The good news for Wii players hoping to feel the burn with assistance from their console is the system comes with a free game that researchers found more effective than the $100 Wii Fit:

Researchers found that in all cases, performing an actual exercise activity rather than Wii Fit's virtual approximation resulted in "significantly higher" caloric expenditure. The Rhythm Boxing activity, in particular, burned one-third of the calories expended per minute of traditional boxing.

"While we found that playing the Wii Fit burns twice as many calories as a sedentary video game," said ACE's chief science officer Cedric X. Bryant, "the outcome of the study suggests that Wii Sports, the Wii's suite of exergames that includes tennis, boxing, golf and bowling, is a better option and more capable of helping consumers meet minimum intensity guidelines for exercise."

I've found Wii Fit's most effective weight-loss tool to be its fattening/thinning of your Mii avatar depending on your body mass index. The game also passive-aggressively scolds you when you gain weight, making you provide a reason for your piggishness. You think twice about eating those fries when you remember you've got to answer to Wii Fit in the morning. But yeah, it sucks as exercise.

American Council on Exercise Charts 'Underwhelming' Wii Fit Health Benefits [Gamasutra, via Kotaku]

The new handheld gaming device boasts a larger screen than the DSi and longer battery life. It's also bigger and heavier than the DSi, and Nintendo is slapping loyal customers in the face by not allowing them to transfer games they've downloaded on the DSi to the DSi LL.

The DSi LL bucks the trend of Nintendo's numerous redesigns, which have made the device smaller and thinner. This pocket-unfriendly DSi could backfire, but hey, when you've sold 113 million of something, you know what you're doing.

The doodad is coming out Nov. 10 in Japan and in the first three months of 2010 in Europe. There's no release date yet for the U.S., but it will definitely come out here and you or someone you know will buy one.

Nintendo officially reveals the DSi LL [Destructoid]

"Warning! Painful to watch!" [Oh Gizmo!]

Sony refused to fix the consoles they may have ruined, claiming the system update wasn't responsible for reported disc read errors, while Nintendo said it would replace unfairly bricked consoles for free. (The impetus behind Nintendo's update seemed to be to disable Wiis modified by pirates to play illegally downloaded games.)

It turns out that praise was probably premature. Nintendo has backed away from its virtuous initial response, and gamer Pathiatawner posted on Nintendo's tech forum that her out-of-warranty, un-modded Wii was ruined by the update and Nintendo is charging her $85 for the repair.

She wrote:

There's nothing about them fixing it for free. I was told $85 and they wouldn't pay for shipping on the phone yesterday. There's just mention of them being able to fix most of them without sending it in, but mine doesn't even turn on fully anymore, just a black screen.

A Nintendo tech employee named Jane originally said on the tech forum that the company would take care of unfairly bricked consoles:

Hello,

Some of you have reported problems with your Wii console after updating to the Wii System Menu 4.2. The symptoms most people are describing usually occur when the Wii has been modified. However, some of you also mention your system has never been modified.

We'd like to help get your system working properly again. If you're experiencing problems with your Wii console after downloading Wii System Menu 4.2, and you believe your system has not been modified, please give us a call. If we find that you have a normal system and the update caused your system to not work, we'll repair it at no charge.

Please call our Customer Service Department at your earliest convenience, 1-800-255-3700. We are open 6 AM to 7 PM, Pacific Time, 7 days a week.

Thank you,
NOA_Tech_Jane

Jane then seemingly noted a shift in policy with this post:

Hello again,

We wanted to provide a bit more information.

In reading your posts on this topic, there is a perception that 'lots and lots' of people are having problems with their Wii console after having downloaded the Wii System Menu 4.2.

At this point, the number of people who have had a problem is extremely small, and in fact, we have found we can help a good portion of people with troubleshooting to the point that there is no repair necessary. For the vast majority of Wii owners who have downloaded system menu update (SMU) 4.2 there have been no issues.

Anyone who experiences an issue with their Wii after downloading SMU 4.2 should contact Nintendo customer support, and we will work with you to address your specific concerns.

Please give us a call at your convenience at 1-800-255-3700. We are open 6 AM to 7 PM, Pacific Time, 7 days a week.

Thank you,
NOA_Tech_Jane

Note that the reference to "free" has vanished. We asked Nintendo to comment on the issue and got this less-than-satisfying response:

If anyone is experiencing problems with their Wii console after downloading any SMU please contact Nintendo consumer service at 1-800-255-3700.

If your console has never been modded and was broken by the new firmware and Nintendo charges you for the repair, please let us know via the tipline.

UPDATE: Pathiatawner said Nintendo got back to her and will repair her Wii for free.

Unmodded Wii — Now Bricked [Nintendo]
(Photo: largeprime)
(Thanks, Matt!)

Nintendo took the crown, while Google is the highest-rated American company at No. 2 and Apple close behind at 3. In all, 14 American companies made the cut, with ExxonMobil sneaking in at No. 38. That's what a year without a major oil spill will do for you.

