news via vggen

In its Q3 2006 earnings conference call today, GameStop revealed the early attach rates (number of software units sold per console) for both the Wii and PlayStation 3.

The PS3 was on the short end of the stick, with a measly 1.5 games per console sold, with the early winners being Resistance: Fall of Man and Madden NFL 07 (no surprises there). Meanwhile, the Wii enjoyed a much higher 3.0 attach rate, with the top sellers being Red Steel and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

While GameStop blamed the low PS3 attach rate on the high percentage of consoles being resold for a profit (primarily on eBay), no doubt the high price of the console itself also played a role. GameStop expects the PS3's attach rate to pick up once the console is in the hands of "real gamers." ...

news via vggen

In its Q3 2006 earnings conference call today, GameStop revealed the early attach rates (number of software units sold per console) for both the Wii and PlayStation 3.

The PS3 was on the short end of the stick, with a measly 1.5 games per console sold, with the early winners being Resistance: Fall of Man and Madden NFL 07 (no surprises there). Meanwhile, the Wii enjoyed a much higher 3.0 attach rate, with the top sellers being Red Steel and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

While GameStop blamed the low PS3 attach rate on the high percentage of consoles being resold for a profit (primarily on eBay), no doubt the high price of the console itself also played a role. GameStop expects the PS3's attach rate to pick up once the console is in the hands of "real gamers." ...

news via ign

We want 480p! The current word on where the elusive cables are available.

November 21, 2006 - Though Nintendo decided against jumping on the High-Definition bandwagon, the Wii isn't incapable of generating something better than archaic 480i resolution. By means of Component Video Cables, the Wii is able to output 480p—progressive rather than interlaced—which makes a surprising difference on any TV capable of accepting such a signal, like pretty much every HDTV and LCD on the market.

Somewhat frustratingly, Wii Component Video Cables are not easy to come by, especially in the midst of the post-launch frenzy. Nintendo's own online store has been the primary provider of the Wii Component Cables in the weeks before launch. Unfortuantely, the store seems unable to keep the cables in stock for more than a few hours at a time, and has been consistently sold out of the optional cables since a few days before the official Wii launch. The store currently lists the $29.95 cables as out-of-stock, but announces that more cables will be available in "the week of November 28."

Nintendo also expects first party Nintendo Wii Component Cables to arrive at retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, and Circuit City in early to mid December. For those unable to wait quite so long, we've got word that Wii Component Cables from third-party manufacturer React will be hitting shelves at Best Buy later this week. You may have to brave some Black Friday mobs to pick them up, so try not to become involved in any stampedes, assaults, or retail riots while you're there, as such behavior is simply not in keeping with the Tao of Wii. ...

news via ign

We want 480p! The current word on where the elusive cables are available.

November 21, 2006 - Though Nintendo decided against jumping on the High-Definition bandwagon, the Wii isn't incapable of generating something better than archaic 480i resolution. By means of Component Video Cables, the Wii is able to output 480p—progressive rather than interlaced—which makes a surprising difference on any TV capable of accepting such a signal, like pretty much every HDTV and LCD on the market.

Somewhat frustratingly, Wii Component Video Cables are not easy to come by, especially in the midst of the post-launch frenzy. Nintendo's own online store has been the primary provider of the Wii Component Cables in the weeks before launch. Unfortuantely, the store seems unable to keep the cables in stock for more than a few hours at a time, and has been consistently sold out of the optional cables since a few days before the official Wii launch. The store currently lists the $29.95 cables as out-of-stock, but announces that more cables will be available in "the week of November 28."

Nintendo also expects first party Nintendo Wii Component Cables to arrive at retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, and Circuit City in early to mid December. For those unable to wait quite so long, we've got word that Wii Component Cables from third-party manufacturer React will be hitting shelves at Best Buy later this week. You may have to brave some Black Friday mobs to pick them up, so try not to become involved in any stampedes, assaults, or retail riots while you're there, as such behavior is simply not in keeping with the Tao of Wii. ...

news via ign

We want 480p! The current word on where the elusive cables are available.

November 21, 2006 - Though Nintendo decided against jumping on the High-Definition bandwagon, the Wii isn't incapable of generating something better than archaic 480i resolution. By means of Component Video Cables, the Wii is able to output 480p—progressive rather than interlaced—which makes a surprising difference on any TV capable of accepting such a signal, like pretty much every HDTV and LCD on the market.

Somewhat frustratingly, Wii Component Video Cables are not easy to come by, especially in the midst of the post-launch frenzy. Nintendo's own online store has been the primary provider of the Wii Component Cables in the weeks before launch. Unfortuantely, the store seems unable to keep the cables in stock for more than a few hours at a time, and has been consistently sold out of the optional cables since a few days before the official Wii launch. The store currently lists the $29.95 cables as out-of-stock, but announces that more cables will be available in "the week of November 28."

Nintendo also expects first party Nintendo Wii Component Cables to arrive at retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, and Circuit City in early to mid December. For those unable to wait quite so long, we've got word that Wii Component Cables from third-party manufacturer React will be hitting shelves at Best Buy later this week. You may have to brave some Black Friday mobs to pick them up, so try not to become involved in any stampedes, assaults, or retail riots while you're there, as such behavior is simply not in keeping with the Tao of Wii. ...

news via ign

WiiConnect 24 Update Breaking Systems?
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get a broken Wii.

