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The Wii Hits the UK

Posted by Zonk on from the with-a-wiimote-to-the-face dept.

Gamespot is reporting on the Wii's launch in Britain. As with the U.S. launch, things seem to have gone quite smoothly. Celebrities and very long lines of gamers marked the occasion, with one store giving out pizza, merchandise, and champaign to their customers. From the article: "At Nintendo's official event in HMV on Oxford Street, celebrities Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew, Pat Cash, and Ricky Hatton turned up to play Wii Sports. Cash and McAndrew played Wii Tennis, with Cash winning two games to zero. Wright and Hatton sparred at Wii Boxing, with the ex-footballer winning the virtual game against the boxer. Heba Elgamal, who had been camping outside the store in an alley for two days, was first in line for a console at the HMV store, and it was presented to him by Ian Wright. Elgamal bought The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with his purchase, and Wright asked him if Zelda was a fighting game--which didn't go down well with the crowd. " Errr ... who is Ian Wright? And how has he never heard of Zelda?

6 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Wrighty by Peter+Cooper · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not only that, but an ex international football player. He is probably better known across the world than any American football player (I must admit, I can't name a single one).

  2. Enough already! by gbridge · · Score: 2, Insightful

    very long lines of gamers We call them queues over here. Quit the American lingo, dude!
  3. Re:Wrighty by empaler · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Errr ... who is Ian Wright? And how has he never heard of Zelda?

    He's an ex-footballer. He's never heard of Zelda in the same way the poster's never heard of Ian Wright. The difference being that Zonk isn't paid to have anything to do with soccer players (as far as I know), but Ian Wright was paid to be at the friggin' launch of the friggin' N-consoles with friggin' laser beams attached to the friggin' players.
  4. Re:Wrighty by malsdavis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "heh, didnt know you brits played football. always took you for rugby people."

    Uh, yea we do. Not only did we invent the game but the FA premier league is the most watched and most lucrative sporting league in the world (according to numerous sources including http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Premier_League).

    So we do all waste a hell of a lot of our time and cash playing and watching it. ...doesn't seem to stop the national team from being crap though :(

  5. Read your own summaries Zonk by Don_dumb · · Score: 1, Insightful
    The difference being that Zonk isn't paid to have anything to do with soccer players (as far as I know)

    No, but he *is* paid to read (and therefore edit) his own summaries.
    From the summary - (with the important text highlighted for the benefit of those who cant make it through an entire paragraph)

    Gamespot is reporting on the Wii's launch in Britain [CC]. As with the U.S. launch, things seem to have gone quite smoothly. Celebrities and very long lines of gamers marked the occasion, with one store giving out pizza, merchandise, and champaign to their customers. From the article: "At Nintendo's official event in HMV on Oxford Street, celebrities Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew, Pat Cash, and Ricky Hatton turned up to play Wii Sports. Cash and McAndrew played Wii Tennis, with Cash winning two games to zero. Wright and Hatton sparred at Wii Boxing, with the ex-footballer winning the virtual game against the boxer. Heba Elgamal, who had been camping outside the store in an alley for two days, was first in line for a console at the HMV store, and it was presented to him by Ian Wright. Elgamal bought The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with his purchase, and Wright asked him if Zelda was a fighting game--which didn't go down well with the crowd. " Errr ... who is Ian Wright? And how has he never heard of Zelda?


    Only one sentence after he was named, there's your answer. That wasn't too hard was it?
    --
    If this were really happening, what would you think?
    1. Re:Read your own summaries Zonk by gzunk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ah but it didn't actually name who won, If you didn't know either, then you might have thought that Ricky Hatton was the footballer and Ian Wright was the boxer.