Topic: Gamestop to be only store with Demo kiosks at launch

[ginx619]

Gamestop has exlusive Wii demo unit kiosks

According to the Dallas Morning News Gamestop will be the only place to try out the Wii at launch.Bad news for those who don't have a Gamestop in their area.

[Spak-Spang]

This is very odd.  Though I wonder how much money gamestop paid Nintendo for this right.  I may go preorder there after this news...but I am still waiting for midnight sales confirmations.  

I live in Arlington Texas, and I don't really like the Dallas Paper, so I haven't read the story...but I can go and buy one the varify the story or not.

[wandering]

There's a rumor you'll have to exchange your credit card for a controller (to prevent theft.) So perhaps other stores weren't willing to fool with that?

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but I can go and buy one the varify the story or not.

Post scans!

[Ian Sane]

I don't think there are any Gamestops in Canada or at least not here in BC.  How does Nintendo plan on handling that?

This is supposed to be a console that you HAVE to try in order to get.  Limiting demos to only one chain seems kind of like a colossal f*ck up of that marketing strategy.

"There's a rumor you'll have to exchange your credit card for a controller (to prevent theft.)"

Wow this just gets more gong show by the minute.  What person who isn't already interested in the Wii is going to go to that kind of trouble to try it out?  Let's not forget people that are old enough to be roaming the mall alone but are too young to have a credit card.  You know, teenagers, one of the largest demographics for videogame sales.

Though to be fair I can't really think of a different way to demonstrate the console.  They've always had the dilema of a console that needs to be tried out but is incredibly demo kiosk unfriendly.

[ginx619]

Demo unit exclusivity seems kind of ridiculous to me.Maybe Nintendo did it to get more units in the hands of launch buyers,since most of us will buy it without trying it at a demo unit.I wonder if this exclusivity includes EB Games since they are owned by the same company as Gamestop.

[Ian Sane]

I just thought of something else.  What is Nintendo trying to do?  Branch out to non-gamers.  Who shops at Gamestop?  Gamers.  Who has no reason to even step foot into a Gamestop?  Non-gamers.

I'm hoping this is just some false rumour.  It's just so blatantly idiotic that I want to believe it's not true.

[Kairon]

Why would Gamestop even WANT to be the only place with Wii Kiosks?

Why would anyone care to tout that information?

Why would anyone PAY for the privilege?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[31 Flavas]

Ian, you say that as if there is no one out there that doesn't already "get it".

[Djunknown]

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I don't think there are any Gamestops in Canada or at least not here in BC. How does Nintendo plan on handling that?

Last I checked, Gamestop=EB Games. Gamestop I believe has more American stores, whereas EB games is a more global brand, such as Canada. What happens to Gamestop should happen to EB games, so there shouldn't be a panic for PGC'ers abroad.

This was taken from the comments section on the joystiq article:

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It makes sense for retailers to put up their own demo stations. Its plugging a product they're selling, why WOULDN"T they?

'nuff said.

[Ceric]

You know what really gets me.  If the Gamestop side of the business gets these and they don't put them in the EB ones.  Because right now EB has some nice advertising posters for both systems.  While Gamestop for some reason feels like a dungeon with not hint of the Next gen coming.

[BiLdItUp1]

...I'll wait on official notification from Nintendo, thanks you very much.  

[EasyCure]

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Originally posted by: Kairon
Why would Gamestop even WANT to be the only place with Wii Kiosks?

Why would anyone care to tout that information?

Why would anyone PAY for the privilege?

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

if you're talking baout the credit card comment Ian mentioned, you're not paying to play the demo, you give up your credit card to be held at the cash register while some GS employee unlocks the holy wiimote and hands it to you so you can try it out. also, you can have them hold a drivers license if you dont have a credit card.

this still presents a problem but i dont feel like re-posting everything i wrote here

[AnyoneEB]

EasyCure: Kairon wanted to know why it would be an advantage to GameStop to be the only store with Wii kisoks. I agree that it is difficult to see the advantage to GameStop for, say, WalMart, to not have Wii kisoks.

[Spak-Spang]

Why would anyone pay for the privilege?  Think about it.  If your store gets demo units of one of the hottest systems coming out before release...a system that has huge fanbase support, before it comes out.  Then people will be going to your store to play the system.  Once in your store they can potentially pre-order the system locking a sale for your store.  Buy other games, or much more.  You have basically paid for a huge advertisement that promises traffic into your game store.

Why would Nintendo sell this right to Gamestop?  This is tougher.  But I would suspect that these special kiosks might be expensive, and perhaps they are trying to recoup money on them...or it just felt like a good business decision, and a means to get good public relations with a large gaming store chain.

Finally, you may wonder if stores like Best Buy and Toys R Us are worried like Walmart about possibly injuries and lawsuits.  So they are taking a wait and see approach to Wii Kiosks.  Finally Game Stop comes asking for exclusive rights, or Nintendo proposes exclusive rights for a price, and a partnership is formed.

Tons of little reasons to consider.

[Kairon]

Looking at the thread in talkback, it seems to actually seem rational now. There's not enough space to play the Wii in big box stores: the logistics of playing it brings up spatial issues that have yet to be solved. So most places will just have videos playing...

And it will likely be extremely difficult to guard the Wiimotes (again, see the talkback thread). Needing to exchange a driver's license temporarily for a Wiimote behind the GameStop counter sounds like a good reason that big boxes can't have kiosks either.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[UltimatePartyBear]

Judging by my own experience, space is only too limited at Walmart, where they put the TV on top of the display case to save room in the aisle, and there's still no room to walk behind the kids playing the games with their heads about to snap off backwards from looking straight up to see what they're doing.  Sorry, my Walmart hate rose up there.  Best Buy has plenty of room for a Wii demo area.  Circuit City could make room easily.  Even Target could do it.  I have more trouble picturing Gamestop making room for it, frankly.

