Posted 4/30/2008 at 9:26:53 AM
Reading various sites on the web the past few days, one thing has become increasingly apparent. Wii owners are viewed as MARKS by the retail sector. From warranties on plastic to extra peripherals, retailers think you are ripe for being held upside down and shaken by the ankles.
My story is probably not unlike many of yours. I arrived back home Monday after a weekend out of state, excited to pick up Mario Kart and enjoy the rest of the day playing it before heading back to work. Being that my apartment is in an awesome location, I live directly across the street from a strip of stores and restaurants. My two choices here for getting the game would be K-Mart and EB Games. I don't particularly shop at either of these stores.. K-Mart because they just don't tend to have things I like, and EB because of their assault on gamers pockets.
I did have a gift card for K-Mart though, so I figured I'd head over there. After the long trek through the store to the electronics department, and listening to a teenager trying to explain digital cameras to an older couple for ten minutes, I asked for a copy of Mario Kart and followed him to the glass case where the
precious diamonds video games are tightly locked up. He glanced down and gave me the news. "We don't have it. Must have sold out right away." I asked him to look behind some items on the bottom shelf.. I knew that the game came in a larger box and therefore may have been on the bottom shelf behind another item. He assured me it wasn't back there, and as far as I could see, it wasn't. I thanked him and swallowed my pride as I continued on to EB.
Upon arriving, I was met by the token overweight game nerd who was clearly in the store just to hover over the counter and bullshit with the clerks, as well as the clerks themselves. One was eating chips. One was staring into space. One was wearing a jacket and held a laptop case. I squeezed by the kid at the counter, and looked straight ahead, unaware of who was actually
working. The guy with the laptop case nods his head at me, and I ask for Mario Kart. "Well,.. did you preorder?" No,.. I did not. Did it matter?, I wondered. There was 5 or 6 copies on the shelf and surely all preorders had been picked up by the second day. His only reaction was turning around and handing a copy to the guy staring into space, who then began the process of scanning the UPC.
It was at this moment that things went bad as they always tend to do at EB. The cronie who was sitting around eating interjects to ask if I want an extra wheel. I tell him no, and he
rolls his eyes as he says "ok.. whatever..". The guy ringing me up then proclaims "come on, get some 2 player goin!" Sorry guys,.. I have a real career and don't live with my parents. Noone to play with at my apartment. I finish paying and walk out, vowing to myself
once again to never shop there again.
I mean, come on. I'm an adult. I understand the purpose of this plastic shell, and I'm more than capable of making my own decision as to whether I want an extra one or not. Even if I did want one, there is a company out there selling *3* of them(3rd party ones) for $15-20. These are the same flunkies that tried to discourage me from buying the Gran Turismo 4 wheel in favor of some generic $40 junk, and who made an ordeal out of purchasing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat when it was on sale for $10 with free extra bongos last year.
I guess what I'm getting at here, is a few things. For one,.. Gamestop is so inept at what they do, that any of the other electronics retailers could rival their business with very little effort. Just manage your stock a little better! And most importantly,.. not everyone who owns a Wii is a sheep looking to be led around with trickery and hand holding. Wise up Gamestop.. or continue to lose the true gamers as customers.
Nintendo gives a few examples: you may be limited to one particular control option, or you may be collecting coins. The competition that launched today involves getting the fastest time on Mario Circuit in a normal race. Throughout the entry period, you will be able to enter as many times as you wish.
According to shipping reports, 
Although a late April release for Mario Kart Wii was already 