I realized about a month or two before launch, that Bishop Allen, my favoritest band ever, had scheduled a show in Des Moines on 11/18 - literally just 6 hours before the midnight launch of Nintendo Wii at Walmart stores everywhere. Since I couldn't get a Wii pre-ordered, thanks to Gamestop's asinine 1-day notification, my only shot at getting a Wii at midnight was Walmart.
What was unknown, however, was the demand. I was informed that every Walmart in the state of Iowa was getting a minimum of 20 systems in. I wasn't sure if that was ALL that they were getting in. According to an employee at the Windsor Heights store (my local Walmart), they were only getting 20 in.
I thought that it might be a good idea to go to a less centrally located Walmart, and one that was a bit closer to the concert venue so that I could get to Walmart and get in line for my Wii as soon as the concert was over. So, at around 5-ish, I called the Walmart in south Des Moines.
Their line was already half full, 7 hours ahead of midnight. Suddenly, it finally dawned on me how difficult this might be. Since Kelly (the girlfriend) and I needed to get cash for the Bishop Allen show anyways, we decided to stop at the Windsor Heights (more centrally located) Walmart to see how their line was shaping up, and get cash while we were at it.
We went back to Layaway, where the line was supposed to be, and no one was there. I asked an employee, and he said that the line had filled up at 3 PM, and they gave out numbered tickets and sent everyone home until midnight.
Holy crap. 3 PM? 9 hours before launch? Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that I would have to get to Walmart 9 hours ahead of time AT A MINIMUM for this.
I went to the Bishop Allen show feeling dejected. Kelly played video game ringtones to try to cheer me up, and that helped a bit. The Bishop Allen show helped a bit more, but I was very distracted. After the show was over, I began calling every Walmart in the Des Moines metro area to see how their line was shaping up. They were all full. Not a single opening.
As a last ditch effort, I called the Walmart in Newton, IA - about 35 minutes away from Des Moines. They said they had maybe 15-17 people in line, and they didn't think every one of them were buyers. This was the best shot yet, so we got in the car, and with 3.5 hours until midnight, made the deer-infested drive to Newton.
When we got there, Kelly counted about 20-22 people in line, and assumed that at least 3 or 4 of them weren't buyers, but parents or friends of buyers, simply passing the time. I got in line and waited patiently. At 10 PM, they handed out official numbers, and I was #22-- out of #20. I did not get a number, and did not appear to be able to get a system.
I was upset, tired, and ready to go back to Des Moines, but Kelly was a trooper. Knowing that I'd kick myself if I left without knowing for sure, she made me go to Perkins and we killed an hour or two before returning to Walmart at 11:45 to watch everyone come back to make their purchases. The idea was that if one of the numbers didn't show up, or if someone's credit card didn't go through, there would be an opening for me to grab a system.
No luck. #19 ALMOST wasn't able to buy hers, but after the credit card was declined, she pulled out her checkbook and paid for it that way.
So at 12:45 AM, we made the longest 35 minute drive ever back to Des Moines. We pulled in around 1:30, and I drove by the lines at Target and Best Buy. Target's line was preferable, because they opened an hour earlier than Best Buy, but their line looked pretty much full to capacity. Best Buy, however, was rumored to be getting something like 80 systems in, and only had about 20-25 people in line. Best Buy would be my best choice.
I went home. Slept from 2:15 AM to 3:45 AM, and then drove around the block to get in line at Best Buy. I was there at 4:08, and proceeded to wait until they handed out tickets at 8 AM. I did make some buddies with the guys in line ahead of me. I timed my arrival just right, actually.
See, I figured that if you want to get to a opening line early, you come around 5. That's the default time. So everyone who wants to beat those guys, they'll get there at 4:30. I had to one-up the one-uppers, so I came at 4. And it worked out beautifully, because there were only 2 people that came between midnight and 4 AM, and within 30 minutes of my arrival, there were already 10 people in line behind me. I effectively started the morning portion of the line.
Anyways, they gave out tickets at 8, and then I sat in my car and played DS for an hour. At 9, they let us in, past a mountain of impulse buy DVDs, and a table full of games. I picked up Zelda, and paid for my system.