Over the weekend, bored gamers leafing through their Sunday papers had their interest piqued by a promotional insert from Toys "R" Us. The retailer has teamed up with the NBC game show Deal or No Deal--which itself is being turned into a PC game--to entice consumers into its stores as the holiday shopping season approaches.
The inserts each contained a game piece which echoed the show's format--it had two suitcases, one marked "deal" and one marked "no deal." The "deal" case gives customers the "deal" of getting 10 percent off a single item at Toys "R" Us. The "no deal" suitcase offers the bearer a chance to enter the Deal or No Deal contest by (predictably) turning up at a Toys "R" Us location before October 28 and having the game piece's bar code scanned. One such piece will award the owner a grand prize of $1 million. Another will dole out the first prize, a free five-day trip to Los Angeles and an appearance on Deal or No Deal with its host, Howie Mandel.
So why should gamers care about a contest that considers glad-handing a once all-but-forgotten stand-up-comic-turned-talk-show host a high honor? Other than the million bucks, the contest is targeting gamers by handing out 50,000 Nintendo devices. According to the official contest rules, 25,000 Wiis will be awarded as second prizes, and 25,000 DS Lites are will be awarded as fourth prizes.
Before they start banging down Toys "R" Us stores, gamers should take note of two things. First, according to the official rules, the odds of winning either a Wii or a DS are 1 in 5,743--which, as far as contests go, isn't actually that remote. Secondly, winners won't be officially recognized until they are notified by mail on or after November 24--meaning winners won't be able to pick up their consoles until Thanksgiving.
Those interested in entering the contest who didn't grab a paper on Sunday can get a free entry form by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below by October 22.
"Deal or No Deal NP"
c/o Little & King Co., LLC
31 Merrick Ave., Suite 150
Merrick, NY 11566
i can't wait to play with my wii
After seeing the amount of those inserts at work it looked damn near impossible to win. plus i think i am void from winning. oh and in the upcoming toys r us big book there is some pre-order info for wii and ps3. it is going to be some on-line thing i barely read it though. they should be arriving in homes some time next week though. the book not the system :(.
It's good that they give away gaming consoles... even if you have a chance of 1 in 5,743 to get one. Well...good luck!
Bobby's world
Free Wii? I've got to try that!
PixyMisao "Gee, doesn't Howie look edgy and 90s with that bald head and tuft of hair under his lip. Guy was funny for 15 minutes and assumes he has a career worth mentioning. " He does...do you have any idea how much money he has made the guys at Deal or no Deal? He's a good host.
Cool, but... talk show host?
Waitaminute... is this the same Howie Mandell that did "Bobby's World"?? What the hell happened??
Gee, doesn't Howie look edgy and 90s with that bald head and tuft of hair under his lip. Guy was funny for 15 minutes and assumes he has a career worth mentioning.
I watched the last five minutes of Deal or No Deal last night while I was waiting for Heroes to come on. That game is totally asinine. I don't understand all the hype. And Howie Mandel brings absolutely nothing to the program. He just kind of walks around and points at the suitcases and repeats whatever the contestant says.
Eh...IL just buy mine.
"Howie Mandel wants you to play with your Wiis." Tor Thorsen, you are a sick, sick man.
It is investment for Nintendo, shows that Toys R Us likes Nintendo better, i've been looking at the past 5 catalogs, and on the cover is all mostly DS. Shows you something Sony fanboys.
haha yeah howie was a stand up comic....he also did a cartoon called Bobby's world a while back.
thats like a big giveaway... c'mon 25.000 Wii's
i would enter but i didnt get the sunday paper and im too lazy to mail anything to anyone
He was a stand up comedian? Haha, I guess I'm still young. Or he wasn't that famous.
Nice earrings, baldy.
But Howie Mandel is funny....
To KeyserSoze10033, You're just saying thay because you dont like Nintendo. I know this because of your game collection. Madden played beautifully when I was there, and it in fact looked better than Madden does on current gen systems. Its the gameplay that is focused on, and the gameplay was amazing. Its so much better to play it when your movements count for so much more than the press of a button.
Doesn't seem to be any way of knowing if Canadians can enter.
So i have to screw 5k player to win... awesome, but i dont think i have ani chance.... well this is just too troublesome but wii is worth it...
Note to Mr. Mandel on earning back his dignity: -Take some Rogaine -Shave that "bottom lip hair" thing you got going on (What is about?) -Remove the double hoop earrings.
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ive never won anything in my life, so i wont be entering.
"25,000 Wiis will be awarded as second prizes, and 25,000 DS Lites are will be awarded as fourth prizes." Wait, so what is the third prize? Probably something stupid that isn't related to video games. Can you trade in your third prize for a fourth prize? :)
KeyserSoze10033 "Afetr playing the Wii in Digitallife this past week, I won't take even if I got it for free. Wow, that Madden looked garbage." Madden always looks like garbage anyway.
Sweet I might actually go to Toys R us now
After playing the Wii in Digitallife this past week, I won't take even if I got it for free. Wow, that Madden looked garbage.
i wonder if this is an international contest? Deal or No Deal was made and produced in Australia so there has got to be a chance for Aussies to enter, better than the 1 in 5,743 odds of winning a DS or Wii And how can a DS Lite be a "Fourth Place" prize? what's the 3rd prize?
Hey, If I mailed in...Would this count if I'm in Canada?
just called the house and told em to dig out that Sunday paper. Thanks for the heads up Gamespot :)
Well, someone has to win. Might as well be me. ^_^
OMG! :D
Matt, you really dont make any sense. Conspiracy theories are the first sign of trouble.
Woah... that's pretty awesome. That is a LOT of machines to be giving out!
I should enter, I might actually win.
wizardps2 That is only marketing so the Wii can sell more they are scared of PS3. hehehe if they cant sell them well lets give them so the publishers can sell there games hahaha are you a bufoon? you think nintendo gave the wiis away...... haha your my dear fellow are dumb.....becuase toys r us bought the wiis from nintendo
@wizardps2 Grammar man, It's something you learn in Elementary school, if you're going to insult something at least do it with proper English... By the way... 1,000,000 trumps 400,000 anyday
That is only marketing so the Wii can sell more they are scared of PS3. hehehe if they cant sell them well lets give them so the publishers can sell there games hahaha
Wow Generic_Dude, you make a great point. I think I'd rather have a million dollars too. I mean, that's worth a lot more than even, say, 10 Wii systems! If I end up winning a Wii or DS, I'm gonna call Toys R Us and ask if they can give me the money instead.
you can't beat free, even if it is 2 weeks later. Or you can't justify buying a DS when you know you won't use it much, in which case free is excellent!
a wii for free, awesome
HOWIE MANDEL DOES THAT SHOW?! Whoa... I did not know that. Anyhow, as far as the "why should gamers care" aspect of it is concerned, I think the cool mil is enough to be interested. I think I'd take that over one Wii or one DS. I'd really like a Wii though, and another DS couldn't hurt either so I wouldn't be heartbroken if I won one of em, but still.
Neat. I have terrible luck though.
I wonder if the hassle of going through a contest to get a Wii is worth more than just going to a store and buying one.. Plus that you have a chance of having to go to a store anyway if you don't win the contest. I'll stick with just buying it.
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I think i might just do that. It would be awesome if i won a Wii.
well 360 is also gonna have the first cross platform game. in case you dont know what that is. its being able to play online with other 360 players and pc at the same time
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