While reading over all your stories yesterday and taking part in your memories, I felt the joy of the Wii's launch day bubbling inside me again, a whole year later. I decided to tell my story as well, only it turned into an epic tale of not only launch day, but my thoughts and fears before and immediately after I got my Wii. So, with that said, I humbly present to you my Wii get story. I hope that you enjoy it, but even more than that, I hope it's something you can relate to.
As the Wii's hype grew and grew in the months before its release, I knew that I had to have one on launch day. Gone were the days where I could sit back, relax, and wait for my birthday or Christmas to come while my parents dealt with the hysteria of finding a console to spoil me with. This time, it would be all up to me.
Upon realizing this, I immediately panicked. Being away at college, I didn't have the means to get around town. I had to rely on public transportation, and the only place I could get to was Best Buy. Going to one of the only retailers in a large city, though, seemed too risky. There would be too many people, and I knew that I'd have to get there absurdly early to secure my Wii. My solution? Cut three days of class and go home early for Thanksgiving break. (Note: If any of my professors happen to be reading this, I was very, very ill when I missed your class.)At home, I had the one resource that would make console hunting so much easier: a car. I had planned to go to my local Target six hours before it opened in order to get my Wii. The night before launch, however, I decided to check out the store at 9:30 P.M. and was utterly shocked to see a huge line of people already waiting. All the message boards I had frequented while doing research before the launch said that everyone was going to their store of choice just a few hours before opening. Why did all these people decide to come so early?
Not my Target, but well, you get the idea.
I immediately returned home and put on every bit of warm clothing I could find. I then grabbed a chair, a blanket, and my DS before heading out. With Final Fantasy III (among other games) in my possession, I knew that I was armed with the proper tools to fight the boredom of waiting in line for ten hours. I was a little nervous about going on my own, a 21-year-old girl, and waiting in line with a bunch of "crazy" Nintendo fans (my mom was near hysterics), but I had to brave it all. It was for the Wii.
When I got there, though, the strangest thing happened. I actually liked these people. They weren't crazy, they were just like me! Okay, so they were crazy then. But more importantly, we were all united by one thing - our passion for Nintendo. We had no idea how many Wiis Target would have, and we all got nervous that we wouldn't get one. But, I wasn't just nervous for myself. It was just as important to me that the kid in front of me got his, and the couple behind me, and the dude behind them. We all bonded that night. In fact, we talked so much that I barely even needed my copy of FFIII. That night just seemed to bring out the best in everybody.
Finally, after braving ten hours in the bitter cold, it was time to get our tickets. Those without tickets would not get Wiis. We had heard rumors that there were only fifty Wiis available. Earlier that night we had definitely been under the fifty mark, but some people seemed to sneak in there, and, oh wait, is that another person coming out of that tent?
A Target employee came to me and gave me ticket number fifty. Instead of being elated, though, I was in a complete panic, thinking that some of the friends I made wouldn't get one. I was about to valiantly offer my ticket to the adorable newlyweds behind me (at least, I'd like to think I was), when the employee offered them ticket number fifty-one. As it turned out, that Target sold 120 Wii consoles that day.Many people were turned away, but what were they thinking, arriving so late? In any case, I had gotten a Wii and I could barely contain my excitement. I preceded to drive to every retailer in my area, looking for component cables to make Twilight Princess look pretty on my parents' new HD-TV. After realizing that they were nowhere to be found, I went home to finally try Nintendo's newest system.
Once I set up my Wii and played around for a little bit, I made my mom and her boyfriend make Miis of their own and play Wii Sports. It didn't take long for me (or them) to fall in love with the little white console, but after being up all night (those of you who can sleep on a lawn chair in the freezing cold, I give you props), I was completely drained. I had to go to bed.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up to see my parents and their friends playing the Wii! After wiping the sleep from my eyes, I tentatively asked, "What's going on?"
People of all ages seem to love it.
My mom replied, "The guys came over to help us set up our new furniture, and we decided to show them your Wii."
I was so floored that I didn't even think to correct my mom this time when she pronounced it "why" instead of "wee." A bunch of people my parents' age were having fun playing video games. They had been playing Wii Sports for hours. One of my mom's friends even commented that he was going to get his own Wii as soon as possible. Who would have thought something like this could happen?
And that's when I knew that Nintendo had something really special on their hands.
_thumbnail.jpg "Mega Man 9")
_thumbnail.jpg "Smash Bros. Brawl Snapshots")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-20-2007 @ 12:55PM
Undead Priest said...
That image about the lines are more true than you can imagine.
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11-20-2007 @ 1:10PM
Matt said...
Excellent story! It sounds a lot like my experience at my local GameStop.
That article linked on the text "nowhere to be found" (re: the component cables) is EXACTLY why I'm so thrilled that Perrin Kaplan is history. She has told hardcore gamers SO many half-truths and outright lies that I've often wondered why Nintendo would willingly continue to employ her.