The rankings criteria:

To create the list, A.T. Kearney examined the 2,500 largest publicly listed companies in the world. Kearney's team singled out those with a minimum of $10 billion in sales in 2008, at least 25% of which came from outside the company's home region. It then ranked the companies on their sales growth and value creation-the rise of market capitalization after subtracting any increase in capital-over the past five years. This year, the list expanded to 40 companies from the 25 Kearney ranked in the past.

No word on whether Nintendo gets something better than our golden poo trophy.

World's Best Companies 2009 [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: blue_j)

The Wii update was apparently designed to disable consoles that had been modded by pirates, Joystiq reports, but the update has also affected some consoles that hadn't been altered. Nintendo says it will fix any consoles for free that were unfairly bricked.

Sony, on the other hand, is taking a different tack, telling Eurogamer reports of disc-read errors after the firmware update are not caused by the update.

I downloaded the potentially dangerous updates to both my PS3 and Wii and emerged unscathed.

Wii System Update 4.2 bricking unmodded consoles [Joystiq]
Sony: PS3 disc-drive errors not our fault [Destructoid]
(Photo: C.Barr)

The cut is an antidote to the Wii's slumping sales. Game Informer quoted Wedbrush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who says it will be tough to stem the console's downward sales spiral:

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, never too timid to share his
opinion, says, "With the core PS3 and Xbox 360 models priced only USD 50 higher than the Wii, we expect year-over-year sales of Wii hardware to continue their annual declines until the company either changes its bundle or lowers price ... Wii unit sales are 50 percent below last year's level over the last five months, and we think that September sales will repeat the pattern."

Is the price cut enough for those of you with Wii envy to jump into the crowded pool?

Toys R Us Ad Points to Wii Price Drop This Month [Kotaku]
(Photo: Listener42)

GamePro brings the past to life by selecting its five greatest console wars, disregarding the in-progress donnybrook between the Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3, which is destined to crack such future lists.

The choice for No. 1 was easy: the early-1990s clash between the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. GamePro's McKinley Noble writes:

With initial sales in Japan turning up nothing, Sega USA used the success of Sonic the Hedgehog, along with an ad campaign that got more ridiculously campy as time went on, to start turning up the heat on Nintendo. Fans started digging trenches and hurling slogans at each other, while TV commercials told the public that Sega's Genesis could do "What Nintendon't". It was magical, and the war went on and on.

The story hardly scratches the surface of the Nintendo-Sega battle for youth gamer mindshare, including Sega's ridiculous "blast processing" ads. So effective were the respective marketing machines, daring you to choose a side and stick to it with ferocity, that it seemed almost sacrilegious to own or profess fandom of both. The ingrained fanboy bias grew up with a generation that refused to put away its childish things and continues to drive up the average gamer age.

As a lifelong Nintendo fanboy, only recently have I managed to separate myself from my taught, ignorant prejudices to respect the greatness of the Genesis classics. But I still hate Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario's spastic rival for the same unquantifiable reason I despise the Dallas Cowboys, and always will.

What about you, Consumerists? Which way did you swing — Nintendo or Sega?

The 5 Greatest Console Wars [GamePro]

The poorly manufactured, red ring of death-prone console has a 54.2 percent failure rate, compared to 10.6 percent for the PS3 and the Wii's 6.8 percent.

The magazine surveyed nearly 5,000 readers to get the data. And while the 360's rate is alarmingly higher than the others, it's still bafflingly low because it blows the mind to imagine that 45.8 percent of the consoles have not broken. Also, Microsoft's numbers are inflated because 360s are used the most of the three consoles. Results said 40.3 percent of 360 owners use the console three to five hours a day, compared to 37 percent of PS3 owners. Meanwhile, the plurality of Wii owners (41.4 percent) play their consoles less than an hour a day.

Microsoft also seized the gold medal for unhelpful customer service, taking nearly a month to repair or replace a console, while Nintendo and Sony stuck closer to a week. Only 37.7 percent of Microsoft customers found the company's customer service was "very helpful," compared to 51.1 percent fo Sony and 56.1 percent for Nintendo.

The most shocking number from the survey — and frightening from a consumer perspective — is only 3.8 percent of Xbox 360 owners said they'd never buy another Xbox because of hardware failure.

EPIC FAIL (print edition only) [Game Informer]
(Photo: gongus)

Siliconera scoped out a European patent database to discover the somewhat disturbing innovation:

The inflatable seat has a pocket for the Wii remote, which is used to sense movement via the accelerometers. Players hold the nunchuck to simulate holding the reins or, as the Nintendo patent describes, "a raised hand for balance as in Bronco riding, a lasso, a sword or other weapon, etc."

The story goes on to say that the controller will work with games that simulate not only riding horses but "bulls, camels, elephants, burros, dolphins, whales, dragons, griffons, unicorns, giant eagles..." Whoah there, Nintendo. All the other things are standard — who hasn't dreamed of riding Ms. Pac-Man, uh, I mean, a unicorn — but giant eagles? Nintendo, you're even freakier than I imagined.

