Things were more laid back at the Best Buy in Lynnwood, WA, who was waiting until Sunday morning before selling Nintendo’s next-generation console, but confirmed that 84 units were available. Only twelve people were in line, all high-schoolers or older. They knew they were in for a good night’s wait, as they all brought sleeping bags, and 4-person tents.
Some youths brought a TV and several consoles, playing out of the back of a car. They hooked up a deep-cycle marine battery, much more resilient than standard car batteries. The marine battery, they said, could easily drive a TV and console for at least 8 hours.
When asked what they would do to pass the time, several Englemore high school students responded “I dunno… maybe tell ghost stories. We’re all really here for the experience. I wouldn’t be anywhere else right now, but probably won’t ever do this again”. The students (Mikeal, Devin, and “Butters”) said that many people asked them what they were doing, because they had no idea the Wii was launching or even what a “Wii” was. They added “The Wii is the only ‘real’ next-gen console because it has a completely new way of playing games. They even allow you to use standard SD cards for saves instead of custom memory”.
I returned to Fred Meyer at 11:15, where the scene had gotten a little more tense. Management had already passed out tickets, and one disgruntled customer (who was #91 out of the 90 tickets available) began a shouting match with the manager, who subsequently contacted police. The man left before authorities could show, however.
One clever youth, knowing he was going to be left out, purchased a 42nd place in line for $170 from a lucky ticket-holder.
Around 11:30, everything went dark: the Fred Meyer street sign, parking lot lights: only the faint glow of the many Nintendo DSes illuminated the faces of the fans. Apparently Fred Meyer is not used to staying open this late, and the lighting system was on a timer. Some people retrieved flashlights from their cars, but vending machines near the beginning of the line showed the goal: Fred Meyer’s front doors.
