Nintendo Reveals Wii Midnight Launch Plans

With the North American launch of Nintendo's highly anticipated Wii console set to take place in just a few days on Sunday, November 19, officials from the company have confirmed that Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime will be on hand for the previously announced New York City midnight launch event to sell the initial console to those wanting to be the first to purchase the Wii. The doors will open at 12.01 am on Sunday at the Toys "R" Us store in New York City's Times Square following a countdown celebration, with Reggie selling the first Wii to the awaiting line of eager fans. The event will also include interactive gaming for those waiting in line, as well as acrobatic performances and live music by DJ Ravidrums. Similar festivities will also take place in the run up to the midnight opening of the GameStop at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, with yet unnamed Nintendo guests making appearances as part of the celebration as well. In addition, it is expected that several other retailers across the country will be holding their own unofficial midnight gatherings and events. Nintendo's Wii, which will retail for $249.99 in North America with a packed-in copy of the Wii Sports, is already sold-out from those stores such as GameStop which have accepted pre-orders - though many larger chain stores will simply be selling the console directly on the 19, leading to the likelihood of long lines akin to what was experienced last night and this morning with the launch of Sony's PlayStation 3. Though the console is anticipated to be in a relatively abundant supply supply when compared to Sony's offering, the Wii is still expected to sell out quickly. However, Nintendo has confirmed that the company expects to ship approximately 4 million Wii consoles globally during the six weeks between the system's launch on November 19 in North America and the end of 2006, with the U.S. getting more consoles than any other territory.