Rumor: Wal-Mart wii-ly concerned for the children
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Sep 24th 2006 at 1:00PM }
Wal-Mart's electronics department layout does not have an allotment of space to demo the Nintendo Wii for the fourth quarter. Our tipster says that after asking for greater details as to why they wouldn't be installing any Wii demo units, he was told by his manager that they had "fear of some kid getting hurt or injuring others in the process of flailing his arms around."Although "Nintendo doesn't comment on rumors" and Wal-Mart corporate hasn't answered our query, after calling numerous Wal-Marts across the country, we have confirmed that it is true that the Wii is not part of the Q4 layout.
Did Wal-Mart executives decide that the Wii was just too dangerous to demo in its stores? Is Sony paying off the world's largest retailer in an attempt to sway consumer mind-share when shopping?
Doesn't look that way. Although Nintendo and Wal-Mart won't talk, employees from various Wal-Marts have stated that they expect to get their Wii demo units in for Q1 2007 and believe it was a timing issue. They did stress that although they will not be demoing the unit, they will certainly have the Wii for sale at launch in November.
[Thanks Ben]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Raynre @ Sep 24th 2006 1:16PM
Hope Sony doesnt show off its Dual-Shake either, cause, you know, you could poke someone's eye out with that thing.
Which is an interesting thought... most demo units that Ive seen have the controller hardwired into some sort of Alcatraz-like torture device. Other than the thin wire connecting a controller to the console, is there any good way to hook these things to the machine without impeding mobility?
Danno @ Sep 24th 2006 1:13PM
This is just plain not good for Nintendo.
You *need* demo space in the largest retailer in America.
The people who shop at Walmart are the people that they are trying to court with the Wii.
dsub @ Sep 24th 2006 1:25PM
No room? Simple, just get rid of the XBOX/Gamecube/PS2 demo units. Problem solved. I can't remember the last time I went to walmart and they actually had something running on these demo units that wasn't at least 2 years old anyways. Hell, they are still running the same demo disc on 360 that was in it before launch.
Out with the old in with the new wal-mart. What makes more sense...setting up a demo unit for a system that you may get 20 of in before christmas if you are lucky (PS3) or setting a demo unit for a system that will likely continuously restock weekly (Wii)?
The choice is yours, but doesn't it makes more sense to promote the product you'll actually have available to your customers? That's what EB/Gamestop is doing. Everytime I go in there and someone asks about PS3 the person behind the counter explains that they will be impossible to find and begins promoting the Wii/360. It's a smart move from a business standpoint.
Brandon L. Thomas @ Sep 24th 2006 1:32PM
I guess people head banging and jumping while playing the demo of Guitar Heroe for the PS2 isn't considered a potential risk or injury. Come on Wal-mart, you could do better than that.
Super-Jesse-Mario @ Sep 24th 2006 1:32PM
Ya know, as far as hurting kids go, Sony's done their fair share of damage with those racist dustballs that always chat as people pass by the PSP display. That's got to have made a few brains rot.
Anyway, Wal-Mart always shoves the Nintendo displays in the back, so I won't be surprised if the Wii demos end up in some corner where no one can reach'em anyway.
Colonel Angus @ Sep 24th 2006 1:34PM
how would you demo it anyways? The 360 demo setups I've seen had the controller secured to a wall, and a tiny tv that's placed like 8 feet above you at a downward angle.
It's always been that way at walmart. I don't really see how it can be done at walmarts.
Avinash_Tyagi @ Sep 24th 2006 1:41PM
Long cord used to tether the controller to the wall could do it.
This smells of money hats
AndrewNeo @ Sep 24th 2006 1:44PM
Wal-Mart's demo units actually -work-? We have these pretty HD TV's sitting up top that're always off - the only systems that ever work are the DS and the GBA.
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Sep 24th 2006 1:48PM
Seems to me that even Wal-Mart has bought into Nintendo's ludicrous advertising. You know, because every single Wii game requires you to jump on your couch, do somersaults and get a mohawk.
Josh @ Sep 24th 2006 1:48PM
My first reaction to this was that it would be very bad for Nintendo if Wal-Mart was not demoing their next console, but it's really not that bad. Of course, the first four million Wii units that will be available this year will all sell out, just because there is so much hype for the system in the game community, which is also a reason why the $250 price is not such a big deal. After the holiday season, Wal-Mart will begin to demo the Wii and then the masses (Nintendo's new target markets) can start getting interested in the system.
