days.Myer (a chain of stores, not a man) expressed pleasure at experiencing "a strong spike in total business which can be largely attributed to the introduction of Wii. We couldn't be happier with the fantastic products Nintendo are releasing. Our Wii launch experience has really shown that consumers have made Myer a destination store for gaming." Indeed, the folks at Myer would likely be even happier if console launches happened more often, as they're almost always marked by rapidly vanishing stocks and hordes of early adopters. The real trick is to keep the momentum going long after the release buzz has died down. Keep an eye on those records though, just to be safe.
UK aftermath: Wii is fastest selling console ever
Now that the dust has settled and you UK gamers are in a desert without any body of water in visible sight, we can carefully analyze the numbers from the Wii launch, numbers so huge that they have crushed all other UK numbers into a fine dust, and inform you that the Wii beat all other previous launches in UK history. If this were a bar fight, the Wii would be holding a flaming chair, while the GameCube would likely hold a broken bottle and the Xbox 360 would be lying on the ground, bleeding and crying its precious little high-def eyes out. See, the Wii sold a total of 105,000 over its launch weekend, beating out the previous holders of the crown in the Xbox 360 and GameCube, which sold 72.000 and 52,000 respectively at launch. Wii FTW!
Wii UK: 50,000 units sold in 12 hours
That's one purchased every second, says Nintendo. Gamesindustry.biz now reports that the UK saw 50,000 Wii consoles fly off shelves (and straight into televisions, shortly afterwards) 12 hours after it launched to massive crowds and immeasurable fanboy delight. David Yarnton of Nintendo says the company is "delighted with the amazing response to the Wii" and that gamers are "embracing the way that we are turning the industry on its head." The official launch event took place on Friday at the HMV store in London's Oxford street where, just hours prior to the Wii's release, the seething mass of people had to be sent home for a while so as to avoid unneccesary anarchy (in the UK).There may be chaos yet, though, as Nintendo still has to face the challenge of overcoming crippling shortages and making sure everybody gets to flail their arms about this Christmas.
Wiis sold out across the UK on day one
Wiimania has hit the United Kingdom in full force, with the console selling out on its first day of sales -- 50,000 units in 12 hours. However, many of the pre-orders could not be fulfilled as there were predictable shortages, with some opting to take refunds instead of waiting until January for subsequent shipments. Predictably, many of the Wiis ended up on eBay, and according to the BBC, have hit high closing bids of £500 (nearly $1000), compared to the retail price of £180 ($350). Still, as seen in Wii UK's YouTube vid (see continued) buyers seemed to be in high spirits at the Wii main launch event at the Oxford Street HMV retailer in London, where crowds were regaled as former English footballer Ian Wright (left) took on boxing champion Ricky Hatton (right) in a quick bout at Wii Boxing. (Wright was victorious, if you must know). Let's just hope that our British friends are a little more dignified when it comes to waiting for consumer electronics than we are.[Via HipHopSix]Read - The Times (photo courtesy)Read - BBCRead - Reuters
Wii launches in Europe, loads of people buy it
The demand for the system has been "unprecedented," according to Nintendo UK's David Yarnton. He notes that Nintendo is very confident about the Wii's launch and predicts nothing but a huge success -- a prediction very much backed up by the gigantic lines that formed at the UK's HMV store in Oxford Street yesterday. The crowd even had to be broken up and asked to return at a later stage, though not before being given several (likely sturdy) wristbands. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Tim Ellis, head of games at HMV, says that demand is most certainly exceeding supply and that the retailer could easily have "sold many more times than we've got, to be honest." Despite the presence of orderly lines and a lack of violent, Wii-related crimes (so far), he goes on to label the launch as "bedlam." Not to worry, Nintendo promises more stock is on the way and aims to satisfy everyone that wants a Wii this Christmas. That would be everyone, then.
Let the DREs begin!
Kotaku has received a couple of emails from Wii owners reporting of already receiving DRE (disc-read error) messages. Some have even reported that their Wii has become bricked and won't even power on! What horror! Have any of you out there in Wii Fanboy land been the unfortunate recipient of a painful message declaring that your Wii will not read your discs or even turn on anymore?[Thanks Naruhodou!]
Slot-loading a no-go on this Wii
One individual who was able to escape the long lines of fast-food-filled launch campers with his Wii, arrived home and found a short while later that the slot-loading mechanism inside of his unit had ceased to work. Does this mean that he can't play anything on his Wii? Yes, if it is a disc demanding physical loading into the console. Word on the street is Nintendo is replacing his unit, free of charge.As always, video is embedded into the post after the break.[Via Go Nintendo]
The official word on what's going down at Wal-Mart
Joystiq has managed to confirm with Wal-Mart corporate that a midnight Wii launch is definitely happening and much of what Joystiq previously reported was true. Corporate says they are not currently accepting online pre-orders due to the demand for the console. So, we suggest you show up as early as you can to your Wal-Mart and get a ticket Saturday night at 10pm.
Nintendo World Store to have enough for walk-ins, as well
Joystiq was in New York City recently to check out Nintendo's famous World Store, when they encountered the manager of said store, Paul Gonzalez, and grilled him about launch figures and sell-outs. In placing his face under the white-hot light of interrogation, he replied, much to the surprise of Joystiq and ourselves, that the Nintendo World Store would have enough consoles at launch for walk-in customers looking for the console."I'm not expecting to sell out on Sunday. Monday -- no promises."So does that mean that other retail outlets could very well have plenty of consoles for launch day and beyond?
