Gaming Anyone here work at Target/Best Buy/GameStop? 3DS Demo Question

[drfsupercenter]

Hey guys,

I am curious - at stores with 3DS demo kiosks... ever since Luigi's Mansion has come out, I'm seeing that the demo kiosks just have the regular full version of the game. I am curious, did Nintendo not sent out any demos for that?

I'm really interested in the demo history that was sent to stores - last I checked, before Luigi's Mansion, stores had Trend Savvy or something like that, it was a demo cartridge. That one hasn't surfaced on eBay yet, but I've seen Star Fox, Super Mario 3D Land (apparently the full game, despite having demo sticker), and some others.

 

[Sicklyboy]

Haven't played with it but I do believe it's the full game. Cba to take the security bracket off while I'm on my shift to see the cart, but I ended up getting the parental control master key so I could unblock wifi settings, configure it to the stores wifi, and update it so I can get more puzzle swap pieces off of it.

-gbatemps resident target electronics guy

Edit - to elaborate on the demo history, it was pilotwings, starfox, sm3dl, trend savvy, luigi's mansion, in that order I believe. Also, we don't have the demos come into ourselves, a Nintendo vendor comes in and changes everything out for us. Which sucks, because I've got no problem doing it.

Edit 2 - so to elaborate on that, the fact that they "didn't send out demos" just means they likely didn't make any for some reason. It doesn't come out of the store's stock, it's provided to the vendor.

 

[drfsupercenter]

Haha, so is that security key a Nintendo-provided one or does each store have its own? It would be fun to derp around in system settings at my local store just for fun

The SM3D Land demo was just the full game, right? At least that's what everyone on eBay is saying. However, there's a New Super Mario Bros 2 demo floating around, I'm considering buying that... any idea if that was an actual demo or not?

What about games like Street Fighter 4 3D, was that for a non-Target store, then? I know that one exists too.

 

[Sicklyboy]

It could be that some Target's never got it, but I know for a fact that my store did not.

I also don't precisely remember what games we had and in what order, but I do believe we had all of those. Maybe even nsmb2. I also do not at all remember which were full, all I know is Trend Savvy, most likely StarFox, and Pilotwings were actual demos. The demos cause the SM to autoboot the game, making it (nearly) impossible to access the SM, from what I can tell. The full games, however, you can get to the SM.

http://www.3dbrew.org/wiki/3DSExplorer - Windows program, has 3DS/WiiU master key generator. What I did was open the program at home, go in for my shift, go to the demo unit, parental controls, forgot pin, forgot secret question, and then you get the inquiry number. Take note of that and the date on the system, and I went into the bathroom for a dump, opened teamviewer on my phone and plugged in the info, then when I came out I put it in the master key field and it removed the block. We got in-store wifi finally about 2 or 3 months ago, so I hooked it up to the Wifi and started an update.

 

[drfsupercenter]

Ah, that's a useful trick - next time I'm at a store with a 3DS demo kiosk I'll use that to my advantage!

I'd love to hear from anyone else who works at one of the other stores, does Nintendo do it the same way as at Target? The one that really got my attention was (I think) at Best Buy - they had a 3DS XL with seemingly every game demo released to date... but it wasn't like they just had a folder of them like I do on my retail 3DS, it was some sort of special menu with game info - looks like the eshop but lets you launch the demos right from there. I would really love to know what the story behind that was.

 

[nicklesminer]

While I am a geek squad agent at best buy, unfortunately I don't know a whole lot about the 3ds display. All I know is that we have a nintendo rep come in and manage all of it. I don't even think I've touched the 3ds display in the store.

 

[BORTZ]

If i could summon him, i think Ponglotsonumbers is your man.