Siliconera [Siliconera, via Joystiq]
(Photo: Siliconera)

But when Jess opened the game, she learned she'd jumped through a flaming hoop without being rewarded with the treat she was hoping for.

I find myself on a tropical island, seeing the ocean from the point of view of a baby dolphin as I explore the sea, finding treasure and helping marine life in need with the option to take part in several mini-games. There's no audience, no behaviors to train, and I've yet to see the ability to play with different dolphins. The in-game graphics do not match the screenshots on the back of the box; it appears as though there's supposed to be a theme park or aquarium in "Discovery Kids: Dolphin Discovery," but the game I received takes place on an island. The included instruction manual supports the latter scenario, noting, "In 'Dolphin Discovery,' you'll enjoy a trip to a small island in the southern sea. During this holiday you can spend time together with your dolphin friend, explore the sea depths, and take pictures or collect hidden treasures." This is totally different than what is described on the box and on the game's website.

If I'm not mistaken, "Discovery Kids: Dolphin Discovery" seems to be advertised on the box and the DiscoveryKidsGames.com website as the UK game "My Pet Dolphin," when, in fact, it is "My Pet Dolphin 2."

"Discovery Kids: Dolphin Discovery" is cute, but I was expecting to play a much different game — one with training and shows, and much more direct interaction with the virtual dolphins.

After being stonewalled by 505 Games in her request to have the publisher send her the UK game that was advertised to make up for her disappointment, on May 10 she contacted a PR agency that handles 505 Games, which promptly told her "the appropriate people" were looking into the situation. But more than two weeks later, Jess is still adrift in a sea of disappointment, with no DS dolphin pal to keep her company.

Here are some side-by-side comparisons

	Description on the box "Play with and train your new pet dolphin, master a huge selection of tricks, then take your show in front of a live audience! Use your DS Stylus to teach your dolphin tricks and routines. Realistic scenery and time changes: blue sky - sunset - night views. Perform dazzling routines that wow the crowd and reward you with new dolphins to train"		Description in the manual "In Dolphin Discovery, you'll enjoy a trip to a small island in the southern sea. During this holiday you can spend time together with your dolphin friend, explore the sea depths, and take pictures or collect hidden treasures."
	Screens on the box		Screens in the manual
	Text on the website "Wanna makes a splash? Teach your pet dolphin awesome tricks and routines! Then wow the crowd at the big show to win more dolphins!"
	My Pet Dolphin Takes place at a water park, where you train your dolphin to perform tricks for an audience		My Pet Dolphin 2 Takes place on and around an island in a natural environment
	Just to make it more confusing: Video footage on website shows non-specific game footage combined with actual video footage of dolphins

Wedbrush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the video game world's chief tea leaf reader, predicted in an electronics industry newsletter that the next wave of consoles won't hit shelves until 2013... if ever. That would mean at least seven years between iterations of the big three console makers' systems, surpassing the industry standard of five.

We do not expect the ‘next' generation to begin before 2013, if at all," Pachter said. "We remain convinced that the publishers will resist the introduction of any video game hardware technology that requires a refresh of software, as the publishers have as yet to capitalise on the immense investments made in being competitive in the current cycle.

Not enough people are buying consoles that are out there, so gaming companies don't think a new generation justifies the upfront costs of a new round. And yet dwindling sales are always cited as the impetus for a new lineup of consoles. So confusing.

The bottom line is if you're holding out hope for a new round of consoles to drive the price down on that Xbox 360 you've been eying, don't let the hope keep you from taking the plunge. Instead, let the fact that they break all the time keep you away.

Analyst: No New Console Cycle Before 2013 [Edge Online]

(Photo: PhilVillarreal)

According to Orlando's Local6.com,

Wal-Mart told Wylke to take her problem to Nintendo, but Nintendo claimed it was Wal-Mart's responsibility.

After going back and forth, a Tampa TV station got involved and Wal-Mart went through its security tape. Footage showed another customer returning the rocks, which had been disguised as the gaming system.

There's a news clip, but unfortunately it doesn't include any of the security footage.

In this case, the customer was lucky that a TV station got involved. To protect yourself with big-ticket items from big box retailers, open the product in the store in front of the cashier. Yeah, we know, it sounds tedious, but it's the only way to guarantee that you won't be blamed for any missing items.

"Wal-Mart Sells Woman $138 Box Of Rocks" [ClickOrlando] (Thanks to Adrian!)

He wrote:

When I got home I opened the box and found a paving stone packed with bubble wrap, instead of the Macbook Pro.

I returned to the store and the manager, "Keith", was not too willing to help me out. He kept falling back on the line "Apple seals the boxes, not us. Take it up with Apple."

I have sent an email to Best Buy corporate and have contacted my credit card company. Unfortunately, they can't do anything until the charge posts.

So right now, I paid $2164.89 for a very nice red brick.

Contacting your credit card company was the right thing to do. Here's a post about how to avoid this situation, and also what to do if it happens to you.

