I got a Wii

[AlanS17]

Well... sort of. It's a Christmas gift so I don't get to actually open it and play it til Christmas. Got it at midnight at GameStop through pre-order.

[AtomSmasher]

Well... sort of. It's a Christmas gift so I don't get to actually open it and play it til Christmas. Got it at midnight at GameStop through pre-order.

If you preordered it and can't play it until christmas anyways, why did you go at midnight?  Seems like you could of waited until a more convenient time.   

[AlanS17]

Well I didn't pick it up. My brother did. See, I wanted a Wii for Christmas so I made it easy for my brother to get me one by pre-ordering for him. Then all he had to do was go pick it up.

I cheated and called the store. They confirmed that he already grabbed it. 

[RTSDaddy2]

I also got one for Christmas but it was my treat to myself and my wife,  so mine's open - placed the little thing inside our arcade cabinet front door last night!

God, what a night...I had NEVER done a launch before, so let me try and give the reader's digest version here.

- last week, Dad has stroke and we place him in nursing home on permanent basis.  This is both crushing - and a relief as it takes a load off my Mom's back (Dad had not been well for several months and had gotten grumpy and mean toward her).  Still though, it's hard being a parent to your parents.

- Monday 11/13: catches my eye that PS3 and Wii are debuting this week. Never a Sony person, I keep my eyes practically plastered to all things Wii. For as CRAZY as this is, the launch of the new Nintendo unit is the only thing that keeps me sane during this personal tragedy.  I don't know why, go figure.  It just excited me, made me smile.

- Wednesday / Thursday: Wii reviews are coming out.  Game system more fun, apparently, than initially thought...Wii remote is a stroke of genius.  Now I can't wait to see one actually work

- Saturday Morning 11/19: Finally discover in the early hours that Wal-Mart's 24 hour stores are doing a 12:01 launch.  According to net numbers, each has 53.  Change initial plans a bit.

- Saturday, 11/19, 3 PM - Check BYOAC board again for aid.  Am told 3 hours ahead might be ok to leave, but I decide on 6 to be safe.

- Saturday, 11/19, 6 PM - After a normal drive from my house to first Wal-Mart closest to me that is 24 hour, I arrive to find no one in Electronics...but then am told I need the Garden department.  Head for Garden department, ask for line.  I get there around 6 - 6:05 to discover I'm not the first in line, but I ain't the last either....15th!  To top it all off, they've only set out 20 chairs.  Begin to wonder about all that PS3seeker stuff...yep, they only have 20 units to sell to public, and I'm in seat 15.

Saturday 7:30 - 7:45 PM - Cold as heck now. Call wife, she brings coat.

Saturday 8:45 PM - Wife puts our little one to bed, calls grandmother (who lives next door) to  come stay with our daughter.  Sonya brews a pot of coffee, fixes me a latte, brings a blanket.  Stays while I take a restroom break.  Yes, I do in fact have the queen of all women.    
 

Saturday, 10 PM - FINALLY! We are moved inside! Even so, I cannot complain too much as Wal-Mart put out only enough chairs for the units they had...and we didn't have to stand the entire time.

Somewhere around 11:45, tickets are handed out.  We are told if we aren't there when our number is called, we can forget it.  Glued to my spot.  About 12:15 - 12:20 AM this morning, they called number 15.  I am praying "please let my debit card work" to myself.   Around 12:27 I walk out with one of the first Wiis off the assembly line.  Now, however, in the wake of the PS3 shooting we are all paranoid...looking over our shoulders as we leave to make sure no one is following us...finally get to car, head home.  The launch night is over - and I'm too tired to do anything except say "Thank God." 

Wal-Mart did handle this very well at my location. It was understood that if you left before you got your ticket,  you lost your spot.   The people in line with me were VERY laid back, just Moms, Dads, students, and friends hanging out, waiting and hoping to be amongst the first to try a great new gaming unit.   

It was fun, but unless the next wave is REALLY impressive I won't be doing that again for a long, long time.   I still have to go out today and pick up my pre-ordered Zelda from EB.  Thinking if I can find it that I'll go with Madden O7 and Cars or Excite Truck as well.  My wife EARNED her first Wii racing game and then some.   

[alomar721]

  got mine at target this morning got in line at 6:00am two hours before store opened. they had 39 to sell i was 35 . they did run out of zelda which upset me but  will get it, also the extra controller which i can get later.. i got call of duty. will play when i get home from work. best buy across the street was packed and they were only giving out 60.

[MustardTent]

Got mine this morning too at Toys R Us.  Also ran out of Zelda before I got to it, but no biggie.  I got there at 7:30, doors opened at 9, and I was about the 20th person in line.

The line experience was actually pretty fun.  Got to talk to some nice people.

[somunny]

Picked mine up last night at GameStop w/ Zelda, an extra controller and some other BS.  Went out this morning to check things out and maybe pick up a second for a friend.  If you weren't in line early this morning, you weren,t getting one.  For the most part, it doesn't look like there will be any walking into a store this afternoon and grabbing a Wii off the pile.  This sucker is sold out.

[Spaz Monkey]

Got in line at local target at 6:30ish am.  was 53/60.

[grueinthebox]

Wife and I were out this morning running errands and made the rounds just to check things out.  When we went by Target at about 8:30 there were about 8-9 people in line to get one, kid working there wasn't sure if the had any systems left beyond those for folks who were in the line, but thought they did.  I didn't bother asking anyone else to find out since we weren't picking one up anyway...  People were walking up occasionally and getting into the line, so I hope they had systems.  The Toys R Us down the way had about 20 people in line ~15 minutes before opening, so they should have had an abundance of systems left by my understanding (60-80 per TRU).  Wife's sister and her boyfriend waited in line at Best Buy for one.  They seem to have been the only place sold out at that point. 

Looks like if we'd been in the market for a system we could have had at least one, probably two, with no more than a 20 minute wait...  As it stands we're waiting until after Christmas - told family we wanted Best Buy gift cards, then we'll pick one up when they're available again.

[sphetr2]

You guys are going to hate me...I got to circuit city at about 8:30, got the console at about 10:00. I got the LAST ONE!

Also got a wiimote, red steel, and LoZ:TP. Was going to get a nunchuck, but they ran out.

[AlanS17]

Don't you need a nunchuck to play those games?

[shmokes]

The system comes with one nunchuck

[Samstag]

My wife started camping at 8am Saturday morning braving the cold and the unruly crowds of adolescents and DIDN'T get a WII!


Maybe if she did this at Target or Toys'R'Us instead of at girl scout camp she'd have been more successful.
   It's good practice for the PS4 launch, anyway.

[AlanS17]

Maybe if she did this at Target or Toys'R'Us instead of at girl scout camp she'd have been more successful.

 

[AtomSmasher]

So, for those who got on and are allowed to play it...how do you like it?  I'm really curious how people are liking the new controls.

[alomar721]

well got home from work tonight. i just got done playing the wii sport very great. i like  the bowling and  the boxing is a work out  . the controls seem fine to me. i hope to get on and play call of duty. if not will play tomorrow.

[somunny]

Amazing!  My wife and I tried out Wii Sports tonight and were both extremely impressed with how easy it was to pick up the mechanics of the different games.  Baseball, while simple, is especially fun.  And boxing wore my butt out!

I haven't gotten into Zelda yet.  Tomorrow...

[somunny]

I should add that on the negative side, the virtual consol game selection flat-out sucks.  Not quite what Nintendo was crowing about several months ago.  The internet, news and weather channels are also all non-op currently.

Still, Wii Sports is a fun way to waste time for awhile.  Amazing how it actually *feels* similar to hitting a baseball...  My mind is playing tricks on me. 

[albybum]

[MustardTent]

So, for those who got on and are allowed to play it...how do you like it?  I'm really curious how people are liking the new controls.

Well, I've only had it for a day now, but I still like the controls a lot.  Very cool way to play Call Of Duty. 

I haven't had a video game system make me smile and laugh this much since NES.  Personally, I think this is a much better purchase than the Xbox360 or PS3. 

[MustardTent]

By the way, the Wii does support WPA2 (I'm using WPA-PSK w/TKIP).  I searched before my purchase, but couldn't find this little tidbit of info.

It also uses an 802.11b radio, which I was a little disappointed in.  Would've been nice to have 802.11g.

[sphetr2]

So, for those who got on and are allowed to play it...how do you like it?  I'm really curious how people are liking the new controls.

Well, at first the controls were ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. The cursor was all jumpy. So I re-synced the wiimotes. And still it was jumpy! So then I closed all of the blinds in the room, and it worked flawlessly.

Strange, I didn't think sunlight would have that big of an effect...guess it's cause I was facing right into it.

I played red steel and absolutely love it. Controls are very nice.

I haven't gotten too far in LoZ:TP yet (too busy with red steel), but so far all I've received is the wooden sword. The controls for that, unfortunately, are kind of sucky. As long as you wave the wiimote, it slashes. It doesn't actually trace your movements. At least that's what I noticed.

Wii Sports plays well too.

[RecycledPast]

No Wii for me.  I was lazy and didn't get to Target until 7:15am, all the tickets had been handed out.  This comic is pretty accurate;
http://xkcd.com/c186.html

[AlanS17]

It also uses an 802.11b radio, which I was a little disappointed in.  Would've been nice to have 802.11g.

This is sort of a non-issue since it's still faster than your broadband connection (and that's where any bottlenecks will occur). Might make a difference in networked games, but I doubt it. There won't be any massive file transfers so you don't really need the 802.11g capabilities.

[ChadTower]

If it ever gets an XBMC style capability you will.

[AlanS17]

I haven't gotten too far in LoZ:TP yet (too busy with red steel), but so far all I've received is the wooden sword. The controls for that, unfortunately, are kind of sucky. As long as you wave the wiimote, it slashes. It doesn't actually trace your movements. At least that's what I noticed.

That's one thing that was mentioned in reviews before. There is no mapping for the sword. The slash you perform, and the slash that Link performs will probably not be the same. That was brought up weeks ago, but I forgot the source - probably GameSpot.

... and Wii has no hard drive. There's nowhere to store large downloads. You'd have to have one heck of a memory card for that. Besides, at that poinjt, the bottle neck is still the broadband connection.

[ChadTower]

Broadband is only a bottleneck to the outside WAN.  It's not a bottleneck on the LAN and I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo tries to use the LAN at least as much as the WAN.

[AlanS17]

Broadband is only a bottleneck to the outside WAN.  It's not a bottleneck on the LAN and I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo tries to use the LAN at least as much as the WAN.

Well 802.11g is good enough for streaming audio over a LAN. Streaming video is probably not practical even with 802.11g.

Nintedo is not builinding an all-in-one device like the 360 and PS3, though. They're building a video game console. I don't know how many of those other extra features it'll have. They have some broadband content such as news and weather, but we'll see how far they take it.

The only real LAN use I can find for this thing will be multi-player gaming. I think 802.11b ought to be fine for that. That's the core of the Wii's model. They wouldn't render it useless. I can only assume they know what they're doing.

[MustardTent]

It also uses an 802.11b radio, which I was a little disappointed in.  Would've been nice to have 802.11g.

This is sort of a non-issue since it's still faster than your broadband connection (and that's where any bottlenecks will occur). Might make a difference in networked games, but I doubt it. There won't be any massive file transfers so you don't really need the 802.11g capabilities.

I'm familiar with 802.11b/g.  I have actually developed the MAC for a couple 802.11 devices.  My problem is that my wireless router was previously only allowing 802.11g clients, and I had to change that setting because of the Wii.

Not really a big deal, but it was an inconvenience nonetheless.

[Samstag]

Well 802.11g is good enough for streaming audio over a LAN. Streaming video is probably not practical even with 802.11g.

Huh?  Until very recently I was doing video streaming over 802.11b on a regular basis.  I got better quality from that than I get from DirecTV.  I only upgraded to g because I'm doing file transfers.

[shmokes]

I've always heard that b was no good for video, but that g worked just fine.  I've never done it, though.  My XBMC uses cable.

[AlanS17]

I've always heard that b was no good for video, but that g worked just fine.  I've never done it, though.  My XBMC uses cable.

