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The PlayStation 3 Launches In the U.S.
Sony's next-gen console has officially launched in the states, complete with an NYC launch party, and a giant line in San Francisco. While many gamers went home happy, the night was not without incident. There was also some ugliness, with individuals being hired to stand in line, as was done in Japan earlier this week. Overall, though, the news is positive for the hundreds of gamers who waited through the night for their new console. "As midnight approached, the first person in line, New York native Angel Paredes, was escorted into the SonyStyle Store where he was handed the first North American PS3 by Hirai and Stringer. The console's box also included a personal autographed message from Hirai. Paredes, his voice hoarse from interviews and arms tired from repeatedly hoisting the console, was a good sport, standing still for the multitude of photographers and offering a few words for anyone who asked. The first three gamers in line were comped their PS3s. Once the media buzz died down, the rest of the attendees were ushered in to get what they had been waiting for all week. Though the consoles' next destinations were unknown — many are expected to be posted on eBay for a quick profit — the next destinations of the new PS3 owners was clear — go home and get some rest. " Any readers spend the night in lines, and want to share about it? Did you eBay the thing, or are you just taking a break from Resistance? Let us know how things went, and what the system is like.
I'm watching the news right now.
This is possibly the dumbest, saddest thing I've ever seen.
I'm sick and tired of getting everything six months to one year after the USA and Japan. And Sony has been known to delay its product launches for months in markets like India. This encourages a perverted black market, where you get the PS3 within for obscene amounts of money. What's the problem with a simultaneous worldwide launch policy? You prevent black marketeering that way.
It Is Just A Fucking Game, Damn It! I wish everyone would grow the fuck up.
4k profit in one week... bah!
Try consulting. If you're good at it you can make that in 40-50 hours and still go home to a warm hotel room every night.
These kids should get real hobbies that don't involve electricity. Or focus on improving their earnining potential.
Associated Press (CNN, Yahoo), is reporting that masked, armed thugs robbed people waiting in line at a Putnam, Connecticut Wal-Mart for PS3, and shot one person who wouldn't hand over their money.
Penny Arcade has pretty much nailed the idiocy of this launch, as usual.
The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
It looks like the going rate is anywhere from $3000-$5000...
The first three gamers in line were comped their PS3s.
now, THAT would have made for a decent profit for a week's worth of waiting in line... imagine if the first 3 people lived together and sold off 2 of them. goddamn. think of what they'd fetch for the autographed system.
...spike
Ewwwwww, coconut...
It seems to me that geeks would rather play on a PC, where you can hack the game if you don't like it. What is the allure of consoles? I don't get it. I bought an Xbox, but I never play games on the thing - I'd rather be on a PC.
I understand why the things are limited, but I don't have to like it. What I want to know is, why release these damn things in the busiest season? The only reason I come up with is everyone wants their little Johnny to have that PS3 xmas or to sell them on eBay plus the fact that alot of people in this country lose their heads all in the name of the almighty money spending holiday called Christmas.
I want a Wii on Sunday, but I'll wait until March. By then, the hype is wore off and a few more games are out.
Gorkman
I'm actually reasonably disturbed by the Chaos that has been created by greed ...
In practically every interview I have seen the reporter is talking to someone who intends to sell the PS3 for massive profit; in one case a man was talking about how he was going to make $2000 in one days work. I could be wrong but it seems like the PS3 launch has brought out everyone who is desperate to make a little money regardless of the moral cost.
At $3000, that's about five times the retail price and significantly more than my monthly mortgage payment. Supposing I did have $3000 in surplus cash, were I to use those funds to pay down principal on my mortgage instead of buying that PS3 I would shave a bit more than a years worth of mortgage payments from the end of the loan. Thus, to pay five times retail for a toy would incur a long term loss in excess of $24,000.
Think about that.
While capitalism can be ugly, I don't think this practice is as bad as the reselling that's going on.
The people who are hiring are purchasing a luxury service, it's like buying a preorder. The people that stand in line make a little money for standing somewhere. The cost to get the system is only increased for the person buying the system.
