With just about two weeks to go before the launch of the Wii and PS3, someone snuck us what looks to be Best Buy's official playbook. This 25-page document details all the nitty-gritty on how the super store is going to set up for the sale of both consoles, what to say and what not to say and even how to arrange the store.

I was delighted to learn, while reading through the document, that Best Buy has learned from their mistakes, specifically those made with the launch of the Xbox 360. This time around, you won't be pushed or cajoled and you might even enjoy the experience, if the Big B is to be believed.

Video game history will be made Nov. 17 (PlayStation 3) and Nov. 19 (Nintendo Wii), when two new console platforms launch for the first time in the same year since 2001 - within 48 hours of each other.

With your application of the "It Selling Strategy" against a backdrop of our core values and Core Philosophies, customers will go home with the end-to-end solutions that are just right for them and (most importantly) be glad they chose Best Buy.

Our learnings from the Xbox 360 launch last year support our belief that nothing is more important than the quality of the customer's experience. From past launches, we learned that the average customer who purchases a console system from Best Buy comes back six times a year over a three-year period to buy games and peripherals. If you press the customer on Nov. 17 to buy your end-to-end solution, it may be the last time you ever see that customer. Don't take the risk.

Instead, talk to the customer and find out what kind of gamer (hard core, family or value) he or she is. Ask questions and listen for the answers. The journey to the end-to-end solution is more than a checklist. It's you and your customer talking about how and what they like to play, where and with whom. It's you unlocking the secret of what makes your customer unique and sending them home with what they want.

There's a ton more info in this box and to make things more digestible I've broken down the info into multiple posts:

Best Buy's PS3 and Wii Mazes
Official Best Buy Employee Wii/PS3 Buying Policy
What Best Buy Can't Do with the Wii/PS3
PS3 Launch Day Game List
The Wii Launch Day Game List
Best Buy's Launch Day Logistics

Brian Crecente

Line Management

The mission is to create a safe environment for customers to wait when the line begins to form, as well as
a fair and orderly process for distributing tickets. Give customers waiting in line a clear set of expectations
about how many units will be available on launch day and when tickets will be handed out.
Communicate early and often
From the front of the line to the very end, all customers need to know how many units will be available on
launch day so they can decide for themselves whether or not to remain in line. As the line forms and
grows, be sure to pass along the best, most accurate information you have.

Launch Day Logistics

The mission is to create a quick and orderly process for redeeming tickets, present elements of the endto-
end solution and allow your customers to make the choices that are right for them.
Personal shopper model or assembly line model?
While both of these models were used successfully with last year's Xbox 360 launch, feedback collected
from the field recently suggests that the personal shopper approach works best when you don't have very
many units. In the assembly line model, the customer goes from station to station and interacts with
several employees, each tasked with presenting a component of the end-to-end solution.
When and how to hand out tickets?
Hand out tickets for the number of many units you have 60 minutes before you open the doors. Starting at
the front of the line, hand one ticket to each person in line. Since there are separate tickets for the two
different PS3 SKUs, ask each customer which one he or she wants.
What do we do when you run out of tickets and have more people in line?
Like in past launches, you'll run out of tickets before you run out of customers. There's a launch day offer
for customers who waited in line and didn't get a PS3 but still want a high-definition gaming solution.
Three days only - Buy an Xbox 360 Pro System and two Xbox 360 software titles ($49 or more), and
get a third Xbox 360 software title (of equal or lesser value) free.
Value Package ID 37280.
Offer valid Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19.

Best Practices
The following are some best practices from previous platform launches that help to maximize the comfort
and safety of the customers standing in line.
Connect with Property Management well in advance to allow for these considerations and actions to be
taken. Use the Ask the Facility.Bus form on Employee Toolkit. Click Forms, Inventory and then
Equipment Repairs/Maintenance.
Keep the lights on all night. Whether your store is a midnight sale location or not, there's no telling
what day and what time the line will begin forming. But surely customers will line up hours before the
doors open. Work with your store's Property Management to keep exterior lights on after regular store
hours so customers won't be sitting in total darkness.
Contact local law enforcement by Nov. 10 to inform them of the upcoming launches and the lines of
customers we anticipate will form hours, or perhaps days, prior. Inform them that the lights will be on
all night to illuminate the area where the customers will be standing and request that officers on patrol
in the area pass through the area every couple of hours that night.
Portable restrooms are a great idea for stores holding midnight opening events or stores expecting
a line of customers for 12 to 24 hours or more. Portable restrooms in the parking lot often require
landlord approval, so connect with your store's Property Management Team if you wish to provide
this for your customers.

