Huge queues for a Wii at UK launch

[BGonaSTICK]

The Nintendo Wii went on sale in the UK at the stroke of midnight last night, drawing huge crowds on London's Oxford Street in two massive lines.

At Nintendo's official event in HMV, celebrities Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew, Pat Cash and Ricky Hatton turned up to play Wii Sports. Cash and McAndrew played Wii Tennis, with Cash winning two games to nil. Wright and Hatton sparred at Wii Boxing, with the ex-footballer winning the virtual game against the real-life boxer.

Heba Elgamal, who had been camping outside the store in an alley for two days, was first in the queue for a console at HMV, and it was presented to him by Ian Wright. Elgamal bought The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with his purchase, and Wright asked him if Zelda was a fighting game -- which didn't go down well with the crowd.

A few shops down the street at Game, Vic Ainsworth was first in line, and held his Wii box above his head in victory as photographers snapped his photo. He admitted that he'd never had so many pictures taken of himself. He laughed, "I always look grumpy in photos, but I'm not! I'm really excited!"

Ainsworth revealed that he was surprised when he got to the store and found he was first in the queue. "I thought there would be people here already because I read on the news that people were camped out for, like, two days outside HMV. People were asking where was the queue, so I jumped in and started it."

At Game, glasses of champagne were given out to the first customers through the doors as well as baseball caps, scarves, blankets and pizza while people were queueing.

Game's marketing director Anna Macario said, "We're so pleased with the turnout. I've never seen a queue go round the block here before. I know so many people personally who have never bought a console before but who are now after playing it. It's universally appealing." She added that the company would be getting more stock in from Nintendo before Christmas, but that she didn't know as yet when or how much.

Nintendo UK's product manager for home consoles, Rob Lowe, told GameSpot that he believed that the launch events had been a huge success. He said, "I think this is the biggest launch we've ever had. It's also great to see so many girl gamers in the queue. I think one in ten was a girl gamer." Asked whether he believed that Nintendo's approach to make a console that tried to appeal to everyone had paid off, he raised his arms to gesture to the crowd behind him and said, "Yes, definitely."

[Mship]

A guy from work went to Carlisle for one on Thursday night and didn't get home until 2am! He bought 2, selling 1 on ebay the same night for more than the cost of the pair 8).

[Analoguesat]

Huge queues for a Wii at UK launch

More toilets required at these big events

[barr6868]

I was in game in Glasgow today, no ques for Wii wotsoever. Still had to que for 1/2 an hour to get some xbox games for my wee lassie and 20 mins for them to find the discs? :spite:
I needed a toilet, a smoke room, a bar and some valium >

[BGonaSTICK]

Originally Posted by mship

A guy from work went to Carlisle for one on Thursday night and didn't get home until 2am! He bought 2, selling 1 on ebay the same night for more than the cost of the pair 8).

Madness.

Originally Posted by barr6868

I needed a toilet, a smoke room, a bar and some valium >

ROFLMAO! :roflmao:

Next time I'm starving on the street and fancy some pizza and a blanket, I know where to go...

[jontydog]

Utter madness. Think I will stick with softmodded xbox until I can afford a 360. I have to admit though the wee looks pretty cool from the clips I have seen on the telly just feel for sorry for the people who have bought a 360 and now their kids want a wii

[BGonaSTICK]

My kids want a Wii everytime we get on the motorway.

Sorry. I've been infected by the hundreds of Wii gags my two have been chucking at me all week.