PS3 pre-order procession (West coast edition)
by Zack Stern 
{ Oct 10th 2006 at 4:25PM }
Continuing our Joystiq World Team PS3
The line of about thirty passed a few shops, including a boot store, terminating in front of a seafood market. (My favorite part of this fish store is the laminated dive-cards in the window, identifying how the fish would look if encountered underwater.) As I was shooting photos, a man in a white jumpsuit -- maybe on his way to repair a refrigerator -- stopped next to me. He asked, "What are they waiting for?"
"PlayStation 3," I said.
"Why?" he replied and kept walking.
I mingled with some of the waiting people and ended up talking with the scruffy 1UP-show staff. They were the first in line; one had been there since 4:45 this morning. They mentioned that other 1UPers were at the Union Square store, reporting another 30 or 40 people queued. While the Mission guys were shooting B-roll for their show, they were also making their own pre-orders.
A few minutes before 10:00, the line, an indifferent entity in itself, was briefly excited by the clanking of store-window security bars. But it was just the boot store opening.
At 10:00, the metal garage-door grate inside EB Games lifted, and a nonplussed employee surveyed the line with just her eyes. As everyone filed in, she said not to shoot pictures inside.
They wouldn't say how many systems the store was getting or how many pre-orders they were taking. It seemed like the EB overlords made sure the stores didn't give any real numbers.
I didn't stay long in the library-quiet store. Clearly, something was missing that would have excited everyone. Oh yeah, I think it was the PS3.
See also: PS3 pre-order procession (East coast edition)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bret @ Oct 10th 2006 4:36PM
No really having to wait for the wii, since they all ready have 2 million produced and are making more before launch.
Wii ftw!
Kamal007 @ Oct 10th 2006 4:40PM
Im sure the wii will sell out and ps3 will be left with all its units in stocks *rolls eyes* Wii is going to lose, no average consumer wants some new stupid controller, they want new graphical power, and im sorry but wii cannot deliver that to the average consumer, no matter how cheap it is, if they want cheap they will go with cube/ps2/xbox.
retro @ Oct 10th 2006 4:42PM
Kamal007: You've just demonstrated what not listening to anything but Sony press releases does to you.
Raynre @ Oct 10th 2006 4:46PM
Strangley enough, Im hearing that pretty much every single store is refusing to give a solid number as to how many units they can expect to be recieving.
Something's up here, and I dont like it...
fritzilla @ Oct 10th 2006 5:00PM
I waited about 20 minutes in line before getting mine in Sacramento. They sold out of their PS3's with only one person not getting one that was waiting.
Still no informaiton on PS3 controllers.
And, unfortunately, Motorstorm is pushed till March 07 or later. THat after Warhawk and Lair was pushed back as well. Looking like mainly Resistance Fall of Man is the only hot title left for me. Bummer on all the delays. I am really starting to think the developers have decided to sell their games when Sony gets more units into the public in Spring before releasing their games (unless their dates were just lies to pad their launch line up which happens to all systems before launch).
Chris @ Oct 10th 2006 4:46PM
I wonder how much Sony is paying these people to stand in line?
Caravan @ Oct 10th 2006 4:50PM
@ #5
Obviously much more than Microsoft pays people to wait in line for the Japanese X-Box 360 Launch...
Jake C @ Oct 10th 2006 4:52PM
Chris,
About $400-500 a pop if it's really costing Sony $1000 to produce the console like some people say. ;)
aZn_1080p @ Oct 10th 2006 5:12PM
Just an observation... but does anyone else notice how racially diverse the audience of PS3 and Sony consoles/games in general is compared to Wii and 360? It seems like a lot of the people who buy the 360 in particular are pasty midwest farmboy types who seem to enjoy the generic FPS and 'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' type games which are the 360's bread and butter, whereas on the city streets where I roll, everyone is talking about PS3. The first time I got to play a 360 outside the store was when I went to visit my friends family in a small town, aroudn here no one has one.
Jeff Barrick @ Oct 10th 2006 4:56PM
I got mine #9 of 16. I'm gonna craigslist that thing and use the money to buy all the Wii and 360 stuff I really want. I think the mall stores got a bigger allotment, because I went to a stand alone and was the first person turned away, but the mall still had some when I got there.
Jonathan @ Oct 10th 2006 6:12PM
ROFL "Why?"
