Wii sells out across Japan

  • By Hirohiko Niizumi, GameSpot
  • Posted Dec 1, 2006 6:36 pm PT

Nintendo's new console flies off shelves as last-minute hopefuls scramble for raffle tickets for in-store drawings.

TOKYO--While North America had its Nintendo Wii launch almost two weeks ago, Japan finally came in for its share of Wii madness this weekend. Some 400,000 units of the console were available on the console's December 2 launch day, with 600,000 more units slated to ship in Japan by the end of the year. However, given the large amount of interest in the console--which Nintendo has flogged with a TV-ad blitz for the past two months--demand is expected to be much higher than supply.

What's Japanese for "NERRRRRD!"?

Trying to preorder a Wii online was no simple feat for Japanese gamers. Amazon Japan made multiple preorders offers for the console, but they all sold out in a matter of minutes. Other online stores including Tsutaya, Toys "R" Us Online, and 7Dream (a division of 7-Eleven Japan) staged similarly short-lived preorders. Yodobashi Online was one of the rare major shops that took preorders without any prior announcement, but even there, units sold out within an hour.

Preordering a Wii offline also turned out to be difficult. Major electronic chain outlets including Bic Camera, Sofmap, and Laox secured enough Wii units to accept preorders last month, most of which sold out in a day. Still, savvy consumers could preorder a Wii as late as a week before its launch--if they knew where to look. Kojima electronics ran ads through newspapers and took preorders at locations nationwide last Saturday, sending many happy customers home with a reservation.

The lines went on...

Last night, customers who missed out on a preorder crowded around most major electronic outlets in Tokyo. As reported earlier, the Shinjuku and Akihabara Yodobashi Camera had drawn over 1,000 people in line by 10 p.m. That's when employees handed out tickets to control the lines. By contrast, the Shinjuku Bic Camera had a line of over 400 people at midnight, and it continued to grow through to dawn.

To check out how the lines had developed during the last couple of hours leading up to launch, GameSpot once again made its way to the streets of Tokyo, this time starting out in Yurakucho, where Bic Camera's main branch is located. At 5 a.m., the store had a line of 1,200 people that snaked along the sidewalk for blocks. An employee at the end of the line assured customers that that there were still plenty of Wiis still available.

...and on...

Once the morning trains started running, more and more people began to line up. By 5:40 a.m., store employees capped the line at around 1,500 people. Many of those waiting were obviously hardcore gamers, with many playing games on their DS Lite. One avid fan engaged in a bit of cosplay in a homemade Wii Remote costume made out of cardboard.

Back in Shinjuku, about 400 people lined up by 6:30 a.m. at the Sakuraya electronic store. At the store's east branch, one employee was already holding up a "sold out" sign as last-minute customers formed a long line that extended out toward the east exit of Shinjuku station.

...and on.

The line at Shinjuku Bic Camera was around 400 people at midnight, but by 6:40 a.m. it had grown to nearly double the size. As was the cast at other stores, employees were holding up "sold out" signs before the store had even opened.

Between 700-800 people lined up at the Yodobashi Camera's main game branch in Shinjuku, about the same number that waited for the PS3 two weeks ago. Unlike other shops, Yodobashi was selling Wii games on a first-come, first-served basis, so eager customers showed up early so as not to miss out on their favorite titles. Unsurprisingly, the first person in line bought The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess together with his Wii.

Great success!

As was the case with the PlayStation 3 launch, customers who tried to get in the Yodobashi Camera's line after 6 or 7 a.m. were turned away. But as a last resort, many could be spotted rushing off to the smaller Akihabara stores that were holding raffles to decide who got a Wii. At East Shinjuku Yodobashi Camera, a smaller branch with fewer units, over 350 customers were lined up at 7 a.m. hoping that lady luck would be on their side.

600 Comments

  • frassefask

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 7:42 am PT

    im so happy i managed to get one i even got a zelda too.

  • Lithavalon

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 12:04 pm PT

    nintendo ftw!