That depends on the quality of the video. If you're going to stream something of TV quality, I don't think 802.11g will cut it. That being said, I've never actually tried it. I've streamed video that's compressed/decompressed in real time from my Tivo over 802.11b and that worked fine. But the compression made the image quality suffer.

[shmokes]

Just to test this out I started Kill Bill Vol. 1 streaming on my XBMC and have been watching the network utilization on my PC for the last 30 minutes or so.  It's a Divx file encoded at 2200 kbps.  In the time it's been going network utilization on the 100 Mbps line connecting the PC to the Xbox has generally hovered around 2% with occasional spikes up to 5%.  That means that, at least for compressed video, 802.11b would probably be fine because 802.11b is certainly capable of handling everything I'm throwing at it including the 5 Mbps spikes.  And 2200 kbps is a pretty high bitrate.  That made about a 2 GB Divx file.  I'd say most people watching a Divx file of that quality would never know they weren't watching a DVD unless you told them.

[ChadTower]

I've always heard that b was no good for video, but that g worked just fine.  I've never done it, though.  My XBMC uses cable.

Depends on how you're streaming it.  If you're trying to stream raw video, analog style, it's no good.  If you're streaming it via TCP it depends entirely on the format... more than likely it's a compressed format in that case, DivX or such, and that would work just fine.

[MustardTent]

Getting back on topic, I find that I really enjoy the controller's built-in speaker.  Satisfying to hear the bat crack from your hand rather than whatever speakers you have.

Since I don't have Zelda, I've been wondering:  Hows does Twilight Princess use the speaker if at all?  Call of Duty 3 doesn't use it, and I'm wondering if the 1st party games are going to be the only ones for a while using all the bells & whistles of the controllers.

[somunny]

Getting back on topic, I find that I really enjoy the controller's built-in speaker.  Satisfying to hear the bat crack from your hand rather than whatever speakers you have.

Since I don't have Zelda, I've been wondering:  Hows does Twilight Princess use the speaker if at all?  Call of Duty 3 doesn't use it, and I'm wondering if the 1st party games are going to be the only ones for a while using all the bells & whistles of the controllers.

Some weapon effects and such, IIRC.  I'm sure the uses will improve over time.  One thing about Zelda that frustrated me was the fishing.  I fiddled with it for an hour before I figured out the little move you needed to perform to snag a fish.  Great game for sure, though I wish Nintendo had gone the high-def route.

I'm really only interested in games specifically made for the Wii.  First party titles.  I don't see myself purchasing cross-platform games that have Wii-mote fuctions tacked on.  COD3, Marvel Alliance and the like I'll pick up for the 360.

[AlanS17]

Since I don't have Zelda, I've been wondering:  Hows does Twilight Princess use the speaker if at all?

Though I haven't used it yet, it's my understanding that Zelda does use the speaker. When fishing, you'll be able to hear the casting. When drawing a bow, you'll hear the bow string tighten. I don't know which other situations apply.

I'm so totally ready to be playing that game. I don't think my brother hid the Wii anywhere in this house, though. I think he sent it with his girlfriend to her house.  I wanted to pull it out of the box and play it for a little while before it gets wrapped and stuck under the tree. I already know I'm getting one for Christmas so why make me wait, right? 

[More Cowbell]

Any ideas as to when the stores will be restocking or is it individual to each store? I'd like to pick one up for my kids (and by kids I mean my kids and me). 

[shmokes]

I played ExciteTruck at Game Crazy.  I hope the Wii remote was just low on batteries or that the sensor setup was just bad (the TV was mounted up high on the wall and the sensor bar was just sitting on the counter in front of me, abou 2-3 feet beneath the TV.  As far as I know ExciteTruck doesn't use the sensor bar anyway, but whatever the reason, control was AWFUL.  Rotating the controller often had little to no effect on the vehicle.

Turns would come up and my vehicle would barely turn or would even turn a little in the wrong direction.  It registered the gas and turbo buttons just fine, though, so I'm not sure what was going on.  At any rate, it was almost unplayable.  It barely felt like I was even controlling it.  I'm leaning toward something being wrong because while the game isn't getting great reviews, I would have rated it a 1.5 at best based on my experience.

So while I've technically played Wii now, I still feel like I have never played it, and I really really want to.

[AlanS17]

They've got demos at every GameStop, Target, and Best Buy under the sun.

I don't know when they'll be re-stocking, but I bet places like GameStop have some sort of next-shipment pre-orders going on.

[MustardTent]

Any ideas as to when the stores will be restocking or is it individual to each store? I'd like to pick one up for my kids (and by kids I mean my kids and me). 

Spoke to the TRU that I purchased my Wii from (they were out of Zelda by the time I got to the register).  They said one week (from Sunday).  I'll bet they're restocked for Black Friday.

[AlanS17]

Any ideas as to when the stores will be restocking or is it individual to each store? I'd like to pick one up for my kids (and by kids I mean my kids and me). 

Well Toys R Us actually has them in stock online. They sell as bundles, but there's no additional markup.

Family Bundle ($489.94):
Link shortened by saint

Action Bundle ($589.92):
Link shortened by saint

Those prices are in line with the PS3 except they come with 4 and 6 games respectively.

It might also be worth it to note that they have Zelda in stock:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2545575

[odysseyroc]

Just got back from making the rounds this morning. Most of the Gamestop and EB Games just got some this morning (about 3 per store). Some were selling them, but most are holding on to them till Black friday. I missed out on getting on by about 3 minutes at one Gamestop. None of the big stores received a second shipment and didn't have any idea when they would be getting more. I suspect that some of the big stores have them, but are waiting for black friday.

[MustardTent]

By the way, the Wii does support WPA2 (I'm using WPA-PSK w/TKIP).  I searched before my purchase, but couldn't find this little tidbit of info.

It also uses an 802.11b radio, which I was a little disappointed in.  Would've been nice to have 802.11g.

I have learned that this is wrong, and that the Wii has a b/g card.  I'll change my AP at home to see if I can connect to it when only g clients are allowed.

Info from Wii Disassembly Guide.

[ChadTower]

I'm very disappointed it doesn't have an RJ45 jack.  I don't want wireless.  It is of no use to me.

[MustardTent]

You can have one for $30.  Just like you can get a component cable for $40 (I think).

[ChadTower]

A $30 external addon in place of a fifty cent internal component.  Woo.

[MustardTent]

Well, making that proprietary interface is expensive.  Somebody has to pay for it.

I know that Nintendo was trying to keep the costs down, but not including Ethernet is a weird choice.

[tommy]

Many of the gamestop stores near me are getting about 8 or 9 Wii's on friday, hopefully i can atleast get the console even with no other game for now.

I asked about the PS3 and none are coming.

[ChadTower]

Well, making that proprietary interface is expensive.  Somebody has to pay for it.

I know that Nintendo was trying to keep the costs down, but not including Ethernet is a weird choice.

GUI design isn't that expensive.  I used to do it. 

[mccoy178]

Damn Chad, all I see in 80% of your threads is you being difficult for no good reason.  You pollute too many threads.  Way too many.

[MustardTent]

Well, making that proprietary interface is expensive.  Somebody has to pay for it.

I know that Nintendo was trying to keep the costs down, but not including Ethernet is a weird choice.

GUI design isn't that expensive.  I used to do it. 

I'm sure you did.   

I thought we were talking about the special cable you need to get your Ethernet jack (RJ45)?

[AlanS17]

The ethernet adapter looks like a standard USB/ethernet adapter. I'd try the $10 variety before I went for the pricey brand name one.

[RTSDaddy2]

Those planning to get one on black Friday - if you do, and all you can find game wise for a week or so is Wii Sports, you'll be plenty entertained.  Want a workout? Crank up boxing and duck, dodge, weave your way to victory (yes, you WILL sweat - a little).

What REALLY adds to this is creating your own Mii character (done properly, the resemblence is SCARY).  Then enjoy the games!  Yeah the graphics are lacking (baseball players have no legs), but it is the FUN that counts...and the bowling game is MARVELOUS.

And if you thought Zelda was impressive on the N64 back in the days of Ocarina of Time, you ain't seen nothin yet....

[tommy]

I have no doubt some of the games the Wii comes with are great.

Alot of people say they would rather not have the Nintendo made game the console comes with for some odd reason. Who knows how to take advantage of the new controler better then a Nintendo made game made perfectly for the new setup? Wii sports might rival alot of games till other devs get the hang of the concept.

[Tahnok]

So, is there really any chance of getting one of these anymore? I'd love to get my hands on one, but it seems impossible. Anyone know when certain stores will be restocking?

[ChadTower]

I thought we were talking about the special cable you need to get your Ethernet jack (RJ45)?

A cat5/5e/6 cable?  They're almost free and you can make your own.  I have a spool of 1000ft of cat6 cable in my basement.

[ChadTower]

I have no doubt some of the games the Wii comes with are great.

Alot of people say they would rather not have the Nintendo made game the console comes with for some odd reason. Who knows how to take advantage of the new controler better then a Nintendo made game made perfectly for the new setup? Wii sports might rival alot of games till other devs get the hang of the concept.

That concept sure worked for Mario64.  Even after the end of that console's life, Mario64 was probably the best game for that system.

[MustardTent]

I thought we were talking about the special cable you need to get your Ethernet jack (RJ45)?

A cat5/5e/6 cable?  They're almost free and you can make your own.  I have a spool of 1000ft of cat6 cable in my basement.

I'm not sure that you're following this conversation very well.  The point was that the cable would have to connect with the Wii, which may have a proprietary connection on it for this type of thing.  As somebody else pointed out earlier, maybe it would be a USB adapter, but either way, connecting Ethernet to the Wii will not be as simple as using just one Ethernet cable.

It's hard to have a conversation with somebody who always assumes the person they are speaking with is a moron.
Sheesh.   

[ChadTower]

Dude, I said I would have liked an RJ45 jack.

It is a very specific statement about a specific industry standard interface.  Sure, it's possible they would set up a weird interface, though more likely a USB interface that will then come with all of the limitations of USB as a network interface, but I was quite specific about the type of interface I mentioned.

[MustardTent]

Yeah, and that's exactly what we were talking about.  To get your jack, you need something connected to the Wii (this requires a wire) that terminates the other side in an RJ45 jack.

I made a joke about how you could get it for $30 from Nintendo, and here we are. 

Okay, I'm done.

[ChadTower]

I'm not sure I follow.  If the machine had an RJ45 jack, you wouldn't need anything else.  Unless you're talking about a hub/router/network device, which you need for the network connection it is using now.  That wouldn't be any different.

[Howard_Casto]

Nintendo used wifi only for cost considerations fyi. 

They already have developed low-cost low-resource dependant wifi technology for the ds.  It was far cheaper to add built in wifi support in this specific case because they didn't have to manufacturer any new hardware.  A standard ethernet connection would require custom networking chips and some resources from the system, which isn't really an option without increasing development costs. 

[lcddream]

Longest Link Ever posted @ BYOAC (shortened by saint)

wii wired lan adapter

[somunny]

Now THAT'S a link!

[lcddream]

lol sorry...didn't even look after i posted.

[tommy]

Still can't get one here in Florida. Best buy had 60 to sell sunday morning but still no luck, i showed up at the store 3 hours before they opened only to find over 100 people waiting.

Everyone has gone Wii crazy and any place that sells them is always jammed up. If i can't show up 3 hours early and get one i can't see getting one for a long time around here. 

[Howard_Casto]

Still can't get one here in Florida. Best buy had 60 to sell sunday morning but still no luck, i showed up at the store 3 hours before they opened only to find over 100 people waiting.

Everyone has gone Wii crazy and any place that sells them is always jammed up. If i can't show up 3 hours early and get one i can't see getting one for a long time around here. 

Don't feel bad... I still can't get ahold of one here either.  The rumor is more shipments come in on the 1st but there's no telling which stores, or how many they'll get.  On black friday the stores here got laughably small numbers in (like 5 or less per store) so nobody really got one.

I still can't believe nintendo isn't allowing you to purchase them via the nintendo store.  I mean it's based in japan... all the wii's are in japan... they make their money either way.. wouldn't it make more sense to just sell it to the customer directly?


