the martini shaker* - Latest Comments in “Camping out” for a Wii in May

Re: “Camping out” for a Wii in May

Kyle — Tue, 08 May 2007 20:56:48 -0000

I had the same problem with supply & demand; my wife decided to buy me a Wii as a gift in March, but they've been *impossible* to find. We looked everywhere, until about a week and a half ago, I went to Wal-Mart for a midnight medicine run, saw one box on the shelf and snatched it up. Score one for Karma.

Whether they're throttling production or not, I don't think it will hurt their sales... it's only building the buzz. My theory is they fell short on their forecasting. With all the game systems competing for shelf space this Christmas, maybe they were holding back a little and things went the other way.

Now that I have mine, I love it (and my wife loves it more); the graphics won't knock your socks off, but the interaction is phenomenal.

Jeremy, I sent my Wiis over to mingle... see you in the bowling alley. I will say, adding friends isn't nearly as intuitive as playing games. But that's my only (weakish) knock.

Re: “Camping out” for a Wii in May

Jeremy Fuksa: Creative Genera — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:06:58 -0000

I can say that I have been nothing but impressed so far with what the Wii has had to offer. Of course, there's plenty of places it can go that this generation of the console may or may not be built to handle, but it's certainly a big part of the future of gaming.

As for golf, "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07":http://www.easports.com/wiiplaytigerwoods07/home.jsp on the Wii is a really good adaptation of the game. I'm really looking forward to "Brunswick Bowling":http://www.1pstart.com/new-screens-brunswick-bowling-for-wii/, which *may* be coming out this month. I can't seem to find a definitive answer online.

The Wii Sports version of bowling is pretty awesome on its own. Can't wait to see what a little extra detail will add to the game.

Looking for something to make you work up more of a sweat than what Wii Sports: Tennis offers? "Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party":http://www.konami.com/Konami/ctl3810/cp20107/si2247391/cl1/ looks like it will be out in September. Later this year, EA will release "Boogie":http://wii.ign.com/objects/895/895468.html which will include a USB microphone so that you can karaoke while perfecting your dance moves.

I will admit that it looks like the one place where the Wii is sorely lacking at this moment is online head-to-head play. The console has built-in WiFi, so why not utilize it for something other than system updates and data for the weather/news channels? I read that the first online title, "Pokemon Battle Revolution":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Battle_Revolution, should be out some time this summer. Hopefully that will signal good things to come.

Re: “Camping out” for a Wii in May

Dustin — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:09:04 -0000

There are tons of conspiracy theories in regards to the shortage of Wiis. I'm sure there is truth in there somewhere with a combination of throttling production to keep supply low and also a real shortage. After all, you don't have to put it on sale if you can't keep them on the shelf.

I think the $300 price target is within reach of casual gamers. The more expensive $600 PS3 seems too high, but I understand the price point with all of the features like blu-ray and the quality of the video. Of course, having to foot the bill for extra accessories like more controllers always bites.

Although I don't personally have a Wii, I like the console because its different and has the motion features. I'm sure there will be enhancements with the technology to make it more accurate for things like golf and tennis.

I also envision fitness games and even multi-player games where you can compete against other users.