_This_ is your average person. Most people, even if they play video games, don't care about a system launch at all.
Why indeed...
untitled @ Oct 10th 2006 5:03PM
Apparently, people aren't even waiting.. some PREORDERS are already up for bid on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/PS3-Playstation-3-Pre-Order-60-GB-1st-Preorder_W0QQitemZ130035825559QQihZ003QQcategoryZ62054QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
foxhound.sldsnk @ Oct 10th 2006 5:05PM
by the way, i went to EB Games in canada this morning and i was told that they wont be taking pre orders for the ps3. has any other canadians had this problem? has any canadians been able to make a pre order at EB?
Jeff Barrick @ Oct 10th 2006 5:09PM
I read a post from a Canadian earlier and he said the same thing.
ill trooper @ Oct 10th 2006 5:09PM
"And then the guy furrowed his brow, and said with a quizzical look upon his mug, "WHY?""
(Trombone plays descending three notes)
My, how foreboding... Do you get it, dear Joystiq readers? Do you get it? Isn't the comical turn amazing? "Oh, yeah, missing was the PS3!" Oh, ZINGER, Joystiq! But wait - didn't you set that one up? The irony's not so funny when you set it up yourself, by reporting on a PS3 pre-purchase event, then acting like no one should care.
I'm surprised at the tone of this article - it's like USA Today or Faux News when they single out gamers as fanatical idiots, willing to start a line right after they finish their paper routes, animal back-packs filled with juice boxes.
What I'm getting at: it's a video game system, this is a site dedicated to video games... I'm only a fan of next-gen, not any specific flavor, I'm buying all three, but I'll say it: The release of the PS3 is a big deal - some might even think it as important as say, the Wii or when the 360 came out last year... Don't send someone over to the pre-order and then act aloof - you did, after all, send someone over.
pixelator @ Oct 10th 2006 6:03PM
""PlayStation 3," I said.
"Why?" he replied and kept walking."
No Nintendo fanboyism behind the scenes at Joystiq! Nossiree!
Matt @ Oct 10th 2006 5:14PM
I snagged mine this afternoon. I'm taking pre-launch bids from prospective buyers now.
makesevenupyours @ Oct 10th 2006 5:20PM
and the "average consumer" wants to put out 600 dollars?
the people that are putting ot 600 dollars are devoted gamers or the rich parents of some kid. but the AVERAGE consumer is looking at price, and might just think its cool to control things with a motion sensor.
250=appealing to average consumer
and you said if they are going for price, they would go for last gen, but i doubt that. there isnt much of a point in buying last gen systems now. last gen games are backwards compatible(well...MOST.). there wont be many solid new games coming out for the last gen systems either. and you yourself said they will be looking for some better graphics, which all of the next gen systems have.
wii will do well. i really feel this console war will be fairly even.
BMWM3P @ Oct 10th 2006 5:15PM
The PS3 is for the masses, the 360 is for geeks and the wii is for kids.
Preordered mine cna't wait till november 17
The1 @ Oct 10th 2006 5:18PM
Where is Chicago/Midwest PS3 EB Games pre-order news?????
K @ Oct 10th 2006 5:28PM
Shit; that must be my refrigerator repairman! Where is he?! Damn food is rotting...
makesevenupyours @ Oct 10th 2006 5:29PM
"14. Just an observation... but does anyone else notice how racially diverse the audience of PS3 and Sony consoles/games in general is compared to Wii and 360? It seems like a lot of the people who buy the 360 in particular are pasty midwest farmboy types who seem to enjoy the generic FPS and 'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' type games which are the 360's bread and butter, whereas on the city streets where I roll, everyone is talking about PS3. The first time I got to play a 360 outside the store was when I went to visit my friends family in a small town, aroudn here no one has one."
ya, and in my town there are a bunch of big fancy houses on the mountain side and its called "cliffside" which is widely known for being the more wealthy side of the town. most of the kids i know up there are rich preppy kids who just wanna play madden. theya are all talking about getting ps3's.
down here on my side of town, the WEST side, we are all xbox owners. i only know like 2 people down here with PS2s and they both have xboxes...is this really a pattern? probably not.