What To Do When A Store Sells You A Box Of Crap And Won't Take It Back [Consumerist]
$138 box of rocks?? [10 Connects] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)

Video game sales overall were up to $21.33 billion from $18 billion this year, with Nintendo leading the pack. While the Wii is a media darling— the best selling game system this holiday season was Nintendo's portable offering, the DS. The system sold about 3 million units — beating the Wii's 2 million.

Microsoft's XBOX 360 came in third with 1.4 million units — a 14% increase from last year, and nothing to scoff at.

Sales of games jumped as well, up 26% from 2007.

Guess we know where people aren't cutting back in their budgets. Is gaming a good value for a budget conscious consumer?

Video game sales top $21 billion in 2008 [AP]
(Photo:flyingember)

John writes:

I just wanted to write to you about my dealings with Nintendo Customer Service. I've had a Wii for 2 years now and had my first problem with it about a month ago. When playing a game, specifically Resident Evil 4, green digital artifacts would show on the screen. It was also happening with Guitar Hero World Tour. I wen to the Nintendo website, looked up my serial number, and was informed that it was out of warranty(which I expected) and I would have to pay $75 for it to be fixed. I decided to call the customer service number and see if anything else could be done. I spoke to a very friendly woman who was in California. She looked up my serial number and informed me that it was, in fact, "still under warranty" and promptly took down the problem and e-mailed me a printable Fedex shipping label. I sent off the Wii and anxiously awaited its return. the next week my Wii came back, and on the paper detailing the repairs, it stated that they were not able to duplicate the problem. "Oh great" I thought to myself, but upon further reading I discovered that they had replaced the motherboard because it was the "suspected cause" of the problem, and also sent me 2 brand new copies of Resident Evil 4 and Guitar Hero World Tour, all at no cost. For my 2 year old Wii, I would say this is above and beyond the call of duty and wanted others to know.

Pic:[Mightynine]

Jeff writes:

My son and I were there as usual checking out the latest electronics and I inquired about the availability of the Wii game counsel. They quickly informed me that they did indeed have some in stock but were ONLY for sale with the bundle price ($325+)which as you can imagine is well over the regular retail price of the counsel alone($250) To me this is an obvious attempt at price gouging during the holidays.

I have seen the counsel for sale there regularly prior to the Christmas season with no forced bundling! Last Christmas when I inquired it was the same forced bundle only sales. I asked to talk to the manager an she promptly expressed her concern and understanding of my issue. BUT according to her the bundles were purchased through their corporate offices and their store was mandated to sell the bundles only! Well, that makes it okay right! I don't think so! This is a case of Christmas gouging and if you could, let others know of this Fry's poor business practices.

Thanks, sincerely:
JEFF THE ANGRY CONSUMER

Yes, the evidence is clear. Wii bundles make you angry.

(Photo: largeprime )

Drew was just an exchange student in Japan when he bought the DS, so she charged Drew for the repair, then immediately processed a refund for the same amount. Drew got his DS back in under ten days, fully repaired for free. This is customer service - rather than negotiating through international Red Tape, a company took care of a loyal customer. Good show, Nintendo.

(Photo: DuncanDavidson)

I have a first generation Nintendo Wii and I recently bought the game Boom Blox for it. When I put the game in to start playing it would often lock up at the health warning screen and I would have to restart my Wii by unplugging it since no other method would work.

Here's what happened when he contacted Nintendo for help.

I first expected it was a problem with the disc since Gamestop sold it to me as New when the case was opened already (another story for another time) but the disc was in perfect condition. I also noticed my other games were acting weird and my Wii channels would give errors that they couldn’t load properly even though they were. This prompted me to go online and see what I could do.

I work in tech support and moderate some support forums so I hate when people don’t look for answers before asking questions or calling for help so I went to the Nintendo forums to see what I could find. Unfortunately there really wasn’t any information about errors with this particular game or any Wii related defects that fit what I was experiencing. I was wary about getting email support but it seemed to be Nintendo’s preferred next step so I sent an email to them with everything I was experiencing.

I was surprised when a day later I got an email stating my problem would probably not be best handled using email correspondence and to call in. I called in and the person on the phone (I wish I could remember her name) was very nice and very helpful. She quickly looked up my account with Nintendo and immediately suggested I should send my Wii in for repair. She said it would probably waste my time troubleshooting the issue further since it wasn’t anything she’d seen and seemed beyond any fixes she could offer. She noted that I was a few months out of warranty but offered free shipping and free repair anyway without me even bringing it up. I immediately received a shipping label and sent the system in the next day.

I was bummed not having anything to play for what I’d expected to be a month long fix and was shocked to receive an email on the day they received the package stating they had received it and repaired it the same day. They also shipped it back out to me that day as well! So all in all it took one week from start to finish to submit a help request and have a fixed Wii returned to me. It has worked great ever since and I no longer have any problems with it. There are so many places where this could have been a bad experience but Nintendo really did a stellar job. They provided fast responses and did more than they needed to make sure I was a happy customer and will continue to purchase their products. Great job!

Nintendo, what the hell? We don't know what you're up to with this "good customer service" routine, but pulling shenanigans like this doesn't keep our tipline stuffed with complaints. Please think about this the next time you offer to repair a broken Wii.