Wii launches Dec. 8 in Europe for GBP 179
And yes, that's 2006. After deluging attendees with sales charts, DS success stories and grown men grunting their way through a game of Wii Tennis, Nintendo finally unveiled the European launch details for their upcoming console. Eurogamer reports that the system will see release on December 8th for EUR 249 and GBP 179. The European system will also have Wii Sports bundled, along with one Wiimote and one nunchuck. Software is expected to retail for between 34 and 39 pounds (or between 49 and 59 Euros). Much like other territories, the system is set to receive some 15 to 20 launch games, including the usual suspects -- Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz and Wii Play.
Wii: then and now
"People change. Hairstyles change. Interest rates fluctuate." When Hillary Flammond uttered those words in Top Secret, she clearly hadn't experienced the gaming industry -- a marvelous, often magical place where things change very quickly indeed. As today's cataclysmic explosion of Wii news demonstrates, things can change for better or for worse. Yesterday's truth may become today's obsolete press release. So, what has (and hasn't) changed for Nintendo between then and now?Then: The Wii could play DVDs via an unspecified and entirely nebulous dongle. The original console description reads: "Two Disc Formats, One Slot: Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. Owners will have the option of equipping a small, self-contained attachment to play movies and other DVD content."Now: Inserting a DVD into the system will likely produce a polite error message indicating a complete inability to play DVDs. Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan explains DVD playback was removed "in order to deliver the machine at a cheaper cost and because most people today already own DVD players." On the plus side, this reduces the amount of times we'll have to type a dubious word like "dongle."
Activision slip-up points to October Wii release
Informants come in many shapes, sizes and trenchcoats, but those who approach us under a veil of secrecy and threaten to bend our limbs in unnatural ways should we reveal their identities are usually the best ones. Claiming to work for an independent video game site on a distant continent, our latest informant (we'll call him Mr. Informant Fronzel Neekburm) lends even more weight to the ongoing theory that the Nintendo Wii launches in October. At this point, said theory could probably kill a passerby if dropped from a balcony.Fronzel explains that his outlet received a detailed release schedule from Activision, one that listed Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam with an October release, followed by Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Call of Duty 3 in November. Shortly afterwards, a hasty re-issue dropped in his inbox, with the only alteration being to the Wii release dates -- they'd been replaced with a more vague "Upon Wii launch." Had Mr. Neekburm just witnessed Activision in a drunken stumble, grabbing and pulling back a velvet curtain in an attempt to avoid an unpleasant impact with the floor?Both documents were forwarded to us and we were able to ascertain that the last person to modify the second document is part of Activision's international media relations team. The presence of LucasArts titles on the list had us puzzled for a bit, but it turns out that Activision publishes George's games in certain territories. The last question in need of an answer, of course, is "would Activision already know the launch date?" Considering that they're working on a highly publicized launch title, we're going to go with "yes."Admittedly, that part is pure speculation. Activision may have just been eradicating a date they pulled from the ether, for fear of people getting the wrong idea and writing deeply entertaining, mercilessly captivating blog posts about it. We'll let you know if we hear anything else.Note: In the picture above, we edited the spreadsheet a bit in order to highlight the relevant information. [Thanks, uh, Fronzel!]
CNN Money sees Wii launching as early as September [update 1]
The words of CNN Money's Chris Morris, which suggest a Wii launch in late September or early October, are certainly tantalizing and not entirely unrealistic. Getting the machine onto store shelves and into our loving, embarrassingly weak arms would give Nintendo a healthy lead on the PS3 and Microsoft's glut of holiday titles, not to mention the joy it would grant fans of intergalactic bounty hunters and pointy-eared archers. Morris cites an earlier analyst report by P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research which notes that Nintendo already began manufacturing final retail consoles on 21 June, providing ample time until a prospective September launch.Further evidence comes in the less sturdy form of past release dates of Nintendo consoles, with only the Gamecube missing an October or September release window. Of course, if the Wii launches worldwide immediately, one would expect a strategy similar to that of the DS launch -- that one happened in November as well. While it's not entirely unfeasible, Morris' suggestion is still swathed in speculation. With no details available on manufacturing, Nintendo may have simply started up the production line early (if they did so at all) to avoid launch shortages which plagued the Xbox 360 and are sure to plague Sony's machine.Unfortunately, it looks like the only words we can fully trust right now are the ones from official (and sober) Nintendo men and women.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!][Update 1: Nintendo has (predictably) put the kibosh on this one, with a spokesperson stating, "There's no change in our plan to release the console in the last quarter of this year."]
Iwata: Nintendo to intensify software development
Though we wouldn't normally pay much attention to something called a "Corporate Management Policy Briefing," we'll make an exception when it comes to Nintendo and their beloved Wii. Fielding some questions regarding the system's impending launch, Satoru Iwata attempted to assuage some concern over Nintendo's previous cubic console and its muted commercial success. He noted that Nintendo's inability to consistently and timeously release new games after launch stuttered the system's momentum, a problem which, if all goes to plan, won't rear its snarling head in the next round."To avoid repeating this with Wii, we have been intensifying the software development, both internally at Nintendo and at developers outside the company, in order to prepare aggressive software lineup for Wii at and after the launch." However, Shigeru Miyamoto (who admits to being occupied by a super secret project) added that Nintendo hasn't greatly increased the number of people working on projects, with over 1,500 people already banging keyboards and waving wiimotes in the hopes of generating more Nintendo classics. In that case, how exactly does Nintendo plan to intensify software development? If they have stricter management and curtailed development times in mind, how will that affect their forthcoming titles? Careful Nintendo -- striking the perfect balance between quantity and quality isn't going to be easy.[Update: See comments.]