The point I'm trying to make is that the system will sell out this year no matter what, just because of us, but then next year, after we've all bought the system, then Nintendo can really start going after their new markets.
azesino @ Sep 24th 2006 1:53PM
The margin of profit on the Wii and DS is smaller thant that on the PS2/360 and I immagine on the PS3 as well, retailes make pocket change on each unit sold, so it always been that way in walmart with nintendo products, they shove it on the back of the store and make room for the products that makes them more profit, I herd that from the profit retailers are gonna make from the wii they would have to sell 3 wii's to make for only one 360/PS3. from a business stand point, it makes sence but not from a consumer point. but they will have to put the wii demos regardless, I dont even mind if is on the back i just wanna play somne wii
rca @ Sep 24th 2006 2:04PM
I seriously doubt it is a matter of space. Its more likely a matter of implementation. Walmart has a very specific and uniform way of doing their demo units, and they have thousands and thousands of stores that are all supposed to be set up the same way. There is no need for the wii to be demoed before christmas. Anyone who wants one will already be aware of it. You are just mad that you wont be able to go to Walmart at 2 in the morning and play with the wii.
BatzRadio @ Sep 24th 2006 2:08PM
Quite frankly, have any of you SEEN how children behave in most Wal-Marts? If anything, keeping demo units out of stores during the Normandy of Holiday Shopping may avert a shortage of remotes due to people breaking them repeatedly.
LaughingTarget @ Sep 24th 2006 2:11PM
Wait...you're saying I didn't have to get the mohawk?
azesino -
Retailers tend to break even on consoles. The margin is almost non-existent, regardless if it is the PS3, 360, or Wii. Just like the manufacturers, retailers make their money on the software. That isn't the case. If it were, the Wii would have the highest profit margin since a $600 PS3 is the least Sony could sell it for to avoid going out of business and Wal-Mart wouldn't try and sell it for more because it just wouldn't sell. The Wii simply has more maneuver room for a profit, both for Nintendo and for retailers.
martin @ Sep 24th 2006 2:14PM
I completely forgot that you didn't have to move at all when using the Eyetoy. Wal-mart has obviously been paid off to say this because the Eye Toy is a lot more dangerous, yet they are willing to demo that!
PSWii360 Fanbot @ Sep 24th 2006 2:17PM
@ 1
Nintendo *needs* to have demo units in Wal-Marts? Give me a break. Are you implying that when people go to Wal-Mart that they will demo the Wii and will then buy it? Hardly. A $250 purchase is not the price point that lends itself to an impulse buy.
This will not hurt Nintendo AT ALL.
Kite @ Sep 24th 2006 2:19PM
Walmart probably just doesn't want to get sued, I can't say I blame them. Kids nowadays are crazy and stupid little punks
Me @ Sep 24th 2006 2:20PM
Leave it to some blogger at Joystiq to bring Sony's name into the picture......you guys never quit do ya !!!
Kevin @ Sep 24th 2006 2:25PM
This just adds to my hatred of Health and Safety.
Sorry Nintendo. Hopefully you'll be OK here in the UK :)
jtatooine @ Sep 24th 2006 2:23PM
They have a Guitar Hero demo at my Wal-mart. How is that any different? You need to swing it upwards to get your bonus going and a Guitar Controller is a bit more dangerous than a Wii-mote.
ill trooper @ Sep 24th 2006 2:26PM
Hmmm. Probably a legitimate concern.
Can you feel it? The reality of this device is starting to sink in - while other systems are limited to the screen, the Wii actually invovlves physical space in front of the TV, so people's playing experience is going to vary - many households have the video game system in the children's room, hooked up to the kid's 19-inch TV, next to the bunk beds. Kids sort of wild out and turn the TV different directions, etc... While GameCube and older backward-compat games will be fine, the Wii-specific games (those involving the new controller and motion sensing) are possibly going to cause frustrating times for some, something I'm sure Nintendo is trying their best to simplfy with 'quick set-up instructions' and simple calibration. I would guess, anyway.
vakerorokero @ Sep 24th 2006 2:27PM
Seems someone is flexing some muscle to limit competitors. Wal-mart is doing the same to Apple. Seems Microsoft wants the Zune & XBOX to sell really well...
Chris @ Sep 24th 2006 2:30PM
On one hand, I hate in-store demo units because they really seem to bring out the degenerate monster in kids. On the other hand, I do enjoy witnessing the ineptitude of these kids as they can't seem to wrap their heads around even the simplest games. I wouldn't be surprised at all if kids couldn't understand Wii sports, the epitome of simplicity.
vakerorokero @ Sep 24th 2006 2:43PM
to the people that don't know what I'm talking about, there was a rumor that wal-mart would reduce DVD orders of studios that joined Itunes movie store, rather than their own. Walmart said it wasn't true, studios are not forced to do it. Wal-mart also dropped selling the ipod for the Microsoft Zune and even gave Microsoft front store space in some mayor cities for their new product. Could they be doing somthing like that to nintendo? nah...
vidGuy @ Sep 24th 2006 2:44PM
This won't hurt Nintendo until it's time to appeal to the masses, which won't come until at least this summer, most likely Holidays 2007. Until then, Nintendo will be selling out just to its current fans.
shawn @ Sep 24th 2006 3:38PM
THIS IS FLAT OUT BULL S**T!
cmon wal-mart! you know you have space and why the hel would you be afraid of kids hurting themselves on a freakin game system!!! i cant believe you are this stupid
the only way kids would hurt themselves playin it is if they intentionally throw it at the other kid lol
Night Elve @ Sep 24th 2006 3:07PM
"Is Sony paying off the world's largest retailer in an attempt to sway consumer mind-share when shopping?"
