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

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?