Update because it's worth it.
And because I don't have any other place to post my epic Wii story.
The plan was perfect. The boyfriend (Nate) and I would take two seperate vehicles, and drive around Bangor until we found a suitable line. When our friend (J), wanted to join, we simply planned in the extra time for picking him up, since he was vehicle-less. Opening times were researched, lines were checked midnight prior to launch day, and the alarm was set. At 6 am, we would awake and begin the journey to obtain our long awaited Nintendo Wii.
Why the rush? some of you people in more populated areas may ask. They should have plenty of consoles. Well, given the location of Bangor and the population, we're usually considered the end of the line when it comes to distribution chains, so a Wii launch would be roughly equalt to a PS3 launch in a bigger city. Long story short, we're not getting a lot.
Anyways, back to the story.
The first thing I heard on Sunday morning was the sound of my cell phone ringing. This was a very strange thing, not just because it was early in the morning, but because no one ever calls me on my cell phone.
"Oh shit." I hear as the cell phone goes silent. "I set the alarm wrong."
You never saw two people get out of bed and get dressed faster. As Nate quickly called J back, I pulled on layer after layer in anticipation of one cold morning.
J dropped our first tip of the day, via his sister - Toys R' Us had a few line spots left. So while Nate took the long drive to Orono to get J, I headed straight for Toys R' Us. I pulled into the parking lot - the line didn't look too long, my chances were still good.
"Lyz?" That must be J's sister. I walk closer.
"This line's full. Toys R' Us is only getting ten consoles."
My heart drops. Toys R' Us had been a good bet from last night - when I drove by there was no one there.
A helpful line waiter suggests Sam's Club - apparently they were getting anywhere from four to eight consoles.I drive through Sam's Club - the place is deserted. This may be too good to be true, or maybe they aren't getting any and no one's heard. I phone up J and Nate anyways, and they decide to stand there while I check out more stores.
Next stop - Target. I had seen a fair number of campers there the night previous, but maybe it wasn't enough. I pull into the lot and park, and... there's no one outside. I walk closer - has Target opened already? I peek in the door - the store is dark, but there is people inside. I walk towards the tents, where I had seen someone go in, hoping to gather more information.
"The line's full." A helpful person calls from their car. Strike two.
I thank him and trudge back to my car. At least it's plenty warm by then. I call Nate and J. They're situated at Sam's Club, where another person has already lined up. The person called and said the store told him there were going to be four consoles, but still not confirmed. Why not try Circuit City? they suggest. Sure, why not.
Circuit City's line is immense. As soon as I see it, I know there's no chance. I pull up anyways, roll down my window, and say "I suppose this means the line's full." Number fourteen in the more-than-fourteen-people line tells me that Circuit City was only getting fourteen consoles. A few people suggest Toys R' Us, and advise me to consider Best Buy a lost cause.
"Why not try k-Mart?" one suggests. I stare at him disbelievingly. People know that k-Mart exists? But whatever, I have nothing else to lose, why not?
As I pull into a parking spot at k-Mart I am treated to an unbelievable sight. Someone is leaving the store with a Wii! Is my quest finally over? I rush into the store to witness a girl buying a Wii - the third one. "Any more of those left?" I ask hopefully, and the guy grins at me. "That's the last one. We have plenty of games and other things, though." I laugh and bemoan my bad luck.
"Don't feel bad." he says. "We're surprised we got any period, let alone three."
I call Nate and J up and relay my latest failures. Sam's Club is our last hope, really, unless we want to rush the mall stores when they open. They decide to stay where they are, so I drive over to Starbucks to pick up some hot drinks - since Sam's Club didn't open till 10, we had a long, cold wait ahead.
I drive over to Sam's and deliver my nice and hot beverages. With Nate and J was a guy about my age, and a father and son pair. We sip our respective chai and hot chocolates and pass the time with idle conversation. Everything from gaming to vehicles to bad drivers was covered - we had two and a half hours to kill, after all. We watch a fair amount of people drive by to check the hours, and a bunch of employees go in. We turn away a few Wii hopefuls, and they grudgingly drive away. I didn't have the heart to tell them there was no chance, so Nate and J handle the talking.