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11-20-2007 @ 1:11PM
gordo said...
I had gotten the Wii early one morn after the New Year (from Target as well), and brought it over my parents house to show them. They were hooked! Pops swinging for the fences while my Mom was netting Birdies. It was awesome, seeing as the last time I had played a video game with them it was Pinball and California Games on the NES. They even asked me to bring it to our families St. Paddy's Day get together that year. My mom's whole side of the family played! -Wii - are - Family!-
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11-20-2007 @ 1:22PM
coast19 said...
Awesome story, luckily I went to the Xbox Zero Hour Event so I didn't have to tough it out with the Xbox douche bags. We also bonded with the people in line around us and made some good friends out of it too. Oh and if anyone wants the best way to experience DS multi player you gotta go to a Nintendo launch cause everyone brought their Ds's and download play had over 20 games to join which was fantastic! Made the 10 hours fly by.
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11-20-2007 @ 1:27PM
Michael Sliczniak said...
I also went early to a Target and with a GBA SP but realized the people I was with were very much like me and end-up talking the whole night morning (in freezing rain) it was great! One of the guys worked at a nearby McDonalds and I started going to that one with my kids and we ended-up seeing each other a few more times. Another guy in the line told me about the Rabbids game and I bought it too and that was the game that was our favorite for a long time.
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11-20-2007 @ 2:18PM
exolstice said...
I pre-ordered my Wii 3-4 months before launch at Toys R Us. I walked in on the release day at 9am, and walked out with my Wii.
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11-20-2007 @ 3:36PM
tiamat1990 said...
"The line is full asshole! Fuck off!"
So unbelievably true...
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11-20-2007 @ 4:37PM
Sketchy Fletchy said...
We here in Australia didn't get it until December 7th. Additionally, there wasn't a huge amount of advertising, so we weren't really anticipating a crowd. I'd secured a preorder through my local independent gaming store (The Gamesmen in Wollongong), so that was all good. Still, just for the fun of it, me and my 4 friends who were getting a Wii that night, and 3 others who were just along for the ride decided we'd set-up outside the shop at around 7:00 PM with folding camp chairs, snacks, drinks, and a full complement of DS'. And it was awesome.
Amazingly enough, we had a few drop-ins during the evening that just stopped for a chat, in addition to a few other people who turned up to wait before midnight. Then the owners showed up, we all got our Wii's, and there was much cheering and rejoicing to be had.
Anyway, the next day, I was playing a bit of Wii sports; exploring beyond Tennis and Bowling, I was enjoying a round of golf, when my Dad returned home from work. Now, a bit of history here - my Dad is not a gamer. He does not play games. The last game I played with him was Mario Kart 64, in 1998. So you'll understand that I was absolutely floored when he walks in, sees me swing and smack a ball down the fairway, does a quick double take and says: "Are you playing golf?"
me: "Yup."
Dad:"... Can I have a go?"
me:
That's when I knew there was something special going on. Thought I'd share. :D
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11-20-2007 @ 9:44PM
Whubbsie said...
My story is no way as epic as that I just walked into a target after work on launch day and picked one up no fuss no mess no lines no nothing..easy. I still know people that haven't managed to buy one yet....
Funnily enough I bought my 360 and PS3 on launch the same way, just walked in and out no lines.
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11-20-2007 @ 10:50PM
SoshiKitai said...
*claps* *wipes fake tear from eye*
The Nintendo community is definitely a strong and loving community.
And the Wii bringing everyone together is just astounding.
Grand story, we're glad you had as much fun as us.
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11-20-2007 @ 10:53PM
Dopple Boppler said...
I had to stay in line at the Wal-Mart near my house for just under 12 hours and I was still 11th in line. At first I thought it would be the slowest day of my life, but some friends from school ended up getting in line right behind me, so we played some Mario Kart DS for a few hours. By around seven that night there were well over 50 people in line and everyone was Pictochatting or playing Mario Kart or New Super Mario Bros.; very cool. And then because it was freezing cold out, one of my friend's mom's even brought a bunch of pizzas for people. It was definitely the coolest video game related thing I've even been involved in; everyone in line was just kind of one big family, despite how cheesy that sounds.
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11-20-2007 @ 10:54PM
John said...
Every once in a while, I'll stare at the back of a controller, and wonder how things would have played out if Nintendo stuck by the original console name.
You'll see something like RVL-003 thru RVL-005 on the back of the controls.. short for the Nintendo Revolution. There were also images out there of black version of the Wii console.
Personally, I've only seen the Wii in a store once over the past year.
I'd never bought the hype till about a month after launch. Everyone talked about the thing, and I just HAD to try bowling, golf and baseball.
Either way, Nintendo has quite the success on their hands, and they deserve a good pat on the back for a job well done.
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