Btw saint, the wii adaptor isn't a cost-effective solution.... the thing is 25 bucks plus shipping (they are hard to find in stores).  You can easily get a decent wireless router for that price or less so it would make more sense to just upgrade your router or attach an additional router to one's network. 

[AlanS17]

Btw saint, the wii adaptor isn't a cost-effective solution.... the thing is 25 bucks plus shipping (they are hard to find in stores).  You can easily get a decent wireless router for that price or less so it would make more sense to just upgrade your router or attach an additional router to one's network. 

I bought a NetGear Super G wireless router on black friday for $10 after discounts.

[AtomSmasher]

Still can't get one here in Florida. Best buy had 60 to sell sunday morning but still no luck, i showed up at the store 3 hours before they opened only to find over 100 people waiting.

Everyone has gone Wii crazy and any place that sells them is always jammed up. If i can't show up 3 hours early and get one i can't see getting one for a long time around here. 

Nintendo is supposed to be shipping out 250,000 each week, so hopefully in a two or three weeks, the Wii should be easy to come by.  If not, then the Wii is far on its way to become the #1 console this generation.

[Howard_Casto]

Still can't get one here in Florida. Best buy had 60 to sell sunday morning but still no luck, i showed up at the store 3 hours before they opened only to find over 100 people waiting.

Everyone has gone Wii crazy and any place that sells them is always jammed up. If i can't show up 3 hours early and get one i can't see getting one for a long time around here. 

Nintendo is supposed to be shipping out 250,000 each week, so hopefully in a two or three weeks, the Wii should be easy to come by.  If not, then the Wii is far on its way to become the #1 console this generation.

Well since I want to be on record for saying it somewhere (even though I've been saying this since the revolution teaser was shown 3 years ago) the wii will easily become the winner of this generation and will possibly sell better than the original nes.  I'm not trying to over-hype the product, I've just been playing games since I was 6 and with my 21 years of non-stop gaming experience, I tend to know a winner when I see one.    And on top of that, it's nintendo... aside from the virtual boy, they have never, ever made a bad console, not to mention a bad game.  All they needed was a little buzz to get back in the game, so now it's a done deal. 


Anyway I'm saying that it won't be as bad as the ps3, but you still shouldn't drag you tail and get to stores as soon as they get a new shipment. 

[slider2732]

I usually don't buzz about anything console related, but agree with Howard there...this thing is PLAYABLE !
Gran has a laugh, mom chortles at your swings of the baseball bat, dad relaxes with his pipe while sat in front of the console fishing. It's just the best news for playability since Defender drowned the ears in the 80's !

We have a Wii, the missus son queued outside Best Buy for two nights to get one...and he's bought a total winner.
They may look like an external cd-rom drive and the graphics might look lame compared to a decent cellphone, but these things have it all in the control and interaction.


Up til bastardised PC versions of the controllers come out, the Wii will be 1st on many peoples wishlist and deservedly so 

[clanggedin]

I picled one up on Sunday's shipment @ Best Buy. My brother in law is Product Manager there and he said they had 21 in stock so I was planning on getting there at 6AM to wait in line. He called me late Saturday afternoon stating that another store sold all of the Wii's accentally so they had to sebd 5 units to the store so they could cover the minimum amount in stock that the circular stated they would have.

I end up leaving at  getting thatere at 11PM Saturday to wait in line. I was 4th , but by 5AM there were 16 people.

Now I just need to help my mother in law find one for her.

[Howard_Casto]

Up til bastardised PC versions of the controllers come out, the Wii will be 1st on many peoples wishlist and deservedly so 

Actually, the things have only been out a week and the hackers already have a plan in place for getting the wiimotes to run on the pc.  They are standard bluetooth devices and some have already been able to get the digital buttons to send data.  All that remains is to figure out the analog stuff and write a proper driver.

Oh and the sensor bar... it's just an array of ir leds.  The only reason the thing plugs into the wii is to get 5 volts of power, people have been running it with candles instead of the bar.  So that isn't an issue either and people with projectors should be able to whip together a wall-mounted solution too. 

[AtomSmasher]

Why would people want the wiimote to work on their computer?  There have been mice that use the same technology (or at least similar technology) on the computer for years.  I suppose if they got the Wii games emulating on a comp I could see the usefulness of having the wiimote on the computer, but thats a long long way off.

[Howard_Casto]

Well a 6 axis position tracking device on the pc has traditionally cost upwards of 200 bucks on the pc.  A wiimote is around 40. 

Besides you forget, once nintendo makes a new controller it becomes the standard, period. 

Dpad, invented by nintendo.  Select and start buttons right on the controller... yep nintendo again.  L and R buttons.. nintendo.  Micro analog stick.... nintendo.  Rumble pack, nintendo.  Save card right on the controller... nintendo. 4 ports built into the system... the 4 button layout (as opposed to previous attempts which had a single long line of 3 or more buttons). I could go on, but the point is nintendo has been silently deciding the future of home consoles since the beginning, it's just nobody has noticed until now. 

So within a few years all games will use positioning technology, even on the pc.  The wiimote could be used as a controller for fps right now on the pc if a proper driver could be written.  Not to mention light guns, which the controller basically is.  Also steering wheels, flight sticks ect....

[AtomSmasher]

A quick check and gyro mice seem to go as low as $60, so the wiimote is cheaper if adequate support was developed.  As for PC games will soon use a device like the wiimote?  I highly doubt it.  How many PC games are designed to use a gamepad?  Not many, and the ones that do are usually ports of console games.  Just because something becomes popular on a console doesn't mean it will be popular on the PC.

Also, saying that nintendo is on the front of console innovation is not something new.  Maybe your just now realizing it, but a lot of people (including myself and my friends) have been talking about it for years, for me it was ever since the N64 came out with its analog stick, the Wii just confirms that they are still pushing innovative ideas.

[tommy]

Got mine today. 

I found a guy selling a Wii on eBay the other day, he lives about 10 miles away from me and just picked it up now.  I had to spend $100.00 more but i just could not wait any longer.  Wii Hoo. 

[Howard_Casto]

A quick check and gyro mice seem to go as low as $60, so the wiimote is cheaper if adequate support was developed.  As for PC games will soon use a device like the wiimote?  I highly doubt it.  How many PC games are designed to use a gamepad?  Not many, and the ones that do are usually ports of console games.  Just because something becomes popular on a console doesn't mean it will be popular on the PC.

Also, saying that nintendo is on the front of console innovation is not something new.  Maybe your just now realizing it, but a lot of people (including myself and my friends) have been talking about it for years, for me it was ever since the N64 came out with its analog stick, the Wii just confirms that they are still pushing innovative ideas.

And this is pretty much why pc games are limited to crappy f-p-s and strategdy games.  The wii mote allows a person enough control to play said games with the accuracy of a mouse (which is why gamepads never caught on) and the ease of use of a traditional controller.  Personally I HATE using a keyboard when playing pc games, but I seldom have a choice as aiming always works better with the mouse. 

No I'm not just now realizing it, I have every nintendo console save the virtual boy.  It's just sony/sega/misc fanboys are just now realizing it.  After all we are on our third ps3 and has sony done anything original either with game titles or hardware?  Well there's the eyetoy and um err... did I mention the eyetoy?

[Howard_Casto]

Got mine today. 

I found a guy selling a Wii on eBay the other day, he lives about 10 miles away from me and just picked it up now.  I had to spend $100.00 more but i just could not wait any longer.  Wii Hoo. 

And by buying a wii with a hiked up price you are supporting this horrible price gouging that is going on.  Nobody would run to the stores and snatch up every single console available to hock on ebay if guys like you weren't willing to pay considerably more for a device that has a set price. 

How much is a wii?  249.95 + tax/shipping.  How much should you pay for a wii? 249.95 + tax/shipping

End of story, period. 

[shmokes]

My brother works at Target.  They got another shipment of 30 Wiis today but they can't sell them until Sunday, cos there's going to be an ad in the paper and they want to have as much stock as possible to satisfy people who come in based on the ad.  Funny thing, though:

A lady came in to buy one this morning and they told her they wouldn't have any to sell until Sunday.  She flipped out, cussing and yelling and demanding they sell her one, that she knew they had them because her husband is a UPS delivery guy and he looked in the box and saw them.  Regardless of her tantrum, which apparently consisted of about 15 minutes of screaming and cussing, first at my brother, than at the manager over electronics, then at the store manager, Target still refused to sell her a system.  They are, however, reporting her husband to UPS and requesting that disciplinary action be taken for opening their delivery boxes.

LMAO.  I wonder if that's going to cause any marital stress at home.

[Howard_Casto]

Well target's in the wrong on that one though.  All the people working at our local target are jerks.  They won't even have the decency to tell you when a shipment is expected.  And I realize that many times they don't know, but then again a day or so before they get a tracking number sent to them just like anyone else who orders via ups.  I called them the day before yesterday and they said they didn't have any shipments coming in.  Kinda funny how the next day they did get a very small shipment in isn't it?  Your telling me they didn't get a tracking number the day before and that the ups guy just shows up without warning.  Nah I don't think so.

Also it's rather ridiculous to refuse to sell someone a product you have in stock.  They technically only need 1 wii for their ad to be legal so the proper thing for them to do would have been to give the poor lady a break and sell her a wii.   

I completely understand them holding em back for black friday, but holding them back at this point just increases the false hype and encourages more jerks to get in line the night before and buy them all to sell on ebay.  Because of these types of policies, it makes it darn near impossible for the average adult to get one for their child, for instance when you often have to be in line at 9am on a weekday to get one or they get 30 in and put a ad in the paper and thus 350 people get in line the night before.


I'm sorry about the complaining, it's just I wish these store employees would treat everybody better.  I've been checking everyone from best buy to toyrus and the only people that are nice when you ask them are the folks at walmart.  On top of that nearly none of them are honest about their shipment times.  I think the workers are buying them themselves and selling them on ebay.  My wiitracker has like 40 wiis shown on ebay from my area, with more being added daily. This seems a little odd to me considering I live in a small town and they have been sold out everywhere since the 19th. 

[shmokes]

While I don't doubt any of what you say, the people at the Target near me have been very good.  My brother works there, but he had to camp in front of the store for 56 hours just like everyone else to get his hands on a PS3.  Additionally, if you call the store they will tell you that they will have more in stock starting Sunday morning.  I don't think they're concerned about their ad being legal.  I think they're concerned about running an ad that suggests they have Wii's in stock when they really already sold them all.

I wouldn't sell to this lady just because she gained inside info about their back room and then made an ass of herself.  My brother also knows that they have Wiis in the back room and they won't sell one to him either.  Plus, he works Sunday so unless they haven't sold out by the time he goes on break at noon he will still be without one.  They won't even let an employee walk up to the counter and purchase one if he's on duty.  In other words, aside from the discount, they treat employees just like every other customer.  And keep in mind that my brother works in electronics.  He is standing right there ringing up Wiis for other people and he can't just scan one for himself before other customers have a chance to snatch them all up.

So, I'd have to say that in contrast to the Target in your area, the one in my area seems to be handling themselves very well.

When it comes down to it, Target is going to sell the same as many Wiis between now and Christmas regardless of whether they hold back their stock for a few days -- which is to say, they will sell every Wii they can put on their shelves.  With that in mind, they can either sell what they have now and tell more people on Sunday that they're out of stock, or they can tell people they're out of stock today and sell more to people on Sunday.  The difference between today and Sunday, though, is that today they haven't told anybody that they have Wiis, whereas Sunday's newspaper will contain a Target ad saying that they do have Wiis.  It makes perfect sense to hold them until Sunday, IMO.

[ChadTower]

LMAO.  I wonder if that's going to cause any marital stress at home.

The screaming and yelling fit is probably already a regular occurrence at home anyway.  That behaviour is part of a pattern.

[odysseyroc]

I think it's lame that all of the major stores are stockpiling to run ads on sunday. Last week Bestbuy started the trend and lots of people lined up in the middle of the night just to go home empty handed. I've decided to wait till the hype dies down and just get one when they become readily available. I refuse to wait in a line in some sort of store manufactured Wii hysteria.