Number one in line tells us about the stores I didn't go to - how Wal-Mart had a midnight launch, which prompts me to groan, as I had driven by it at about 11:45 pm in my rounds of checking. How even Sears, with their scant two consoles, had a line. The fact that Sam's Club was empty when I drove by was probably a miracle... or, people just don't have Sam's memberships.
One employee drives up and parks right in front of the exit door and stops and stares at us. We confirm that we are aware of the opening time, and explain why we are there. Amid her chatting away, she decides to drag the manager to the door and ask us how many consoles they actually have. We follow her gratefully. She prattles on about the stories she's heard about the Playstation launch until the manager appears.
"Hey, these kids want to know how many Playstation Wiis we're getting."
Snicker.
Six! Our wait was not in vain! We happily trudge back to our spot by the entrance, with only a minor pang of regret for those that we had turned away needlessly. But oh joy, we were definately getting a Wii today!
Only two more long, cold hours to go.
People came and went, one more joined our line. I was curious how we had claimed all six amongst us, but apparently the father and son had the mother waiting in the car, who was also going to get a console. Lucky brat. Other people were turned away - an elderly gentleman, a father with two adorable kids (I still feel bad about taking a console away from them - just the thought of them swinging a Wiimote makes me almost regret being there first), more father/son pairs. One group of three teenagers stayed, maybe hopeful that there would be one extra one, maybe hoping to jump in line - we conversed loudly about knowing who was getting consoles and how they wouldn't be where they expected them to be (the manager had moved them to the service desk so people couldn't rush past us and grab one, bless him), but they would not be deterred. They could try to pull something, but we would be ready for them.
Ten o' clock approached, and more people began approaching. Some looked at us disbelievingly when we said we'd been there since 7:30-ish, and nodded when we told them about the console. One lady helpfully piped up "if you stay away from the paper towels, I'll stay away from your Nintendo." We had a good laugh over that.
Five more minutes to go! The anticipation was great - not only with us, but with the people behind who wanted to do regular shopping. I found that a bit crazy.
Two minutes till opening, and the manager is unlocking the doors - and he's holding price tickets! I could've kissed the man. He handed us chosen six our tickets and we strutted towards the service desk, where our Wiis were stacked and waiting, along with a good selection of games. I pick up Zelda and Red Steel and hand them to an employee/bouncer, who holds our Wii until the card clears. It was pretty clear that no one who hadn't been in line first that held a Sam's Club membership was leaving with a Wii - an impressive setup given that they'd only realized the intensity of it two hours ago.
Finally the register blinked "authorized" and I could finally hold our Wii. I felt like I had won the lottery, and was probably grinning like a fool the entire time while we waited for J to finish paying. By the look on the father's face as he left the line with his Wii, it dawned on me that the extra console was less for the kid and more for him. I love gaming adults.
Nate sidles up to me to gossip. Apparently one of our suspected line jumpers had dashed through the exit doors fast enough to get behind the first person in line, but was foiled by the manager handing out tickets. Take notes, kids: cutting in line never pays. I grin at his turned back as he laments to one of his friends.
J is done, and we are free. We search around for the manager that made the wait so worth th while, but he is nowhere to be seen. We decide to write on a comment card, but the manager listed is someone else. I've decided to write a thank you card instead, to "that mustached manager" and "the helpful employee, the one with short hair and glasses." It's better than nothing, I suppose.
The rest of the trip home is rather uneventful. I am elated and joyous as I drive home with the console next to me, Nate and J having gone off in search of extra controllers, but I don't feel like I have a target painted on my car, like being at a PS3 launch would have surely done.
I get home, wrestle my armload of Nintendo-y goodness into the house, and place it carefully on the coffee table. Leave the room, pause to make sure no one is looking.