  • Stabby

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 7:56 am PT

    I am so lucky I don't live in crowded areas...

  • rugripper40

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 9:08 pm PT

    i thought i saw a wii head,i did ,i did...lmfao....cheers

  • SithLordWookiee

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 6:51 pm PT

    Bigger HD= DOESN'T EXIST!!!

    Do you reallllly need one....and chill out dude

  • LexLas

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 11:32 am PT

    The big N is rocking right now ! Please don't run out in the US as I hope to get one for Christmas.

  • EikoAtoride

    Posted Dec 5, 2006 5:50 am PT

    pencilpusher69:
    what's wrong about liking the way of realizising a concept as it is now?

    You should accept other opinions and not jump to quick conclusions. If VR is nothing for him/her in the way he/she imagines it now... then let it be. The future is still... the future?!

    I prefer being a third person when gaming. I don't like FPS or FPRPG or anything that is FP. I imagine VR gaming to be only available as a first person experience. If it'll be different... well, I will give it a try one day. But I also doubt that watching another person killing something or someone in VR (if also available as a third person experience) would be pleasant for me. And I will get dizzy for sure by any other genre.

  • BassBoy45

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 9:56 pm PT

    it's not like we didn't see this coming

  • pencilpusher69

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 8:57 pm PT

    pungaboy
    "I hope that games don't go all VRish in the future. I like my videogames as games, I don't want them to turn into the Matrix."

    PLEASE DON'T CHANGE THINGS!

    I like them as they are! Change scares me, as I only think inside of the box that I've chosen to stay in.

    Please don't make cool new technologies, as I'm accustomed to my old black and white television.

    Also, please bring back Leave it to Beaver. These newfangled television shows scare the hell out of me.

    I like VHS.

    Who came up with analogue thumbsticks? 'Cause I was fine with my joypaddles, dangit!

    And what's up with indoor plumbing? God meant for me to go in nature! I like my door with the moon on it.

    SHEEEEEEYOOOOOT!

  • UnknownPerson55

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 8:55 pm PT

    i dont care, all i wanted to say is that i want a wiimote suit.

  • Kravyn81

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 7:01 pm PT

    That one dude that made the costume gets major props from me. 1. For taking the time to make it and 2. Having the balls to wear it

  • wooooode

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:17 pm PT

    I still cant believe it launched in the U.S. first. But are the total sales figures now.

  • LexLas

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:15 pm PT

    Wow !!

  • kevo14

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 4:59 pm PT

    WII FTW

  • awarriorofgamin

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    pimb that just proves wii pwns

  • Inner-Voice

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 2:12 pm PT

    I test are own games.

  • Benshki

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 12:40 pm PT

    The guy in the Wii costume is the second coming. Pure Legend.

    The Wii probably only appeals to those gamers who just want to play games for the fun of it, not the graphical power or the processor power. Just gamers looking for some fun. (If anyone tries to reply to that comment and say you can't have fun without graphical quality then go play with the traffic because people where doing it in the 70's and 80's so get over yourselfs.)

    Off topic i know but surely the next step in gaming is Virtual Reality? or has the 'Hardcore' gamer become to lazy? If so buy a Wii and shed a few pounds playing tennis.

    Kthnxbye.

  • ov3rdance

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 12:19 pm PT

    hopefully i can get one this wednesday

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 12:07 pm PT

    Wii = good system

  • Mechakucha

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:58 am PT

    @Inner-voice: If you test games, you do not make them. That's like the dude who assembles rear-view mirrors all day for Ford saying he engineered the entire car.

  • bart8558

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:55 am PT

    Agreed, Shtinky...

  • eva360

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:53 am PT

    I'm still on the fence about wanting one of these. It looks like a blast. I'm quite happy with my x360 so, I don't know. All I know is, I gotta play Zelda. I miss those glorious n64 days!

  • edhc44

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:42 am PT

    I'm glad to see Nintendo back into business. From what I had seen, it seemed that Japanese gamers were a lot more into the PS3, but the excitement seems to be about the same in this launch. Lets just hope it isn't all about hype.