"It seems like a lot of the people who buy the 360 in particular are pasty midwest farmboy types who seem to enjoy the generic FPS and 'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' type games which are the 360's bread and butter"
gosh that is ignorant. really, none of my friends are farmboys. and not all of those people i talked about on "cliffside" are preppies.
generalizing saying you "observed" the people that have 360's and xboxes are midwest farm boys is unbelievably stupid.
plz answer me...do you live in the midwest?
most people i see buying xboxes are gamers, they look and act like gamers, nothing farm boy "arab terrorist" killing about them(not that there's anything wrong with that.).
[sigh]
Matt @ Oct 10th 2006 5:31PM
Hey aZn_1080p: that would be because it's in San Francisco, which is easily one of the most ethnically diverse places on the entire planet. At least 112 languages spoken in a city that's only 50 square miles.
God how I miss the Mission. But I sure don't miss MUNI.
aZn_1080p @ Oct 10th 2006 5:34PM
hey makesevenupyours, thanks for your observations, see thats the type of info I was looking for, I just noticed that in my area. Same with the PSP and DS, no one I know has DS, but I see tons of PSPs around on the subway and so on... but I know PSP is selling worse then DS, so I assume the coutnry/suburban/midwest types are buying the DSs, because someone must be???
OMAC @ Oct 10th 2006 5:48PM
I heard from 2 different stores that Ebay is nuking any PS3 auctions. The above preorder link is already dead. This is the result of a deal that Ebay and Sony made. Not sure if it's true, but I can't seem to find any PS3 auctions on Ebay.
B @ Oct 10th 2006 5:47PM
Got mine,I was 3rd in line in my local Gamestop. I left with giant enemy crabs.
Now to sell those crabs on ebay.
B @ Oct 10th 2006 5:51PM
OMAC,
ebay is allowing PS3 auctions to placed on launch day. They are removing ALL PS3 pre-order sales(obivous).
Ethan @ Oct 10th 2006 5:56PM
yay, Im 4th in line at my local eb games, yay.
aZn_1080p @ Oct 10th 2006 5:58PM
Wii FTW. PS3 FTL.
zer06ame @ Oct 10th 2006 5:59PM
aZn_1080p: Not quite sure where you get the "farm boy" part from. I live in the Midwest (Michigan) and I've never met any of these types of people. By farm boy, you seem to be taking a shot at their income. I live in Oakland County, one of the richest counties in the US, and there aren't any "farm boys" around here. Secondly, me myself, I'm not (but am still opposed to the war in Iraq), but most people in Michigan are opposed to war and are democrats. Not sure you should be taking shots at the Midwest for being hicks, you should be looking more towards the South.
Gangway @ Oct 10th 2006 6:03PM
AZN_1080P
I dont believe you for one second. The only thing Ive been observing is how incredibly lame you are. Is every thing you say have to be so ignorant? I know for a fact that X-box owners are gamers. Playstation owners are gamers but are also filled with alot of me too types. Kind of like you, you go with what ever you think the majority will go with. Its easier to follow the pack then to go on your own path. Besides your just a punk who likes to troll for reactions. I wonder who you were before you changed your name..........
SonyBlowsGoats @ Oct 10th 2006 6:21PM
Hey azn_1080P
Quit posting the same crap in multiple topics please.
aZn_1080p @ Oct 10th 2006 6:45PM
man some of you guys love setting up strawmen. I never said 'hicks' or that farmboys have 'low income' (LOL they probably do better than I do, how the hell do I know what farm boys make?), or that Xbox owners 'aren't gamers'.. Just saying different groups of people seem to be buying different consoles.
PaleGringo @ Oct 10th 2006 7:19PM
Took my lunch break over at my local GameStop (in California), and figured that I'd share the information of what I've heard.
I asked the manager how everything went, between calls every 5 minutes from people asking if they had any available for pre-order,and she replied that it went very well - they devised a system (only local to this particular store, might not work at other stores) where customers that pre-ordered PS3 games were contacted yesterday about the coming pre-order. The 6 people that pre-ordered PS3 games came in last night and purchased $100 GameStop gift cards and turned those in to the register with their contact information.
In the morning, before the doors opened, they ran the cards through the register and printed the pre-order receipts. There were about 15 people in line at the store when it opened at 10:00am, all of whom were disappointed to find out that they could not pre-order a PS3, nor turn it around to eBay. The manager at this store said this was how she would make sure that the *gamers* got the consoles, and not people looking to make a profit on them.