Then respond...
This offer is just one option for customers. It’s a choice! Comcast is committed to offering customer the best programming and services. We want to provide our loyal customers the best packages available. The package offered requires that the customer maintain the minimum level of services for 24 months.

If customer asks...
Are the rates guaranteed for 12 months for all of my boxes and services?

Then respond...
The rate of the plan (plus applicable taxes and franchise fees) is guaranteed for the Comcast Digital Cable package for a period of 12 months from the date service is activated. The package is limited to service to one outlet and does not include equipment, or other charges not specifically included in the offer (including without limitation, PPV and other non recurring charges) Upgrades to service are allowed on an a la carte basis, however, those prices are not guaranteed.

If customer asks...
What will happen to the cost of the services when the first 12 months is completed?

Then respond...
After the 12 months of the offer, Comcast’s regular service and equipment fees will apply.

[CAE Note: Please remind the customer they will start to receive the multi-product discount on their bill after their 12 month promotional rates ends.]

If customer asks...
What happens to my offer when I move?

Then respond...
If you cancel service because you move your residence to a location within a Comcast serviceable area and you reconnect to a Comcast Digital Cable service comparable to the package, the reimbursement fee will not apply.

If you move to a Comcast area without transferring service, reimbursement fees will apply.

* If you downgrade between months 2 and 12, your fee will be 100% of the value of the Wii, or $250.
* If you downgrade between months 13 and 24, then your fee will be 50% of the value of the Wii, or $125.
* If you only downgrade a DVR or HD service or any other added services above the minimum level, you will not be charged the reimbursement fee.

If customer asks...
Can I add services?

Then respond...
Since you are only required to maintain a minimum level of service you can upgrade or add services during the 24 months.

If customer asks...
What happens if I downgrade my service within the next 2 years?

Then respond...
If you downgrade service below the minimum level within the 24-month period, the reimbursement fee applies.

* If you downgrade between months 2 and 12, your fee will be 100% of the value of the Wii, or $250.
* If you downgrade between months 13 and 24, then your fee will be 50% of the value of the Wii, or $125.
* If you downgrade a DVR or HD service or any other added services above the minimum level, you will not be charged the reimbursement fee.

If customer asks...
Can I transfer the agreement into someone else’s name?

Then respond...
The redemption form is non-transferable and cannot be transferred to someone else’s name. The agreement applies to the current account holder. However, we can accept name changes due to marriage, etc. That person will need to sign a new redemption form.

If customer asks...
What happens if I lost the redemption form or I never received it?

Then respond...
A second redemption form can be mailed to the customer upon request. Please see supervisor for details.
An extension on the 30 days is at the discretion of the system.

If customer asks...
How will I know that the Wii has shipped?

Then respond...
A notification letter will be mailed up to five business days prior to the Wii system arriving at customer’s shipping address.
The letter will include a shipping address, UPS tracking number and customer service phone number for shipping inquiries.

If customer asks...
What shipping address will be used?

Then respond...
The shipping address will be the customer’s service address.

If service address does not accept deliveries or if customer requests alternate address, the Wii system will ship to customer’s billing address. Please note that the Wii system will only ship to customer’s service address or billing address [as default].

If customer asks...
How can I track the shipment status?

Then respond...
Qualifying customers can track Wii shipment status by visiting the following site: http://www.checkmyrebate.com/ComcastWii

Please note that qualifying customers should access this site AFTER they return their redemption form and 30 days have passed since Triple Play installation.

If customer asks...
Will a signature be required upon UPS delivery of the Wii?

Then respond...
No, the customer is not required to provide a signature in most cases. The only time a signature will be required is if the Wii system is shipped to a multi-dwelling unit.
We will keep record of every shipped Wii system, the UPS tracking number and ‘shipped to’ address.

If customer asks...
What happens if I don’t receive my Wii?

Then respond...
We would escalate the situation.

If customer asks...
What if I am subscribed to the Premier Triple Play Bundle and want to downgrade to Preferred Plus Triple Play Bundle in markets where the minimum level of service required for this offer is Preferred Plus?

Then respond...
Yes, you would be able to downgrade if you live in markets where the minimum level of services for this offer is Preferred Plus.

If customer asks...
I’ve heard that there were incompatibility issues between Comcast routers and the Wii. Is this true?

Then respond...
* In early versions of the Wii (pre-System Menu 2.2), there was some incompatibility with routers provided by Comcast.
* Nintendo has patched the incompatibility issues and all Wii systems manufactured since April 2007 have this patch built-in (including those allocated to Comcast for the Nintendo Wii promotion).
* There should be no issues between Comcast routers and Wii systems for this current promotion.

If customer asks...
I already have a Comcast service(s). If I add another service to make my package [Preferred Plus or Premier] Triple Play, can I get the Nintendo Wii?

Then respond...
This promotion is for new customers only [going from 0 to 3 services for a qualifying Triple Play package]. I apologize for any inconvenience this causes. However, we do have other offers available for our customers adding products to their existing services.

