One of our friendly neighborhood Best Buy moles e-mailed us with some handy launch day info. If you're one of the unlucky millions to not have a Wii or PlayStation 3 already reserved, instead braving the line in a tent, sleeping bag, or on a warm metal grate, here's some more info that might make your camping a little easier.

We received our "Wii/PS3 playbook" today that had some nice information in it.

Only a few Best Buys will be opening early, as you posted earlier in the week. The rest will be opening an hour early at 9AM. We are encouraged to keep our lights on all night so that customers who line up outside will not be in the dark. We'll be handing out tickets to the line about an hour before opening. We are told to not divulge the number of consoles we have to "prevent customer disappoints". I would think that not telling customers how many we have would be more disappointing.

More details after the jump.

My particular store is getting 24 Wiis. Associates are instructed to tell customers that we don't know when we will get more. Furthermore, employees are allowed to purchase either a PS3 or Wii, as long as they are off the clock and wait in line just like everyone else. However, resale of any console bought by an employee is expressely prohibited.

Here's what I think is the worst part of it all. Apparently that report that Gamestop/EB would be the only stores with Wii kiosks wasn't so off the mark. The Wii kiosks that Best Buy is getting will be NON-INTERACTIVE. To me this is just idiotic on the part of Nintendo. They are gonna show vidoes of their console that is based on using it? Nintendo has something huge in the Wii, why are they squandering it!! People need to get their hands on this thing!!!

Yep. You'll be competing with the Best Buy blue-shirts for your next-gen console of choice.

Now you know. And knowing is half the battle. Michael McWhertor

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