a bat would do you nicely... me? I'm bringing my scary looking friend with me... no joke, he can make children cry by looking at them.

 

I don't know about most EB stores, but the two here are getting tons more than what they had up for preorder.

 

Somehow nothing about that surprises me. I'm sure you could walk ito an average EB on Monday or even tues and wednesday and still grab one.

 

yeh no doubts wii will sell out before christmas but they should be readily available for most people that want one

 

Yeah, let's not confuse availibility for lack of demand. Unlike the PS3, I'm sure there will be plenty of people actually playing with the thing on the 19th instead of watching auctions. Nintendo knows how to launch a product for massive damage. There will be lots of happy Nintendo owners.

 

I was watching the news last night, I like to flip around to avoid the "human interest stories". The reporters were asking people about their intents with the PS3, etc. On one of the stations, NBC I think, when the reporter asked if people would stay to get the Wii, the line booed. On ABC, when the reporter asked if people were going to buy the Wii, one of the guys said "A what?". It wasn't indicative of everyone they interviewed, but both my wife and I laughed at those.

 

I said it before with all the post E3 Wii buzz, don't be surprised to see the PS3 stay on top of the console wars. Not everyone expresses their opinions on the internet, and not everyone is an open minded video game enthusiast. The Wii got the internet praise, but the PS3 is getting the media buzz.

 

On G4 they were saying the the PS3 demand is higher since (assumably) most people want the most luxurious machine to own. Call it the 'high rollers' choice or whatever. All the rappers will probably get them since they like putting Playstation stuff in their lyrics lol . Who knows, power vs price and I see them both as winners.
I guess people are more pumped about the next gen stuff more than new gimmicks

Im all good . Im getting both but am definitely getting the Wii first.
Metroid , Mario and Zelda are just too good to pass up. Sony's library is usually 'eh' at the start and Im only buying them for the games anyway.
Hell Nintendo brought me into the gaming world mostly, gotta stick what I know will work, and my root.

Im an wierdo though, Im more anxious to play old 8bit games then I am for the next gen stuff. Have Gears of Wars sitting here for 360, but I can't stop playing Rocket Slime for the DS , wtf.

 

A few people on the news - especially those waiting in line for a PS3 - do not make a representative sample.

The online community, while not really representative, is at least casting a broader net with a larger sample size.

As for media buzz, the N64 got that too. So did the 3DO. This is also the same media that, when doing reports on violent video games, still shows footage of Doom. Not Doom 3. Doom. The media are so far out of the gaming loop it isn't funny.

Personally, I'll take what I hear from students, which is a lot of interest in the Wii, and very little for the PS3. Of course, I teach is a less than affluent community, so these kids know the value of $600.

 

Which is why they launched the Gamecube with Luigi's Mansion!  

 

The news as a whole though is reporting "PS3 comes out this weekend!" and as they are ending the story, they have been throwing the Wii out as a "oh yeah, by the way Nintendo has a new system". And that's if they mention it at all. There's been a PS3 story every night this week. Not a single Wii specific story.

On the local radio on Thurday, the main morning talk show in the area, Preston and Steve, spent a good 40 minutes talking about the PS3 and Wii. They tried to be fair to both, but almost every caller prefered to talk about the PS3. The PS3 is clearly more in people's mind, at least in the Philadelphia area, and that's a substantial gaming community. Be that media hype or not, it's just how it's been all week.

 

I am seeing the exact same trend. There are a significant amount of people who still haven't even heard of the Wii. I have talked to three parents recently and they said that their kids are asking for a PS3, that they won't shut up about it. I mentioned the Wii, and all of them were like "Oh, is that like the Nintendo one?" TV and Radio make virtually no mention of the Wii, and I am seeing the effects of that.

I think for the holidays, Nintendo will have to bank on parents not being able to find a PS3 for their kids, and "settling" for buying them a Wii instead. However, I don't think that is a sound strategy. $250 is still a lot of money, and I don't think many parents will risk spending that money on something their kids haven't talked about, or expressed any interest in.

With that said, I hope the Wii is successful in dethroning Sony. I just don't see it happening.

 

Im seeing the same thing too. There have been PS3 stories all over the place, with absolutely no word of the Wii. Combine this with Nintendo not advertising the fucking thing at all, and Im getting a little pissed off. I know I want the Wii, and I (and all those who are buying it) am paying a premium to buy it at launch. For god's sake Nintendo, at least make me feel like Im buying a coveted item since Im paying a cool 250 for it!! I have not seen a single ad for the Wii or any other Nintendo made game (this includes fucking Zelda! THE Wii flagship title!!). What I have seen is a ad here and there for Red Steel and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Also South Park from a few weeks back. And thats it.

Less than two days till launch. No hype. No ads. No coverage. No excitement.

Nintendo is fucking up bad here. If I had not seen so many trailers for Zelda, Mario, and Metroid 3, I would most likely just have picked up the Wii at the first price drop. Im pissed! I want to KNOW that my new box of joy is coming!!

 

That's a very good point...WTF? I didn't realize that I haven't seen one ad or anything, all my info has been coming off the net.

There is a bright side to that...Joe Public won't know shit about it, hence it should be even easier to get. From the sound of it (stores I've been calling and people I've been talking to), I won't need to stand in line at all.

 

But that's not a good thing. The Wii needs to be a homerun in sales. Advertising has always been one of Nintendo's core problems. They advertised the hell out of their DS, but they usually just drop a console without so much as a peep on the TV or in non-gaming print. Also, I have been to plenty of Target's, Best Buy's and Toys "R" Us' this week and I have yet to see a demo unit. Saw the PS3 demo's last week at the same stores (save for Best Buy). A Wii kiosk would do wonders for advertising, especially to the youngin's.

 

The kiosks are out by now, but I don't think that Nintendo has been properly supplying those kiosks with software. My local Gamestop has had a Wii demo kiosk sitting there unplugged for weeks because the Nintendo rep has not brought any software for it.

With the unavailability of the PS3, Nintendo should be in a media blitzkrieg right now. But I don't see any signs of that happening. Any idiot should know that if you're aiming to sell things outside a specific market, you might want to advertise on the OUTSIDE of that specific market.

Nintendo has an amazing product, and I hope they don't go Gamecube or PSP and blow it all away this time.

 

Of course it isn't a good thing in the long run, but it is for people like me that don't want to wait in line.

I hope they start advertising the hell out of it after I get my grubby mits on one, but not until.

 

my target has had a working wii kiosk out for weeks. anyway, as far as the media coverage of ps3, that simply tells me that a controlling interest in the establishment media has an interest in sony. words cannot describe my immense hatred for the establishment media; but all i can do is not watch. anyway, i wouldn't worry too much if i were nintendo. sony has already done all the wrong things and luring people out during the holidays to look for their nonexistent system while the competition is readily available to be checked out and bought is just another in a long list. although i think that will actually help 360 sales more than the wii, it certainly won't hurt.

 

They ran the first commercial for it during dancing with the stars.