My fiancee and I waited in line for a wii last saturday. It was to be my Birthday gift to myself. (this friday, the 16th)
We arrived at the first target on our list.
There were 54 people waiting in line for the sunday shipment.
My Fiancee being the resourceful type, totally had a map ready with all the targets in my area ready to go, and they were all on major street intersections and probably as unlikely to score as this target.
All but one. There is a little target in the middle of a hard to reach residential area.
I got there. 2 couples in line. we recieved the 3rd place in wii line paper.
Then the vultures started their decent. There was chaos and tires squeeling. Children as young as 7 years old (very brave asian kids these days) coming to the store Unoccompanied by an adult, with get this... A EFFING PIKACHU PIGGY BANK FULL OF DOLLAR BILLS.
We said he as with us, and made sure he was far away from predatory wii buyers. (he got 4th place in the wii line.)
By the end there were only 24 consoles shipped to that target and 60ish people in line. Yes, they had to turn away 30ish people there for wiis. no rainchecks or anything... groans and everything. And surplus people were still waiting in line, as if any of the chosen 24 were going to drop out of the line 5 minutes before the store opened.
We kept pikachu kid close all throughout the event. ( and even drove him and his wii home. He walked 5 blocks by himself.)
Just as frantic was the line for the DS.
(yes a seperate effing line for the Nintendo DS.)
I picked up Twilight princess (OMFG I LOVE.) and Trama Center, Second Opinion (havent had a chance to open it)
A 1 gig Wii SD card, ( I probably should have just got a regular SD card, but I was worried about compatibility, which there are probably no problems, but I dont mind paying a little extra to nintendo.
I picked up a Classic style wii controller, and an extra wiimote and nunchuk.
And 2000 wii points.
All in all after spending a small fortune, I adore my wii.
After all that hubub, I just got a present from some extended family, (they teamed up to buy me, a ... nintendo wii.)
I have an extra wii... so, Im going to sell it at cost to a friend or family, or for a best offer on craigslist.
It was a very good wii experience.
Nintendos stock (NTDOY) as of E3 (may 06) was 17 dollars a share, and their stock last I checked was being traded at 34 Dollars a share ( and thats not their peak). Anyone who'd have invested E3 era, made bank