Wii Woes

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This year both Sony and Nintendo have released new video game consoles. Both are, like last year's XBox 360, in short supply and high demand.

Of the three new consoles, the Wii is the one I really really want. The Wii has an innovative motion-sensitive controller that seems to really make the games accessible to a whole range of people who would never want to or be able to mash buttons for hours. It's also relatively inexpensive and promises to play lots of older Nintendo games, including the classic Mario 64 (which I used to play incessantly whenever I visited Catherine's house before either of us became parents).

The Wii is on my wish list but I decided that I wanted to try to get one myself--worst case I'd have an extra to sell, best case, I'd have one NOW.

So I found a nifty Web site that tells you when the stores near you are slated to get a shipment and how many they are supposed to get (Wii Seeker). It told me that this last Sunday, 17 Dec, all the targets and Wal-Marts would be getting between 10 and 50 units.

Sunday morning I woke up about 6:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. I thought about it and decided that this was probably my last chance before Christmas to make a try and I had to do it, even though I knew I was probably already too late.

So I got in the car, after promising Julie I would return with donuts, and headed toward the nearest target. I drove up and there were people out front, and not that many. I had a glimmer of hope as I drove up to the group and asked if they were the Wii line. The guy at the front said "Wii line is done--they had 12 units". Doh!

Disappointed but not surprised I headed off to get donuts from our local Krispy Kreme. On the way there I happened to pass another target, and saw another short line. I had to ask so I swung past and asked the same question. The lady I talked to said they had had 18 units, which they handed out tickets for at 5:30 a.m. Yow.

So I collected my donuts and headed on home. But somehow I felt better knowing what would have had to do to have been one of those 12 or 18, which was pretty much to have set up camp the night before, which I was certainly not willing to do (even granted that the weather this weekend was quite balmy, with lows only in the high 60s, unlike the weekend before when it had been pretty cold and damp).

So now I am content to wait for Santa or the post-Christmas supply ramp up that will surely happen.

And thank goodness that Dada isn't old enough yet to know that she should have been whining for one of these things since late September....

[The picture is of Dada's hand, a completely unintentional composition provided by my slow-as-molasses camera phone.]