My local Best-Buy has been totally revamped  this week and a huge part of the shop is now dedicated  to console gaming.

To give you an idea, floor space dedicated to DVD has been reduced by around 40% and floor space dedicated to gaming has tripled. Gaming is probably the biggest area in term of floor space in the shop now...

There are now several spaces dedicated to Wii/PS3/Xbox360 demo ( 2 of each plugged to HD TVs), and even a whole area just for music related games ( whole row for GH and Rock Band).

In front of each rows ( total 6 dedicated to gaming) you have the best-selling games of the week on display ( like they used to do for DVDs before).

Wii and PS3 were out of stock ( surprise for PS3 as they had a huge stock last Friday) and the new 60G 360 is on sale...

It's the economy as people cant afford to spend $300 per weekend at bars/clubs they spend it on a console to entertain them for 5+ years.

my best buy just restructured their floor as well. the wii section got about 25% bigger, 360/ps3 sections stayed the same, ps2 got gimped in half but there is now a gigantic section (2x that of wii and 4x that of 360/ps3) dedicated solely to rockband/guitar hero.

My guess is the margins on GH and Rockband are probably bigger.

And yes the space for Wii is now bigger than the one for PS3 and 360 ( but those got increased slightly too).
The biggest advantage the Wii has though is that PS3 and 360 games are behind a glass and you need a Best Buy employee to access them ( and they are very hard to see due to poor lighting). You can however pick yourself any Wii games.
The exception are new releases which are on display at the end of the rows for every console and that you can pick yourself...

It's the economy as people cant afford to spend $300 per weekend at bars/clubs they spend it on a console to entertain them for 5+ years. thats a good idea and smart move

 How can anyone spend $300 in one weekend just at clubs?? Im guessing its strip clubs you go to as just drink and a taxi, maybe paying to get in clubs cost some, but wow you should learn to budget a bit if you want to go out drinking every weekend.

Well without going to 300$, just going to watch a movie for a family of 4 ( typical US family) easilly costs 80$+ ( 3$+ a coke GAH).

The gaming section at most Best Buys was already pretty big I thought...there's usually about 3 aisles of DVDs, that's 6 rows I guess; and 3.5 aisles of games, that's 7 rows of console games (1 for 360, 1 for PS2/PS3, 1 for GBA/DS/Wii, 1 for PC games, opposite of each row are big accessories, guides, Rock Band kinda stuff).

It is smarting to cut some partying weekends out in favor of some games.

I just read that Best Buy is starting to get into the musical instrument biz.