Toys "R" Us giving away 25,000 Wiis, DSes

Retailer launches promotional contest with NBC's Deal or No Deal to dole out 50,000 Nintendo gaming machines.

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.

Howie Mandel wants you to play with your Wiis.

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

109 Comments

  • Yoshi_101

    Posted Oct 22, 2006 7:20 pm PT

    i can't wait to play with my wii

  • r5555555

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:17 am PT

    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 .

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:14 am PT

    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!

  • ericbojo

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 12:09 am PT

    Bobby's world

  • cfamgcn

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 3:15 pm PT

    Free Wii? I've got to try that!

  • chrisp1

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    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.

  • g-master999

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:31 pm PT

    Cool, but... talk show host?

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 10:06 am PT

    Waitaminute... is this the same Howie Mandell that did "Bobby's World"?? What the hell happened??

  • PixyMisao

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 9:32 am PT

    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.

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 7:42 am PT

    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.

  • stiker71

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 6:36 am PT

    Eh...IL just buy mine.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 5:48 am PT

    "Howie Mandel wants you to play with your Wiis."

    Tor Thorsen, you are a sick, sick man.

  • Nintendus

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 4:28 am PT

    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.

  • Hattorihanzo15

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 3:58 am PT

    haha yeah howie was a stand up comic....he also did a cartoon called Bobby's world a while back.

  • ftjx

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 12:48 am PT

    thats like a big giveaway... c'mon 25.000 Wii's

  • Ire-7

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 10:44 pm PT

    i would enter but i didnt get the sunday paper and im too lazy to mail anything to anyone

  • gertish

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:56 pm PT

    He was a stand up comedian? Haha, I guess I'm still young. Or he wasn't that famous.

  • cherrybomb257

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:25 pm PT

    Nice earrings, baldy.

  • Ryo_Kensen

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:06 pm PT

    But Howie Mandel is funny....

  • nestea_king

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 9:02 pm PT

    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.

  • Minor_Annoyance

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 8:51 pm PT

    Doesn't seem to be any way of knowing if Canadians can enter.

  • evil_cm

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 8:47 pm PT

    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...

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 8:08 pm PT

    Note to Mr. Mandel on earning back his dignity:

    -Take some Rogaine
    -Shave that "bottom lip hair" thing you got going on (What is that about?)
    -Remove the double hoop earrings.

  • boxcarracer565

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 7:41 pm PT

    ive never won anything in my life, so i wont be entering.

  • aldrenar47

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 7:21 pm PT

    "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?

  • JLCrogue

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 7:21 pm PT

    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.

  • gamemaster2200

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:53 pm PT

    Sweet I might actually go to Toys R us now

  • KeyserSoze10033

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:52 pm PT

    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.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:49 pm PT

    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?

  • TheAlmightyFish

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:41 pm PT

    Hey, If I mailed in...Would this count if I'm in Canada?

  • Gamepro2421

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:24 pm PT

    just called the house and told em to dig out that Sunday paper. Thanks for the heads up Gamespot

  • Mammon_Azrael

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 5:19 pm PT

    Well, someone has to win. Might as well be me. ^_^

  • -CR7-

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:58 pm PT

    OMG!

  • nytrospawn

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:53 pm PT

    Matt, you really dont make any sense. Conspiracy theories are the first sign of trouble.

  • ryanjtravis

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:47 pm PT

    Woah... that's pretty awesome. That is a LOT of machines to be giving out!

  • ultimate_zero

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:22 pm PT

    I should enter, I might actually win.

  • matt7899

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 4:13 pm PT

    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

  • Demoman286th

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 3:36 pm PT

    @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

  • wizardps2

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 3:28 pm PT

    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

  • benri4761

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:59 pm PT

    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.

  • Brutalus7

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:59 pm PT

    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!

  • blackthegame

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:56 pm PT

    a wii for free, awesome

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:28 pm PT

    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.

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:15 pm PT

    Neat. I have terrible luck though.

  • Dace67

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 2:09 pm PT

    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.

  • NFunspoiler

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 1:58 pm PT

    I think i might just do that. It would be awesome if i won a Wii.

  • jackdan869

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 1:43 pm PT

    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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