Airports vending GBA, PSP portables

by Ross Miller { May 7th 2006 at 8:20PM }

I took a 9:30 a.m. EST flight out of Atlanta this morning, en route to Los Angeles, and on the way to gate A17 I happened upon the latest in vending machine technology: the Zoom Shop. Using the touch screen to the right, one can purchase (with an accepted credit card) any number of little gadgets to enjoy on the flight: all styles of iPod and associated accessories, along with some gaming goodies care of a Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP ($79.99) and Sony PSP ($249.99). A convenience for sure, but there weren't any games to buy -- what a tease!

Tags: air, airplane, airport, E32006, plane

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Eli @ May 7th 2006 8:23PM

They're vending PlayStation Portable Portables? I've always wanted one! Yay!

Exile @ May 7th 2006 8:29PM

No games wtf thats just wrong.....

Big Ed @ May 7th 2006 8:29PM

This is a great idea. People will see these and buy on impulse.

AC @ May 7th 2006 8:33PM

Wow what a rip off, wtf is next? laptops for 2k? desktops for 3k? even monitors and portable generators for 5k?!?!?!!? wtf are these ppl thinking at least sell a game with em, but its a good idea if ur traveling somewhere for xmas and need a present for someone

Mike @ May 7th 2006 8:38PM

Saw this at SFO recently too. Seems like a good thing if you're going to see some family or something and have to buy something on short notice for the kids. Otherwise, who needs an empty iPod or PSP that badly?

efrain @ May 7th 2006 8:39PM

All I could think when reading this is...

It would really suck if the product got stuck

lol

ZeroForte @ May 7th 2006 8:39PM

What's the return policy on these?

squeevi @ May 7th 2006 8:41PM

Wow, this is a crazy cool idea I guess... Not having any games isn't the only draw back though... How is one going to get any music onto a recently purchased ipod??? Unless I guess one has a lap top and itunes on it... but then why not just listen to a playlist on your laptop???

jay @ May 7th 2006 8:42PM

Well, of course the next logical step is to sell 12" PowerBooks/Mac Books at these places too. Purchase music off iTunes and download to the iPod. Expensive day.

No games? dont they have shops over there? When I was in Barcelona and Alicante I always pick up a cheap game or 2 from the duty free game shops. Mario Bros and Zelda NES Classic FTW ;)

Talbot @ May 7th 2006 8:47PM

Wow, they must be using triple bullet proof glass to keep it from being robbed.

carlos @ May 7th 2006 8:51PM

when i went to suoth america they weer selling gameboy sp for like 250.00 dollars in jfk in new york but that was like 3 years ago but still and they had games that were like 30 in one for like 40 bucks it was a total scam.

ster @ May 7th 2006 8:55PM

they've been doing this with ipods for awhile. i'm actually amazed that they're only now putting in game handhelds.

ipods makes sense, seeing how you may have your laptop with you, but gaming handhelds without the games? that's pretty confusing.

PapaZeb @ May 7th 2006 9:06PM

About 6 months ago I saw my first one of these - at my local grocery store in Las Vegas (nowhere near the Strip, just a general local Vons store)
iPods in 20 and 40gig sizes, shuffle, nano, and PSPs.

Selling a fully charged GBA and a few Zelda/Mario games right before a long flight though? That's genius.

Ludnix @ May 7th 2006 9:27PM

I saw headphones, cd players, cell phones, cell phone cases, and other gadgets in a vending machine at the LAX airport. Doesn't suprise me they have PSP's and gameboys

nojok3 @ May 7th 2006 9:27PM

I think it could be as some suggested if you need a gift for someone (kind of expensive gift huh?) or maybe if yours breaks on a long trip but you still have your cartridges. I think they don't hold games because they wouldn't sell them as often as you would think and keeping new release titles would be too much work. I think we are all thinking of ways that it would benefit us, but I think the company making these machines is simply doing so that they make money. It could be that you get one on your way out of the airport, after seeing that person on your flight watch a movie or play a game on their iPod or PSP/GBA. Also, people carry cash in airports (usually) and as someone put, it could be an impulse buy that people having nothing else to spend it on suddenly want an iPod. This may not be their motive, but certainly could be.

Spencer @ May 7th 2006 9:28PM

Well, I'm flying out to Uganda on Wednesday, starting with Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, going to JFK in NY, and then down to Dubai, and finally ending up in Kampala, Uganda.

I'll have to check this out. Too bad I've already got a GBASP, have no interest in a PSP, and wouldn't have any extra money....

Disposable Hero @ May 7th 2006 9:38PM

Do those machines accept quarters?

And enjoy E3 and congradulations on the safe flight there. Someday in the not-so-distant future, I will be experiencing the same thing, only it'll be the E3 that ushers in the next-next gen after the Wii, PS3, and long forgotten 360. And everybody will be expecting Apple's new system to completely shut Microsoft out of the home console market for good.

Enjoy your E3 experience. It must be quite a wild ride. And as a request, if you do end up reading this Mr Miller, could you please make a list of the sections of the Kodak Theatre Nintendo has made (such as Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom)?