[versapak]

I think it's lame that all of the major stores are stockpiling to run ads on sunday. Last week Bestbuy started the trend and lots of people lined up in the middle of the night just to go home empty handed. I've decided to wait till the hype dies down and just get one when they become readily available. I refuse to wait in a line in some sort of store manufactured Wii hysteria.

They aren't trying to create some hysteria.

What, you think they shouldn't be able to advertise popular items? Those ads are created LOOOOOOOONG before you ever see them in print, and the whole point of ads is to get people into their store.

Of course they are going to stockpile items for availability when advertised.

Hey... Let's get people into our store by advertising this item, but then when they get here we can NOT HAVE ANY, because we decided to sneak em out the door to customers before the ad. It will be great. Then customers can get really pissed, and not buy anything.

[RecycledPast]

I guess I'll be going to Target as soon as they open on sunday.  I've got my 10% off card so hopefully they'll have the Wii, another controller, & Zelda. 

So the "system" will only cost 224.99 (10% off) and I'll hit a Target 10 miles north so I'll pay no sales tax in NH.

The good thing about the Target 10% coupon is that it's valid for everything in the store including sale items (except milk).

<edit to clarify the 10% off>

[ChadTower]

The Wii itself would cost that at 10% off... certainly not the others things included.

[odysseyroc]

They aren't trying to create some hysteria.

What, you think they shouldn't be able to advertise popular items? Those ads are created LOOOOOOOONG before you ever see them in print, and the whole point of ads is to get people into their store.

Of course they are going to stockpile items for availability when advertised.

Hey... Let's get people into our store by advertising this item, but then when they get here we can NOT HAVE ANY, because we decided to sneak em out the door to customers before the ad. It will be great. Then customers can get really pissed, and not buy anything.

I'm not saying they are doing this to try to create a hysteria, but the fact is it IS creating one. When the PS3s come in they are just putting them on the shelves and selling them. They also know that they will have less Wii's than people who want to buy one. I understand that they want bodies in the stores, but I think it's a crappy way of doing it.

[ChadTower]

Standard inventory control practice in retail.  It's no different than anything else.  If it's advertised for a certain date you don't put it out until then.  There is no "hysteria".  No one is crying in the aisles and no one is suffering because of this practice.

[odysseyroc]

I just think that bad things can happen when you have that many people waiting all night for something, especially if they go  home empty handed. I know the Wii launch was without incident, but the more you have large groups of people camping out all night the more chance you have for muggings, fights, etc. Target, Walmart, Toys R Us and Circuit City are all doing launch v 2.0. If you don't think Wii is starting to reach Cabage Patch Kids level of hysteria, then maybe it's just in my area of the country.

[ChadTower]

Legal obligations are what they are.  The stores don't define the law.

If the item is advertised to be in the store on a certain date they need to ensure that it will be there on that date.  If that means reserving their stock until that date, so be it.  It's not like they make more money for selling them a week later than now.  In fact, since in retail shelf space directly equals money, they actually make less money by having to store them for a week.

[RecycledPast]

It looks like Retrozone is creating Wii NES/SNES controller adapters for $19 each in January.  They let you use the original NES/SNES controllers.

http://www.retrousb.com/wii.html

It seems a little pricey but might be worth it if you want the authentic feel.  

[odysseyroc]

Oh and not all the stores are holding their stock of them. Some of the recieved shipments and put them out the day that they came. The whole things a mess. Some stores aren't even going to have consoles to sell on that day. Somebody in corporate decided to print that add and I think it was a bad idea.

[AtomSmasher]

And this is pretty much why pc games are limited to crappy f-p-s and strategdy games.  The wii mote allows a person enough control to play said games with the accuracy of a mouse (which is why gamepads never caught on) and the ease of use of a traditional controller.  Personally I HATE using a keyboard when playing pc games, but I seldom have a choice as aiming always works better with the mouse. 

Umm, ok.  I'm going to have to disagree with your statement that fps and strategy games are "crappy".  Those are actually my two favorite genres (fps easily being my favorite genre), so most of my favorite games of all time are those "crappy" fps and strategy games.  Like you, I'm hoping the wiimote works well for fps games (I haven't had a chance to try it yet), but I still doubt it will replace the mouse/keyboard.  I'm guessing the precision of using your fingertips to aim will be far greater then using your wrist.

Also, you may want to try picking up a keyboard replacement (like the nostromo speedpad n52 or something similar) to play your pc games on.  I haven't used the keyboard for games in many years.

I'm sure you'll want to respond with an unnecessarily long reply, but lets just agree to disagree on this topic and let it go.  All we're talking about is speculation and personal preferences anyways.

[Howard_Casto]

And this is pretty much why pc games are limited to crappy f-p-s and strategdy games.  The wii mote allows a person enough control to play said games with the accuracy of a mouse (which is why gamepads never caught on) and the ease of use of a traditional controller.  Personally I HATE using a keyboard when playing pc games, but I seldom have a choice as aiming always works better with the mouse. 

Umm, ok.  I'm going to have to disagree with your statement that fps and strategy games are "crappy".  Those are actually my two favorite genres (fps easily being my favorite genre), so most of my favorite games of all time are those "crappy" fps and strategy games.  Like you, I'm hoping the wiimote works well for fps games (I haven't had a chance to try it yet), but I still doubt it will replace the mouse/keyboard.  I'm guessing the precision of using your fingertips to aim will be far greater then using your wrist.

Also, you may want to try picking up a keyboard replacement (like the nostromo speedpad n52 or something similar) to play your pc games on.  I haven't used the keyboard for games in many years.

I'm sure you'll want to respond with an unnecessarily long reply, but lets just agree to disagree on this topic and let it go.  All we're talking about is speculation and personal preferences anyways.

You know if you wanted to let it go then you shouldn't have replied.  I mean no offense but I love how people try to get the last word in and then say "now don't you reply, just let it go". 

I never said fps or strat games are crap, but when 90% of the game available are those two genres only then it automatically becomes crap.  It's like fighters in the mid 90's  you got sick of them not because they are bad games, but because you don't want to play nothing but fighters everyday and all of the fighters, while really good, all play and look essentially the same.  And I think that everyone would agree that mainly because of this, a ton of the games on the pc end up being "ehh it's ok" at best because they never try anything new. 

I don't care for the keybaord replacements myself, mostly because they are pretty much still keyboards.  Movement needs to be analog as well, but on the pc it's always digital.  The only way to fix this is to have a pointing device in one hand and a analog device in the other.  Gee wonder where I could find one of those? 

[AtomSmasher]

You know if you wanted to let it go then you shouldn't have replied.  I mean no offense but I love how people try to get the last word in and then say "now don't you reply, just let it go". 

I never said fps or strat games are crap, but when 90% of the game available are those two genres only then it automatically becomes crap.  It's like fighters in the mid 90's  you got sick of them not because they are bad games, but because you don't want to play nothing but fighters everyday and all of the fighters, while really good, all play and look essentially the same.  And I think that everyone would agree that mainly because of this, a ton of the games on the pc end up being "ehh it's ok" at best because they never try anything new. 

I don't care for the keybaord replacements myself, mostly because they are pretty much still keyboards.  Movement needs to be analog as well, but on the pc it's always digital.  The only way to fix this is to have a pointing device in one hand and a analog device in the other.  Gee wonder where I could find one of those? 

Actually my comment was more of an inside joke to myself because I don't think I've ever seen a debate you were in without you getting the last word in.  I've been around here long enough to know that you will never let something go, even if proven wrong.  (no, I'm not saying I proved you wrong here since its all just speculation and personal preferences being discussed).

I thought about making a point by point reply to you, but I'll just say I disagree with everything you just said.  The wii is a great console with a lot of potential and I can't wait to get one.  Now, make sure to get the last word in 

[tommy]

Got mine today. 

I found a guy selling a Wii on eBay the other day, he lives about 10 miles away from me and just picked it up now.  I had to spend $100.00 more but i just could not wait any longer.  Wii Hoo. 

And by buying a wii with a hiked up price you are supporting this horrible price gouging that is going on.  Nobody would run to the stores and snatch up every single console available to hock on ebay if guys like you weren't willing to pay considerably more for a device that has a set price. 

How much is a wii?  249.95 + tax/shipping.  How much should you pay for a wii? 249.95 + tax/shipping

End of story, period. 

You really can't compare paying an extra hundred on a Wii to paying double price on a PS3.

I would have paid 350.00 for a Wii if Nintendo set that price.

[RTSDaddy2]

Not to derail this post, but I've got to agree with Howard on the cost issue. If manufacturer sets it at $249 (or in the case of PS3 $499 and $599), that's what you should have to pay.

It's Christmas - and it brings out the worst in a lot of people, myself included, at times.  I know people want more money - but dadgum, leave the consoles on the shelves for the people who want to play the thing and STOP purchasing it so you can make a profit.   I understand this is how America works, but there's just something - well, "slimy" - about this whole buy it and sell them at 2 to 3 times the cost bit.

[ChadTower]

Not to derail this post, but I've got to agree with Howard on the cost issue. If manufacturer sets it at $249 (or in the case of PS3 $499 and $599), that's what you should have to pay.

To a retailer.  Not to a private party.

Notice there have been exactly zero retail stores jacking up the price.  Don't you think they would if they could get away with it?

[Zero_Hour]

Not to derail this post, but I've got to agree with Howard on the cost issue. If manufacturer sets it at $249 (or in the case of PS3 $499 and $599), that's what you should have to pay.

To a retailer.  Not to a private party.

Notice there have been exactly zero retail stores jacking up the price.  Don't you think they would if they could get away with it?

That's why they invented bundling. 

I can't help but wonder how many people have bit the bullet buying additional games they have no interest in just to get their hands on the console. I'll just hold out till I can get it with the software of my choosing. If that happens to be after Christmas, so be it. 

[AlanS17]

If you wanted to buy a PS3 at Fry's, you had to buy it with 8 additional games. Screw that!

[More Cowbell]

We picked up our Wii Sunday morning at Target. My wife and I stood in line starting at 6am for the 8a opening. They came out and gave tickets to everyone at 7a so at least you knew where you stood. It was 9 degrees by the way so my toes are still in the process of recovering even with 2 pairs of socks (Chicago). We couldn't wait so we sprung it on the kids last night and started playing some Wii sports. I need to work on getting the internet connection going. It recognizes our household internet but couldn't connect for some reason. I didn't really look into it at all so I just need to spend some time with it. So far my kids are digging it and the jury is still out in my mind. I guess I need to be convinced that the controllers are really accurate and that it isn't just kind of estimating where you are. Or maybe I'm mad that my kids are better than me at some of the stuff.   

[MustardTent]

When you get online -- post your wii code in the thread here. 

[Mr. Greenjeans]

I was #28 at Target on Sunday....only problem was they only had 26  !!!!!!!

[More Cowbell]

Our Target must have had at least 40. People were walking up right before 8a and getting tickets. Made us idiots who waited 2 hours feel like crap (but not too much since we got what we were after).

[RecycledPast]

I got to target at 8am and saw the line was pretty short....
Then I notice that it wraped around the entire electronics section.  A security guard said they already handed out tickets 
I drove a few miles North to another Target but they were also sold out

So I decided to stop searching for a Wii and wait until next year.  I then bought GTA: San Andreas (xbox) and Shadow of the Colossus(ps2).

[odysseyroc]

My sister managed to walk up to Target at 8am on sunday and get one. They had something like 120 in stock and up to that point only handed out 80 tickets.

I'm waiting till next year whenever it is that you can just walk up and buy one without the crazy lines.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

I'm gonna try Wal-Mart tomorrow......WIIsh me luck!

[RTSDaddy2]

Chad, I got your point, but I think you missed mine...I don't really care if it's retail or private party.

Let me say it again - I do not like the fact that a bunch of people snatched PS3s, and some Wiis, away from kids / families who REALLY wanted it so that they could sell them at 3 times the price...especially here at Christmas.  I don't  that this is how America works - it's nasty and slimy, bottom line. That was my point, perhaps I did not say it well. 

Anyway, back to the thread....

[Samstag]

I'm not supposed to know my wife found me a Wii, but what I do know is that she went out Sunday afternoon and came back an hour later very pleased with herself and for the first time ever more excited about my gifts than hers.

