kiosk posts (Subscribe to this feed)
A look at Best Buy's new trade-in kiosk
by JC Fletcher 
{ Jun 26th 2009 at 3:45PM } 
As it turns out, the kiosks aren't just for trading in games for store credit -- you can buy, trade, or even rent used games or movies from the device. The one we looked at had a tiny selection of both games and movies available (less than fifty total offerings), but that's most likely because of the early stage of the program.
We snapped some pictures of the kiosk while we were trying it out. Head into our gallery if you ever wanted to see what a game case deposit slot or a disc dispenser looks like.
Gallery: Best Buy trade-in kiosk
Check out the PlayStation Pavilion at the new Nationals Park
by Kyle Orland { Mar 31st 2008 at 6:00PM }
click to enlarge
A new season of Major League Baseball started up in America last night with the first game ever at Washington's brand new Nationals Park, complete with a presidential first pitch and a thrilling walk-off home run. Why should you care about any of this? Because the opening of the new park also means the opening of its new promotional PlayStation Pavilion, packed with demo kiosks for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, MLB08: The Show, Guitar Hero 3 and SingStar.
You'd think people at a ballpark would have better things to do than play video games, but the demo area drew quite a crowd among the opening night fans. Need proof? Check out our exclusive gallery of photos from the new pavilion below.
SNES display kiosk up for grabs, but the price might be too high
by David Hinkle { Feb 12th 2008 at 11:00PM }
Oh, we can regale you with the many times we were fooled by that well-known southern kindness and charm, only to awake an indiscernible amount of time later, duct-taped to a chair in a leaky, dark basement somewhere. If only we had developed muscles by participating in physical activities in the outside world, we could have ripped through that duct tape!
Anyway, this cabinet. Yeah, it looks sweet, but, as we said, you have to pick it up locally. The seller isn't willing to ship the darn thing.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii, Smash Bros. demo kiosks to hit Japan
by Kyle Orland { Jan 24th 2008 at 6:25PM }
Remember way back when Wal-mart was concerned about playable Wii kiosks causing kids to break their arms or knock over expensive electronics (or both)? Apparently Japanese retailers never got over these fears, because up to this point there hasn't been an official, playable Nintendo kiosk to be found in the country. This is about to change, though, as IGN reports that 30 shops nationwide will roll out Smash Bros. Brawl-infused kiosks on Jan. 26, three days before the game's Japanese release.Despite having about a bazillion control schemes, Smash Bros. is notable for not requiring the Wii's trademark waggle in any way shape or form, presumably making it safe for Japanese in-store play. Whether the kiosks will last past the relatively sedentary game (and whether the Smash Bros. demo will come to U.S. Wii kiosks) is still unknown.
Japan finally gets themselves some demo kiosks
by David Hinkle { Jan 24th 2008 at 6:00PM }
So why did it take so long to get demo kiosks to Japanese consumers? Fear of accidents caused by arm-flailing participators, who might throw caution to the wind, along with their fists and elbows. It would seem the benefits of getting the game into the hands of Japanese gamers far outweighs the possible repercussions of an accident.
Personally, we're being a bit selfish about the whole thing. The idea of Japan getting demo versions of Super Smash Bros. Brawl indicates that those of us who know of a nearby demo kiosk can swarm it in the case that we're as lucky and get access to a demo build for the game. Let's hope so.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Get your yummy Halo 3 theme at a kiosk near you
by Dustin Burg { Nov 23rd 2007 at 1:00PM }
Actually, after taking a deep breathe and looking over this blog, we're realizing that we just expressed an unnatural amount of excitement for a dashboard theme. Maybe we should take it down a notch. But the fact that, in order to get this (super yummy) Halo 3 theme, we have to find a 360 kiosk, stick in our memory card and download makes its appeal so great. Screw it! That's our goal for today. We're finding and downloading that elusive Halo 3 kiosk theme and nobody is stopping us! We want it and we want it now ... status update incoming.
Delta DS download stations hit JFK airport
by David Hinkle { May 16th 2007 at 12:00PM }
Sure, we reported on this quite some time ago, but the program is expanding at an incredible rate. With the latest download kiosk hitting New York's JFK airport, we find ourselves that much closer to living in a world populated with the wonderful machines. Why, even when they become sentient and rise up, crushing their squishy meat bag oppressors, we'll be fine so long as they still offer demo downloads of Elite Beat Agents and Cooking Mama.The kiosk available at JFK currently has demo versions of Elite Beat Agents, Brain Age, Cooking Mama and Tomb Raider: Legend (ouch). Kiosks can also be currently found at Delta terminals at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. No word on how often the software is updated as Nintendo says it will be "updated periodically and will showcase everything from brain training to action games, appealing to baby boomers and seniors, and to teens and kids."
Hopefully they'll start giving out DS Lites for flights soon, as they have in Japan for quite some time.
DS kiosks brighten up Korean mall
by Eric Caoili { Apr 26th 2007 at 11:00AM }
These photos from a Korean mall's Nintendo DS kiosks are from a month ago, but it's interesting to see how the handheld is being promoted in the East Asian country. The showroom's walls are lined with posters of celebrities playing with DS Lites, stylish-looking chairs and tables are available for idlers, and a glass divider separates the area from the rest of the shopping center while still attracting passer-bys with gaming treats.
