South Florida GameStop nabs first Wii demo kiosk

Ah, the time must be drawing nigh, as we've just seen our first report of that heavily-guarded Wii demo kiosk being fully assembled and ready for play. As expected, Wal-Mart didn't get first dibs on this bad boy, but a South Florida GameStop is already giving eager Wii users a go at Excite Truck. The stipulation? You've reportedly got to hand over your keys and / or driver's license to even sniff the untethered (albeit proudly labeled) Wiimote, and your collateral is promptly returned once you prove you aren't walking out with any GameStop property. Initial hands-on reports suggested that driving vehicles with the newfangled controller took about three rounds to master, but it wasn't too long before gold medals were flying off the shelf and extra rides were being unlocked. If all this sounds like fun and games to you, be sure to hit the read link for a few more photos and the 411 on the lucky location.

[Thanks, Anmol]

[LittleJoe @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:29AM]

Wasn't much of a "bevy of photos" on that link, but cool none the less to see we are getting closer to Wii-Day :)

[Travis Jenkins @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:30AM]

Ya sure you don't mean GameSTOP?

[mrhappi79 @ Nov 3rd 2006 11:51AM]

I just played this last night in Pasadena, CA. I didn't believe the guy when he told me I needed to give him my drivers license AND credit card. He also told me I needed to keep the wrist band around my wrist at all times as part of regulation AND that he'd be watching me the whole time to make sure I 'complied'. Anyway my impression of the game is that it is easy to pick up the controls and sensitivity after a couple of minutes. The controls were simple enough, button 2 is for gas and button 1 is to brake. The steering is handled by tilting the remote. The game itself was nothing special. The graphics were only slightly better than current XBOX titles if not the same. The physics of the car allowed you to steer the car while in the air, not very realistic but fun.

[asher @ Nov 3rd 2006 12:08PM]

you mean they photoshopped a kiosk into their store?

[Rivithed @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:53PM]

Photoshopped, nope. Retouched, yep. Just to put a little more focus on the Wii console instead of the Steel Battalion monster controller in the background ;) . It's real and it is there. Follow the map to the GameStop.

[David @ Nov 3rd 2006 12:12PM]

What? The GameSTOP in Bellevue, WA already had the kiosk for a couple days...

[Matt @ Nov 3rd 2006 12:25PM]

I need to get my butt to Bellevue :)

[Lee @ Nov 3rd 2006 12:40PM]

*Waits for Frappr/Google Maps-powered service tracking kiosks like during the Xbox 360 Launch.

I'll be glad when my local GS gets theres.I really would like to play this thing before I drop the money into it.

Side note: I wish my Gamestop had a Steel Batallion controller. (That is what I am seeing back there, right?)

[adg1034 @ Nov 3rd 2006 1:54PM]

Exactly! Thank you. *waits for one to come in to MN*

[Jim @ Nov 3rd 2006 1:00PM]

Cartman can't wait for the Nintendo Wii to come out. So, he froze himself and woke up in the 26th century, Buck Rogers-style...

[Mikey @ Nov 3rd 2006 1:08PM]

ExciteTruck stinks. They should get a better game in these kiosks.

[elly @ Nov 3rd 2006 1:10PM]

ours is up at the eb in auburn, wa. we're taking ur credit cardz.

[Chris @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:44PM]

Well then. I'm off to Florida!

[asher @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:27PM]

from the differentiation in light source, grain and angle... floating drop shadow notwithstanding, that kiosk was added to the photo.

It may be in the store and the took multiple pics, and played in photoshop a while, but that is a poorly photoshopped image.

[Matt @ Nov 3rd 2006 2:58PM]

Hmm, so they have it hooked up to a HDTV I wonder how it looks? I would think you would want to have it hooked up to a 480 display.

[B1gC72 @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:44PM]

my god, a drivers license and credit card required to play? couldnt they just tether the thing? i know there were post about how Gamestop was going to do this earlier but i thought they would change their minds eventually. oh well, ill give up my DL and CC when my local Gamestop gets theirs.

[Darrol @ Nov 3rd 2006 3:53PM]

I just got word today that the Gamestop around the corner from my house got them also at least by yesturday.

[Jason @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:17PM]

Gamespot in Tukwila near Barnes and noble has one. I played it today and its pretty fun. Takes some getting used to but it's not bad at all. For those wondering, like i=I did, there seems to be no moving parts in the controller that I can feel. I thought there might be some gyros bouncing around or something. It was hooked up to a widescreen HD monitor and it didn't look half bad.

[Rivithed @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:31PM]

Ok, you are reading too much into the pic there, the only thing done was: blurred out the background and unsharp mask filter. There was nothing superimposed on anything, sorry kids!

[asher @ Nov 3rd 2006 4:45PM]

I bow to your superior photoshop knowledge, oh great one. I will ignore the drop shadow and other inconsistencies. Thank you for clearing that up.

[Toholio @ Nov 3rd 2006 8:10PM]

@asher: Looks like nothing more than a photo taken with the aperture wide open and the crappy kind of flash you get in point and shoot cameras.

No need for photoshop to make a picture look that bad.

[fraeone @ Nov 4th 2006 12:08AM]

They have Wiis at both Gamestops in Tukwila, WA. The one in the Southcenter mall, and the one in the strip mall nearby. They were only asking for drivers licenses though, not credit cards. Excite Truck is fun enough, but they really should have a minigame compilation in the kiosks just to get a feel for a few different control schemes.

Gaah! Why was I 20 minutes too late to get a preorder?

[Uchiha Sasuke @ Nov 4th 2006 12:43AM]

I work around downtown Bellevue, I'll definitely check the Wii out on Monday come lunch time. I think an hour and a half is enough for me to get a head start practice with the Wiimote. And I'll swear not to hand in my ID and CC to Gamestop worker, I'll give them my work badge instead.

[elly @ Nov 4th 2006 2:56AM]

the reason we ask for you credit card is that the remote is not tethered (per nintendo rep's insistence, trust me, we'd like to rope the darn thing in). if you walk out with the remote, you buy it, apparently.

yeah. i made the raised eyebrow face too.

[sammyC @ Nov 4th 2006 6:26PM]

cant wait for them to put some a little closer to both our homes in redmond(refernce to Nintendo US HQ)