Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Considering that the game won't be released on American shores until early 2008, it's probably much too early to consider any announced price for Wii Fit to be definite. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime even stated that the company still needs to research the cost of its Balance Board controller before pricing can be accurately determined.

Wii Fit's product pages at EB Games and GameStop, however, list a placeholder price which is pretty much in line with what we're expecting -- $69.99. That might seem like highway robbery to those who naively hoped for the usual $50, but when you compare it with the expensive fares people will be paying to play games like Guitar Hero 3 or Rock Band, the bundle's pricing doesn't seem too unreasonable. Our only concern is that $70 might be too much for the casual audience Nintendo is hoping to attract with Wii Fit.


[Via Digg]

Crushed because you came away from the Wii launch empty handed? Dealing with waffling salespeople at your favorite retail outlets? Concerned that it may be a while before you can get your hands on one? Relax, dearest fanboys, because a little birdie told us that GameStop and EB are getting in new shipments for this Friday and they're going to open up a few hours early -- we're hearing 7AM. There's no word on the number of units allocated for the forthcoming madness on the year's biggest shopping day, but we expect no less than preorder numbers and likely more.

On a related note -- we spoke with some folks at Best Buy also, and while they couldn't give us a firm date on when they would receive their next shipment, the did tell us that several shipments arrive at stores each week, with games, accessories, and yes, more consoles. So if you're trying to find an extra nunchuk (like we are), a Wiimote, or even to find out when your Best Buy will receive more Wii units, give them a call in the mornings -- keep fishing and you'll catch one.

1UP is also reporting that new shipments are expected, and it seems some of the commenters talked to our little birdie or one of his co-workers, as the 7AM story is repeated there.

So who's camping this week to remedy the lack of Wii?

And then the bad news: EB Games sold my nunchuk. The glee of bringing home a spankin' new Wii at midnight is somewhat marred by the fact that there will be no boxing in this house until at least tomorrow morning, because the guy at EB Games broke street date and sold off my preordered nunchuk. He didn't even have the grace to lie like any sane human being and try to play it off like they hadn't received them. Who wants to be he sold it off to himself or another employee?

Lame.

But the lameness is overwhelmed by the presence of Wii, in all its glory. And of course, there's all sorts of box debris. Check out a second photo after the jump.

Check around all the usual haunts for Wiiosks this weekend. A few are already up across the country, like this one reader Scott Johnson caught as it was being put together. Thank all that is holy for cell phones and fast action!

Several readers have tipped us that they've heard this is the big weekend for the debut of the kiosks, but this is the only photo we've seen. If you catch a kiosk in the wild this weekend, break out that camera phone and send us a picture!

So, uh ... the question has to be asked. When seeing the setting-up process in action, anyone have the urge to snatch one and run like mad?

[Thanks to everyone who's keeping us posted on this!]

Nintendo of America's offical reply to all this nonsense: Online reports about the Nintendo GameCube version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are incorrect. The amazing game will be available at retail outlets nationwide on Dec. 13.

Apparently, Gamestop and EB Games used a separate SKU for preordering. Since preorders had been maxed out, the SKU was removed. However, this confirmation is news in itself: it looks like America won't be receiving the EB Games-only Aussie treatment or online-only Japan treatment. Sweet!

We'll try to refrain to excessive commentary in this post ... similar topics have been covered in regards to Japan and Australia ... but now North American major retail chains EB Games and Gamestop have reported that the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess has been mysteriously deleted from their computers. The SKU is simply gone. Though we might refrain from calling this an outright cancellation, the only other conceivable option is for the game to sell exclusively through Nintendo's online store, as they've decided to do in Japan.

(sigh) Comment as you will, but try to keep it civil. What the eff, Nintendo.

[via Joystiq]

Right on the heels that Nintendo of Japan will sell the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess exclusively through their online store, Nintendo of Australia sends yet another blow to our poor, left-handed Link: The GC Zelda will be only be distributed though that prodigal retailer, EB Games. While this in itself isn't quite as bad as an solely online offering, further rumors persist that there will be one shipment and one shipment only, delivered in January (the Australian release date of the GC version).

Nintendo appears to be doing everything in their power to discourage the purchase of discs smaller than a standard DVD. They're not technically breaking their promise, but ... dammit. Any Aussies care to speak their mind?

[Check out those mad Photoshop skillz!]

We could have named this post "Wiiosks", but we have more respect for you than that. Anyway, in IGN's generally uninformative "Nintendo Minute" section, George Harrison takes the opportunity to reveal a few of the more specific details about the upcoming Wii kiosks. The rumored Gamestop/EB Games exclusivity might still be true, as it appears that the pre-built, completely self-contained units will only go toward "certain retailers". However, many other retailers will simply receive a Wii console and Wiimote or two, and will be left to their own devices in regards to display and setup.

Also, despite some worries about safety and theft, it appears that the Wiimotes will indeed be wireless. This could be some clever wordplay--a Wiimote tethered by a non-electrical cord is still technically wireless--but we'll give George the benefit of the doubt. Now, when will these kiosks be rolling into stores? Your guess is certainly at least as good as ours.

[Note: the picture shown is not necessarily of the final unit, or in fact in existence at all.]

And the answer? There are too many intelligent, dedicated people. As such, way too many gamers knew exactly what moment the local EB Games and Gamestop would be taking preorders, and our little town of Gainesville didn't seem to be of high priority for those little gremlins over at corporate.

It's Wii preorder day! But is it such a cause for celebration? Unfortunately, it seems a bare few fanfolk walked away from their local EB or GameStop this morning clutching a receipt for the Wii. Reader e-mails are pouring in, lamenting the reserve numbers -- which in some cases were even lower than the number of PS3s allocated to a given store. Disappointment is rampant. For those of us who arrived early to spend hours cold lamping with our brethren, it was a tense morning, because no one really knew what would happen -- except that some people would go home empty-handed.

