Topic: Modified Wii Kiosks

[Crimm]

I was in GameStop today, doing my weekly look for Wavebirds, when I noticed they had changed the Wii kiosks.  Before now all the Wii kiosks had been playing videos, and if you wanted to play it you had to ask a clerk behind the desk to give you the controller.  Today, however, I noticed that there was a nunchuck and a remote connected to the Wii display via some cables.  A playable Wii demo!

When I crossed the street, to the other GameStop (still no Wavebirds), I noticed they had the same new things.

Has anybody seen these and are they only at GameStops, or did Nintendo roll these out?

[Adrock]

You have a Gamestop across the street from another Gamestop?

Reminds me of a Lewis Black stand-up...

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"At first i thought the sun was playing tricks with my eyes. But no, there was a Starbucks across from a Starbucks! And that, my friends, is the end of the universe. People said to me 'how do you know?' and I said go there, stand between those two Starbucks. Look at your watch, time stands still."

[Crimm]

One was a FunCo Land the other was a Software ETC

[Adrock]

Now that they're both Gamestop, it's kind of redundant. I wonder how they stay in business. I have 3 Gamestops in my town, one is in a stripmall, and the other 2 are in the actual mall. They were Funcoland, Software etc. and EB games respectively before they became the evil empire known as Gamestop.

On topic, no, I haven't seen any new Wii kiosks though admittedly I don't go to Gamestop often anymore. I can say for certain that the 3 Gamecrazys around where I live don't have any new kiosks, nor does the Best Buy in my town. If Nintendo has been sending these out, it's about damn time! For a system that needs to be played to understand, the video kiosks at Walmart, Target, Best Buy etc. were utter failure. The exchanging driver's license for Wii remote idea that Gamestop/Gamecrazy employed was also not that effective because younger people couldn't try it and others are protective of leaving an ID with so much personal info unattended..

[Kairon]

Dragged kicking and screaming, nintendo is.

[BranDonk Kong]

There's a Gamestop less than a half mile away from another Gamestop near my work (one used to be an EB) - now I have 4 Gamestops within 15 miles of my house. There's also a Starbucks across the street from another Starbucks (though one is inside Target), and also until about 2 months ago, there was a Subway *DIRECTLY* next to a Wal-Mart, that had a Subway inside it.

[Crimm]

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Originally posted by: Kairon
Dragged kicking and screaming, nintendo is.

My thoughts when I saw them.  Then I wondered if GameStop just got fed up with Nintendo and modified the kiosks themselves.

[Michael8983]

Honestly I think the kiosks helped the Wii become such a success.
Half were unplayable and the other half required you to leave your key, credit card, wallet, and IMMORTAL SOUL with some druggie teenager behind the counter. The Wii was like this forbidden fruit of sorts and that fact that most weren't able to try it out made it that much more desirable.
Actually I think sales would slow down if more people got to play it before buying it. I mean the Wii is fun and all but not as fun as the people in the commercials seem to make it out to be. If more people had gotten to play that Excite Truck demo the kiosks shipped with I don't think the Wii would be quite as successful as it is now.

[Ceric]

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Originally posted by: Michael8983
Honestly I think the kiosks helped the Wii become such a success.
Half were unplayable and the other half required you to leave your key, credit card, wallet, and IMMORTAL SOUL with some druggie teenager behind the counter. The Wii was like this forbidden fruit of sorts and that fact that most weren't able to try it out made it that much more desirable.
Actually I think sales would slow down if more people got to play it before buying it. I mean the Wii is fun and all but not as fun as the people in the commercials seem to make it out to be. If more people had gotten to play that Excite Truck demo the kiosks shipped with I don't think the Wii would be quite as successful as it is now.

Blockbuster Card?

Excite Truck Demo: Blasphemer.

[Djunknown]

Haven't seen any modified kiosks in my area, aside from the fact that they put different games.

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When I crossed the street, to the other GameStop (still no Wavebirds), I noticed they had the same new things.

Funny you mention that, the one where I put down for a reserve for Mario Galaxy had a shelf full of Wavebirds. Apparently  not a lot of people in my area are desperate for them...

[Crimm]

WAVEBIRDS?!

GIVE TO ME!

[raptorspike]

Well, I have 5 gamestops within 15 minutes of my school. two in the same mall (opposites ends and styles). I have seen one of the new kiosks, but the unit wasn't on. Idiots!

[Crimm]

Okay, the GameStop on campus does NOT have one of the modified Wii displays.  I asked about it and the manager looked bewildered.  Nintendo or Gamestop, either way they're very slooooooooooooooooooooooow.
Also, no WaveBirds there either.

gimme wavebird  

[Spak-Spang]

In my town we have 2 Gamestops in the Mall.  One Gamestop in the shopping center across from the mall.  And a Game stop on either ends of the town.  

So basically, 5 in one town, and it isn't that big...but what makes it harder to believe is that we have 3 used movie stores that also sell used video games, so that is like 8 places to buy used game.  

(And I still can't find a way to get Wii Play for less than $20.00

[Djunknown]

[off topic]

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gimme wavebird

Why not shop ebay? They've got a decent selection. Unless you want the satisfaction of a brand spanking new one...

[BranDonk Kong]

The Gamestop across street from my house has one of the new kiosks. It's pretty cool looking, but it would be super easy to steal the Wiimote and Nunchuk from it.