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Solutions for Gamers

Monday, December 17 at 11:09 AM	\|	Posted by: Joe, Sam's Club
Category: Gaming

One of the really cool things that we get to do as buyers is design new items or combinations of items for our Members. Here are some that our team is pretty pleased with. We worked with our partners at Nyko Technologies to come-up with some unique solutions and combinations that offer amazing values. They are Sam's Club exclusives in these configurations. Based on Member response, you get it. It seems to resonate with you and is selling well.

We began many months before we put one in the clubs in some very frank and open conversations with Nyko. Our first item was to engineer a solution for the 360 gamer. This was when the 360 was the only next generation system available. As a 360 gamer (I have added a PS3 and a Wii since that time), I was disappointed with batteries running out and having to attach a play-and-charge kit to my console. Who wanted wires? This is the age of wireless! Nyko had a two battery charging station, which was nice, but with only two batteries, what was one to do when friends come over? We worked with Nyko and came up with what we call the Ultimate 360 Kit. It features an Intercooler fan system for keeping the 360 unit cool, a charge station, FOUR rechargable batteries and a face plate. Our Members loved it and we knew we had more work to do as new systems were coming out.

Prior to the launches of the PS3 and the Wii, we were coming up with ideas. We developed the Ultimate PS3 kit. This unit features a two part Intercooler fan system with a variable speed fan on it. It even moves the master power switch to the front of the PS3 unit! We added a wall plug-in USB to mini USB charging station with cables. Now, Members do not have to leave the PS3 on to recharge their SIXAXIS controllers. To top it off, we added an HDMI cable. The whole thing sells for less than what our competitors charge for just the HDMI cable.

The Wii presented a different challange. At home, I was getting frustrated having to buy lots of AA batteries. What a waste. We worked with Nyko on a rechargable station which charges two Wii-motes and added a set of 480p cables to give Wii owners the best possible picture. Here is what it looks like. Members really like all three kits.

Thought we would share this with you. We really have some neat aspects of our jobs and to see something which we worked on take flight like this is amazing. We know we are helping our Members save money and get more enjoyment from their systems. What other ideas do you think we should be developing? We are already at work with some of our other suppliers kicking around new ideas to help you get the most from your system.

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2 Comments


	Heya. It's always been my understanding that using the Nyko Intercooler on an XBox 360 voids the warranty, as it is an unlicensed product that both draws power away from the 360 and inturrupts the normal operation of the cooling fans in the system (not to mention the reports of first gen Nyko Intercoolers actually melting while connected to the 360). Among avid gamers, Nyko is second only to MadCatz for having some of the cheapest, crappiest quality products and accessories - why did Sam's choose to work with them, instead of a more popular company like BD&A or Logitech? Heck, even PenguinUnited has some pretty awesome and low priced/high quality accessories (Their 24-Game DS Pouch is a particular pet item of mine). Now, it could just be that I'm jaded after dealing with a craptacular experience with Nyko products and thier customer service, but the fact is, real gamers don't just want the lowest price on a bundle of poor quality accessories from a third rate company. We want the best quality at the best price, and we work hard to get that. On the bright side, at least all the major systems now have internal memory, so I don't have to worry about hearing the screams of agony when some crappy unofficial memory card messes up and deletes some poor, unknowing gamer's hours of hard work. J. Richard Cook on 12/17/2007 at 2:44 PM


	Hey again! I cannot agree with your assessment of Nyko. They have really taken a quality approach to their products. Their FRONTMAN guitar got some of the highest ratings we have seen. As a matter of fact, in our own testing some competitive units broke that are carried elsewhere. They re-engineered the Intercooler, and I have been using one on my 360 and PS3 and use the charger and cables on my Wii. No issues on my end. We do not get a lot of returns on the units we sell. As a matter of fact, we chose them at Sam's Club NOT because they were the cheapest. They were NOT. We chose them because of their quality. We could have taken some much less expensive guitars and cooling units, but we felt that the Member experience and our brand reputation is worth more than saving a few points on an item. I can assure you with absolute certainty that we are really quality driven at Sam's Club. It is pretty simple, our Member PAYS for the ability to shop with us. We give them a bad experience and they have no reason to renew. It is a different model than traditional retail. Look around the clubs and see what we have. Sony televisions, Apple iPods, Canon cameras, Dyson vacuum cleaners and Bose home theater systems come to mind. Some pretty high end brands. Look at the quality on the jewelry, it is high end. Heck, we sold a Citation Mustang airplane last year. Our Members expect some great brands and quality. In addition, they can return stuff for just about any reason. Our leadership is focused on quality and as buyers, we are mission driven on that goal. Do we hit it every time, on every item in every category? No, we do not. We sometimes come up short. We are not perfect, but we strive for that excellent Member experience. There are somethings that I would not buy other than at a Sam's Club and there are some things that I would never buy at a Sam's Club. Sometimes, companies will not sell their items to us. We need to keep building bridges with them and explain to them the reasons why the should do business with us and our Members. It will not happen overnight, but I can assure you, we want to be the best in the space we play in. Again, appreciate the response. Joe Muha on 12/19/2007 at 7:27 PM