[quote name='TimboSliceGB']well wii u sold out at my gamestop for preorders in 3 hours. my gamestop never gets alot of launch systems and my area so if i don't preorder before they are gone i will not get one on launch[/QUOTE]
I didn't pre-order a Wii U, went out the night it went on sale about 45 minutes before it went on sale, and still managed to get one that evening.
To be fair, the area I'm in is actually pretty good for getting a hold of this kind of device. (lots of big-chain retail stores, lots of shopping options) One thing to do is not rely on GameStop. Pre-ordering from them is hardly ever a reliable way to get product the day of. They commonly take more pre-orderes than they can fulfill.
The big-box retail chains are usually a better bet for launch day. Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Fry's Electronics, etc... These stores usually get more units than GameStop, and don't always take pre-orders, so someone willing to stand in line will have a better opportunity.
Location is also key in the launch day quest. I carefully chose a big-box store that I knew would be a little off the beaten path, and that most consumers probably wouldn't think to check for Wii U's. I chose well, and managed to snag the last unit they had in stock despite being so late to line up.
As to the May 21st announcement, I'm realy hoping Microsoft has something to announce about XNA, or whatever XNA's replacement is going to be. Their attitude toward developers, and indie developers in particular, has me concerned.