  • Inner-Voice

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:32 am PT

    I had to play the wii. My wife and I played. We had fun. Crap, you mean the video game system..... Ooopppppssssss. My bad. My kid will have one under the tree. (The Video game system) I do see alot of the sony fan boys are not liking the wii. I have a 360. My kids And I love it. Sony is just junk. I dont care what any one wants to say. I make games, and I test the hell out of them. And who any one can say that the ps3 has 7 cpu's is nuts. Thats a fire in the works. The wii has a good mix of hardwear. everything works together. Just like the 3 360. The ps3, well lets see.... it's a true 256 video mem/ram, but it runs around and finds more if it needs it. So the sony is out of mix. I would love to see the wii in the #1 spot. I like the 360 way more, but nintendo has done so much work, the should have the #1 spot. Nintendo is why, any one 28 or old loves playing games now. Like me.

  • Shtinky

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:21 am PT

    When the smoke clears and Nintendo have spent all their AAA franchises in 2006/ 2007(Zelda -- already happened, Metroid Prime 3, Mario Galaxy, SSBB), we will be left with titles more akin to what we see on DS. I doubt we'll see a game that's really revolutionary after that, unless it's another Nintendo franchise game. But the majority of games are just going to be quirky, puzzle and or rythmic types of games played by pointing at the screen. There's nothing wrong with this, it works so great on the DS. In fact, I've had a great time playing games like Oendan, phoenix wright and trauma center on DS, but that all seems like a formula better suited to portable play than on console. Rather than playing games like those on Wii, I'd rather be spending more time playing an RPG or an online game, something with a little more depth to it and preferably not the same old recycled Nintendo franchises, something fresh, but nay.

  • ebonyflame

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 11:19 am PT

    I was thinking, if only Nintendo had put this much marketing power behind the Gamecube, would it have fared better in America? I know it kicked ass in Asian countries as the numbers don't lie.

  • keinuveye

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 10:08 am PT

    best luck nintendo, I'm gonna miss the Wii but I will enjoy LoZ:TP on GC. I wish you well, old friend, but here it seems we part ways. You are my childhood and your gameboy of truth and virtue will be missed.

  • pungaboy

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 9:58 am PT

    I hope that games don't go all VRish in the future. I like my videogames as games, I don't want them to turn into the Matrix.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 9:45 am PT

    @nappan

    If videogames do last another 50 years then hopefully, by then, pathetic console rivalries will be long gone. After all, by then we will be out of almost every natural resource, so I imagine we will have bigger things to worry about than whether the PS3000 is better than the Ultra Deluxe Wii 5000 lol

  • rosneck

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 9:35 am PT

    I got my Wii and PS3 on launch days and had the xbox360 just after launch

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 9:17 am PT

    If gaming is to evolve into VR in the future, then Nintendo Wii is the first step in the right direction.

  • Mechakucha

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 7:55 am PT

    nappan just the fact your write walls of text in news comment sections arguing your credibility shows whos level you're on. grow up and ignore them.

  • GreenHornet00

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 7:28 am PT

    Are Japanese games always in english? Nothing on either of those boxes he is hold is in Japanese!

  • Tha_Evil_Genius

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 7:07 am PT

    they finally get to play with their wii ... hehe

  • LordBraz

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:46 am PT

    yeah, well i've had mine for 2 weeks, take that japan

  • nappan

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:37 am PT

    "knoia: And each of these changes was a new novelty."

    Look up novelty in a dictionary my man. What you have in terms of grapnics and physics and sound is not a series of novelties, but the core of evolution in gameplay. "kavadias1981
    I just had a thought. Videogames will not be around forever. In 50 years time they will be gone"

    They will have evolved certainly and with any luck be a VR experience not a 2d one... but they'll still be games, and in 50 years barring economic collapse and natural disaster (ok, that could happen, but then everything is gone) we'll still have them.