Her assistant told her that while she was talking to the Nintendo representative yesterday, the Ninty rep mentioned that Sony cut a deal with eBay as mentioned above, about not allowing auctions on PS3 products. Seeing that the pre-order above is no longer valid, and that other people are hearing this, and that this allegedly came from a competing representative lends credence to the statement.
I also found out that the District Manager for the area OK'd two units per store for employee purchase. The one that I went to was only allotted 8 for pre-order, and that was half as much as the other stores in town. All in all, I figure that comes out to about 80 PS3 units in a population area of about 500,000. At least, for what's given to GameStop and EB stores.
Here's to hoping that everybody gets to play the system they want to buy this year, without being gouged on eBay for it.
geekRECON @ Oct 11th 2006 2:26AM
For those who plan on selling a PS3 on eBay, be sure to check out eBay's policies as they have been cancelling auctions today: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/pre-sale.html
Jacob @ Oct 10th 2006 6:41PM
Kamal007: "Wii is going to lose, no average consumer wants some new stupid controller, they want new graphical power"
Minds like this are why American car companies are still betting heavy on SUVs, and foreign car companies are beating the crap out of them.
striderhayasa @ Oct 10th 2006 7:04PM
I know a few people that pre-ordered a PS3. They all are singing the same song...it's call name that price on Ebay.
??? @ Oct 10th 2006 8:09PM
You fellow Canuckers #11 and 12- I've been following EB/Toyz R US for a while now. Seems like TRU is nya nya about the PS3 [they would rather they'd go away] and EB is giving preorders for games and they seem to be waiting for a go on the preebs but when they come don't expect more than a half doz. per store [helps to be buds with the store for tip offs-nudge wink!] I did manage to preeb 2 Wiis from toyz R Us but they shut er off at 20. My moneys still on FUTURE SHOP-had great success with them on 360 launch. Good luck!
Dirk Dorkelson @ Oct 10th 2006 8:04PM
"'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' type games which are the 360's bread and butter"
I've been trying to think of a 360 game that features Arab terrorits, and I couldn't think of any. Maybe there are some in Battlefield 2, but if they are, they're bit players. What games are you thinking of? Or are you as ignorant as you sound?
You're right that there are a lot of shooters, but I own about 10 decent 360 games (not counting all the arcade titles). I think two are shooters.
B33 @ Oct 10th 2006 8:04PM
"I wonder how much Sony is paying these people to stand in line"
Your sad.
B33 @ Oct 10th 2006 8:13PM
Look at all the Sony haters. Don't be made just because the PS3 has a lot more fans then you thought it did.
rokobungi @ Oct 10th 2006 8:11PM
aZn_1080p
while you said: man some of you guys love setting up strawmen. I never said 'hicks'
your use of language ('kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!')implies that you were calling farmboys hicks albeit indirectly via the use of 'redneck speek' as designated by the little hyphen you put in there.
don't try to be too clever.. you'll hurt yourself
I live in the rural southern US. but I happen to own a PS2 but I will not be purchasing a PS3
according to your logic (LACK OF) I should own an xbox but I don't like console FPS's but that might change with the Wii
chimp o death @ Oct 10th 2006 8:30PM
14. Just an observation... but does anyone else notice how racially diverse the audience of PS3 and Sony consoles/games in general is compared to Wii and 360? It seems like a lot of the people who buy the 360 in particular are pasty midwest farmboy types who seem to enjoy the generic FPS and 'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' type games which are the 360's bread and butter, whereas on the city streets where I roll, everyone is talking about PS3. The first time I got to play a 360 outside the store was when I went to visit my friends family in a small town, aroudn here no one has one.
Posted at 4:51PM on Oct 10th 2006 by aZn_1080p
Oh wow. Where to start?
1) When the PS3 launches the 360 will still have the most ethnicaly diverse group of owners because it's available in MORE COUNTRIES!
2)'kill them dirty A-rab terrorists!' games are the Xbox's bread and butter? Like, um, Halo? We're a racialy diverse group of humans defend earth against a racialy diverse group of Aliens. Is that the "dirty A-rab" game you're talking about?
3) Or maybe you're thinking about Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, with it's themes of enviromentalism and racial discrimination, and the fact that you shoot bees or skunks at lizard men in top hats. I agree, this is a simplified view of the middle east conflict, sure to find favor with "A-rab" hating midwest farm boys.
