GameStop to be only retailer with playable Wii units at launch

[Otacon]

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/02/gamestop-to-be-only-retailer-with-playable-wii-units-at-launch/

In wake of rumors that Wal-mart won't have playable Wiis, Dallas Morning News is reporting that GameStop announced exclusive Wii launch kiosk rights at the company's annual sales conference in Dallas this past Saturday. This confirms an email Joystiq received from an anonymous employee late Friday suggesting the same. Playable Wii units were also on the show floor at the conference with 4,000 employees and various GameStop vendors attending.

Keep in mind some retailers rig up their own playable units (not official manufacturer kiosks), so prospective buyers at other stores might be able to enjoy hands-on time, albeit in a more limited fashion, with Wii prior to buying. While exclusive launch demo units are good for GameStop business, it's surely a bad thing for prospective gamers (and possibly for Nintendo), at least at launch. So does this move hurt initial Wii sales?

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I think that it's bad for only one retailer to be able to have Wii units at launch. I like GameStop, but it could hurt Nintendo's buisness if people can only try Wiis at their stores and not at Wal-Mart. How do you guys feel about it?

[pixelante_ninja]

I wonder why, it doesn't give them that much of an edge, all it will do is draw people there to play the demo and do nothing else. It will also cause the other retailers to put full games on demo, which is much more drawing to potential customer's or at least me.

[Otacon]

Yeah, if I can play a unit with a full game so I can mess with all the features a game has, i'm far more likely to play it than some crummy demo. GameStop no doubts thinks that it is a brilliant move, when it could easily be a disaster.

[Thefremen]

I think it's just a shame that this could potentially bite into wal-mart's business. I know they've had financial trouble recently and it would have been great of Nintendo to try and help this struggling small business!

Everywhere that sells Wiis will sell every unit they receive probably within a day of recieving them until februrary or so. Wal-mart may have demo stands. They don't need em.

[pixelante_ninja]

I don't think anyone needs demo stands, I mean I doubt there's anyone concerned they won't sell out their Wii shipments in the first minute they're open.

[Anjin-San]

Simple rationale would be that...well, if Wal-Marts are all over the boonies (and I've seen this firsthand) it's prime fodder for the chocolate covered hands of little kids, who've annihilate the playable "nailed-down" DS and others. Maybe they're just trying to protect their...ahem...Wiis?

[BeardedFerret]

How on earth can you do a playable demo unit with the Wii's controller? That's going into some kid's backpack on day 1.

[Anjin-San]

A cable housing the cord of the control and so-forth would be the obvious choice.

[pixelante_ninja]

Like they did with the 360 wireless controllers.

[Anjin-San]

They kept them connected to this white dock thing, memory serves.

That, or sarcasm is lost on me. Sad, sad days.

[pixelante_ninja]

No, that was purely serious, no sarcasm there.
^also not sarcastic.
^also not sarcastic.

[Anjin-San]

I'll never know. It's like I'm the friggin walking dead. Well, sans the organs hanging and decomposing, etc.

[pixelante_ninja]

I take it you still eat brains then?

[Anjin-San]

Overrated as hell. It's all about the right kneecap, baby.

[BeardedFerret]

Yeah, but you can't really do that with the Wiimote. It's entirely wireless because it HAS to be wireless - chaining it to the demo unit would completely throw off your golf swing, and that means trouble.

[steelcobra]

The main topic:
There are gaming specific chains other than Gamestop that haven't been absorbed or destroyed yet? (the places that sell pre-PS2 gen excluded)

Subtopic:
A solid holder with flex-chain with enough length to accomidate gameplay would work just fine.

[Thefremen]

The main topic:
There are gaming specific chains other than Gamestop that haven't been absorbed or destroyed yet? (the places that sell pre-PS2 gen excluded)

Subtopic:
A solid holder with flex-chain with enough length to accomidate gameplay would work just fine.


I can't think of any in the US, which is why I said "poor poor wal-mart".

I agree about the flex-chain. Also, a filament line one micron thick will work.

[Ranger_vega87]

So only gamestop is gonna have them, it really dosn't matter to me but its cool cause theres a gamestop across the street from my collage so I'll get to try the Wii pertty soon.:)