360 display boxes vandalized, Wii evangelized
by Eric Caoili 
{ Apr 11th 2007 at 3:30PM }
If we're to believe Dustin Wilson's assurances, the mischief above wasn't a product of Photoshop or any other methods of internet chicanery. He actually scribbled the Wii endorsement onto the Xbox 360 display boxes with a white paint marker while one of the game shop's employees was distracted.
This episode of When Keeping it Wii Goes Wrong was created as an entry for the EvWiiwhere Challenge hosted by N+, a MyOpera community for Nintendo fans. The contest called for readers to take pictures of the word "Wii" spelled out in unconventional ways, but we're sure this wasn't what the site had in mind. We might have our gripes with all the Electronics Boutiques and GameStops out there, but vandalizing other people's property just isn't cool, especially when it's at the expense of a worker who's just doing her job.
But who knows, maybe this sort of joke will catch on with other retailers? If you think about it, this would be a great way to promote the Xbox 360 to customers inside the shop, while at the same time catching the interest of people outside who see the storefront's Wii wisecrack. It's genius!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jared @ Apr 11th 2007 3:40PM
If I go into a Best Buy to pick-up a copy of Babel for DVD, do you think I'd ever see the display tagged up with "BUY ROCKY BALBOA INSTEAD?" Of course not.
If I go into a Barnes and Noble to buy some random fiction book, will the shelf be vandalized with "BUY HARRY POTTER INSTEAD?" Of course not.
So, my question is, why are gamers such creepy assholes?
Camilo @ Apr 11th 2007 4:34PM
Lol, uhh....what does that have anything to do with being "creepy"?
shadow @ Apr 11th 2007 4:36PM
As long as no one got in trouble with management then I don't see anything wrong with this. If it happened at my store I'd probably just have a good laugh. There's no real harm done. Nobody is going to be walking by, see the marked up boxes, and say to themselves,"Wow, I was wrong all along! I must buy a Wii over anything else!" Not to mention it's only a display box. EB/GS can easily have those replaced. None of the consumers will have to be forced to go home with a retail box that says,"Wii" or "Instead" marked all over it.
With all of that put aside, this seriously looks like it was done with the erase tool in paint. Of course on closer inspection some of the letters are transparent enough to see the 360 letters, but as far as I can tell there doesn't seem to be any reflections where the letters are. On top of it all the letters look very flat. Multiple pictures and/or a video would have helped the credibility.
zenprism @ Apr 11th 2007 4:50PM
He should have written "buy 2 Wiiz and 2 Wii gamez instead" on the PS3 display boxes.
That would learn 'em.
LoneEagle013 @ Apr 11th 2007 5:10PM
If this is a photoshop job, it is brilliantly made.
However, if this a real life ordeal, then regardless of how brilliant the idea is, vandalism is still vandalism. Even when we're talking about gamestop or EB Games, who have dubious business practices known to public in general, vandalism is vandalism.
I don't think these kind of behavior should be condoned by online bloggers, who in this day and age carry a lot of momentum with their online posts. I totally agree with Eric Caoili that vandalism is just not cool, even when it's against someone you don't like (i.e. gamestop for that matter).
XYBA Podcast @ Apr 11th 2007 5:19PM
This sign is misleading. You can't find a Wii anywhere to buy it.
Katotetu @ Apr 11th 2007 5:41PM
I must agree with Shadow, It'd make me giggle :P
It does look like it was done in paint with a tablet PC though.
And if noone gets in trouble, no harm done :P
Bluebreaker @ Apr 12th 2007 2:10AM
I agree with vandalism is still vandalism even if no one got hurt, simply due to the fact if the person got away with it then they might think they can get away with other things.
Howard Pendleton @ Apr 12th 2007 5:16AM
i'm not buying it
look how nicely written those boxes are... against the window.....the window...a gamestop employee's only portal from work and home.
the employee would have glanced up one or twice and noticed some tool bag writing on the window displays.
not even clever at that. as the late, great, bill walton says, " you gotta throw that down! big man!"
John @ Apr 12th 2007 10:04AM
definitely fake...looks pretty bad - probably microsoft paint. look at the dot on the first i in Wii - very obvious. also the slant on the W and D are dead giveaways.