For those in the DFW area she would most likely have found it at the Target on South Cooper in Arlington, just west of the Parks Mall.  That's about the only place she shops, unless it was in Kohl's.

[shmokes]

While I hope for your sake that you are right, I can't imagine it is the case.  Target had an ad in the morning paper that day saying they would have Wiis.  They also made it known well in advance when people inquired that systems would be in on Sunday.  Even if every single system wasn't spoken for before the store even opened by the people who got there early and stood in line, it strikes me as virtually impossible that there would still be systems available by the afternoon (or even half an hour after the store opened for that matter).

[markrvp]

I got one today after waiting 4-5 hours a day at Gamestop for 3 days.  My routine was to get there about 2 hours before they opened so I was first in the door and had to wait until UPS made their delivery.  First two days they were supposed to get a shipment, but they never showed up.  Today was the charm, as I got the first one off the truck (of 3).

[shmokes]

Wow . . . that would simply not be an option for me.  Don't you have a job?

[AlanS17]

Wow . . . that would simply not be an option for me.  Don't you have a job?

My thoughts exactly.

[ChadTower]

While I hope for your sake that you are right, I can't imagine it is the case.  Target had an ad in the morning paper that day saying they would have Wiis.  They also made it known well in advance when people inquired that systems would be in on Sunday.  Even if every single system wasn't spoken for before the store even opened by the people who got there early and stood in line, it strikes me as virtually impossible that there would still be systems available by the afternoon (or even half an hour after the store opened for that matter).

Not if she knows an employee.  I know a couple of people who got their Wiis from our local Target because they know one of the guys who manages their electronics stock.

Mark... damn, that's a lot of effort.

[More Cowbell]

Mark, with all that time waiting in line drinking coffee, you should start a thread entitled, I Gotta Wee. 
It's all I got. 

[ChadTower]

Wii do not approve of that joke.

[markrvp]

Wow . . . that would simply not be an option for me.  Don't you have a job?

I work in my family business.  I have flexible hours.

[More Cowbell]

Wow . . . that would simply not be an option for me.  Don't you have a job?

I work in my family business.  I have flexible hours.

It's a Sopranos type of business. If you don't hear from me ever again, I regret nothing.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

No dice at Wal-Mart today    I got there at 5 a.m. and when I got to the electronics dept there was no line but when I asked the employee she told me they were all spoken for. Turns out they only got 12 and the people getting them had been there since 6 p.m. yesterday. I just don't understand all the promotion they went through for 12 units .... they had signs up all over the place saying they would have them today at 8 a.m. 

[ChadTower]

They don't usually know exactly how many are coming in on any given day.  The truck shows up, they unload them, look at the line, and say "oh, crap".

[markrvp]

I heard of a Target where there were 40 people in line and they only had 1 Wii (Sunday's ad).  I know it's true 'cause I read about it on the innernets.

[MustardTent]

Loaded a bunch of songs on my Wii (using an SD card).  It looks like there is no place in the Wii menu to actually play them.  Is it only for playing music in game?

What games support using your own music library that people have found?

[AtomSmasher]

Loaded a bunch of songs on my Wii (using an SD card).  It looks like there is no place in the Wii menu to actually play them.  Is it only for playing music in game?

What games support using your own music library that people have found?

I could be wrong, but seems like I remember a review for excite truck saying it plays music off the sd card.

[shmokes]

MP3 Support is exclusive to the Photo channel for use in slide shows and such.  Don't even ask me why Nintendo made that decision.  And yes, games can also support custom soundtracks and ExciteTruck is one of those games.

[AlanS17]

MP3 Support is exclusive to the Photo channel for use in slide shows and such.  Don't even ask me why Nintendo made that decision.

Why did Nintendo make that decision? J/K

I just don't see a Wii being useful for media. The lack of a hard drive makes it a pain in the butt. Plus when I think PS3 or XBOX360 I think "media center", but when I think of the Wii I just think "video game console". Does it even play DVD's? Can it read image files from a disk or are they relegated to the SD card?

[shmokes]

Who knows, though, with the rate that flash memory is dropping in price.  A year into the Wii's life and an 8 GB SD card will probably be $50.  Three or four years out you'll probably be able to pop a 40 GB card into the Wii. 

[AlanS17]

There are going to be space limitations on as SD card, redgardless of price. The reason you can squeeze so much into a CP card is that it's just big enough to fit an actual spinning disk in there (ie. MicroDrive). The same doesn't hold true for SD cards with any current technology I'm aware of.

Even still, I consider that a far cry from "integrated".

[boykster]

Sandisk and Sony just announced their new high capacity memory stick pro HG with capacity of 32gig...

a 40gig SD in 3-4 years doesn't sound so implausible now does it?

[shmokes]

Even still, I consider that a far cry from "integrated".

Oh, I'm with you on the media.  There are a bunch of things making the Wii a poor choice for a media center.  Even if the expansion of SD capacity skyrockets, you've still got a system that is incapable of Dolby Digital or DTS, lacks an ethernet port, has virtually no codec support, cannot play DVD movies (and I'm unsure whether it can read DVD blanks), and exists in the same world as Xbox Media Center which, frankly, puts the media capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3 to shame as well.

[AlanS17]

Sandisk and Sony just announced their new high capacity memory stick pro HG with capacity of 32gig...

a 40gig SD in 3-4 years doesn't sound so implausible now does it?

That's pretty cool. Do you have any links? Is it going to maintain the same form factor?

[MustardTent]

Even still, I consider that a far cry from "integrated".

Oh, I'm with you on the media.  There are a bunch of things making the Wii a poor choice for a media center.  Even if the expansion of SD capacity skyrockets, you've still got a system that is incapable of Dolby Digital or DTS, lacks an ethernet port, has virtually no codec support, cannot play DVD movies (and I'm unsure whether it can read DVD blanks), and exists in the same world as Xbox Media Center which, frankly, puts the media capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3 to shame as well.

Not to mention the fact that copying ~500 MB took me over 15 minutes.  Writing multiple files to flash media is just slooooooow.

[boykster]

Sandisk and Sony just announced their new high capacity memory stick pro HG with capacity of 32gig...

a 40gig SD in 3-4 years doesn't sound so implausible now does it?

That's pretty cool. Do you have any links? Is it going to maintain the same form factor?

Sorry, meant to put a link in here for it.  From what I've read, it will be backwards compatible with MS DUO's

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0612/06121101memorystickprohg.asp

[Neilyboy]

I need to take my gf by a demo of one of these at a store. She wants me to get her a ps2 so she can play that rock star game with the guitar. I would rather spend another hundred bucks or so and pickup a wii later on when they become more avial or get lucky and pick one up at a store. I would love to get some 4 player action on wii sports going on in the basement on the projection screen.

Neil

[AlanS17]

I need to take my gf by a demo of one of these at a store. She wants me to get her a ps2 so she can play that rock star game with the guitar. I would rather spend another hundred bucks or so and pickup a wii later on when they become more avial or get lucky and pick one up at a store. I would love to get some 4 player action on wii sports going on in the basement on the projection screen.

Neil

You must be talking about Guitar Hero. It's a totally awesome game. Even girls tend to like it. It's probably not a reason to buy a console on the way out, though. Might as well buy something that'll be viable for another 5 years.

On another note, they're actually making a version of Guitar Hero 2 for XBox 360, and I think it'll be out in a few months... if you havwe an XBox 360.

I agree about getting the Wii, though. Might as well get a system that will play new games for years to come - something that hasn't been on the market for 5 years or so.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

Anyone going to try and get a Wii this weekend? I'm still deciding to try Target or Toys R Us.

[tommy]

It would have been cool if i could make my own Wii channels from my Gamecube games without having the disc in the drive all the time.. (Upload Gamecube games)

[bleemus]

My girlfriend and most of her family was out today trying to get a Wii.

She woke up at 6AM, and was out the door at 7AM.  Way too late.

When she got to best buy, there was a line wrapped all the way around the side of the building.
Circuit City was similar.
Toys R Us had 24 confirmed Wiis, with 40+ in line.
WalMart got 4-5.
Gamestop/EBgames in the area got 5 a piece.

Most of the people she talked to said they had been in line since around midnight.

I'm wondering how many of those people were just squatting to sell on EBay.

[markrvp]

People were camped out at Gamestop in my town yesterday at 5PM.  My brother-in-law was 14th in line this morning at Target:  they got 13 

[ChadTower]

My brother-in-law was 14th in line this morning at Target:  they got 13 

OUCH.

[shmokes]

My brother got one Sunday morning.  This is the next best thing to getting one myself as I got him the appartment next door to mine.  He got one of six that Gamestop had.

So now I've played the thing quite a bit.  It is ---smurfing--- awesome.  He got Zelda and rented ExciteTruck and Trauma Center.  I played mostly Wii Sports and Trauma Center all day yesterday.  Trauma Center is AWESOME.  What a great use of the controller.  Ya'll need to pick it up.  ExciteTruck is pretty lame.  It works well as a tech demo, to show off some of the potential for the controller in racing games, but that's all.  It's not very good.

I also played about an hour of Zelda, and my wife and I made some Mii characters.  Good stuff.  Zelda looks like it's going to be great, but it doesn't take advantage of the controller very well, IMO.  Actually a lot of the stuff is good -- like the sling shot (it's the only projectile weapon I have so far).  But the sword play is really REALLY bad.  They should have left the sword mapped to the A button like it was at E3.  When they build a Zelda from the ground up for the Wii I'm sure they'll work the controls better, but in twilight princess the sword-swinging action was meant to be mapped to a button.  At the very least they should have given Wii users the option of playing either way.

Here's my review:

Pros:  The controller is inspired.  We are in for some really entertaining games.  It's also small, attractive, and quiet.

Cons: The graphics aren't very good.  But, I do expect them to get much better.  None of the games I played looked half as good as Resident Evil 4 for Gamecube, and with the much more spacious storage medium and the bump in horsepower the Wii should be capable of better than that.  Graphics-wise, every game I played could have easily been done on the Gamecube.  Additionally, sound is a bit of a disappointment, but mainly because I'm so used to Xbox gaming.

Overall: The system is ---smurfing--- fun.  Loads and loads and loads of fun.  Obviously the lack of better graphics and sound are legitimate complaints.  Both of those add to the quality of a game, just like the special effects in Lord of the Rings added to the enjoyment of that film, vs. say, had they used Labrynth or Willow quality special effects.  But the Wii is just so damned fun that it's easy to recommend in spite of its shortcomings.  Very easy to recommend.

I'm not sure whether my brother will want me to give out the system code here.  I'll ask him.  Is there any reason not to, aside from the dozens of Mii Characters that he might not want walking around?

[somunny]

I'm not sure whether my brother will want me to give out the system code here.  I'll ask him.  Is there any reason not to, aside from the dozens of Mii Characters that he might not want walking around?

Whay makes you so sure we want a Shmokes Mii wandering around on *our* Wiis? 

If you don't like the Miis that show up you can just delete them.  Personally, I like to see a big fricken' crowd.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

Got to Toys R Us at 3 am ... was 11th in line ...... they only had 10!!!! No Wii For Mii 

[tommy]

It's amazing how much the so called weak and child-like console is becoming a huge hard to locate hit all over the world. Wii just can't get enough of it.

[shmokes]

Wii just can't get enough of it.

Don't be that guy.

[shmokes]

Also, it seems strange and potentially disturbing that you think of the console as child-like.  Child-oriented or family-friendly I can see.  But the console is child-like?  You might consider having this looked at by a professional.   

[ChadTower]

He said "so called".  His grammar is clear this time.   

[romperwomb]

My company had it's Christmas Party this weekend.  The big giveaway prize was a Wii.  I didn't win.   

[shmokes]

BTW, for those who don't know, the forecast channel is live.  Update your Wiis and you'll have it.  It's really cool.

[somunny]

BTW, for those who don't know, the forecast channel is live.  Update your Wiis and you'll have it.  It's really cool.

Maybe you saw something I didn't.  It tells what the weather is in a given location.  How this is intriguing is beyond me.  Now, having that weather incorporated into different games is interesting, but simply being able to check the weather?  Not so much.  Am I missing something here?