Termination of Redemption form terms

A reimbursement fee will be applied to the account for cancellation or downgrades from the minimum level of service between month 2 and month 24 after installation. In the reimbursement form, a local number is included so that disconnected customers can contact their former Comcast office and request the Reimbursement fee be credited.

If the customer downgrades or disconnects between month 2 and month 12, the reimbursement fee is 100% of the value of the item. ($250.) If the customer downgrades or disconnects between month 13 and month 24, the reimbursement fee is 50% of the value of the item. ($125)

Moving outside of Comcast footprint

* CAE explains a termination fee will apply

Moving within the Comcast footprint

* CAE sets up a transfer within the market or uses MoveCo.
* If successful with transfer within a system or MoveCo no Reimbursement fee applies
* If not successful, then Reimbursement fee will apply and the customer can send a Comcast bill from the new location to have the fee credited to account
* If customer does not want to tell CAE where they are moving, CAE will advise that a reimbursement fee will apply, until we receive confirmation of Comcast service has been installed *
* OR Customer can request an exemption letter for the Reimbursement Fee. This letter is to be completed and returned with proof of their new Comcast service.

Non-pay

* Normal Collection Process will be followed
* Work order will reflect customer has a Value Add offer (rate codes)
* If money is not collected at any step during collection process, reimbursement fee will be applied to account.

Downgrades

* Customer stays with Comcast, but downgrades from minimum level of service required by the Value add campaign.
* CAE probes for reason for downgrade and explains reimbursement fee applies if customer removes services below the required minimum level of service.
* Customer can upgrade to a higher level of any of the three services.
* If customer understands and wants to continue with downgrade, CAE requests manager apply the reimbursement fee according to the time left in the 24 month period.
* If the CAE is successful retaining the customer in the current service level, no reimbursement apply
* If there are extenuating circumstances that require a downgrade, account needs to be referred to management to determine if reimbursement fee will apply. An example would be the computer breaks down and customer is not getting another right away.

Death

* If CAE is advised that the customer who accepted the Value Add offer has passed away, show empathy
* CAE will advise relative that a Reimbursement fee will be applied, but can be immediately credited with fax/mail copy of obituary or death certificate *
* CAE requests manager to apply credit of the reimbursement fee and document this on the account.

(Photo: largeprime)

Comcast Offers Wii™ Systems To New Triple Play Customers [Press Release]
(Photo: BohPhoto)

The article says,

The clip, which has been viewed more than two million times, shows 25-year-old Lauren Bernat hula hooping in time with the fitness video game.

Rumours that the clip was a clever marketing ploy for the Wii Fit spread after it emerged that both Miss Bernat and her boyfriend, who filmed the footage, work in advertising.

Giovanny Gutierrez, 30, works as director of interactive media for Tinsley Advertising in Miami, Florida. According to his biography on the firm’s website, he "creates web, e-mail and interactive marketing solutions that perfectly integrate with television, radio and print campaigns."

"Gio is a master of e-commerce, having created web portals for scores of businesses," the biography adds.

Miss Bernat works as an account executive at Tinsley Advertising, where her duties include "evaluating the responses to our Internet advertising".

But Nintendo has denied that the footage is part of an advertising campaign. "This has and is absolutely 100 per cent nothing to do with Nintendo," a spokesman said. "Nintendo did not create it and were not aware of it until it was brought it to our attention."

Mr Gutierrez has also denied that it was a viral advert for the Wii Fit.

The game, which allows Nintendo Wii owners to do a range of exercises and stretches under the guidance of on on-screen fitness expert, hardly needs the free publicity, having sold more than 300,000 copies in the UK in its first two weeks on sale, and sold out in many parts of the world.

But the YouTube affair has done much to boost the profile of Mr Gutierrez and his agency.

The evidence that this is an organized marketing campaign seems circumstantial to us. However, advertisers are always coming up with new ways to turn attention toward new products so who knows? We'll just have to keep watching the video until we figure it out.

Wii Fit underwear girl: A marketing hoax? [The Telegraph]

Nick writes:

Hey Consumerist,

I enjoy your website quite a bit.

I don't usually have too many consumer related issues, but I've run into something today that was sort of odd and thought that you guys may or may not be interested.

When I woke up today, I got into my usual routine, checking around the web to see if there were any places that had the Nintendo Wii in stock. As luck would have it, Toys'R'Us said they had them in stock. I'm thrilled, I've been saving up for a few months to get a Wii, and finally, I can get one. So I order one around 10am.

I get an e-mail at 12:55pm saying that, sorry the Wiis are currently on back order. I'm bummed out, but not crushed. I go back to the Toys'R'Us page, and guess what, they're still saying they are available. At this point, I find this really annoying. They are not telling customers that these have been backlogged on the site, but are sending out e-mails saying as much. I took a screencap of the site (still listing it as available at 1:15 or so).

I still really want my Wii, and would like to know when it'll be shipping. I call thier customer service, and I am helped by a very polite lady who tells me they are unable to say when the backorder will ship. Cue further dissapointment. I've sent of a polite e-mail through their web e-mail interface to express my disappointment in the handling of not only my own order, but continuing to take orders even though they knew they were selling a product they didn't have in stock (but were listing it as in stock).