We have received word from numerous sources that running the initial WiiConnect 24 update on the Wii has had a tendency to cause a recurring error code. Several error codes have been reported so far, but the most prevalent of them are 110213 and 32002. We contacted Nintendo about this issue, and they filled us in on what you should do if you find yourself in this predicament.

Currently, Nintendo has two options in place to resolve the problem. If you do not have any data saved to your system that is important to keep, then you can contact Nintendo customer service and they will ship a new console to you in 3-4 business days. However, if you do have important data saved to your system, then things get a little trickier. Data like game saves and Miis are not disastrous to lose, but Virtual Console data is. While Virtual Console games are re-downloadable should you delete them, the data saved on your console regarding which games you have downloaded is tied to your system. In this situation, option #2 is the way to go.

Option #2 requires that Nintendo send you a shipping label which should take 4-10 business days. Once you receive the shipping label, you can use it to send the console to Nintendo for repairs, after which they will send it back to you. Sadly, this process takes 8-12 business days, meaning that if you choose option #2, you will be Wii-less for a good long while.

Nintendo could not comment on how widespread this problem is, but did say that they are currently looking into fixes that can be done without Nintendo replacing or repairing the console itself. ...

news via ign

WiiConnect 24 Update Breaking Systems?
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get a broken Wii.

We have received word from numerous sources that running the initial WiiConnect 24 update on the Wii has had a tendency to cause a recurring error code. Several error codes have been reported so far, but the most prevalent of them are 110213 and 32002. We contacted Nintendo about this issue, and they filled us in on what you should do if you find yourself in this predicament.

Currently, Nintendo has two options in place to resolve the problem. If you do not have any data saved to your system that is important to keep, then you can contact Nintendo customer service and they will ship a new console to you in 3-4 business days. However, if you do have important data saved to your system, then things get a little trickier. Data like game saves and Miis are not disastrous to lose, but Virtual Console data is. While Virtual Console games are re-downloadable should you delete them, the data saved on your console regarding which games you have downloaded is tied to your system. In this situation, option #2 is the way to go.

Option #2 requires that Nintendo send you a shipping label which should take 4-10 business days. Once you receive the shipping label, you can use it to send the console to Nintendo for repairs, after which they will send it back to you. Sadly, this process takes 8-12 business days, meaning that if you choose option #2, you will be Wii-less for a good long while.

Nintendo could not comment on how widespread this problem is, but did say that they are currently looking into fixes that can be done without Nintendo replacing or repairing the console itself. ...

news via ign

WiiConnect 24 Update Breaking Systems?
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get a broken Wii.

We have received word from numerous sources that running the initial WiiConnect 24 update on the Wii has had a tendency to cause a recurring error code. Several error codes have been reported so far, but the most prevalent of them are 110213 and 32002. We contacted Nintendo about this issue, and they filled us in on what you should do if you find yourself in this predicament.

Currently, Nintendo has two options in place to resolve the problem. If you do not have any data saved to your system that is important to keep, then you can contact Nintendo customer service and they will ship a new console to you in 3-4 business days. However, if you do have important data saved to your system, then things get a little trickier. Data like game saves and Miis are not disastrous to lose, but Virtual Console data is. While Virtual Console games are re-downloadable should you delete them, the data saved on your console regarding which games you have downloaded is tied to your system. In this situation, option #2 is the way to go.

Option #2 requires that Nintendo send you a shipping label which should take 4-10 business days. Once you receive the shipping label, you can use it to send the console to Nintendo for repairs, after which they will send it back to you. Sadly, this process takes 8-12 business days, meaning that if you choose option #2, you will be Wii-less for a good long while.

Nintendo could not comment on how widespread this problem is, but did say that they are currently looking into fixes that can be done without Nintendo replacing or repairing the console itself. ...

news via gamespot

Retailer tells analysts both Sony and Nintendo have already delivered their second shipments of newly released consoles, talks tie ratios of both.

One of the biggest hitches with Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch last year was a dearth of follow-up shipments that left the game maker unable to make its next-gen system readily available to consumers until months after launch.

Sony and Nintendo might manage to avoid that problem, as GameStop today indicated that last weekend's launches of the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii sold out, but more units are on the way. In an investor conference call tied to the retailer's third quarter earnings report, GameStop executives confirmed that that have already been resupplied with both systems, and they expect to get more of each on a weekly basis.

The executives also recapped the launch performances of the two systems. For the PS3, Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man and Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 07 were the biggest sellers, while Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Ubisoft's Red Steel stood out from the pack of Wii launch titles.

However, game sales were stronger on the Wii, with GameStop sporting a tie ratio of 3 games sold for every system, compared to the PS3's tie ratio of 1.5 games for each system. The shortfall on Sony's system was attributed to more people picking up the system on its own in order to turn around and sell it for a premium. As those systems find their ways into the hands of "real gamers," the execs said the PS3 tie ratio should increase.

GameStop's higher-ups noted that their chain historically has the highest tie ratio of any retailer in the country, but estimated that they were still shorted on hardware allocation by both Sony and Nintendo. While GameStop and its EB Games brand collectively account for about 25 percent of the US gaming market, the company believes it didn't receive that much of either system's day-one shipments. Executives said that they've never been satisfied with their launch day allocation of any new machine, but added their main concern now is the flow of follow-up shipments--which both Sony and Nintendo have promised will come at a steady pace. ...