[versapak]

BTW, for those who don't know, the forecast channel is live.  Update your Wiis and you'll have it.  It's really cool.

Maybe you saw something I didn't.  It tells what the weather is in a given location.  How this is intriguing is beyond me.  Now, having that weather incorporated into different games is interesting, but simply being able to check the weather?  Not so much.  Am I missing something here?

I found it to be pretty fun spinning the globe around checking the weather all over the world.

I guess I am just easy to please.


I have used my Xbox for a long time now to check the weather, but it has been put to a secondary switchbox with no remote, so I am glad to have one of my primary systems now able to give me the weather in the morning.

[AlanS17]

I just use weather.com. More specifically, the Weather Channel a free program that sits in your system tray and tells your the currnet local temperature. Clicking on it gives a detailed outlook with radar and forceasts. Of course, it's free. News and weatheer are two things people always want, though. I think it's good the Wii offers them. I'm ready to pop that sucker open already!

[ChadTower]

I just look out the window.

If something has ice on it, it's cold.  Otherwise, it's not.
If it's raining, it's raining.  Otherwise, it's not.

[shmokes]

I found it to be pretty fun spinning the globe around checking the weather all over the world.

Exactly.  It is usefull.  One of my brothers was leaving to drive to San Francisco yesterday morning and he was able to easily check the weather all the way between Utah and San Francisco.  But it is the interface that makes it so cool.  Spinning the globe and zooming in and out with the + and - buttons is cool.

[versapak]

I found it to be pretty fun spinning the globe around checking the weather all over the world.

Exactly.  It is usefull.  One of my brothers was leaving to drive to San Francisco yesterday morning and he was able to easily check the weather all the way between Utah and San Francisco.  But it is the interface that makes it so cool.  Spinning the globe and zooming in and out with the + and - buttons is cool.

One thing I found to be weird, is that you can only get 5 day forcasts in the US.

Also...

There was no North Pole.

I was hoping they'd have something like NORAD, where I could let the kids track Santa.

[somunny]

Well, I guess that weather forecasts are just not my thing.  I'm in Chad's camp on this one.

At least the browser is coming out tomorrow. 

[shmokes]

Well, I guess that weather forecasts are just not my thing.  I'm in Chad's camp on this one.

At least the browser is coming out tomorrow. 

Really?  I didn't know that.  As cool as I think the forecast channel is, the browser is potentially a lot cooler.

[somunny]

You've probably looked it up by now, but here's a small article.

[ChadTower]

Well, for where I live and have mostly lived (New England, Maritime Canada), any forecast beyond about 60 hours is useless.  Most forecasts of 48+ hours are considered 50% reliable at most.  The weather changes way too fast without warning.  Technology has improved that somewhat in the past decade but it's still not unheard of for an experienced New England weather forecaster to say stuff like "uh, we just can't tell for sure what it's really going to do the day after tomorrow".

[versapak]

Well, for where I live and have mostly lived (New England, Maritime Canada), any forecast beyond about 60 hours is useless.  Most forecasts of 48+ hours are considered 50% reliable at most.  The weather changes way too fast without warning.  Technology has improved that somewhat in the past decade but it's still not unheard of for an experienced New England weather forecaster to say stuff like "uh, we just can't tell for sure what it's really going to do the day after tomorrow".

Yeah, I don't find em all that useful here in Maryland either. I just found it interesting that the Wii doesn't have them for anywhere but the US.

[Mr. Greenjeans]

You know, people are some greedy 's. Two dudes I have known for over 20 years are both managers at game stores. I know they have their own wiis and have sent some to the ebay market. They know I'm looking for one as a Christmas present for my son, and they know I cannot afford an eBay price for one. The asses still won't even as much as give me a heads up on one. They have no children of their own so that might be it. Maybe I'm just wired differently than most, but when I am in a position where I can help someone out, I go out of my way. Oh well, I guess I should just take this as a lesson to never let monetary gain come before helping someone out.

[AlanS17]

Well, for where I live and have mostly lived (New England, Maritime Canada), any forecast beyond about 60 hours is useless.

Here in Texas, you can just about take a 5-day forecast as gospel. While the way changes wildly (40 degree swings or more in one afternoon), I guess it's not that hard to predict.

[tommy]

It really doesn't get much easier to predict weather here in Florida (FT Lauderdale), hot as hell works 99% of the time.

[AlanS17]

It really doesn't get much easier to predict weather here in Florida (FT Lauderdale), hot as hell works 99% of the time.

It either "hot and humid" or "hot and raining", right? :-)

[tommy]

It really doesn't get much easier to predict weather here in Florida (FT Lauderdale), hot as hell works 99% of the time.

It either "hot and humid" or "hot and raining", right? :-)

Right. Or "hot and burn upon sun contact after 30 seconds of being outdoors" 

[AtomSmasher]

Well I now have a nunchuck and classic controller and am almost ready to get my Wii on Christmas   (still need to find a wiimote so I'll have multiplayer)

[tommy]

BTW, for those who don't know, the forecast channel is live.  Update your Wiis and you'll have it.  It's really cool.

Maybe you saw something I didn't.  It tells what the weather is in a given location.  How this is intriguing is beyond me. 

The "intriguing" part is that the console has more functions then just playing game discs, it's more computer like and this trend will continue, slowly but surely.

[versapak]

On a Wii browser note...

www.noradsanta.org seems to work just fine on there, so any of you with kids can track where Santa is on his journey form the comfort of your sofa.


[EDIT]

Wrong thread, but I'll leave the text here as well, because... Why not?

[Daniel270]

How many of you downloaded Super Mario Brothers this morning?   I know I did

[versapak]

Nope

Can't bring myself to spend $5 on that one.

If it was Super Mario Allstars + World, I'd be all over supporting that with purchase, but just the NES original... My nostalgia isn't strong enough to make me buy that one again.

[AlanS17]

Well I got mine this morning with Zelda. 

My brother is ragging on it already, but he's in the PS3 camp. We'll see, though. Zelda got a perfect 10 from EGM. None of the PS3 games can say that!

[AtomSmasher]

I got my Wii today along with Zelda and Excite Truck.  Today at the christmas party Wii sports was the game everyone wanted to play, and the main sport was two player boxing.  I think Nintendo achieved exactly what they were going for because no one else at the party is into video games, but everyone loved the Wii.  Its pretty much the first time ever I've gotten my whole family to play a video game.  Two people already said that they are going to get one because it was so much fun.

[Daniel270]

Nope

Can't bring myself to spend $5 on that one.

If it was Super Mario Allstars + World, I'd be all over supporting that with purchase, but just the NES original... My nostalgia isn't strong enough to make me buy that one again.

Main reason I got it was for the wife....  she loves that game... now, when Nintendo releases the All Stars, I'll most likely buy that one too....  I liked the updated graphics, myself....

[ChadTower]

Was hoping to get one... got a couple beaten up used DVDs and a CD I already have (and I haven't bought a CD in nearly ten years).

Not even close.

[Buddabing]

I was able to get a Wii today. Only three days after Christmas, my son hasn't minded waiting.

Our strategy was to call GameStop every day to see if they were going to get a shipment. So today they were going to get a shipment between 12:00 and 1:00 in the afternoon. I showed up at the store at 12:00 and the UPS man came at 12:15. Voila.

Along with the Wii, I bought Metal Slug Anthology today, and he got Zelda and Trauma Center for Christmas from his relatives.

They didn't have any extra controllers, so two-player sports is out until I get one.

W00t!

[mahuti]

The one bummer....

Too bad the Wii doesn't play DVDs. With its support for the internet & the 3rd party alpha of an mp3, video & picture streaming server that would get it pretty close to a half assed media center.

[Daniel270]

Just wanted to let everyone know... I got an email from Nintendo and they're shipping my Wii remote replacement straps via standard mail.   Says I should get them within the next 5-9 business days.

[AlanS17]

Well I have not one, but two submissions for wiihaveaproblem.com... First of all, my brother was playing Wii Sports bowling and bowled straight through a glass on the coffee table. He hit it so hard that the base never moved. The top of it just shattered like a glass grenade and the base stayed in place. He spent 20 minutes vacuuming up the mess.

Then just now, I was playing Wii sports bowling (drunk, but that's besides the point) again when I swung so hard forward that I hit the coffee table with the remote, busting the remote in the process. I totally jacked it up. I split it in half and now the gyros don't work. I'm totally returning it to Toys R Us... 

[koolmoecraig]

I just bowled a perfect game

[Samstag]

The Wii was the big hit of the New Year's party last night.  Four of us owned one, everyone else was trying it out for the first time.  I think every one of them is strongly considering buying one now.

And that's just from Wii Sports.  We never really got around to anything else.

I thought for sure we'd have a Wiimote go through the TV during bowling.  It was missed by inches several times during enthusiastic follow-throughs.

[AlanS17]

The Wii was the big hit of the New Year's party last night.  Four of us owned one, everyone else was trying it out for the first time.  I think every one of them is strongly considering buying one now.

Either all of our friends are as big of dorks as we are or Nintendo really is on to something here. It was the big deal at our party too.

[ChadTower]

These stories are making me reconsider picking one up any time soon.  My living room is small and I have no desire to accidentally punch one of my sons (or wife) in the head.  I'd also rather not fire a controller through the 50g aquarium a few feet from the TV.  The turtles would be a little ticked (and 50 gallons of salmonella water on your living room carpet is bad).

[AlanS17]

Well I'm happy to announce that my controller doesn't appear to be any worse for the wear after I slammed it into the coffee table.

When I first hit the table, I split the controller open. The gyros stopped responding. However, after restarting the machine and the controller, everything seems to be working properly again (minus the little chunk of plastic now missing from the front of the controller after I snapped it back together).

I'll still be using that one as player 2 from now on. I don't think I'll bother returning it to the store, though. It ought to be ok.

I've found that Wii Sports gets the controller moving around more so than the other games. I can bum on the couch while playing Zelda or even Super Monkey Ball (for most of the mini games). It's just the nature of Wii Sports to be up and moving around. That's the game most people are playing when they break stuff.

[Samstag]

These stories are making me reconsider picking one up any time soon.  My living room is small and I have no desire to accidentally punch one of my sons (or wife) in the head.  I'd also rather not fire a controller through the 50g aquarium a few feet from the TV.  The turtles would be a little ticked (and 50 gallons of salmonella water on your living room carpet is bad).

Other than two people getting a little too carried away with their bowling swing, we didn't have any problems at all.  We had 8-10 adults (of varying levels of intoxication) packed into a small room with a small TV.  Children might be another story.

[More Cowbell]

We've had a couple of our kids whack each other accidentally while playing. Our 3 year old is a real liability when it comes to Wii Sports too. She can be no where in sight one second and then right there on your follow through the next. They should make the remotes inflatable like Socker Boppers.

[ChadTower]

Our 3 year old is a real liability when it comes to Wii Sports too. She can be no where in sight one second and then right there on your follow through the next.

That is exactly what I'm talking about.  I'd rather not have a Wii than send my own kid to the ER accidentally or even have to manage them closely enough while playing to prevent that while we try to play.

[tommy]

I don't see how some people would not buy something because they are dumb enough to hit someone with it, why not just explain to kids and adults what the proper behavior is while playing and while others are playing.. not to mention holding on to the damn thing. It's not all that hard.

If all else fails, after a few good hits to the head i would imagine the person would learn where the best place to stand would be and would not be. 

[AtomSmasher]

why not just explain to kids and adults what the proper behavior is while playing and while others are playing

You haven't been around too many 3 year olds have you 

[AlanS17]

I don't see how some people would not buy something because they are dumb enough to hit someone with it, why not just explain to kids and adults what the proper behavior is while playing and while others are playing.. not to mention holding on to the damn thing. It's not all that hard.

Hey, if he doesn't think he'll be able to handle it, he's probably right.

[versapak]

My 3 year old did take a couple good whacks during bowling after we first got the Wii.

Fortunately she is a tough one, and no damage was done, but yeah... It is a concern, and those warnings really aren't to be taken lightly.

[AlanS17]

They do give a bajillion warnings. It's up to the user to follow them, though. It seems like every load screen in an opportunity for another warning.

When I feel like my space is being invaded, I just tell people to move. The ruder you are, the more effective you are. 