And then I dance for joy.
The plan was perfect. The boyfriend (Nate) and I would take two seperate vehicles, and drive around Bangor until we found a suitable line. When our friend (J), wanted to join, we simply planned in the extra time for picking him up, since he was vehicle-less. Opening times were researched, lines were checked midnight prior to launch day, and the alarm was set. At 6 am, we would awake and begin the journey to obtain our long awaited Nintendo Wii.
Why the rush? some of you people in more populated areas may ask. They should have plenty of consoles. Well, given the location of Bangor and the population, we're usually considered the end of the line when it comes to distribution chains, so a Wii launch would be roughly equalt to a PS3 launch in a bigger city. Long story short, we're not getting a lot.
Anyways, back to the story.
The first thing I heard on Sunday morning was the sound of my cell phone ringing. This was a very strange thing, not just because it was early in the morning, but because no one ever calls me on my cell phone.
"Oh shit." I hear as the cell phone goes silent. "I set the alarm wrong."
You never saw two people get out of bed and get dressed faster. As Nate quickly called J back, I pulled on layer after layer in anticipation of one cold morning.
J dropped our first tip of the day, via his sister - Toys R' Us had a few line spots left. So while Nate took the long drive to Orono to get J, I headed straight for Toys R' Us. I pulled into the parking lot - the line didn't look too long, my chances were still good.
"Lyz?" That must be J's sister. I walk closer.
"This line's full. Toys R' Us is only getting ten consoles."
My heart drops. Toys R' Us had been a good bet from last night - when I drove by there was no one there.
A helpful line waiter suggests Sam's Club - apparently they were getting anywhere from four to eight consoles.I drive through Sam's Club - the place is deserted. This may be too good to be true, or maybe they aren't getting any and no one's heard. I phone up J and Nate anyways, and they decide to stand there while I check out more stores.
Next stop - Target. I had seen a fair number of campers there the night previous, but maybe it wasn't enough. I pull into the lot and park, and... there's no one outside. I walk closer - has Target opened already? I peek in the door - the store is dark, but there is people inside. I walk towards the tents, where I had seen someone go in, hoping to gather more information.
"The line's full." A helpful person calls from their car. Strike two.
I thank him and trudge back to my car. At least it's plenty warm by then. I call Nate and J. They're situated at Sam's Club, where another person has already lined up. The person called and said the store told him there were going to be four consoles, but still not confirmed. Why not try Circuit City? they suggest. Sure, why not.
Circuit City's line is immense. As soon as I see it, I know there's no chance. I pull up anyways, roll down my window, and say "I suppose this means the line's full." Number fourteen in the more-than-fourteen-people line tells me that Circuit City was only getting fourteen consoles. A few people suggest Toys R' Us, and advise me to consider Best Buy a lost cause.
"Why not try k-Mart?" one suggests. I stare at him disbelievingly. People know that k-Mart exists? But whatever, I have nothing else to lose, why not?
As I pull into a parking spot at k-Mart I am treated to an unbelievable sight. Someone is leaving the store with a Wii! Is my quest finally over? I rush into the store to witness a girl buying a Wii - the third one. "Any more of those left?" I ask hopefully, and the guy grins at me. "That's the last one. We have plenty of games and other things, though." I laugh and bemoan my bad luck.
"Don't feel bad." he says. "We're surprised we got any period, let alone three."
I call Nate and J up and relay my latest failures. Sam's Club is our last hope, really, unless we want to rush the mall stores when they open. They decide to stay where they are, so I drive over to Starbucks to pick up some hot drinks - since Sam's Club didn't open till 10, we had a long, cold wait ahead.
I drive over to Sam's and deliver my nice and hot beverages. With Nate and J was a guy about my age, and a father and son pair. We sip our respective chai and hot chocolates and pass the time with idle conversation. Everything from gaming to vehicles to bad drivers was covered - we had two and a half hours to kill, after all. We watch a fair amount of people drive by to check the hours, and a bunch of employees go in. We turn away a few Wii hopefuls, and they grudgingly drive away. I didn't have the heart to tell them there was no chance, so Nate and J handle the talking.
