Finally Got my Wii

So, I finally bought my Wii this past weekend. Third time's a charm. Here's how it all rolled out:
Sometime in 2005: Nintendo is going to release a new console system. Holy crap, I'm going to buy it when it comes out.

• Early 2006: The new Nintendo, codename Revolution, is going to have motion sensitive capabilities in the controller. My response: "Fuckin A, that's rad".

• Later in 2006: The Nintendo Revolution is now going to be called the "Wii". My response, what a retarded name. I don't care, it's going to be tits. Launch day is November 19, 2006. I will be there opening day to have one.

• Anxiously I waited for the day to arrive and finally it came. Leading up into the launch weekend I was planning on where to go and at what time. I decided that the Target right by my house would be my best bet. If that failed, I would head over to Washington square, as there are about 5 or 6 stores in a 1 mile radius.

So, November 19, I wake up at 6, stay in bed for awhile, eat some breakfast, drink some tea, read the paper, and leave at 7. It's raining outside and I don't feel like standing out in the rain for too long. I get to Target at about 7:10-7:15. Holy crap, I got there a little late. I was about the 44th person in line. I came to find out that at 7 the store manager came out and gave 42 vouchers for all the units they had. I waited until opening, just in case they had some more. No luck. I spent the next 2 hours driving around town hoping to get lucky, but alas, I am not lucky. I returned home distraught, soaking wet, and hyped up on caffeine. I spent a good portion of the day reading of other people's failures and hoping to find one online.
Fast forward 1 week. I learn that Best Buy will be releasing a bunch of them on Sunday, the 26th.

I decided that it's the second week, demand will be lower, I'll get there when the store opens. So I drive out to Beaverton, show up right when the store opened (10am), walk in, and they had given out vouchers earlier before they opened. I later find out that they still had vouchers as late as 9am. FUCK!!!

Once again, I arrive home depressed. I continue to search online, but alas, none are to be found. However, I learn that the following Sunday, Target will have a bunch more.

We now arrive at yesterday. Knowing (and Knowing is half the battle) about the vouchers, what time they are given out, continued extreme demand, I set my lineup time to be 6am. Target opens at 8.

I wake up at 5:30, throw on some warm clothes, grab my DS so I can play Sudoku puzzles while I wait and head over there. I get there at about 5:50 and there are 2 people already waiting outside the doors. I wait for a bit because it's freezing. Around 6, several other people emerge from their cars to sit in the freezing cold. I grab my Spider-Man chair out of the back and head over. I'm number 6 inline, sweet. My batteries in the DS run out around 7, but it's OK, the people standing in line are very nice and we have some pleasant conversations about our previous waiting experiences and technology stuff in general. Finally, around 7:30 the store manager comes out and says that they have 30 Wii's. Yay! I'm going to get one. I walk out of the store 35 minutes later with a Wii and 4 games.

I only have 1 controller, so that's a new search, but I can tell you that this thing is damn fun. Similar to Dan's story about Guitar Hero. This is a system that anyone can pick up and play. The games are fun and involving. I'm glad I didn't spend a bunch of money on a PS3 or XBOX 360 so I can play the same games again with better graphics.

Props to Nintendo for taking a risk on going in a new direction with a home console game system and coming through.

Now, before you all make fun of me for standing in line outside in the cold/rain 3 weeks in a row for a video game system, you have to describe your experiences waiting in line to buy something. Yes, tickets for performances count.