It isn't clear if this is a permanent setup or if the kiosks are only there for the interim to accompany the DS' recent launch in Korea. The way Nintendo has put its games on display, encouraging people to try out titles like New Super Mario Bros., Brain Training, and English Training in an attractive space, reminds us a lot of Apple's brick and mortar stores and the old Xbox 360 Lounge in Japan. Do we have anything like this to advocate the Nintendo DS in the states? Check for more photos after the jump.
[Via Insert Credit]
Sony to market PS3 at English National Opera
by Kyle Orland { Feb 6th 2007 at 5:20PM }
When it comes to video games, marketers tend to focus their in-person efforts on youth oriented events like sports, concert tours, and extreme sports-infused concert tours. Sony is taking a bit of a different tact, marketing the PS3 to the audience at the English National Opera (ENO).
As the London Times reported last week, Sony will be placing a PS3 kiosk in the foyer on the London Coliseum, the ENO's home stage. The kiosk will accompany a Sony-sponsored version of Puccini's La Boheme and an initiative aimed at convincing British schoolteachers that the PSP is useful as a learning tool. Personally, we've learned a lot about taking out cops from our PSPs.
The Times piece goes on to draw a link between controversial games like Grand Theft Auto and controversial operas like Strauss' Elektra or Berg's Wozzeck. Where are the Jack Thompson wannabes crying about the deleterious effects of opera on our troubled youth? Oh, that's right ... our troubled youth doesn't care about opera. We forgot.
Outdoor Wii-osks in London
by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 13th 2007 at 1:25PM }
The people of London must be really trustworthy, considering they were treated to outdoor Wii-osks yesterday. Any self-respecting American in a metropolitan city would have asked to demo the unit, taken the Wii-mote, cracked the marketing flack over the head and run off with the system. But alas, these are not Americans. Reader Limpit writes, "The unit itself consisted of a Wii, nice Samsung HDTV, Wii Sports, 2 Wii-remotes, and 2 guys in some very funky looking white Wii puffer-jackets. They seemed quite happy, and so did the little crowd of people who had gathered to witness the marvel that is Wii Sports."
Limpit correctly goes on to say this display is part of Nintendo's massive marketing machine storming across the globe. Any readers see these outdoor kiosks in your neck of this third rock from the sun?
[Thanks Limpit]Wii demonstration kiosks now at Target
by David Hinkle { Nov 16th 2006 at 9:30AM }
One of our readers was recently in Target and saw the above Wii demonstration kiosk. It is very much like other, non-playable kiosks we have seen in various retail outlets such as Wal-Mart where, instead of game demos, there is a constant video loop playing that describes the Wii and shows one how to play its games. Undoubtedly designed to get those who might otherwise be uninterested or in the dark about the console looking its way, we've personally seen a few people stopping to check it out.
[Thanks Author X!]
Wii kiosks using composite cables
by David Hinkle { Nov 10th 2006 at 9:55AM }
... or, at least, on the Wii kiosk pictured above. Reader wigglesxjr, who is responsible for taking the above picture with his camera phone, assures us this is totally real and comes from his local EB Games in West Covina, CA. Using Samsung LCD TVs for their kiosks, you'd think that Nintendo would go the extra mile and use component cables for all of their displays, right? I mean, you could even have the EB/GameStop folks pushing the cables saying customers won't get as clear and good a picture as on the kiosk at home without them.
Wii demo kiosk gets run through the gauntlet
by David Hinkle { Nov 8th 2006 at 10:55AM }
Turns out there just might be one individual out there who can rival the amount of excitement we feel for the impending launch of the Wii. So, when his local EB finally got their Wii demo kiosk in, he went to town with his camcorder and filmed every single thing he could think of. The end product is a 6 minute+ video showing some Excite Truck and the Wii menu interface.
[Via Go Nintendo]
Wii start up disc is used for console set up
by David Hinkle { Nov 6th 2006 at 6:55PM }
Remember when we learned about the mysterious "Startup Disc" from the back of a Wii box? Turns out the disc will be used once to set up your Wii on its initial cycling of power. One Joystiq reader, and Engadget blogger, named Paul miller snapped the above picture of a Wii kiosk in a South Shore Mall Software Etc. store, located in Bay Shore, NY. The message, which is in English, Spanish, and French, reads:
"Please insert your Wii Startup Disc. This will set up your Wii console."
Nongamer on Wii: it's better than buttons [update 1]
by Alisha Karabinus { Nov 6th 2006 at 2:15PM }
It begins -- as the Wii kiosks go up around in GameStops everywhere, we're starting to see more hands-on impressions of the system. Reader Nick tipped us off on this one, and it's not much, but there's something interesting in these few quick lines about the Wii. He and his wife, Katie (who he says is "pretty much a nongamer") stopped by their local store to check out the Excite Truck demo in action. In their blog, Katie reports that Nick had a little trouble with it, but she found it easy. Why? Because it was really like steering and not just about pushing buttons. That was something we noticed at the Fusion Tour as well -- that those of us who spend vast oceans of time with a controller in hand may not have it so easy with the Wii, at least in the beginning.
[Thanks, Nick!]
[Update: Removed photograph at reader request.]
