The Cutest Ever?

Okay let me preface this by saying my little nicky is the cutest little squirrel in the superfun universe, but when I stumbled on this little story of invicible star-cross'd lovers and the digital-bitmapped wedding gift their close friends made for them I have to admit I blinked twice and sighed with my chin resting on both hands.

Seriously, how many people have a videogame starring themselves? Okay Tony Hawk, the Olsen Twins and all EA Sports titles aside, not even Shiggy has his own videogame custom made for him by his friends...

Head on over to Greggman's blog to check out the full story with pictures and video and prepare to sigh..

Mii Like You

Post your Wii code in comments and join the parade!

Here's ours: 4626 6688 4184 8329

(remember: you have to add the code and be added)

Heart of Console : Success!

Well, this was probably one of the stupidist things I've done. Nicky and I waited in a line with 300 other people on Dundas street for 8 hours in the cold for the opportunity to pick up a Nintendo Wii on launch day. For the most part the line was calm and organized with the ambient sounds of physics arguments, Pocky munching, and DS lite button-mashing and we managed to make some friends with people of all ages and walks of life who were just as crazy/desperate as us and happened to be trapped in the same line.

When dawn broke however, all hell started to break loose. The Best Buy staff were delayed an hour before handing out tickets - which is an extremely long hour for the sleep depraved, hungry attention-deficit-disordered. The tickets were numbered 1 through 300 based on the order of the line and were handed out accordingly - Nicky and I walked away with number 69. However due to mob mentality and a series of unfortunated misguided events, the order of the line quickly descended into survival of the fittest and some people who were first in line somehow found themselves behind number 252.

When the dust cleared though, everyone walked out with what they wanted, including Nicky and I, and all was well with the world. Shortly after we got back home (10:30am)we lost consciousness and blacked out. The pictures we took are the only proof that we didn't halucinate the whole ordeal.

I have to say though, it was totally worth it.

Heart of Console : Into the Congo

As I write this with heavy heart, hundreds of fanboys across the land have resolved to hunker down into their local best buy lineups in anticipation of the launch of Wii. As a result, I too must succomb to this madness if I want any hope of having some degree of success in getting one. I have made my final preparations, packed plenty o Red Bull and begrudgingly will make my way to the front lines and dig myself a trench....the next time you hear from me I will have good news or horribly disappointing news...

Regardless of the outcome....I have become... one of them.......THE HORROR!!! THE HORROR!!!!!!!!

A Good Sign

The display inside Best Buy is set up and ready to be depleted in a matter of hours and the good news is that no one is setting a bad precedent by camping outside. Unfortunately the same can't be said for 3 hardcore fangirls camping outside Toronto's most ghetto Futureshop establishment (seriously this one makes Lexington, Kentucky look safe) who have been there since last night even despite the complete lack of lineups anywhere in the city (let alone the Best Buy sporting 300 units just a block away) For your sake (and mine) I didn't take a picture of them.

Heart of Console : Day 5

I am happy to announce that the Nintendo fanboys in Toronto have held out a full 20 hours before launch and not one is lined up yet outside of Best Buy. My faith in humanity has been restored a little. Of course the day is early and I expect the nail-biters will be giving in soon. Will it be 15 hours before launch, 10 hours, dare I say 4 hours before the masses hit the pavement and wait in line? Wii shall see, especially since the Bay and Dundas location has confirmed they have in excess of a whopping 280 units available (thanks in part to their cross-promotion event with Nintendo: Gaming Invasion 06 event), I don't see the need for a massive overnight line-up considering there is huge potential for walk-in success with those kind of numbers...standby..

New Plan

Okay, if THIS guy can score a Wii 2 days early than he is either much smarter or luckier than I and I hate him more than the douchebags camping for multiple days.

My new secondary objective: Rely on the sheer stupidity/laziness of clueless Sears employees..

Heart of Console : Day 4

There's less than 28 hours to launch day and I can say that I'm prepared as I'll ever be. It's up to destiny now to determine my fate, and by destiny I mean the volume of psycho morons who choose to line up more than 28 hours in advance when a simple 2-hour wait is (mildly insane) ample.

I've done my math and geographical triangulations and I believe I have a solid gameplan that won't force me to wait outside for hours like an ill-behaved dog with a cruel owner. It does mean there is a serious possibility of a videogame roadtrip taking place this weekend.

By the Numbers..

As of today, numbers of actual consoles available have been revealed at most major retailers. The numbers aren't too surprising.. Here's a run-down on the major outlets in downtown Toronto:

Best Buy (Bay/Dundas):
PS3 60GB = 76
PS3 20GB = 16
Wii = a number of employees confirmed there is in excess of 100, but probably no more than 125.

Future Shop (Yonge/Gould):
PS3 60GB = 12
PS3 20GB = 0
Wii = no employee would comment despite numbers posted on their website suggesting 15-60.

HMV (Yonge/Dundas):
PS3 = None whatsoever
Wii = 30 (confirmed)

Walmart:
Employees have no idea what I was talking about.

Heart of Console : Day 3

Call it mercy, or downright common courtesy, in an attempt to soothe the concerns of escalating consumer anxiety over supply for both the PS3 and Wii, Futureshop has issued a statement on their website to outline their launch day policies and confirm minimum numbers of consoles being shipped to locations. They are claiming each store will have a MINIMUM of 10 PS3 consoles and 15-60 Wii consoles. The stores will be opening at 8am on Sunday and staff will be handing out tickets 2 hours before opening to gaurantee a purchase. No ticket, no console. They have also confirmed that in order to meet these number gaurantees, store employees are not allowed to purchase any of the systems on launch day...There is a glimmer of hope as my quest continues..

