Even though there’s still plenty of excitement revolving around the launch of a new console, be it handheld or otherwise, it seems as though the days of week-long lines and potential riots have been all but killed off by the widespread use of pre-orders.  Those launch line ups were quite the experience, but those early days were made even more memorable when the new hardware was unsealed and powered up for the first time.  When the Wii Launched on November 19, 2006, nobody predicted it would be snapped up just as soon as it could be stocked on store shelves.  We also weren’t sure what direction the innovative motion controls and classic Nintendo franchises would take us.  To relive the elation and anticipation of the Wii Launch experience, some of the PixlBit crew thought it would be fun to share their own launch day memories.  If you have some of your own, be sure to share them in the comments.

Grand Slam Tennis began life exclusively on the Nintendo Wii. While versions were planned for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, they were delayed indefinitely, giving players the choice of only the cartoonish, less realistic version of the game. This year, EA has taken it to a new level with Grand Slam Tennis 2, which offers a much more serious game, complete with a new presentation and control scheme.

Electronic Arts made public its financial results for the third fiscal quarter of 2011 and it's reporting that both Battlefield 3 and FIFA 12 sold 10 million copies each across their respective platforms. It also reports that Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.7 million active subscribers and has sold more than two million units in just a little over a month.