In reselling the system, the same thing is essentially happening, except someone on his own commission profits by taking the opportunity to purchase the system away from someone else.
It's similar to paying someone to pick up tickets for you, compared to a scalper buying all the tickets, and selling them at a ridiculous margin.
EETimes has a couple of good articles about the PS3 and it's real cost ($840 for the 60GB model...ouch!)
Inside pics and teardown video
Teardown cost analysis
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
Yeah, except for Resistance (88%), the PS3 exclu launch titles are all real stinkers:
Mobile Suit Gundam - 30%
NBA 07 - 66%
Untold Legends : Dark Kingdom - 65%
Genji - 57%
For comparison, the 360 launch exclus got much better score, overall (PDZ - 80%, Condemned 83%, PGR3 88%, Kameo 81%)
(percentage are from www.gamerankings.com)
I know a guy who will walk onto a lot carrying a bank check in the amount he believes a car is worth (after conducting research), walk up to a car sitting on the lot, point to it, and waves the check in front of the salesman. He tries to time this for end of year sales, so he'll pick up the current model just as the lot is transitioning to next years model.
By doing this he saves interest on the car loan; he avoids buying extra junk to be installed, and drives the exact car he pointed to off the lot right then and there. Then he'll drive that car into the ground over the next decade or so until it's worthless. During that time he saves for the next car - just like he was paying for a car loan - except without the interest.
He's not rich, he doesn't make a pile of money - he just plans ahead. And it saves him a bundle of money.
Retailers should be held responsible for their disorganization and ineptitude. Any store that required a police presence should be forced to pay for those services and should be fined for causing a public disturbance. That's essentially what they've done.
They should have either forced these people to go home or they should have kept things organized. When you've got a crowd of people with such misplaced priorities waiting so long it's inevitable there will be problems. If the store manager didn't have enough sense to prepare the responsibility for whatever problems ensue falls squarely on his shoulders. The tax payers certainly shouldn't be forced to pay to restore order at these stores.
Actually stores with scarce products and looong lines in front of them is communism at it's finest.
Well, only that it was bread instaed of Playstations people where linnig up to....
Retail Ebay PS3 Price: $3,300
That is absolutely sickening to think that some idiot would spend $3,300 on a game system with no games. Not just one idiot, 37 bidding idiots. Wake up, its a video game system for fun. Try a computer, it is like less than half the price and plays better games over the internet, is only limited by the graphics card (which can be upgraded), and can be faster, better audio, etc. Seems to me, even if I was an avid PS fan I would still sell mine for that kind of money. Those people should be ashamed of them selves for being so dumb.
Frankely I am backing the Microsoft XBOX cause in just about every way that matters to a gamer it is better. So it doesn't have blue-ray, big deal, HD-DVD is winning the war anyway. What happens if blue-ray fails? So it doesn't have built in wi-fi. Who wants to play games over a crappy wi-fi signal anyway. The playstation multiplayer and lack of downloadable content makes a LAN connection almost a must anyway. XBOX is cheaper, downloadable content, better multiplayer games (Halo 2, PSU, Gears of War, etc), downloadable demos and betas (Awaiting the Halo 3 beta in Spring 2007!!!), downloadable content from the video gam conventions, the live arcade games, XBOX Vision, HD-DVD Support, Zune, iPod support, streaming of music and video from local pcs, conenction to a Media Center computer to watch recorded TV shows, customizable skins and face plates, etc. The choice should be obvious.
we bought both our cars for cash
Making large purchases for cash is not correct. You can invest that cash for at least 8% while most dealerships offer financing at less than 5%. Plus, over the term of the loan you'll be paying down the principal which lowers the overall interest. You lost a fair chunk of change paying with cash instead of investing.
Thinking long term doesn't mean avoiding debt. Often taking out a loan is the best way to maximize long term income. I don't mean to embarras you; just trying to help out. Financial planning can be somewhat complicated which is why people can make careers out of it.
Aw crap, ninjas!