Gaming Invasion 06

If you're gonna be in Toronto this weekend and have been left empty-handed in the wake of next-gen launches all hope is not lost. The friendly friends at Best Buy are hosting a next-gen videogamestravaganza all weekend long at Yonge-Dundas Square starting tomorrow through Sunday. Each day of the event showcases a different system so you can choose which day best suits your needs. It promises to have "awesome" interactive displays and prize giveaways every hour on the hour with chances to win PS3s, 360s, and Wiis - oh my!! Here's a quick breakdown of the schedule and a handy PDF if you prefer:

Friday: PS3 Showcase 10am-6pm
Saturday: XBOX 360 Showcase 10am-2pm
Sunday: Nintendo Wii Showcase 11am-6pm

Heart of Console : Day 2

Well, as you can see the Wii's have landed at Best Buy outlets across North America. Sadly, it's too late to pull off my initial plan of holding up a UPS delivery truck (seriously, I watched HEAT three times to devise a strategy). The good news is that the units will not be made available for sale until Sunday morning. Plan B is in full effect..

Yesterday Nicky was able to gather some reconnaisance materials from the Wii-launch event. Namely, a Wii-branded T-shirt and Media Kit grounded my focus for the task at hand. I have procured a vehicle, done some investigating and research on my primary targets, and have prepared an itinerary for battle this weekend. I can only take comfort in knowing my sanity is at least slightly more stable than some of the folks in the US who have been camping out all week for the PS3...slightly....degrees.

The journey continues..

Wii Launch Love-in

This morning was the official Canadian Wii launch event at Atlantis in the symbol of technological progress a la 1974, Ontario Place. But we braced the rusting bridge to get our hands on 38 Wii consoles loaded with games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Super Monkey Ball, ExciteTruck and Wii Sports.

The event was like any other media event - a heavily branded space with lots of games and pounding techn music. Ron Bertram, prez of NOCL made a breif speech that reassured media that Wii would be the winner this holiday season thanks to the success of DS and their "disruptive" philosophy. And then on to the games!

I managed to get some good face time with Rayman: Raving Rabbids (which was not demo-ed at all at E3) and it's pretty darn cute. What is essentially a disc full of mini-games, Rayman runs into a large arena and behind each door is a mini-game where the objective is to take advantage of the rabbids weaknesses (their love of eating and disco dancing and unfamiliarity with cows). The games are short and easy - the graphics are fun and cartoony, which suits the Wii.

I watched a lot of Red Steel - it was one of the longest waits at the event (longer than Zelda - wtf?) and I can honestly say that Gears of War has ruined every other shooter for me. Red Steel was boring with long story cut cenes and the gameplay seemed trivial at best. While I understand I was watching one of the first levels being played, the pure lack of visuals that Gears has turned me right off.

That brings me to Legend of Zelda - yeah it is awesome. The controls are very natural despite there being a lot of them mapped onto every button and the graphics look vibrant and stunning on the Wii. The way Link moves, rolls, climbs, jumps feels really great - he looks good as you move him, not stiff at all. I wasn't able to try any of the combat (boo), but I'm excited to pick this game up.

I won't go on about Wii Sports - if you have friends they will like these games. You will not like these games if you are a loner. Nuff said.

I got some okay swag that I will take a few pics of when I get home and let 8Bit rummage through it all.

Heart of Console : Day 1

Every man has a calling. I do not. I have a need to escape from the annoying responsibilities and stress of working that far outweighs anything meaningful. I have an innate desire to play videogames. Perhaps this is my calling.

That is why I must do this; as a simple man without a pre-order and nothing to lose, I am going to do whatever it takes to purchase a Nintendo Wii this weekend on launch day. I am prepared to journey deep into the jungle of hardcore nerds, fanboys, and virgins across Southern Ontario retail chains and do whatever it takes to claim my prize.

Starting today I am developing a gameplan and strict regimen to make this happen. My livelihood, self-respect, and dignity are at stake.

This is my quest. Hopefully I will come through the other side without succombing to madness. I will keep you posted on the developments..

Emergence PLAY!

Okay I'm gonna make this quick coz I just got my grubby paws on an advance copy (Well 1 night in advance)of the most anticipated XBOX game since Halo 2 and I need to squeeze a few hours in before midnight just to justify the luxury. I'm talkin GEARS OF WAR BABY! WOOOOOT!

The Canadian faction of the Xbox Live community held an intimate to-do tonight over the launch of the game at an apropriately dirty post-apocalyptic venue in downtown Toronto known as the Berkley Church hosted by the lovely and lively "Jade Live". The turn-out wasn't overwhelming and Nicky was one of 3 females in an otherwise sweaty, moderately obese sausage party, but when there's only 16 stations to play the game a smaller crowd is a good thing.

Anyway, the bottom line is we got a chance to see the game in action, drink all the RC Cola we wanted, and wait for it...on our way out both Nicky and I were treated to a complimentary copy of the full retail game. Talk about ANTI-anti-climactic. Free swag is good, but free Gears of War before release is like a little bit of Christmas...in a bloody chainsaw-gun-wielding sort of way...I'll see you on LIVE tomorrow and I'll be bringing my few hours of advance practice with me....bring it!