4)Maybe you're talking about GRAW, which features no arab terrorists. It takes place in Mexico. And no, it doesn't mindlessly encourage the wholesale slaughter of Mexican troops. In fact, rouge members of the US military were involved in the whole fiasco, leading us Xbox gamers to ponder: just who are the good guys, anyways?
5) I know! You must be thinking of Fugitive Hunter, a totaly awesome PS2 exclusive!
To quote EGM:
"This shooter is so embarrassingly bad you must buy it, if only to box Osama bin Laden in his Afghan hideout as some dude raps, “Bin Laden, I’m coming for you, cap your ass on the PS2.” (We’re not kidding.)"
end quote.
And the PS kids understand this portrayl of a "dirty A-rab" in terms of it's social and geopolitical ramifications. look at this review I found on Metacritic, unsolicited testimony from an ACTUAL PLAYSTATION USER:
"Chris B. gave it a 10:
I think it is a relly good game you get to bring down osama bin loden."
6) Or maybe you're thinking of the SOCOM series, which you could level the same complaints against as any XBOX military shooter.
Oh well. You bring up some interesting points, worthy of deep consideration.
On second thought, maybe you should just meditate upon the famous words of Abraham Lincoln: Suck it.
PS: All kidding aside, I DO find my fellow 360 owners to be a very diverse bunch. Why the top Hexic score come from Japan, for crying out loud.
just me @ Oct 10th 2006 8:34PM
Hum this is funny I preordered my PS3 from Lik-sang about a week ago for NO MONEY DOWN. They said it will be held for me when they arrive and there is no commitment to buy so if I decide I don't want one I can just cancel it and I am not out any money or wasted time in a line like these losers. It usually takes 2 days for things to arrive from them so I might not have it on release day but I can wait a couple of days to save all this hassel. Who knows they may ship it early so that it arrives on release day, that would be cool.
Pretty Obvious @ Oct 10th 2006 10:09PM
Its funny, I preordered at EB and had my sis preorder one at Gamespot. Out of the 12 people on line with me only one said he was keeping the PS3 and not selling it for 2 grand on Ebay.
I predict Sony being bankrupt in 3 years and this being their last console. Next generation will belong to Nintendo, Microsoft and Apple.
Bob Saccamano @ Oct 10th 2006 10:45PM
Oh and by the way, the people who are 20th in line are rather screwed, I work at a gamestop in Pennsylvania, and corporate said that bigger gamestop stores will be getting 16 PS3's and smaller ones will be getting 9, tough luck I suppose...
Tom @ Oct 10th 2006 11:24PM
"Look at all the Sony haters. Don't be made just because the PS3 has a lot more fans then you thought it did." ~ B33
I guess that's true. It might be as loud as a jet engine, but atleast overheating is no longer an issue.
goosedude @ Oct 10th 2006 11:59PM
Azn_1080p......that had to be one of the most ignorant comments you have ever posted.....no wonder you are considered such a troll......
You actually seem to have become the epitome of all that is hated about FanBoys of all types......kudos to you for that....as sad as an achievement that is.
Retrojunkie @ Oct 11th 2006 2:09AM
its not hard to sell out something when you only have like what?
20 ordered?
hahaha
and the sony fanboys are making themselves look FUCKING BRILLIANT
THANK YOU SONY FANBOYS
oh..this is joystiq
let me say that again
[SARCASM/]SONY FANBOYS ARE HOT AND THE PS3 WILL BE A AWSOME SYSTEM FOR THE HARDCORE FANS[sarcasm]
MobiusOne @ Oct 11th 2006 4:11AM
So aZn_1080p, I'm asian, live in the city (Los Angeles that is), and have an Xbox 360 and love it, so does that fit your asinine stereotype of a "midwest farmboy type"? No, I as well as my other "farmboy" friends on Live are gamers. You on the other hand, are a casual, arrogant, elitist, self-servicing prick who doesn't deserve to post on Joystiq's comments any longer.
Besides, Playstation/Sony fans "seem" only more ethnically diverse due to Sony's brand recognition amongst casual and even non-gamers, therefore taking a larger sample of the population. All the PS3 fans I encounter can only argue that PS3 is "superior" because it "is," not backing up they're statements with any facts. Most don't know the freakin' difference between Blue-ray or death-ray, and if they did, they can't argue why it's better than HD-DVD when given the facts. So yeah, PS3 fans seem "diverse," but the majority of them are ignoramuses when it comes to gaming.