[ChadTower]

That's the thing.  You're trying to have a good time, and your kid is trying to have a good time.  Small kids are very excitable and they forget boundaries.  It's just not quality time if you have to keep telling them over and over again to move back and always keep it in the back of your mind that on any given swing of the arm you have to watch for the little ones that could be creeping over behind you to get a better view.  You can't concentrate on the game at all yourself so the benefit is weighed down by the cost.

At that point it's better to get a board game out (which we do all the time now).  Or go outside with a football.

[versapak]

That's the thing.  You're trying to have a good time, and your kid is trying to have a good time.  Small kids are very excitable and they forget boundaries.  It's just not quality time if you have to keep telling them over and over again to move back and always keep it in the back of your mind that on any given swing of the arm you have to watch for the little ones that could be creeping over behind you to get a better view.  You can't concentrate on the game at all yourself so the benefit is weighed down by the cost.

At that point it's better to get a board game out (which we do all the time now).  Or go outside with a football.

Yep.

Both times my 3 year old got whacked, it was her moving from one side of the sofa to the other for a different view of mommy bowling.


It was new to the house, and we were not as cautious as we should have been. Now we don't have any problems. We simply show my daughter what we are going to be doing, explain what will happen to her if she gets into that "Wii Zone", and then of course (actually returning to the real world) either my wife or I hold her while it is the others turn.

Seriously though...

It just takes a heightened sense of awareness. The Wii is an EXTREMELY fun family gaming machine, and I am sure that even my 3 year old feels those early whacks were worth it, because even she has a blast rolling the ball down the isles in our very own bowling alley.

[shmokes]

My wife knocked a glass of wine over playing bowling last night.  I'm amazed that the glass didn't shatter, as the coffee table it was sitting on is made of slate tiles and the glass went down quite hard.  Luckily it was white wine, so no problems with stains.  I also smacked a light fixture dangling from the ceiling on the upswing during the power-bowling training where you are rolling at up to 91 pins at a time.  It also didn't break.  Lucky.

Anyway, even with a few bruises and maybe a few broken items now and then, you really need to get one of these things.  They are SO SO SO SO SO much fun.

[hypernova]

Meanwhile, I still lack a Wii. 

Wife bought me a BB gift certificate, and they're always out of stock.

Maybe I should just buy a PS3.  There're plenty of those available...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
 

[Daniel270]

Target here had 15 Wii's come in today     Seriously debated on picking up a 2nd one....

[AlanS17]

So far I've only found one game that might make you break something/someone and that's Wii Sports. Nothing else requires those flailing arm motions. I think it's unfair to call an entire game console a safety hazard for just one game.

[ChadTower]

Anyway, even with a few bruises and maybe a few broken items now and then, you really need to get one of these things.  They are SO SO SO SO SO much fun.

Despite the fact that we own nearly every video game console ever released in the US (and many from elsewhere), I still only spend about 3 hours a month gaming.  Just don't have time.  Every time I consider buying a Wii the vision I have is of it sitting barely used on a shelf just like the rest of them.

[versapak]

Anyway, even with a few bruises and maybe a few broken items now and then, you really need to get one of these things.  They are SO SO SO SO SO much fun.

Despite the fact that we own nearly every video game console ever released in the US (and many from elsewhere), I still only spend about 3 hours a month gaming.  Just don't have time.  Every time I consider buying a Wii the vision I have is of it sitting barely used on a shelf just like the rest of them.

Yes, but in the visions of Wii, you need to envision that it will be your whole family having a great time with it. Even if it is only little bits every now and then, it is seriously the best family time ever spent around a video game console.

[ChadTower]

I do get that, really.  But I'd rather take them outside with a football and get the same amount of quality time with a $10 ball than $400 in electronics.

Then later on they can play 4 player Mario Kart or Visual Pinball if they want.

[rampy]

I do get that, really.  But I'd rather take them outside with a football and get the same amount of quality time with a $10 ball than $400 in electronics.

Then later on they can play 4 player Mario Kart or Visual Pinball if they want.

You don't get it Chad... Say it with me... "the nighttime is the right time..."  The Wii isn't a video game system, it's a cult.

[versapak]

I do get that, really.  But I'd rather take them outside with a football and get the same amount of quality time with a $10 ball than $400 in electronics.

Then later on they can play 4 player Mario Kart or Visual Pinball if they want.

OK

That's it.

Website dedicate to video gaming here, and not only that but the costly hobby of building your own...

You talk of playing football outside instead, because it is cheaper?


You're fired. Turn in your forum pass and arcade controls on the way out.

[ChadTower]

Well I did just say I own nearly every domestic game console ever released.

First, teach kids football.  Second, teach them videogaming.

Priorities.

[shmokes]

Chad,

Your talking about staying away from the Wii cos it's too dangerous.  Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now?  While you're at it make sure your kids aren't accidentally exposed to rock n roll.   

[ChadTower]

Chad,

Your talking about staying away from the Wii cos it's too dangerous.  Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now?  While you're at it make sure your kids aren't accidentally exposed to rock n roll.   

No, I'm not, and if you could read below the very top of the surface, you'd see that.  Especially when I said "No Wii, football instead".

Wait until your kid is more mobile and maybe you'll understand what it's like to try and do something like that with a small mobile child in the room.  It's just not as much fun to have to hold back on every movement because the kid is moving around the way a kid does.  I just don't see it as that much different than trying to play horseshoes in a narrow corridor with kids in it.  You can tell them and tell them and tell them to stay out of the way but eventually one of those kids is going to catch a shoe to the skull.

It's not about the danger, it's about the difference in the fun level and how I think there are easier, cheaper, and better alternatives given that there are already about 25 different game systems in our house.

[AlanS17]

Well I said it once, but I can say it again. There's only one game that you can potentially injure someone else by playing, and that's Wii Sports. The rest of them are perfectly safe.

With no cords to trip over, you could make the argument that it's even safer than older consoles. 

[mahuti]

Rayman's not too safe. My mother-in-law ended up on the floor.

[Howard_Casto]

Well I said it once, but I can say it again. There's only one game that you can potentially injure someone else by playing, and that's Wii Sports. The rest of them are perfectly safe.

With no cords to trip over, you could make the argument that it's even safer than older consoles. 

I don't even know how people are hurting themselves with wii sports. 

I'm willing to accept the fact that drunkards and small children get too excited and play too hard.  I'm even willing to accept the fact that these same individuals get so excited they let go of the remote.  BUT it is impossible and I mean impossible to break the new straps during gameplay.  How do I know?  I was curious so I tried to break it by swinging as hard as I can and letting go.  If a grown man can't do it I think you are safe giving it to your kids. 


The other issue is this... people don't read those instructions when they come up.  You are supposed to play the wii in an open space.  That means no coffee table, no china cabinet, no nothing in the living room but a tv when you play games like wii sports.  In other words, much like a party, you move the furniture out of the way when you are ready to play something crazy like wii sports.  Or if you are like me, you got rid of the cumbersome coffee table (or as I call it " the stupid thing that is always in my way and i trip over when carrying heavy things") years ago and you have plenty of room to play. 

Buy your kids a wii, not only are they fun, but everytime someone buys a ps3 they kill a kitten... in front of it's mother... in a pet store window...... while a bus-load of kitten loving orphans are stopped at the red light in front of the shop.... while pointing and laughing at the crying children.  They sacrifice it's little kitten soul to Satan to give birth to a new cell processor.

The wii, on the other hand, runs on love, pixie dust and unicorn droppings.  It can cure cancer and re-animate the dead.  People who buy a wii are 1000 times more likely to win the lottery.  Buying a wii gets you into heaven, unless you are an atheist, in which case buying a wii makes you live forever.  People who don't buy a wii are nazi communists who hate fun... and the jews. 

Do you really hate Jews that bad Chad?

[ChadTower]

  I was curious so I tried to break it by swinging as hard as I can and letting go.

You tested a brand new strap under limited conditions.  Now do it 10,000 more times and get back to us.  That's when the straps will start to break. 

No strap will protect a three year old that gets excited and jumps into the path of a fast moving arm.

I'm not saying the Wii is bad or that people shouldn't buy them.  I'm saying as of now, it's not for my family.  We have literally thousands of console games already that we barely ever use and the Wii would end up no different.

[Howard_Casto]

Not true.  See what you aren't getting is the wii is the BEST CONSOLE EVER!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know how good something has to be for me to say that?  I hate everything.  I haven't liked a console this well since the nes.

[shmokes]

Chad, Howard's right.  Stop being such a Nazi.  Only a person who hates his own children would deprive them of the joy that is the Nintendo Wii.

But mostly, seriously, your fears are way overblown.  It ain't dangerous.  So your kid gets whacked in the head one day.  He cries for five minutes, then he forgets it ever happened.  They're not machetes.  They're Wii remotes.  I've been hit in the nose with a baseball bat before, and I've been hit in the nose with an onion that was being swung around in one of the red-colored mesh bags, mace style, and I've been punched in the nose.  It ain't that big a deal.  I'm not going to start wearing a helmet.  Certainly safety is a huge, legitimate concern for your family, but you can't make decisions based on safety concerns alone.  If you did that you'd never step foot into a motor vehicle.  You certainly wouldn't consume alcoholic beverages.  Your diet would change drastically.  Etc..  You need to balance safety considerations with other things like living happily.  Anyone who avoids purchasing a Wii on safety grounds is giving WAY too much importance to safety considerations at the expense of other more relevant things, because they just aren't dangerous.  If anything, videogames finally have some health benefits and your kids are going to find themselves healthier.

[versapak]

Chad, Howard's right.  Stop being such a Nazi.  Only a person who hates his own children would deprive them of the joy that is the Nintendo Wii.

But mostly, seriously, your fears are way overblown.  It ain't dangerous.  So your kid gets whacked in the head one day.  He cries for five minutes, then he forgets it ever happened.  They're not machetes.  They're Wii remotes.  I've been hit in the nose with a baseball bat before, and I've been hit in the nose with an onion that was being swung around in one of the red-colored mesh bags, mace style, and I've been punched in the nose.  It ain't that big a deal.  I'm not going to start wearing a helmet.  Certainly safety is a huge, legitimate concern for your family, but you can't make decisions based on safety concerns alone.  If you did that you'd never step foot into a motor vehicle.  You certainly wouldn't consume alcoholic beverages.  Your diet would change drastically.  Etc..  You need to balance safety considerations with other things like living happily.  Anyone who avoids purchasing a Wii on safety grounds is giving WAY too much importance to safety considerations at the expense of other more relevant things, because they just aren't dangerous.  If anything, videogames finally have some health benefits and your kids are going to find themselves healthier.

Exactly.

[davieboynj]

Kinda funny...  Back in November I was being made fun of by one of my co-workers kids for wanting to get the wii, saying it was a cheap, kiddie system.  The kid had asked for an Xbox360 (which i personally think is also a great system) for Christmas himself.  Obviously, i laugh and brush it off.  Maybe the kid is right...  Fast forward to January 10, and i find out that the kid is desperate to get himself a wii, as one of his friends has one and he likes it a ton better.  The 360 sits, largely unplayed while he's at his friend's house on the wii. 

If only i could derive pleasure from telling an 11 year old "How 'bout them apples!" 

Anyways, I've never had as much fun playing a console - - not even back in NES days.  THAT is an accomplishment.  My wife and I were just all ear to ear grins just creating eachother's miis... 

Oh, and it's only dangerous if you're either an idiot, or horribly, horribly inactive.  I've had sore muscles from marathon bowling sessions, but I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. 

[versapak]

Oh, and it's only dangerous if you're either an idiot, or horribly, horribly inactive.  I've had sore muscles from marathon bowling sessions, but I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. 

Well...


The level of danger is a bit exaggerated, but with a 3 year old around it definitely exists without any idiocy as a contributing factor.

The couple of times that my daughter got whacked, it was because she was very excited and trying to get a better perspective on what her mommy was doing.

One second she is safely on the other side of the room, the next second she is right behind my wife in the middle of a back-swing in bowling.


As Schmokes was saying though... It isn't exactly a life threatening sort of thing. The kid gets a little short lived discomfort. Before no time they are back to their wild ways plenty excited to be in the awesome aura of the Wii once again.

