Dave Horvath
19 Nov 2006 13:23
Lines of avid gamers stretched around stores like Toys R Us as Nintendo launched its infamous Wii. With about 1.2 million units making it to the western shores, fans like Isaiah "Triforce" Johnson just had to be the first person to own one. So at midnight in New York City, Johnson was ceremoniously rang up by none other than Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime. Not wanting to squander this opportunity away, Johnson quickly unwrapped his brand new Wii and had Fils-Aime autograph it personally.
Thousands of gamers lined up all around the United States each hoping to be one of the few able to purchase the Wiis in stock. Armed with over twice the amount of units as its competitor Sony which launched two days earlier, Nintendo hopes to make a splash with its North American debut. Nintendo also hopes to lure new gamers into the arena with unique games and unique gameplay mechanics with its motion sensor equipped controller.
The Nintendo Wii launched with a price of $250, in stark comparison to its competitors at $600 for a premium PS3 and $400 for the top of the line Xbox
Source:
Reuters