 

[Pong20302000]

summoned LOL

well there are 2 sorts of Demo's and 3 Sorts of 3DS's

Demo Types:
Dev Demo
these Demos normally state a build number/date on the home Menu, and all though have a Dev chip in the slot but the console is locked up at the back.
These only Work on Dev 3DS's and have been known to also be fixed to Store Kiosks
e.g. pictures

Spoiler

Standard Demo:
these Demo's state *DEMO* in the game header name but not a build date and work as a typical game but lock out the home menu once booted, but these cartridges work in both Retail & Kiosk 3DS versions which are also both used in Stores that offer playable Demo's
these are in stores either Pre-Installed to a 3DS or use a Cartridge (pics of carts below)(The cartridges can be spotted by the LNZ in the code on the card)

Spoiler

Consoles Types

Dev Console:
a Dev Console can only load Developer carts and all games are signed specifically for Developers only and loads apps placed on SD card

Kiosk Console:
very similar to a Retail console but must be fixed to a power supply all the time as has no internal battery (making it lighter)

Retail Console:
your typical console that is sold to the public



Current EUR/USA Demo carts ive seen/own
10 total:
Zelda Ocorina of Time
Starfox 64
Pilot Wings
Super Street Fighter 4
Mario Kart 7
Steel Diver
Nintendogs + Cats
AR Card Games
Super Mario 3D land
New Super Mario Bros 2

i believe all the rest have been Installed to consoles arrived in stores

 

[drfsupercenter]

Informative, thanks! I guess that helps in one regard - I saw a seller selling a New Super Mario Bros. 2 "demo", but it didn't say "not for resale" on the front of it, and while he claimed it was an actual demo and had the sticker on the back, it was a regular LNA-CTR, not LNZ.

I've also never seen a debug console - while I'm not surprised they exist, I don't think any USA chain stores would have those. So I'm guessing what Target and other stores have is a regular 3DS but without a battery? I know they usually have the lid attached to a big metal thing via adhesive so you can't even close it - that is, until someone breaks the tape off

So are you saying that games like Star Fox (which both you and I own as a demo) were sent out via mail rather than installed by a Nintendo rep? Or did people just steal them? I almost wonder how Nintendo reacts when they go to switch out the demo cartridge and someone has stolen it... do they fine the store or anything?

Other than Nintendogs and AR games, I think I've seen all of the demos you mentioned as USA region - I am so tempted to import the AR games EUR demo since it keeps popping up on eBay, but I know it won't work on my USA system.
(I think I own like 6 of them now)

The only question I still have is what the heck was up with that "huge demo" I mentioned - I think Best Buy stores were the ones that had it... essentially it had every demo they've ever released readily available. Maybe I'll drive down there later and take some videos of it in action. I'd really love to know if that's a special cartridge or a special 3DS (possibly a debug one? But it has its own special menu, not like your pictures)

 

[Pong20302000]

Informative, thanks! I guess that helps in one regard - I saw a seller selling a New Super Mario Bros. 2 "demo", but it didn't say "not for resale" on the front of it, and while he claimed it was an actual demo and had the sticker on the back, it was a regular LNA-CTR, not LNZ.

I've also never seen a debug console - while I'm not surprised they exist, I don't think any USA chain stores would have those. So I'm guessing what Target and other stores have is a regular 3DS but without a battery? I know they usually have the lid attached to a big metal thing via adhesive so you can't even close it - that is, until someone breaks the tape off

So are you saying that games like Star Fox (which both you and I own as a demo) were sent out via mail rather than installed by a Nintendo rep? Or did people just steal them? I almost wonder how Nintendo reacts when they go to switch out the demo cartridge and someone has stolen it... do they fine the store or anything?

Other than Nintendogs and AR games, I think I've seen all of the demos you mentioned as USA region - I am so tempted to import the AR games EUR demo since it keeps popping up on eBay, but I know it won't work on my USA system.
(I think I own like 6 of them now)

The only question I still have is what the heck was up with that "huge demo" I mentioned - I think Best Buy stores were the ones that had it... essentially it had every demo they've ever released readily available. Maybe I'll drive down there later and take some videos of it in action. I'd really love to know if that's a special cartridge or a special 3DS (possibly a debug one? But it has its own special menu, not like your pictures)

If its LNA its a retail cart, not everyone is very smart and you will get a load of con artists.