I'm really pretty bummed out with this whole thing. I haven't canceled my order yet, because I'm hoping by some miracle this will come through. I don't know if you guys at Consumerist would be interesting in something like this or not, I don't know if this is par for the course when trying to get a Wii. Nor am I sure what benefit this will really have, maybe you guys could do soemthing with this at least.

Toys"R"Us' letter to Nick:

Dear Nicholas,

Thank you again for your recent purchase at Toysrus.com & Babiesrus.com.

We have received your order 85439XXXXX-000, and wanted to let you know that there has been an unexpected delay in the shipment of the following items:

Item: 4172131
Description: Nintendo Wii Console
Quantity: 1 @ $249.99
Shipping Method: Standard Ground

Shipping to the following address:

Nicholas
Address

We want to assure you that your order will be fulfilled once the the item(s) becomes available. Once we are able to ship the item(s) you will receive a shipping confirmation email with updated tracking information.

All of your order information will also appear in the My Account section of our website where you can:

* Track all your orders
* Change your passwords

Please allow up to 60 minutes for your order information to be updated on our system.

http://www.Toysrus.com/checkout/index.jsp

Thank you once again for your order and selecting Toysrus.com & Babiesrus.com! We are continually expanding our selection to serve you better, so be sure to visit us often for new items and the latest promotions. If you have any further questions concerning shipping, order status, payment or other website policies, visit the Help area of our website at http://www.Toysrus.com/help .

Sincerely,
Customer Service

This e-mail was from a notification-only system; please do not reply to this message.

Nick's response:

Good Afternoon,

I was writing to express my disappointment in your handling of my order 85439XXXXX-000. I was really looking forward to getting a Nintendo Wii, and was excited to hear that Toys'R'Us had them in stock this morning (Friday, May 2nd). I placed my order in the morning, and then at 12:56pm received a notice that the order had been placed on back order.

I was rather annoyed that this was the case, but understand that sometimes these things can happen. But then I checked the Toys'R'Us website, and the item was still being listed as available. I took a screencapture of this at 1:10pm. While I am personally disappointed that my item is on backorder, I am even more disappointed that Toys'R'Us continued to claim that they were available, even though they clearly were not at that point.

I am also terribly disappointed that when I called customer service to find out when they might be shipping, to find out that no one could even give me an estimate of when they might ship.

I am leaving my order active with you currently in hopes that you resolve this issue quickly, but all and all, I have been very let down with Toys'R'Us.

Respectfully,
Nick

Don't be ashamed if you don't have the Wiis, Toys"R"Us. Nobody does.

If Wii-hunting is integrated into your morning routine, consider popping into the Nintendo World Store early one morning to buy one in person. As a responsible retailers, Nintendo won't take your credit card unless the console is in stock.

Nintendo Wii Console [Toys"R"Us]
RELATED: Why Are Nintendo Wiis So Hard To Find?

My friend and I went to Walmart (in Exton, PA) on Sunday evening (4/27/08) looking for a Nintendo Wii because neither of us owned the system and have been looking for it for quite some time.

To our surprise, there were around 7-8 Wii's in stock. The problem? The Walmart employee working in the Electronics department (older man with glasses) refused to sell a Wii to both me and my friend. He would only sell a Wii to one of us because we were shopping "together." Mind you, we're not dating or married. Just two guys each looking for a Wii.

He said that because we were in the store together, we could only buy 1. It's as if we were the same person or something. He told my friend to come back the following day if he wanted one. We argued with him to no end...but he refused to sell my friend a Wii. I never heard of something like that before. It's not like I was trying to buy 5 Wii's..we each wanted one. Someone please tell me how Walmart can DENY a customer a product under these circumstances? I can understand if they have a policy stating one Wii per Customer per day. But, we were two separate people trying to each buy a Wii and pay with our own credit cards.

The man was rude to us, and he even had cocky remarks stating that my signature was only somewhat close to matching the signature on the back of my credit card. Mind you, I had to sign my name electronically, which is awkward to begin with.

Are Wiis really still this scarce? Has this sort of thing happened to anyone else?

(Photo:u2acro)

In December, Nintendo had its biggest month ever with the hot-selling game system. Holiday shoppers bought 1.4 million Wiis, according to sales data released Thursday by the NPD Group. The Wii's success helped drive the video game industry to a record-setting $17.9 billion in sales, about 43% higher than 2006's $12.5 billion, which was also a record.

What's up, music? Video games are kicking your butt.

Gaming industry sales grow by 43% in 2007 [USAToday]
(Photo:largeprime)

Justin writes,

"While surfing Facebook today, I saw an ad for the Wii going for $99. It immediately set off my spider sense. The site was just registered to a guy out of Fayetteville, AR, but under a false name? The phone number listed is for a different Peter.

Already, the persistent shortages have led to speculation by angry consumers that Nintendo was deliberately keeping supplies short to create more hype for the product. Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo's U.S. division, denies this, saying Nintendo simply didn't anticipate this level of demand for the Wii this holiday season.