Wii-Avatar: The Last Airbender 8130667 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Call of Duty 3 8030329 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Cars 7918266 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2 8147427 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Excite Truck 7917463 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy 8131078 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Gt Pro Series 8140665 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Happy Feet 8147524 E $49.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Madden NFL '07 7917169 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Marvel Ultimate Alliance 7917427 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Metal Slug Anthology 7918239 T $39.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Monster 4x4: World Circuit 8140745 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Open Season 8141496 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Rampage Total Destruction 8131032 E10+ $29.99 Nov. 14
Wii-Rapala Trophies 8130907 E $39.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Rayman Raving Rabbids 7917481 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Red Steel 7849876 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Splinter Cell Double Agent 8141263 M $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Spongebob: Creature From The Krusty Krab 7918328 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz 7917515 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-The Barnyard 8130603 E10+ $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess 7917132 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam 7918186 E $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-Trauma Center 7918195 T $49.99 Nov. 15
Wii-World Series of Poker TOC 8138142 T $39.99 Nov. 15

Hit the jump for the accessory list. Brian Crecente

Launch kit (Best Buy exclusive)
SKU 8012786, $34.99
Wii launch kit includes a large organizer stand, two Wii remote gloves and wrist straps, Wii baseball cap,
a one-year (12-issue) subscription to GamePro Magazine Level 2 and a trial subscription to GameFly.

Memory cards
512MB memory card SKU 8012839, $39.99
1GB memory card SKU 8012848, $59.99
2GB memory card SKU 8004964, $99.99
Wii comes with 512MB in flash memory out of the box, but additional memory enables the user to store
game progress and download Virtual Console games (see below). Your customer gets more memory
the buck with higher capacity cards.

Wii Points Card
SKU 8054428, $22.99
Wii owners also will return to their youth with 30 classic games available for download to play on Wii's
Virtual Console. These include games for the NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and
TurboGrafx16 consoles. Players redeem Wii Points in the Wii Shop Channel and download their games.
And that's not to mention the entire library of more than 530 Nintendo GameCube games that can be
played on the Wii console from day one, because Wii is directly backward compatible.
Nintendo is making the greatest video game archive in history available for download to its Virtual
Console. NES games start at 500 Wii Points, Super NES games start at 800 Wii Points and Nintendo 64
games start at 1,000 Wii Points. Sega Genesis games start at 800 Wii Points and TurboGrafx16 games
start at 600 Wii Points.

Wii Points can be redeemed to download Virtual Console games. Games downloaded from the
Virtual Console library will be stored on Wii's built-in 512MB flash memory and additional downloads may
be stored on SD cards. If the internal memory is filled, Virtual Console games can be deleted to create
more room. Should the player want to play those deleted games at a later date, they can be downloaded
again at no additional cost.

Controllers and remotes
Nintendo brand Wii Wireless remote, SKU 8054464, $39.99
Nintendo brand Wii Nunchuk controller, SKU 8054482, $19.99
Nintendo brand Wii classic controller, SKU 8054507, $19.99
The classic controller blends elements from Nintendo's NES, Super NES and N64 controllers to allow for
seamless play control over the titles that span the Virtual Console library.

S video cables (Better)
React brand SKU 8009004, $17.99
This is the only Wii S/AV cable Best Buy will carry for launch.

Component video cables (Best)
React brand SKU 8008988, $24.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985727, $59.99

Wii storage and protection kit
SKU 8012937, $49.99
Includes home organizer stand and 512MB memory card.
Wii controller gloves two-pack
SKU 8012768, $18.99
Allows customers to add comfort and customization to their new Wii remote.

PS3-Call of Duty 3 7917043 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Full Auto 2 7917365 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Genji 8136297 T $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Madden NFL '07 7916945 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-NBA 2K7 8136322 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-NHL 2K7 8137143 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Resistance: Fall of Man 7917025 M $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Tiger Woods PGA Tour '07 8136304 E $59.99 Nov. 14
PS3-Tony Hawk's Project 8 7917114 T $59.99 Nov. 14
P3-Need for Speed: Carbon 7917061 $59.99 Nov. 21

Hit the jump for the list of Blu-ray movies and accessories that will be available for the PS3. Brian Crecente

Wireless controller
Sony SKU 8150029, $49.99
The PS3 Sixaxis is a controller that is nearly identical to that of the predecessor's DualShock. The Sixaxis
features finer analog sensitivity, more trigger-like R2 and L2 buttons and a USB mini-B port for charging
the internal battery and use for wired play. There are four numbered LED indicators, as well, to identify
and distinguish multiple wireless controllers. The PlayStation 3 supports up to seven simultaneous
controllers over Bluetooth. The Sixaxis is named for its ability to detect motion in the full six degrees.
Unlike the previous DualShock however, this new controller has no vibration feature.