It is one of the freshest and most fun video gaming experiences in years, and not getting it simply because you are worried you might bonk a kid or two is just silly.

If you are worried about truly dangerous drunken debauchery, then simply don't drink and Wii.

[AlanS17]

... and if you're worried about injury, don't play football.

[shmokes]

Now do it 10,000 more times and get back to us.  That's when the straps will start to break. 

I'm with Howard here.  I don't think it's happening.  10,000 times doesn't make sense.  The strap is ONLY stressed on the off chance that the controller slips out of a person's hand.  I have never seen this actually happen.  Not once.  Ever.  But even if the controller slipped out of a person's hand at high speeds ten times per day every day of the year, it would still take years for it to happen 10,000 times.

Now, I know that 10,000 is just a figurative number meant to convey the same meaning as "a lot", but it's just not something that's happening a lot.  I've never even almost lost control of the remote.  I'm not saying it can't or doesn't ever happen.  It just doesn't happen a lot.  What's more, the Wii remote is incredibly light.  It only weighs a few ounces.  This thing is not breaking straps.  What's happening is that people aren't putting the wrist strap on (almost nobody I play with does), and when the controller slips out of their hand and busts their TV they are deliberately breaking the strap so their friends and family don't think they're such fools.

[AlanS17]

In my 20+ hours of game play, I've lost the remote exactly one time. This was in the first 15 minutes and in one of the most active games to date - Wii Sports tennis. Since then, I haven't even come close.

[Howard_Casto]

The couple of times that my daughter got whacked, it was because she was very excited and trying to get a better perspective on what her mommy was doing.

I agree with the peanut gallery.  It's kind of funny my mom and I were talking about this the other day.  She said something to the degree of:

"Parents are too over-protective of their kids these days, making them wear bike helmets when they are riding in the front yard and such.  Do you know how they kept us from doing stupid stuff when I was little?  They let us go ahead and do it, the pain teaches you not to do it again.  None of this time-out when a kid gets too close to the light socket, cause they knew I'd just wait until they were out of the room and try it anyway.  Grandma would say 'Go ahead and let her touch it, she'll only do it once.' and sure enough after I shocked the hell out of myself I never did it again."

If you bought your kid "Super knife thrower 3000 little tykes knife kit" then I would agree, but it's a wii.  Either they'll get a bump on the head a few times until they figure out not to step close to people while playing or you'll learn early that your child is "special" and you'll have other concerns anyway. 

[tommy]

 Do you know how they kept us from doing stupid stuff when I was little?  They let us go ahead and do it, the pain teaches you not to do it again.

Givin the fact the thing didn't get you killed, otherwise it's a decent plan.

[RTSDaddy2]

The Wii, as I've said - and now seen stated on here - several times is the ULTIMATE Family fun center right now.  My sister still talks about the fun she had playing Wii golf and baseball during our Christmas Day party.  My wife and I could hear them laughing and whooping it up with the Wii while we took a few minutes to clean off the table for dessert, then came and joined them....it was a blast!

As for hitting things with the remote, throwing the remote through things, I guess we're just more inclined to follow directions or something.  I've owned my since launch day and haven't launched the remote through anything so far....but we move tables and etc. out of the way PRIOR to playing too...perhaps that's it.

[SNAAKE]

oh yeah nintendo is totally hookin people up. I was at a friend's house the other day and had a blast playing 4 player wii sports for like 5-6 hours. wii is a great multi player console..dont know about single player though..dont see myself playing adventure games with that remote lol

[shmokes]

You will change your mind after playing Zelda . . . especially considering that Zelda was a game retooled for the remote, rather than one built from the ground up to take advantage of it.  It's already proven that adventure games can shine on the Wii, but it's also pretty clear that they can be a lot better.

[Howard_Casto]

I think the misconception is that every single game on the wii lineup requires you to flail around like an idiot while standing in the middle of the floor.  Wii sports, wii play and some of the mini game discs are the only ones that require that.  Most of the wii games allow you to sit comfortably on the couch and don't require constant motion tracking, so you can rest your hand for long periods. 

Zelda is a prime example.  Running, riding, and moving around don't require the wiimote.  You only use it when attacking an enemy and then you can  rest your arm until the next baddie comes up.  Also you don't swing the length of the screen or anythng, a quick two inch swipe will strike the sword. 

[Tahnok]

Back on the original subject, I finally bit the bullet today and got up at 7:30. I got over to Best Buy at around 8:00 and waited in line until 10:00. Lucky for me, the cold spell we've been having for the last week is starting to break and it was actually tolerable being up against the side of the building a jacket on. That is, until about 9:30 when they started handing out vouchers, and everyone, in their excitement, moved away from the wall. Anyway, I ended up getting voucher #14, out of 40 something vouchers. I know, nothing compared to what some people have gone through to get it, but it was still more than I would usually do for a console.

After having played it quite a bit today, I can say that it was totally worth the wait (both the wait this morning, and since launch). Sports is so unique, and Zelda is just amazing from the little bit I've gotten into it. I've not even configured it for online yet either (I'll do that later tonight). So far, the console has given me a very good first impression.

Also, as Howard said, I was relieved to see that Zelda is fairly easy to control, without the need for too much movement. I think they balanced the game very well. Just enough movement to draw you in, not so much that it makes it tiring playing for a length of time.

[farmecologist]

Our Wii just arrived in the mail last week.   I was a bit skeptical about the control scheme ( as many of us are ).   However, I'm happy to say that I am a total believer now.   The sensitivity an accuracy of the controller is amazing.  I have had two TOTAL non-gamers over and they both had a blast with Wii sports.   The whole Mii idea is just great.   I really hope Mii usage continues in more games. 


And since we are talking about the strap issue, I really don't see how one could break them...even the thin ones...UNLESS the strap on your Wiimote is defective.   We tried yanking on the strap quite hard and it was just fine.   


And I really don't see why anyone has an issue with the Zelda control scheme.  I really think it was implemented quite well.  And Howard certainly is correct..you do not have to 'flail around like an idiot' in ANY game unless you WANT to  .   My brother was playing Wii sports just fine sitting down.  In my opinion the 'flailing around like an idiot' is part of the fun. 

[shmokes]

By the way, Warioware: Smooth Moves is phenomenal.

[Howard_Casto]

By the way, Warioware: Smooth Moves is phenomenal.

Is it truely phenomenal, or just phenomenal like the other wario ware games?  I played some of the others, and while I found them to be great fun while trying to beat them, I didn't really want to ever play them again once completed.  I guess what I'm asking is, will I get the same 4 puny hours of original gameplay on this one?

[shmokes]

Can't say.  It's the only Warioware game I've ever played, and I only rented it last night and played it for maybe two hours or so (mother-in-law is visiting so we're a little busy).  It's certainly not phenomenal in the same way a Legend of Zelda or Super Mario 64 or Metroid is phenomenal.  But I can't wait until I get to play the thing while drinking with a group of friends. 

[rampy]

By the way, Warioware: Smooth Moves is phenomenal.

Is it truely phenomenal, or just phenomenal like the other wario ware games?  I played some of the others, and while I found them to be great fun while trying to beat them, I didn't really want to ever play them again once completed.  I guess what I'm asking is, will I get the same 4 puny hours of original gameplay on this one?

Howard,  it's a "party" game... the 1player playthrough value is probably as limited as the other warioware titles (from what I understand). 

in other news... have you guys seen the engadget coverage of Tiger Wood 2007 wii edition?    er... joystiq...

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/22/joystiq-interviews-wes-culver-tiger-woods-wii-designer/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/18/joystiq-hands-on-tiger-woods-pga-tour-07-wii/

[AtomSmasher]

By the way, Warioware: Smooth Moves is phenomenal.

Is it truely phenomenal, or just phenomenal like the other wario ware games?  I played some of the others, and while I found them to be great fun while trying to beat them, I didn't really want to ever play them again once completed.  I guess what I'm asking is, will I get the same 4 puny hours of original gameplay on this one?

Howard,  it's a "party" game... the 1player playthrough value is probably as limited as the other warioware titles (from what I understand). 

The only other Warioware game I have is the one on the DS and the Wii version doesn't have much more content then that.  After 4-5 hours of playing it I have almost every minigame unlocked along with every bonus feature.  The worst thing is that the mutliplayer is completely different then the single player, the multiplayer consists of only a couple mini games (not micro games like the single player) and are generally played with only one remote that is passed from player to player.

It basically just shows the potential of the wii controls, just as the DS warioware showed the potential for its hardware.  Definately worth a rental, but not a purchase.

[hypernova]

So what's the availability look like to anyone that happens to be passing through electronics stores and the like?  I still haven't gotten one, and was curious what everyone's been seeing around.  Any in stock?  Sold out still?

[ChadTower]

They can be had.  I've been in stores during the day and walked over just out of curiousity and see them in the case.  Usually 4-5 of them right next to the sign that says "The Wii is currently out of stock.  We cannot advise you as to when exactly the next shipment will come in" that the stockboy didn't bother to remove.

PS3s are easy to get now too.  There are a couple at the local Target and the local Walmart that have been sitting there quite a while now.

[rampy]

They can be had.  I've been in stores during the day and walked over just out of curiousity and see them in the case.  Usually 4-5 of them right next to the sign that says "The Wii is currently out of stock.  We cannot advise you as to when exactly the next shipment will come in" that the stockboy didn't bother to remove.

PS3s are easy to get now too.  There are a couple at the local Target and the local Walmart that have been sitting there quite a while now.

You sure those weren't empty display boxes? I know during my initial hunt I had my hopes dashed several times by those

rampy

[ChadTower]

No reason for them to have 4 display boxes on their sides inside the bottom of the locked glass case.  I'd have been really surprised if they were, would have been the least effective display ever.  Plus they were gone a couple days later.

[hypernova]

Checked around Sunday morning via the phone.  No luck in local Targets, BBs, and we're in WM bi-weekly anyway.  Never see any.  Checked the local Microcenter too.  Nothing.

[somunny]

Saw a few people carrying them out of a Best Buy I was in this afternoon.  I also saw some in a case at Target last Friday.

[rampy]

No reason for them to have 4 display boxes on their sides inside the bottom of the locked glass case.  I'd have been really surprised if they were, would have been the least effective display ever.  Plus they were gone a couple days later.

Well the locked in a glass case was an important detail... that I overlooked in your previous message.  sorry 'bout that... I still have been punk'd by the empty display boxes from afar, before though...

[ChadTower]

We've all been burned by display cases when there is no stock.  Very annoying.

I finally spent some time playing a Wii on Sunday.  Played some Monkey Ball minigames and a couple of the Wii Sports.  I definitely felt the new control paradigm and it was somewhat intuitive to a person with a lot of experience moving from one specialized control scheme to the next (like any good arcade person).  The graphics are more than sufficient for everything I saw.  The downsides for me were mostly the amount of room necessary for a multiplayer game.  We had to use an entire decent sized, mostly empty room for four player action. 

I definitely see it as a real success of innovation but am also glad I haven't dropped $250 + $60/each for three extra controllers on the package.  Still need to explore the other games before I decide to jump on that.

[shmokes]

FWIW, controllers 3 and 4 at this point might only be $40 each, as most multiplayer games don't use the nunchuck (Wii boxing does, but it's only 2-player).  The only exception I can think of is possibly Madden, which I've not played (though I hear is quite good).  I don't know if it's 4-player, but I suppose it could be.

As far as space goes, I think you just make due with what you have.  I've played 4-player tennis in pretty small areas and it's never been a problem.  A bigger area would be nice, but I think we'd be bumping into each other just as much.  You definitely need more space than a traditional gamepad game needs, but not much more, IMO. 

[ChadTower]

I wouldn't care about Madden.  If I want to play football I go outside.

We were playing doubles tennis at one point and it really did need a lot of space.  My living room is small and I have no desire to move most of the furniture out.  It absolutely required more space than 4 people sitting on the couch.

[AlanS17]

Once people get the hang of the Wii, they start needing less space because the motions come more under control. Trying to play with 4 people is still never going to be easy, though. At least, not if you have to put the controller at your side. Some games keep the controller right in front of you the whole time.