"It really is a missed opportunity if we're not able to satisfy that demand, which is why we're working so hard with retailers," he says.

Supply-chain management experts say missed opportunity may still be better than being stuck with excessive supply. Unsold Wiis could create a negative impression that consumers don't want the product. The consequences are so painful that many companies end up erring on the side of a shortage.

"If you flood the market, it will come back to haunt you," says Christopher Tang, a professor of supply-chain management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Nintendo may be missing opportunities by allowing other people to profit from the shortage by charging premiums, but Mr. Tang says that isn't entirely a bad thing because it creates hype. "Psychologically, it's better if the customer is begging for the product," he says.

An excess supply also angers retailers, who must work harder and offer discounts to get rid of the product. The manufacturer's financial results also suffer because they are forced to lower prices or take back the products retailers can't sell.

Finding a Wii takes time and persistence. If you are in New York, a shipment of Wiis arrives daily at Nintendo's World Store in Rockefeller Center. After several failed attempts, we walked in on a Tuesday before 10 a.m. and walked out with a Wii. Other retailers usually receive a scheduled shipment of Wiis. It may only be five consoles every three weeks, but by cultivating a relationship with your local store, you can find out when it might be wise to pop in. As a last resort, eBay and Craigslist are overflowing with overpriced consoles.

Nintendo Plays It A Wii Bit Cautious [WSJ]
(Photo: largeprime)

Well if you have a child (mine is 4) you know having a portable gaming system can make things like Doctor visits and trips to the DMV a lot less fidgety, so I called up Nintendo with Visa in hand ready to shell out at least 80 or 90 dollars. After being on hold for all of 20 seconds a very nice gentleman answered, and asked why I was calling. I explained that my son's DS would not power on and before I could go any further he asked me to provide me with the serial number and after looking up my information (I register all my Nintendo products online) he told me that they would be sending me a replacement DS and all I had to do was ship the old one back to them, they even provided a shipping label. Already happy beyond belief I was even more surprised when they sent it 2 day UPS air!!!! GO NINTENDO! I have had returned my Xbox 360 7 times for repair and never received treatment anywhere near that nice.

(Photo: mightynine)

Saturday morning (11/10) I witnessed some amazing sleaziness over at the Princeton,NJ Best Buy. I was standing near the back of the store when one of their salespeople came strolling from a back door holding a Nintendo Wii over his head, and started walking the aisles announcing that it was their last unit. I followed, wondering both how quickly would it get snatched up and how quickly could I decide if I wanted to buy it. It took a few minutes for a couple to come rushing up to claim it, exclaiming how happy their kids were going to be. I went back to looking around the store. About 30 minutes later, I heard this announcement on the store's PA: "Attention Best Buy customers! Julie is now walking through the store with our last Nintendo Wii! If you're looking for a Nintendo Wii, please look for Julie!" And there was another salesperson doing the same thing as the first - walking the aisles of the store holding the Wii above her head.

I was now in the store solely to witness more of this sales technique. The second Wii took just over 15 minutes to sell - I overheard two manager-types (one in a suit, the other a yellow shirt) discussing it, the suit asking "Did Julie sell that Wii, yet? How long?" And then "Wait 40 minutes and send out the next one." Too long for me to wait around, so I left (after stopping in at the store's new Apple niche to set the a Macbook's home page to the Best Buy tagged stories on Consumerist).

I suppose there's nothing illegal or unexpected about this, but as some one tentatively in the market for a hard-to-find Wii I'm annoyed enough to swear off Best Buy this holiday season.

(Photo:silver marquis)

Soon, new Wiis will come with these jackets, which are designed to help to prevent people from throwing their Wiimotes into their TV. Those of you who already have a Wii can just order yours from Nintendo.

Wii Remote Jacket Accessory Offer [Nintendo]

From Ars Technica:

It's apparent from the study's results that one thing interests the majority of consumers: games. The dueling next-generation HD disc formats, the ability to download content, and even high-definition graphics don't seem to matter to the majority of the game-buying public; if these figures are reflective of the wider market, all those features are being roundly ignored by most gamers.

Ars speculates that your disinterest in these features is one reason the Wii has been so successful. You just like to play games. What's wrong with that?

Report: Gamers largely clueless about next-gen console media capabilities [Ars Technica]
(Photo:everyone's idle)

"Demand still appears to exceed supply, and we believe that shortages could persist through the remainder of the year, including the key holiday period," said Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets, in a report by Next-Gen.biz.

Based on sales data from both Nintendo and GameStop, Sebastian also comments that the console developer is fulfilling its target of 1.5 million Wii units per month, but those numbers may not be good enough to satisfy the nation's hunger for Nintendo's next-gen system.

The moral of the story is, don't count on an amply supply of Nintendo Wiis this holiday season. If you see one now, might as well grab it and hide it in the garage until December. —MEGHANN MARCO

Wii Shortages may Continue to Holiday 2007 [PC World]
(Photo: George DeMet)