Wireless controller charger cable
Pelican charger cable, SKU 8032256, $9.99
The charger cable is great to help the player finish his or her game when the wireless controller is running
out of juice. PS3 comes with one charger cable, so this is a great idea for customers who buy a second
wireless controller.

Memory card adaptor
Sony brand SKU 8150065, $14.99
The PlayStation 3 memory card adaptor is a device that allows data to be transferred to and from the
PlayStation and PlayStation 2 memory cards to the PlayStation 3's hard dive. The device is a cable that
connects to the PS3's USB port on one end, and features a legacy PlayStation 2 memory card port on the
other end. It's a great attachment to the 20 GB PS3, which doesn't have a built-in flash card reader.

Component video cables (Better)
React brand SKU 8008951, $24.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985709, $79.99

HDMI cables (Best)
React brand SKU 8003322, $59.99
Psyclone brand SKU 7985736, $99.99 ($10 off coupon in launch brochure)

Blu-ray Movies
Aeon Flux Collectors Edition (SKU 8004232)
BlackHawk Down (SKU 7898304)
Click (SKU 8019912)
Fifth Element (SKU 7808633)
Four Brothers (SKU 8004241)
Glory Road (SKU 7983827)
Italian Job Spec (SKU 8004223)
Little Man (SKU 8053599)
Mission Impossible 3 (SKU 8004036)
Monster House (SKU 8024595)
Omen 666 (SKU 8053688)
Sahara (2005) (SKU 8107327)
16 Blocks (SKU 8120188)
Syriana (SKU 8120197)
Underworld: Evolution (SKU 7808722)

The 4 Big Don'ts No bundling. The sale of a PS3 or Wii hardware unit shouldn't be conditional on the attachment of any good or service under any circumstances. Best Buy will offer PS3 and Wii hardware at the prices listed in the ad. No bulk sales. PS3 hardware (20GB SKU 8008513, 60GB SKU 8008489): Limit one per customer until further notice PS3 software and accessories: Limit three per SKU, per customer, until further notice Wii hardware (SKU 8008559): Limit one per customer until further notice Wii software and accessories: Limit three per SKU, per customer, until further notice Clarity around one per customer policy: If you start with 20 PS3s, you'll sell one PS3 to each of the first 20 people in line with their own form of payment accepted at Best Buy. For example, if Mark, Rick and Steve all come in for a PS3, Mark can't use his credit card to pay for all three, not even on three separate transactions. No sales before the hard street date. Don't display or sell PS3 hardware prior to Nov 17. Don't display or sell Wii hardware prior to Nov. 19. No transaction activity whatsoever. This includes sold orders and employee sales. Contact Ask the Bus on the Media page of Employee Toolkit immediately if you observe any other retailer displaying or selling PS3 or Wii hardware before their respective street dates. No holding product for individuals. Don't hold any PS3 or Wii units for any customers or employees. The also applies to customers who purchased a defective unit. Vendors will be able to expedite customer exchanges faster than retailers. For these customers, Sony and Nintendo have toll-free numbers.

Brian Crecente

Check out the new official policy:

Employee Purchase Policy Due to inventory levels of PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii hardware, there are strict requirements on employee purchases. An employee must be off-duty in order to purchase these products. Employees are customers when they're not at work, so must follow same standard procedure applicable to customers:

Stand in line with no preferential treatment
Receive line ticket based on placement in lines
Purchase of one unit per employee

Every employee is expected to uphold our values, adhere to our Company policies and keep a constant
focus on our customers. Behaviors exhibiting direct violation of the Company policies and values will not
be tolerated. The consequences for violating the Company values and policies will result in an immediate
launch of an internal investigation resulting in a range of disciplinary actions - up to, and including,
termination of employment.

The resale of any PS3 or Wii systems originally purchased at Best Buy by a current Best Buy employee is
strictly prohibited. To view the Company's Employee Purchase Policy, go to eGO and select Policies &
Culture, Policies, Your Responsibilities & Behavior and then Employee Discount Policy.
Employees should talk to their managers to discuss or report questionable behavior.

Brian Crecente