Number one in line tells us about the stores I didn't go to - how Wal-Mart had a midnight launch, which prompts me to groan, as I had driven by it at about 11:45 pm in my rounds of checking. How even Sears, with their scant two consoles, had a line. The fact that Sam's Club was empty when I drove by was probably a miracle... or, people just don't have Sam's memberships.
One employee drives up and parks right in front of the exit door and stops and stares at us. We confirm that we are aware of the opening time, and explain why we are there. Amid her chatting away, she decides to drag the manager to the door and ask us how many consoles they actually have. We follow her gratefully. She prattles on about the stories she's heard about the Playstation launch until the manager appears.
"Hey, these kids want to know how many Playstation Wiis we're getting."
Snicker.
Six! Our wait was not in vain! We happily trudge back to our spot by the entrance, with only a minor pang of regret for those that we had turned away needlessly. But oh joy, we were definately getting a Wii today!
Only two more long, cold hours to go.
People came and went, one more joined our line. I was curious how we had claimed all six amongst us, but apparently the father and son had the mother waiting in the car, who was also going to get a console. Lucky brat. Other people were turned away - an elderly gentleman, a father with two adorable kids (I still feel bad about taking a console away from them - just the thought of them swinging a Wiimote makes me almost regret being there first), more father/son pairs. One group of three teenagers stayed, maybe hopeful that there would be one extra one, maybe hoping to jump in line - we conversed loudly about knowing who was getting consoles and how they wouldn't be where they expected them to be (the manager had moved them to the service desk so people couldn't rush past us and grab one, bless him), but they would not be deterred. They could try to pull something, but we would be ready for them.
Ten o' clock approached, and more people began approaching. Some looked at us disbelievingly when we said we'd been there since 7:30-ish, and nodded when we told them about the console. One lady helpfully piped up "if you stay away from the paper towels, I'll stay away from your Nintendo." We had a good laugh over that.
Five more minutes to go! The anticipation was great - not only with us, but with the people behind who wanted to do regular shopping. I found that a bit crazy.
Two minutes till opening, and the manager is unlocking the doors - and he's holding price tickets! I could've kissed the man. He handed us chosen six our tickets and we strutted towards the service desk, where our Wiis were stacked and waiting, along with a good selection of games. I pick up Zelda and Red Steel and hand them to an employee/bouncer, who holds our Wii until the card clears. It was pretty clear that no one who hadn't been in line first that held a Sam's Club membership was leaving with a Wii - an impressive setup given that they'd only realized the intensity of it two hours ago.
Finally the register blinked "authorized" and I could finally hold our Wii. I felt like I had won the lottery, and was probably grinning like a fool the entire time while we waited for J to finish paying. By the look on the father's face as he left the line with his Wii, it dawned on me that the extra console was less for the kid and more for him. I love gaming adults.
Nate sidles up to me to gossip. Apparently one of our suspected line jumpers had dashed through the exit doors fast enough to get behind the first person in line, but was foiled by the manager handing out tickets. Take notes, kids: cutting in line never pays. I grin at his turned back as he laments to one of his friends.
J is done, and we are free. We search around for the manager that made the wait so worth th while, but he is nowhere to be seen. We decide to write on a comment card, but the manager listed is someone else. I've decided to write a thank you card instead, to "that mustached manager" and "the helpful employee, the one with short hair and glasses." It's better than nothing, I suppose.
The rest of the trip home is rather uneventful. I am elated and joyous as I drive home with the console next to me, Nate and J having gone off in search of extra controllers, but I don't feel like I have a target painted on my car, like being at a PS3 launch would have surely done.
I get home, wrestle my armload of Nintendo-y goodness into the house, and place it carefully on the coffee table. Leave the room, pause to make sure no one is looking.
And then I dance for joy.