Toys R US Australia's Wii deal is off?

Wii Rumour | Probably not, actually.

We previously reported some of the ups and downs of the much talked about Toys R Us Wii pre-order deal in our Wii rumour feature a couple of weeks ago. A recap for those who missed the drama: Toys R Us had been promising a 'free game at launch' with $50 down on a Wii pre-order since the middle of the year. When it was announced that Wii Sports would be packed in with the console, many reasonably assumed that TRU would go the cheap route and say that this pack-in was the free game, even though every other store would be offering the same deal automatically.

However, Toys R Us employees began telling customers that it would in fact be an additional Wii game of their choice, and this news set pre-orders alight. Three weeks ago, the dream of free Zelda was shattered like so many Stalfos when TRU changed the deal so that the free game could only be the upcoming movie tie-in Open Season. After receiving heaps of negative feedback over this odd choice of a free title, TRU changed its deal again, allowing customers to choose between Open Season and the Wii version of Need For Speed: Carbon, which, while still no Zelda, was an improvement.

But yesterday, it seemed the already soiled rug had been pulled out from under eager gamers' feet. According to US gaming mega-blog Kotaku, the deal is now totally off, and customers will be receiving no free game at all. But while we all know the interwebs are world wide these days, what do the Yanks know about Australian retailers?

While we are still waiting for official confirmation from the Toys R Us head office, some enquiries with actual stores, combined with common sense, have led us to believe Kotaku has it wrong, and that current pre-order holders will still receive their choice of Open Season or Need For Speed: Carbon. The pre-order deal is now closed for new customers, so perhaps this was confused with the deal being cancelled for existing customers?

We'll keep you updated if we hear any more on the topic, but for now it seems as if there's no need to declare 'open season' on TRU.

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27 Comments

messicat

5 years ago

TRU at Chatswood still has a poster up with the deal on it and I walked past it today

theory

5 years ago

Thanks for clearing that up David.

Emuaust

5 years ago

I tend to believe the arent as both Open Season and NFSC will miss he launch, but meh we will see

Nick

5 years ago

Wouldn't they just end up getting owned by the Office of Fair Trading?

Ellegarden

5 years ago

Nick wrote

Wouldn't they just end up getting owned by the Office of Fair Trading?

I'm pretty sure the fine print must say something.

David

5 years ago

Nick wrote

Wouldn't they just end up getting owned by the Office of Fair Trading?

Exactly, that's what the 'common sense' part means in the article. They can't completely drop a deal like this and get away with it.

renegadesx

5 years ago

I always knew the Toys R Us thing for the Wii was too good to be true, PS3 is more believable considering how bloody expensive which includes 25% markup, so they make a profit every console they sell even if they pack in a game, they ones that make the losses are Sony

According to reviews in the states, NFS Carbon for the Wii is a hackjob, meaning that there is a good possibility that EA do not yet realize how to utilize the Wii-mote, although apparently Madden was pretty cool, but I have no time for American gridiron, a hackjob NFS or some stupid kids movie.

At least EB are introducing a free carry bag, something I can actually use

Raidenex

5 years ago

According to their November e-mail, it's still on:

http://toysrus.com.au/nov06c/novemberemail2006.html

Both the $600 pack (with Zelda, Carbon and an extra controller) and the $730 pack (with Open Season, Zelda, Carbon, extra controller and Rayman!) come with a carry case.

Sounds like the best deal anywhere, but i've had mine preordered at my local game store for months.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

how bad is Open Season? really?

i can understand why people are miffed that it's not Zelda (though, tbh more fool you for thinking it had a chance of being Zelda), but is OS really that bad?

Jeremy

5 years ago

^There are worse titles at the Wii launch

But I think it's a Nintendo fan thing, where they blatantly won't play because it isn't made by Nintendo. Yes, that is a generalisation but for some people I know, this is a fact.

That being said, I would probably sell it myself

mainly because i have prioreties of what i'd like to play.

And TRU probably could've chosen a better title anyway, NFS from the get-go would've been much better.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

the problem with NFS though, is that it has a fairly limited appeal. not everyone likes car games, and not all of those like gritty car games (i was going to say "simulation", but then remembered it's NFS

)

David

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

)

Have to disagree there. I don't really care for NFS, but it will probably be the highest selling game of the year. therefore it's actually as wide an appeal as anything.

Open season is apparently ok, but it's still a licenced kids game (based on a movie starring Martin Lawrence, urg).

theory

5 years ago

^ Watch what you say about Martin Lawrence. I can handle the FIFA dissing but you're about to go too far

Nev

5 years ago

Open Season? Pah! I'll take the free Wii bag my g/f gets when she preordered from Kmart.

Considering my local independant game store was going to give me $15 off the retail, that bag better be worth $15.

I expect - nay DEMAND - pockets!

Gutsman Heavy

5 years ago

I'll take my free NFS: Carbon, and sell it.
Money! Something I'll actually use!

InvivnI

5 years ago

renegadesx wrote

At least EB are introducing a free carry bag, something I can actually use

When? I pre-ordered a couple of weeks ago at EB and there was no mention of a carry-bag.

mick_rulz_2006

5 years ago

My sister works for ZToys R Us and say that there not cancelling the deal.

mick_rulz_2006

5 years ago

yer there not cancelling it

JOE BLOW

5 years ago

why would they cancel it ?

jippy

5 years ago

I think it's more that they're not offering the deal anymore, rather than that they've totally cancelled it.

I went into my local Toys R Us on Friday to pre-order the Zelda Family Pack (the $729.99 deal) and was told that the deal was now off (as in, they couldn't take anymore pre-orders for it due to "world wide" shortages).

I'm inclined to think that those who have already pre-ordered it will still be getting the deal, however they'll probably get some games in the deal a little later than anticipated . . . but I didn't get the implication that the deal was totally cancelled, so I wouldn't think that that would be the case for the original "free game" deal, either.

Anyhow, the salesgirl also told me that they're starting a NEW deal: today. She actually said "tomorrow" but as it was Friday . . . =P So they started a new deal this Saturday, called the "Action Pack".

I pre-ordered that today. =)

It includes:

- Wii Console (+ 1 Remote and Nunchuk)
- Wii Play (+ 1 Remote)
- Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Wii Console Bag
- $400 Voucher Booklet

Priced at $529.99.

Joseph

5 years ago

That's a pretty decent deal actually considering Wii Play costs $80.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Nev wrote

the EB in Perth has a photo of the Bag, it looks pretty decent truth be told - it's like most of those shoulder bags that are really trendy (though totally spine destroying) amongst the whipper-snappers at schools these days.

or a Laptop bag.

it's all white and light blue. and yes - with pockets.

Dare

5 years ago

jippy, that 'Action Pack' actually seems like a decent deal, i may just cancel my pre-order (just console) at Target for that

(i was thinking of getting all that stuff anyway)

& that 'deal' also has Wii-Sports aswell, yeah?

InvivnI

5 years ago

ObsoletE wrote

Interesting. I'll check that out Friday when I head over to Chadstone to pre-order Twighlight Princess (already pre-ordered the console... I just hel out on a game for some reason). Though I'll check out Toys R' Us over there too, that $529 deal is too good to pass up. Will I lose my deposit if I cancel the EB pre-order?

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