Earlier this morning, I headed over to the Gamestop at our local mall to be that early adopter guy and preorder a Wii. I arrived about 10 minutes after they opened, but we in the office are pretty much their mascots, because after we go to E3, we tell them all about the wonderful toys we saw behind closed doors. The guys working there know us pretty well, at least enough to identify us on sight. I was hoping to use this to my advantage – you know, working the “uhh, we’re with the band” angle.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work. By the time I got there, they had already handed out paperwork to people more punctual than I, and despite the fact I cut in line and did my best diva impression, the guy at the counter, who addressed me as all buddies do (he called me Man … Man!), told me they’d already moved all 14 units. Man, indeed!
I didn’t really have high hopes. This was my first time buying into the preorder extravaganza, and the ground rules I laid out didn’t really set me up for success. (First rule: Don’t wake up early to spend money.) But I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Of the crew here in The Escapist-land, I’m toward the top of the “excited by this strange and wondrous console” list. Nintendo grabbed me with the Wii. They mixed a terrible, alchemic love potion of nostalgia, affordability and fun and slipped it into my Jack and Coke while I wasn’t looking. Next thing I know, I’m standing in line with a bunch of college kids, all of whom are gleefully clutching proof of their fandom while I’m standing in my Chucks, late to the party. And it kinda sucks.
But I’m not giving up on getting a Wii. Nintendo seems like they’re going to handle the launch better than (ahem) their competitors, meaning there’s still hope that I’ll be able to elbow my way through two million of my closest friends and be the first kid on my block with Nintendo’s ’68 Comeback Special.
But man, that paper guarantee would’ve felt damn good.