its not like you can even fit a battery i believe to a Kiosk Console, i haven't ever been able to open one of those up though but i believe they dont even have a connection for a battery

they are normally sent with a Nintendo Rep, but some smaller stores used to just be sent Demo carts and they would just get lost ;D or a Rep would be like Nah keep it lol (gotta sweeten them up) as the Rep's are told to destroy them, but not all make it that far.

hmm interesting, it may just be a Dev console and Dev Cart with all the Data Stored on the SD card or Even just a Retail 3DS with all the Demo's Installed from the E-shop but with no Time limit on them, either way snap some pics as this menu you speak of is interesting

 

[drfsupercenter]

Yeah, I might head down to Best Buy tomorrow and see if they still have it. I notice that most Target stores around me have gotten rid of their 3DS kiosks, there's only a few that have them (I drove to like 4 different stores)

Maybe if the thing breaks, Nintendo tells them they're SOL and can't get another?

 

[drfsupercenter]

Alright, cool. They still have it at my local Best Buy store.



Check that out, I should have explained it pretty well in the video... I would really love to know what that is!

 

[Pong20302000]

Alright, cool. They still have it at my local Best Buy store.
Check that out, I should have explained it pretty well in the video... I would really love to know what that is!

awesome, not seen one like this yet, will def ask find out shortly what this is

from the looks it is Indeed a Kiosk Demo Unit
but appears to have a Custom Firmware installed and most likely an external Data unit attached elsewhere which would store the demo and video files but i will confirm hopefully for you as is an interesting piece

 

[Randamin]

I've also seen that demo unit at best buy and would be quite curious about the hardware underneath the 3DS. From my experience pressing the reset button while the demo is running freezes the unit for two seconds then goes back to the main menu.
At first glance I thought that button simply cut the power but after seeing the above behavior is when things got interesting.
I've also updated consoles at stores but instead of trying to reset parental controls I simply created an open hotspot with attwifi to mimic a Nintendo zone.

 

[Sicklyboy]

I tried the attwifi trick at my store but I get hardly any signal in the back of the store so the update would time out.

 

[Randamin]

I tried the attwifi trick at my store but I get hardly any signal in the back of the store so the update would time out.

I have Verizon so with their LTE on 700MHz there is no problem with signal and updates pretty quickly too.

 

[Sicklyboy]

Vzw as well, but again, shit signal on every carrier in the back of my store

 

[kumpandjill]

There are surely demos. The ROMs of demo-versions are readily available (for those that would have use for such thing).

 

[drfsupercenter]

So... did you find anything out, Pong20302000?

 

[SirKelly]

summoned LOL

well there are 2 sorts of Demo's and 3 Sorts of 3DS's

Demo Types:
Dev Demo
these Demos normally state a build number/date on the home Menu, and all though have a Dev chip in the slot but the console is locked up at the back.
These only Work on Dev 3DS's and have been known to also be fixed to Store Kiosks
e.g. pictures

Spoiler

Standard Demo:
these Demo's state *DEMO* in the game header name but not a build date and work as a typical game but lock out the home menu once booted, but these cartridges work in both Retail & Kiosk 3DS versions which are also both used in Stores that offer playable Demo's
these are in stores either Pre-Installed to a 3DS or use a Cartridge (pics of carts below)(The cartridges can be spotted by the LNZ in the code on the card)

Spoiler

Consoles Types

Dev Console:
a Dev Console can only load Developer carts and all games are signed specifically for Developers only and loads apps placed on SD card

Kiosk Console:
very similar to a Retail console but must be fixed to a power supply all the time as has no internal battery (making it lighter)

Retail Console:
your typical console that is sold to the public



Current EUR/USA Demo carts ive seen/own
10 total:
Zelda Ocorina of Time
Starfox 64
Pilot Wings
Super Street Fighter 4
Mario Kart 7
Steel Diver
Nintendogs + Cats
AR Card Games
Super Mario 3D land
New Super Mario Bros 2

i believe all the rest have been Installed to consoles arrived in stores

hey you still got pictures of those demos ? the uploaded pictures seem to be broken