Booyor’s BLOGgh!

Yes, if you didn’t know, this is kind of a fun way to find out that we’re expecting.

We also have news of another arrival - message me with your Wii codes if you want to Mii parade. After going to Target right when they open, after countless trips to Wal-Mart after midnight, after hours obsessing, the pregnant wife beats the crowds.

Things that I have learned:

1. The Target code for the Wii is 207-25-0001. You can type this into one of their price-check things to see if they have one in the store at all, even if it’s not on the shelves. We did not do this, though.
2. Wal-Mart (at least in our area) gets the Wiis Monday nights. Someone comes in at 12am, gets situated, and then stocks them on the shelves between 12:30 and 1 in the morning. They usually sell out by 2:30am at the latest.
3. Target gets their shipments during the night but you have to wait for 8am for the store to open.
4. Target workers are the most with-it of the major non-specializing businesses. Wal-Mart guys tell you their issues. (”Man, they never keep me updated. I never know when things are coming in. They don’t respect me.”)
5. KB Toys doesn’t do video games anymore, I guess.
6. EB Games gets theirs via UPS. When one store in the area gets a shipment, they all will.
7. No one will call you when the shipments come in. (Some even hate “Wii days” because of all of the phone calls, traffic, and stalkers.)
8. itrackr.com isn’t really worth it. I didn’t pay for the text messages, but they did have a refreshable map that wasn’t accurate the three days I checked it.
9. eBay is worth even less. To pay $310 plus shipping is goofy. I guess it’s better than the $386 Amazon price. I found one for $250 on eBay. I refreshed that auction from 10 minutes down to 30 seconds. At 23 seconds I got outbid to $280, outside of my good conscience.
10. The RSS sites are trying their best but are moot. The only site that would update was walmart.com and the only package in stock was the Holiday (for Easter? Passover?) Bundle Pack where you had to also purchase a case and 7 launch titles. These usually sold out within the half-hour that they were posted.
11. What it really comes down to is things working out. I went to EB Games at 10 am, right when they opened. The UPS shipment would be coming in later in the day. I called at 11am, and it hadn’t come in yet. My wife called at 12:30; all of the Wiis were sold out (Yes, they are actually selling out. It’s not a Nintendo conspiracy). As my wife went to meet with her mentee, I called another EB Games. They had 3 in. I called my wife. As things worked out, her mentee had cancelled. She was already on the road towards the store. She busted over to the store. They were really nice:
    

    Worker: Hello. How are you today?
    Wife: I don’t know, you tell me.
    Worker: Yes, there is a Wii still in stock.

12. God is merciful. Not only did my pregnant wife make it safely to the store, but now she is relieved of my obsession.
13. Nintendo is going to have one million units shipped specifically for the U.S. market. Right now there is a shortage because they are trying to distribute worldwide. Expect more April 15-May 1. This is from a Nintendo rep that visited a Target.
14. The Wii users are a community like Mac users. We (Wii?) help each other out. Many of the “crazed” customers were actually really nice, including one young dad who agreed that if you were going to have a youngling in the house for another 18 more years, your gameplay should not be limited from 9pm-10pm every night.
15. Strongbad looks great on the Internet channel.

I feel like a freakin’ Sam Spade or Rick Deckard.

“We all die. But how many truly live?”

“Wii play. Do you?”

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