Ok, so why are we now speculating that Sony has something to do ... Joystiq never gives up right?
Anyway i think this a big deal for Nintendo, because when there is a new console in the market people want to try it first before to make the big decision.
Not to mention that WalMart is the largest retailer in America.
MSaccarello @ Sep 24th 2006 3:10PM
@10
lol. don't forget eating sushi during the cut scenes.
J.Goodwin @ Sep 24th 2006 3:17PM
vakerorokero, Apple is responsible for Apple's retailing issues.
They've always preferred to sell their own operating systems on their own hardware via their own stores and catalog on their own terms than to play with other retailers.
WalMart, by comparison, likes to sell what it wants to where it wants to at the prices it wants to on it's own terms, damn the manufacturers.
These two concepts of the retail channel don't get along terribly well together.
Bryce @ Sep 24th 2006 3:28PM
There would also be the problem of people just simply walking off with the Wiimote probably.
But if that was the case, it might make sense for Nintendo to imbed a little chip so that when it leaves a certain radius of the sensor bar the Wiimote starts makine noise. And then if they still don't take it back, the stores sensors could start alarming, maybe.
serbz @ Sep 24th 2006 3:32PM
once again a completely random post turns into an all out sony bash-fest
martin @ Sep 24th 2006 3:41PM
Serbz
How is anyone bashing Sony. If Sony paid off WalMart, good for them, Smart move. A competitor should do something like pay to keep the competition out of the largest US chain of store.
We are bashing Wal-Mart for lying about why they don't have the demos. (be it that Nintendo didn't offer them, or Sony Paid them off, because this unsafe thing is BS!!)
Lynx @ Sep 24th 2006 3:45PM
This has *nothing* to do with Sony - anyone who says otherwise needs to jump off of that bandwagon quick.
In this compensation culture age, any excuse to sue Walmart is obviously something they want to avoid - Although apart from Wii Tennis and Baseball, I can't imagine the games being a threat whatsoever - honestly, what damage could you do playing Monkeyball?
Ridiculous.
Lynx @ Sep 24th 2006 3:50PM
And to further prove my point: Say you have 200 Wallmarts, 40 Wii demo tryouts each day - what's the chances that one of them, out of those 8000 people, someone accidently elbows someone in the face while playing Wii Baseball?
I'm not downplaying the Wii here, i'm very much looking forward to getting one, but people *love* to sue big corporations these days - why risk it?
Solution? Demo games like Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime, Red Steel, and other less motion erratic games.
Kevin Vo @ Sep 24th 2006 4:07PM
Thats stupid. At Walmart Ive seen so much EyeToys for PS2 with games that require you to wave your arms around.
Freddy @ Sep 24th 2006 4:06PM
Wal-Mart does give a shit about safety. They sell guns.
Novacharged @ Sep 24th 2006 4:20PM
sony +1
nintendo 0
i knew this would happen and by december you will hear people complain about the wiimote sliping out of their hand and hiting the tv when playing madden
Paul Avers @ Sep 24th 2006 4:22PM
Someone mentioned it already, but I just don't see it working with the current store set-ups as-is. Our store just got in the last couple months a completely new case set-up, and I doubt they want to re-do them again already. Remember, the standard Wal-mart demo machine set-up has the TV sets at the top of the case. It's kind of hard to set a Wii demo machine up in that space, due to a number of games requiring pointing at the TV set with the remote.
They could put a massive security-tether on the remote set, and pull it out so you can step back a few steps from the TV, but that's just another thing to break. And, if you've seen the kids that are often on the current demo machines... I'd give it a couple weeks before it'd break. I mean, on our original DS demo machine, some waste of skin broke the stylus off, and scraped the hell out of the touch screen with the broken wire it was tethered to the unit with. They like to bash the hell out of the controllers like everyone's favorite impatient German kid while waiting for the game to load, and if the load time takes more than a few seconds, they run up and down the aisle to every other demo machine, and do the same.
And the parents don't even CARE. Argle-bargle.
