Somewhere between 6:01am and 6:03am, I hit a brick wall. Brain mush. Legs rubbery. Sligthly dizzy.

We've been broken up into grounds of one hundred. Then filed neatly between red plastic cones, between which we're expected to wait.

Earlier, I ran into a game producer, waiting with several employees. The start of the evening was spent shooting the shit. The lack of sleep and wear of being in a parking garbage for hours has set in. Conversation has slowed.

Cold air is blowing on my face, directly down my throat.

A rotund Yodobashi Camera staffer with a earphone in his ear and mic in his starts talking bringing up the momnotiny of music, then loudspeaker announcement.

The Wii will go on sale shortly, he tells us. How many units? 2,800 total he says. Game producer Ben points out that something like 1,200 PS3 were sold at launch.

Row by row, one hundred customers stand up and head toward the glass doors. Feeling stir-crazy. Two thousand plus lined up in neat little rows. Towards the glass doors, we move. Together. Brian Ashcraft

Half past midnight. We're being shuffled out en masse. Music proceeds an announcements that says we are now able to use the elevator. But, return before 4am.

A herd of us hits the street. Wondering what where we should do, where we should go. A cozy restaurant and an series of food and drink follow. Up, up and back we go.

Thin crowd filters through. The security guard is still passing out tickets. The one I recieved earlier is numbered 747. Now they're over 1800. Before we left, the tickets were numbered in the 1600s.

Back upstairs, 11th floor, welcome home. More waiting. Endless waiting. Always waiting. Now they are splitting us up into groups of one hundred. I hear them calling numbers. No music. We're at 1700s. One hour to go. Brian Ashcraft

There's one line and only one line. It's long, and it's for the bathroom. Two toilets for me, two for women. Four total.

The space is immense. There must over thousand people crammed in here. Time is passed with DS Lites. Smoking. More DS Lites. And more smoking.

A sole figure with a PSP explains the system to the first guy in line.

Cold air cuts straight through the exits. People cover themselves with space blankets. Old men play Japanese chess. We're killing time, folks. Brian Ashcraft

Nothing suspicious, here, move along. They're just buying Wiis for their grandchildren. Riiiight. Brian Ashcraft

Early evening. The first floor shutter crash down, and Yodobashi staff in blue jackets, holding signs and mics. The announcements commence.

For those purchasing the Nintendo Wii. Please take a ticket and go up to the 11th floor.

The 11th floor? We're not lining up outside. We're lining up inside.

An elevator, wrapped in steel. Two women in front of the door. Both young. Fashionable.

Here's the system: We have to wait on the 11th floor. A security guard tells me that we must stay there until 12:30am. In effect, we're locked in, missing the last train. We can leave the parking garage until 4:00am. What next, not sure.

A wet, rainy PS3 launch, this is not.

The elevator doors open. Gray smoke curls in fluorescent lights. I'm in a parking garage. Filled with people. Brian Ashcraft

Game corner. Fifth floor. Traffic is light, consumers looking at this, looking at that. The Nintendo Wii aisle isn't exactly a madhouse, but drawing a varied type. Just like Nintendo hoped.

Across the way, the PS3 display is hopping. To be expected—There are demos. Top Spin. MotorStorm. Other stuff. The Wii is still you-can-look-but-not-touch. The PS3 is out in the wild for the assembled male crowd.

Heading back towards the elevators, I pass a sign that points out as playable as the PS3, it's still not purchasable. The console's sold out. As is the DS Lite. And soon the Wii. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft coverage of the Japan Wii Launch continues.

It's a little after 5:00 pm, and the line's grown to a sizable fifty people or so. Soft talk as people chatter among themselves. Light fades as we dig in for a long, cold night ahead. Wii. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's Japan Wii Launch coverage continues.

What do you call groups of old men standing next foreigners at a PS3 launch? Gray market. What do you call the same at a Wii launch? Expanded demographic, that's what! It's still early, but I'm seeing some of the same type of thing that plagued the PS3 launch present at the Wii one (pockets of old men), but noticeably absent at the 360's (rude, I know). Brian Ashcraft

Earlier: Homeless Winos Wait

Thought the PS3 was the hardest console to score? Well, it is, but oddly, the early word is that the Wii is as well. We've heard a few stores with shockingly low Wii numbers. Gizmodo Japan reports that the Bic Camera in Tokyo's Shinjuku has only 100 consoles. When asked about the number of units ready for sale, a Bic Camera staffer's response was:

We got in 100 units. But that's more than we got for the PS3.

Well, no duh. Launch qualities are something like twenty times the PLAYSTATION 3. Giz Japan imagines that the low sale numbers are due to the majority of consoles being alotted for pre-reserves. Brian Ashcraft

Few Wiis in Shinjuku [Gizmodo Japan]

This kicks off Brian Ashcraft's coverage of the Wii Japan Launch. Check back throughout the day for continued updates.

The guy at the front of the line tells me he's been waiting since 6am. It's now somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00 in the afternoon. We're here at Yodobashi Camera in Umeda in Osaka, and he's waiting for the Nintendo Wii.

"What launch title you gonna buy?" I ask him. He's wearing a black puffy coat and a black knit cap.
"Zelda."

There's another thirty or so in line behind him. The First Guy is quick to point out that people didn't start showing up until noon. That's after he had been in line. For six hours. Alone.

"Anything else you're getting?"
"Nope," he tells me. Black stubble covers his hard jaw. "That's it. Just Zelda. You?" Brian Ashcraft

Tomorrow, 400,000 Wiis hit The Land of the Rising Sun. Gizmodo Japan reports that compared to the PS3, there have been more Wii pre-orders. And thus, more people unable to get pre-orders. So it's a numbers game again, really.

For our Japan-based readers, here's the retailer run-down:

Bic Camera: Sales start first come, first served tomorrow morning at 7:00am. As previously mentioned, those with Suica cards can pre-reserve. Otherwise, head to the Ikebukuro headquarters (ahem, Jean Snow!) or Yurakucho. Eds Note: Jean Snow just told me the smaller Bics will be doing drawings for Wiis at 11am. Tickets given out between 9-10am.

Yodobashi Camera: Sales also first come, first served with stores opening at 7:00am at the Shinjuku, Akihabara and Umeda branches. I'll be at the Umeda branch. Wearing a Paul Smith scarf (Yeah, I know. My excuse: It was a present.)

Shibuya TSUTAYA: Pre-reserves only. Orders filled in two hours.

Sofmap (Den-Den Town): Likewise, pre-reserves. They apparently went quick.

Sakuraya: Tickets will be passed out from 7:30 am tomorrow morning with sales starting at 8:00 am.

Good luck all! Brian Ashcraft

Japan Retail Info For Wii GET [Gizmodo Japan]