Reader Matthew Ryan snagged some pics at his EB Games in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. That store had 30 systems available for reserve (far more than many other stores), but nearly double that showed up in hopes of slapping money down on a system. And this blogger snagged a few shots herself at a nearby store. Check out the full story after the jump, where we've tucked a few of Matthew's pictures as well.

Looks like we weren't the only ones who were frustrated with waiting around for information on U.S. Wii preorders. 1UP 's Dan Dormer took the quest for the truth a step beyond and called a GameStop or EB in every single state. After all, the more answers, the more likely a pattern will emerge from the chaos and the truth will be revealed, right?

Of course, now we know, and instead of hunting for clues, we're free to hunt for the humor ... not that we have to look very hard. From the hardcore salesman to the clueless counterjockey, the responses from stores across the nation, the various responses offer an entertaining cross-section. Check after the jump for a few of the best.

Just yesterday, we were waxing hopeful that Wii preorders would kick off today. And believe me, we were ready, money clutched in our grubby little fists, and were turned away by bemused GameStop employees. Well, it's a new day and a new rumor, and today's word is that Friday is Wii Day at GameStop and EB. But we're going to try not to get our hopes up too much, though The Wiire promises that a GameStop rep confirmed to them that this is it, for real, there will be preorders on Friday.

We're going to check tomorrow too, just in case. Wouldn't it be something if everyone said Wednesday or Friday, and it turned out to be Thursday?

[Via Joystiq]

All right, I admit it. I may be a Wii fanboy, but that doesn't mean I can't preorder a Playstation 3 and attempt to resell it for twice its value on eBay enjoy other consoles too. As such, I took a little trip down to my local mall (which has both a Gamestop and an EB Games) to see if I couldn't pick up a preorder for that bullet train of a console, the PS3, for pickup on November 17th. I arrived ninety minutes early, got to the front of EB Games ... ouch. Fifteen or more in line. I quickly bolted (provoking the ire of a security guard) to the Gamestop, where only eight or nine waited in line. I decided to throw my chips in with them.

The Gamestop employee arrived about thirty minutes before opening. He actually admitted the first two people in line several minutes later, and presold them PS3s. He then came out to the line and said that his store had only been allocated two measly units. While I later found out that the EB Games had twelve units allocated, it was far too late for me. And to think, I could have slept in.

Where does this leave us Wii-goers? Well, we know that Nintendo will have a hell of a lot more units at launch than the PS3, but this by no means guarantees you a unit. EB/GS preorders open this week, and if you want to ensure your spot in line, you'd best get there early. Use your best judgement, but the earlier, the better ... besides, chances are that a few people in line will be rocking the DS. Multiplayer action FTW.

May the Force be with you!

In what seems like a strange new development in the marketing of the Wii, it's been announced that only GameStop will play home to the Wii kiosks we recently saw. Considering how new and different the Wii is, we'd think Nintendo would want to put it into as many hands as possible. Of course, there's little to stop a store from setting up their own playable units, but if certain rumors are true, we may not be seeing the Wii everywhere this winter after all.

The Motley Fool's Rick Munarriz recently offered an interesting perspective on the news -- likely different than what most of us would have thought. Nintendo, they say, will have no trouble selling units, and when they sell out, the fact that GameStop will be the only gig in town if one wants to try it out will turn into good publicity for both companies. In fact, he says, having the Wii there, at GameStop, ready and able, will snag more of the hardcore gamers when they come in to buy other things. Could there be some truth to that, or is it just another case of a non-gamer theorizing in the dark?

Over the weekend, the Internet was all abuzz with the latest outrageous rumor -- that EB Games and GameStop wouldn't take money for Wii preorders, but instead were only accepting $50 worth of trade-in goods. Not your old credit either; the trades had to be made on the spot for credit toward a Wii (or, if that's your fancy, a PS3).

But it turns out that the doomsayers jumped the gun. While the program does seem to be for real, it only applies to certain stores in Hawaii and Guam, not to every EB Games or GameStop around. This may be the first time we're glad we don't live in Hawaii. However, none of the stores we called were yet taking preorders at all, at least, not on the system itself. If the test goes well in Hawaii (oh, that's likely), then this may be the future of console preorders, but we wouldn't toss out those credit cards just yet.

[Via Joystiq and various tipsters!]

EB Games/Gamestop/EB Gamestop or whatever they're called these days occasionally gets some inside information before the press. (I say occasionally; please hold off on the "my local EB Games employee told you the Wii was coming out December 17th" tips.) A quick search of Gamestop's online store in the accessories section yields some interesting results, shows as follows:

Wii Controller Glove 9.99
Wii G-Pak Travel Case 29.99
Wii Game Wallet 9.99
Wii HD Premium Component Cable 59.99
Wii Memory SD 1.0GB 59.99
Wii Memory SD 512MB 39.99
Wii S-Video Premium AV Cable 39.99
Wii Sling Bag 29.99
Wii Storage & Protection 1.0GB Kit 69.99

We knew about the Power Glove, but the SD cards just seem like a convenient excuse for Gamestop to take people's money; the prices are quite high. The premium component cable is insanely expensive, but hey, it's premium. Other than that, your classic game-toting sling-bag take-it-anywhere-but-not-really-because-no-one-ever-does-that accessories are on the list. With the immediate need for extra controllers, memory, and games at launch, is anyone going to pick up any of these other things?

[Thanks, Randy!]

[Update 1: Clarified that the SD cards are not officially from Nintendo, and realized that you can in fact get SD cards for far cheaper.]