Next time I see a kid beating on the controller and complaining about how it doesn't work, I'll borrow a line from Floyd and tell them, "It's what the world wants. It's what the world deserves."
metayoshi @ Sep 24th 2006 4:46PM
Umm, seriously, people act as if their going to just move their arms in random motions to play Wii games.
Seriously, I want to see someone beat Wario Ware: Smooth Moves by "flailing their arms around."
Dylan @ Sep 24th 2006 4:48PM
Why not just use the classic controller?
Jordon @ Sep 25th 2006 12:32AM
Nintendo said months ago that they would not do store demo units.
Personally I don't see any feasable way of teathering a controller (for security) anyway that won't impead play and still keep it secure.
A dvd advert on repeat on a decent sized screen will give people enough of an idea of how it will work. I 'm sure if your looking at emptying your savings for a video game console your at least going to have a look at the one thats 1/3rd of price of the other.
How many people here have actually played the Wii, you would have only seen it in pics, movies and reviews and still know its good and want one.
I have doubts as to how much influence a demo unit actually has on sales of that console.
vidGuy @ Sep 24th 2006 4:55PM
"by december you will hear people complain about the wiimote sliping out of their hand and hiting the tv when playing madden"
That'll be the user's fault, not Nintendo's. They are packing the remote with a wrist-band for a reason; if you don't use it, that's your fault.
And I agree with metayoshi, "flailing" makes it seem like someone's just waving manically (ala Eye Toy games). When the game registers all movement, flailing won't due you much good in hitting that baseball or tapping the ball in the cup.
Eddie @ Sep 24th 2006 5:14PM
Its not like Wal-Mart even has working demo units. Seriously,to every Wal-Mart I've been to there is never a single working demo unit. None of them are turned on or even plugged in!
epilepstein @ Sep 24th 2006 5:37PM
none of the walmarts in my area have demo units for any of the systems. i mean there's space for them but they never put anything in there
Mabui @ Sep 24th 2006 5:45PM
Walmart electronics sections are generally crowded to the ones I've been at. I'm not really sure I've seen one where they could offer a good experience for the console (Some even had Tvs on the tops of shelves making you look way up while you played)
I can understand that they need time to work out just how they need to display this and where. I mean it doesn't really matter so much that they don't have it prepped in their stores for play, thats something the game shops will take hold of better.
Generally though, I tend to see Walmart and Nintendo as having a good relationship, alot of the bulk of consoles sold in america tend to come from Walmart as Nintendo tends to be a more family friendly brand that parents tend to pick up for their children.
Alexander Berglund @ Sep 24th 2006 5:48PM
So Wii = Launch in November now? Oh crap... I'm getting so tired of this shit.
vidGuy @ Sep 24th 2006 6:01PM
@Alexander,
Where ya been, my man, that you didn't know that? Wii launches in the US on November 19th for USD$249.99.
rcholbert @ Sep 24th 2006 6:29PM
This has to be the most rediculous article ever.
There is no such thing as a "Q4 layout". Our modulars (read: planograms) drop whenever needed. The Wii will get its space, I'm 100% sure. But hard to add it to our current floorplan when it's not out yet, and there is no such layout out for Q4, which would have been irrelevant anyways since Wii just recently announced their launch date.
I can also personally tell some of the commenters that Wal-Mart is all about the iPod. We really felt we missed the boat on that category the last couple of years. Most stores that have been remodeled (read: over 60% of them) have the iPod in a prominent location in the front of the new technology case. If the Zune does takes its place, Apple would only get shifted to the case right next to it to feature a newer product. Conspiracy!
Also, to #35, we quit selling guns. Way to keep up with the times!
vidGuy @ Sep 24th 2006 6:56PM
@rcholbert,
I don't know how quickly Walmart policy changes are supposed to trickle down the corporate chain, but the half dozen Walmarts I've been to in Illinois and Iowa all still sell handguns and shotguns, bullets and shells.
They do have a prominent sales location for the iPod, though, so maybe that makes life all better...
idioteraser @ Sep 24th 2006 7:18PM
Any walmart has always had the gbas, ds units set so low four year olds were the only ones that could play them standing up. Yeah they set the units that low for some unknown reason.
They also don't have the units in view of the store employees or tell the store employees or security people to watch the demo units. Walmarts have to replace the ds lites every few weeks.
Those wii controllers are expensive and retailers will have to foot the bill.
I also hate that they put the frigging tvs at an angle so someone who is a teenager or adult has to crank their neck.
Seriously get dedicated demo units like an arcade game cabinet and keep the kids away from the units. If parents come in with children warn the parents that if the kids damage the demo units they will have to pay 150 dollars to repair the damages. That will stop them leaving the stupid kids in the electronics area.
I suspect Nintendo does want dedicated demo units like those pictures shown earlier reveal. Walmarts don't have the space for them. Dedicated game stores do.