PS3 Launched, World Proceeds to Lose Mind

The scene Thursday outside of an Americatown, USA Best Buy. Photo by Matt McGee

What a day it has been. November 17, 2006: the date that will go down in history as the moment the world lost its collective mind over a new video game console. I'm as excited as the next guy about the sweet new hardware coming out this weekend, but damn...

I pose a challenge: find me a major online media outlet—local, national or otherwise—that doesn't have at least one mention of the insanity surrounding the Playstation 3 launch. With so many angles to choose from, it's going to be tough: there's the obvious low-hanging fruit in the unwashed hordes who, in forming ad-hoc shanty towns in parking lots around the country, sacrificed not only the $600 for the console and how ever much more for games and accessories, but also their dignity. But wait a minute, there's also the heartwarming tale of said unwashed immediately regaining said dignity (and an obscene profit) after, upon returning home, foregoing the urge to shower just long enough flip their just-purchased console on eBay.

The list goes on: armed robberies of Gamestop stores, Ludacris-hosted parties for the NYC refugees at the Sony Store, riots at a California Best Buy, shameful enlistments of the homeless to wait in line, a man hospitalized after running into a light pole in a mad dash for his place in line (a full day before they even went on sale) and my personal favorite, a first-hand account on a forum of a man who, along with his fellow campers, was robbed at gunpoint outside of a New York mall by a man hoping to take advantage of some tired, delirious gamers that may or may not have $600 in cash in their wallets.

Stay tuned for a similar challenge on Sunday when we do it all over again with Nintendo's Wii. Can't wait! —John Mahoney

Comments

[Bjorn Carey]

I attended the NYC PS3 launch party last night, although I sure felt like a scab crossing the line when I used my media credentials to get into the event 30 minutes before the extreme fanboys who had camped out on 56th St since Monday. Stepping inside the atrium of the Madison Ave SonyStyle store, I was greeted by a couple dozen PS3s, each hooked up to glorious 1080p Sony flatscreens. I even had a chance to play a few games before the soaked masses . My early impressions? I wasn't as blown away as I expected. Don't get me wrong, the graphics were great, and the gameplay was familiar and natural, but the games themselves didn't strike as that much better than those I've played on Xbox 360. Now that the console is finally out in the wild, it's only a matter of time before game developers figure out how to use all of the machine's ridiculous processing power and the PS3 assumes its rightful place at the top of the next gen console podium.

Now, a few notes on the party itself.

Thumbs Up: Lightweight, wireless, familiar controllers
Thumbs Down: Motion sensors don't seem to do much. Give me rumble or give me death.

Thumbs Down: Foot-killing stone floors
Thumbs Up: Thick cushions in front of each gaming staion

Thumbs Up: Official Lara Croft impersonator
Thumbs Down: Her faux accent

Thumbs Up: Pig-in-a-blankets, grilled cheese sandwich triangles and slider burger Hors D'ouvres
Thumbs Down: That guy who scarfed down the entire plate before the serving girl could get 5 feet into the party

Thumbs Up: Totally psyched, totally committed PS3 fans
Thumbs Down: It had been a while since they last showered

[Blogger]

Waiting in line for a day or two isn't bad when you figure that you can sell one machine for between $1700 and $4000 on eBay . . . I don't normally rake in $1000/day, so I'd say those in it for the profit definitely got their money's worth.

[Philm]

I just dont see the since in speeding hundreds of dollars on a console. It was one thing when they were a couple of hudred dollars, I would wait a few months and then buy one. But $600-700 is just lunacy. For $700 on a PC, I could get 8GB of RAM, 2 different vid cards, a high end CPU, hard drives, water cooling setup, a low end computer that will do everything the PS3 can do and then some. I am purchasing a new high end vid card, a mid-high end CPU, 20" LCD monitor and a X-Fi sound card for just $300 more then the PS3 cost.

It just doesnt make any sense to me.

As for the above moron, Blogger. SPAM, no I take that back. Your comment was even worse then spam. I just cant seem to find the words that describe people like you. I would almost say I hate people like you, but I cant. It just reminds me once more why the US and the earth as a whole is falling apar at the seams. Morons like you.

[Stimie]

Nintendo sold 5 Wii's for every one PS3 this weekend.

[K]

Who ever thinks they can get the same processing power and graphics for only $700 doesnt really understand the power of the PS3. I laugh at the ignorance of computerr fanboys and