[Kairon]

The targets I go to couldn't make room. They're in the exact same neck-snapping situation.

I could see Circuit City and Comp USA doing it easily though...

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Ceric]

Quote

Source: Me
From: RUMORS: GameStop-Exclusive Demos and C64 on VC?

Now we are back to word of mouth. Nintendo probably realized that they designed the WiiMote with people playing the console in mind and totally forgot about Demo Kiosk at the time. It's now back to bite them. There is not a way to secure it without making a special controller. A metal chain, while strong, is only as strong as what it is attached to which in this case is probably plastic. To compound the problem you need space to play the Wii. Smaller stores have the attention but larger stores have the space. So this whole thing sort of breaks down for them.

In the end, it will have to be a campaign much like the PSP where you can't actually play it. Being creative its doable. Nintendo is going to have to step up there tours, have a tour squad going to Sears, Best Buys, Fairs, Zoos, Walmarts, about any place with a variety of non-gamers and space. This also means that Nintendo will have to really get its game on when it comes to online demos. The Wiimote and Nunchucku are going to have to get a price drop but the Wiimote was the most problematic piece of hardware for them for what I can gather. Hence they've had to spend more money on it and aren't getting as big of yields as possible. After the initial launch window they should have it ironned out so I think we'll see a price drop then.

Also on the tours, Nintendo would do well to find some one to make an Iconic vehicle for the tour. Much like the Wienermobile. When people see that sitting out there they get excited and go and see it. When they see it on the interstate they check there local paper to see where it was or will be and they call there friends to say they saw the Wienermobile. Good way to keep Nintendo on peoples minds.

I thought the discussion here is going this way as well so I posted this here as well.  Target, Walmart, and Kmart/Sears could make room if  needed.  The Wii might not be in there electronic department but the could find a good place for it near there.  

[UltimatePartyBear]

My local Target has them on the end of the unit with the display case, so you stand in one of the really wide aisles to play it, where there'd be plenty of room for some Wii bowling.  It's not a superstore like the Walmarts, so that might be the difference.

Regardless, demonstrating the Wii well would take a lot of space that discount retailers would rather use to sell other stuff.  Nintendo would probably have to pay for the space, but it would be worth it at nearly any price.  By necessity of space, the Wii demo would be outside the electronics section where it would be seen by a lot more people.  It would be flashy and attention-grabbing in a way that competitors' kiosks couldn't be simply by virtue of the way the controller works.  That would be a classic example of turning a weakness into a strength.

[Ian Sane]

One thing Nintendo could do is advertise the demos in their ads.  The ads obviously should show people playing the games.  At the end of the ad it should say "go to Gamestop today and try it out".

[KnowsNothing]

I wonder if there's also the issue of injury.  I mean, people are idiots.  Simply knowing about the so-called "nunchuck" attachment would be enough to get some 12 year old to start swinging it around.  Keeping it attached to the kiosk shouldn't be that tough, but once it's there Wiimote on a chain is the perfect thing to whack/choke someone with.

So Nintendo needs to think of other ways to advertise.  Put anything on Oprah and you're guaranteed to sell out, but good luck getting your product on Oprah...I've always liked the idea of the Home Shopping Network doing stuff.  They could get some of those HSN goons to go on about how it's healthy for you and how easy it is to play and stuff like that.  More tours is always a good thing, they need one in Providence >=O

[Kairon]

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Originally posted by: PartyBear
Regardless, demonstrating the Wii well would take a lot of space that discount retailers would rather use to sell other stuff.  Nintendo would probably have to pay for the space, but it would be worth it at nearly any price.

I beg to differ. Buying floorspace is sure to be so much more expensive than simply buying shelfspace. I can't see this proposition as "worth it."

Oh, and the cord would need to be exceptionally long if they were tethered. Tripping hazard, choking hazard, lawsuit hazard... I'm starting to see why Nintendo isn't going the conventional route.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[UltimatePartyBear]

If the other options are not demonstrating the Wii at all or not doing it well, then it's worth it.  Playing is believing, remember?  It certainly can't get by with just video when a screen two feet over is playing FMV from the latest Final Fantasy as if it were representative.  Graphics aren't everything, but you have to prove that point by not relying on pretty pictures to sell the thing.

[Ceric]

Which makes Tours the Best solution.

[JonLeung]

Yes, I agree.  Tours!  But with a month and a half to go, you'd think there would've already been talk about such things, I guess they think the Wii ambassador parties are enough (I personally don't think so).  EDIT: Duh, forgot about the Fusion Tour.  But is that really going to reach a lot of people?  Store demoes are still more likely to get the casual gamers that Nintendo now wants.

I wouldn't mind handing over a credit card and/or driver's license as collateral (or so that they know who you are if you decide to steal one, since many people have credit cards they never use).  A younger person may be less likely to have either of those, but they're likely to be with someone who would.  Asking an older sibling or parent for such collateral would get that older person interested in seeing what the fuss is about and then they'd want to try it too.  It's not the collateral that's a problem, it's that thefts will likely still occur and moreso the lack of demo kiosks in general.

If the Wii becomes as popular as it is hoped to be, after launch, stores will set up space for a Wii, even if it's not an official demo kiosk unit.  They'll figure something out.  Like maybe removing the GameCube section for it, like it or not.