  • Dualmask

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:31 am PT

    I can't wait until all this launch nonsense finally dies down for real so I can just walk into a store, maybe wait behind one or two people in line and grab my PS3 and Wii and be done with it.

    A lot of people believe the Wii is going to fail, a lot of people think it might dominate. No one knows for sure. It could go either way. It could go just like the DS, or it could end up like Virtual Boy (well, maybe not that bad).

    Even though I'm a Nintendo fan for life, I'd have to agree with whoever said that someone *just* buying the Wii might have a problem in their gaming future playing the games that most developers are making, because the Wii is too different. That may be a good thing, but I'd guesstimate that some 85% of gamers of any age are quite satisfied with sitting on a couch pressing buttons to control their actions instead of moving a motion sensitive stick, myself included. I'm willing to go for it because it is Nintendo and I'm dying to play TP and SSBB, but I'm also going to go for PS3 so I can play the franchises I like most, namely Final Fantasy, in the simplest way imaginable. It's not about graphics for me...I probably won't go HD until I absolutely have to, but developers are going to make their best selling, most well known franchises for the PS3 and/or X360.

    But let's not forget, Nintendo taking the cheap way out instead of making a systems that's just as powerful as the other two, is its strength, not its weakness. When all three systems (PS2, GC and Xbox) were similarly powerful, Nintendo fell into third (though they still made money). So why run the same route again? Why create a powerhouse system to keep up with the giants? Wouldn't the same thing happen again? Instead, Nintendo decided to create something different. They don't NEED to be as powerful as PS3 or X360 because they're in business to make money, not to outdo their competitors. That's always been Nintendo's policy, and that's why they haven't gone the way of Sega.

    Yes, the Wii is just a bit more powerful than Xbox, and nowhere near as powerful as the other two big guys. But it has the Wiimote and Nintendo's franchises. Don't you see, that's why it's going to sell. If everyone buys PS3 and Wii or X360 and Wii, who wins? And how many people are really going to get X360 and PS3 and skip the Wii? There's no logic in that.

    I'm not saying the Wii is going to dominate this generation, like I said no one knows for sure. But Nintendo's going to do well no matter what.

  • Prince_DarkDrop

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:21 am PT

    To the poster that said Video games won't be around forever that's
    like saying music or movies won't be around forever.

  • eggsiboss

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:13 am PT

    ha ha ha, and mine will come to my door great thing planning ahead!

  • EikoAtoride

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 6:03 am PT

    Well, maybe the apartment close to the Sakuraya store wasn't that bad after all...

  • rikjuh

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:31 am PT

    4 more days!!!

  • Gribb85

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:26 am PT

    aw man not long till the UK gets its chance to shine.

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:13 am PT

    awesome

  • flame_hk84

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 4:50 am PT

    Ok thats it I've always thought Japanese people were nothing but hard-working but this is insane

    Its crazy in America as well

    Dude, guys, everyone - it is a video-game console, calm down man, if it sells out today then get it tomorrow, a week later, or a month later - at the end of the day its a machine that plays games, no need to lose your job, sleep, marriage, etc. over it - even a heavily pregnant women was camping out for the PS3, jesus christ

    But to camp out for it over-night is overdoing it a bit

  • bencam21

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 4:40 am PT

    My local Gamestation is having midnight launch! My housemate works there and is giving me mine when they get delivered!

  • SamuelpukMM

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 4:34 am PT

    why does the UK have no midnight launches? i have to wait till 9am to get my wii (with twilight and wii play)

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 4:19 am PT

    I just had a thought. Videogames will not be around forever. In 50 years time they will be gone. So what say we stop fighting over which console is better, or what games are better. Let us just enjoy them altogether. We are arguing over videogames! Videogames for Christs sake! Do you realise what absolute pathetic geeks that makes us! Just buy which ever console you like and just shut the hell up!

  • Mr_Saturn26

    Posted Dec 4, 2006 3:36 am PT

    all i want is my ps3, and my wii. My ps3 for the games and gameplay, my wii for the zelda, metriod fix, with all the past consoles game library.

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