Flashpoint: Sony Style in Boston -- Things go wrong
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 17th 2006 at 6:50PM }
Issues at the Sony Style store came to a head this morning as hundreds of people charged inside Boston's Copley Mall when it opened at 6AM. Following last nights storm outside from the rain and among the crowd, we warned that things would go wrong. The Boston Globe wrote up a report regarding this mornings incident. We wish we had something profound to say here, but thankfully it was dramatic, rather than tragic, like in other locations around the country. Witnesses said of the 50 units that were supposedly available, in the end there were only 20. Another video shows the scene from the other side of the gate after the break.
[Special thanks to Ray A. Hernández]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rich facial @ Nov 17th 2006 7:00PM
thats about 650 people who need to get a life!
neks0ne @ Nov 17th 2006 7:01PM
Nice job Ray.....Holy crap you made joystiq.....nice
raaj @ Nov 17th 2006 7:01PM
Sadly, that reminded me of an oriental fish market for a second, and Katrina victims struggling for hurricane aid in New Orleans last year for another.
The manager of that BestBuy should be sacked for lack of tact. Effin' idiot.
Eric Bostrom @ Nov 17th 2006 7:06PM
I was in a situation once where the crowd surged forward. That got scary really quick. My gf at the time and I had to fight our way out of there, she couldn't breathe and I was feeling pretty trapped.
SGII @ Nov 17th 2006 7:08PM
It's like Dawn of the Dead...
What have you done Sony? What kind of plague have you unleashed? What kind of beautiful, hi-def plague have you unleashed?
Reapz @ Nov 17th 2006 7:07PM
Okay, this is in no way about bashing sony, but I've been on a paranoid delusion the past few days and everything stands out in my mind.
What if Sony purposely did the shortage, just as MS did to create the artificial shortage of PS3 units JUST to create havoc? So far we've had people mugged, stores robbed, people BB gunned - I mean, its the Xbox360 fiasco x 10.
More publicity for Sony?! Me being paranoid? Better shut the curtains. My kitten has camera's in its eyes?!
hey alex @ Nov 17th 2006 7:09PM
That's crazy. It's not like they weren't expecting crowds on release day. Someone should have put a plan together to keep everything orderly. They're lucky it wasn't worse. I mean, something like that, with that many people could have gotten out of hand quickly.
I feel bad for anyone waiting that may have lost their place in line. In some areas, people have been waiting days.
I know at my local best buy, they lined up with tents about 48 hours ago. The crowd was good natured, and the employees were doing their best to keep everything in line. This morning, I happened to pass by a local Kmart, and I noticed the line there was all of 3 people.
Patel @ Nov 17th 2006 7:10PM
Mall guards should have just opened fire.
Its time to cull the herd
minus_273 @ Nov 17th 2006 7:12PM
heh, looks like a lot of people didnt know the sony store was in copley mall and not the pru (the two malls are joined by a bridge). the people who waited in the rain seem to have waited at the wrong mall.
nambit @ Nov 17th 2006 7:11PM
That's extremely unfortunate for the poor souls who waited outside in the rain. Even if it was their choice to do it, it really is unfortunate. Sigh.
Wish stuff like this didn't have to happen.
Todd @ Nov 17th 2006 7:12PM
@Patel
Y'know, I agree with you.
Richard @ Nov 17th 2006 7:21PM
Just more proof that the majority of PS owners are young dumb kids with no lives and way to much money. These people need lives BAADDDDDDDDD!
KapsLocked @ Nov 17th 2006 7:12PM
Patel - and you would be the first sheep to die. ;)
Dave @ Nov 17th 2006 7:12PM
What's at the front of the line again? Beanie-Babies?
What a pathetic display.
Reapz @ Nov 17th 2006 7:14PM
Gotta love at 3:29 "Joystiq.com.... (Ultra nerdy voice) JOYSTIQ.COM"
Jahgah @ Nov 17th 2006 7:18PM
Thats just sad. I am sorry but 650 dumb asses standing outside of a single store. I would have just left and figured they didn't have any left after I saw I dunno about 30 people. WTF was #539 thinking???? COmplete Dumb Asses. I am actually happy I preorderd a Wii now. No one is gonna trample me and all I got to do is pick it up on sunday.
Oh BTW..... any one else going to the NYC toyrus launch for the WII? I'll be there. I might even sell my psp along the way. Pretty funny.
Joe SMith @ Nov 17th 2006 9:15PM
They are verylucky no one was hurt. All it would have taken was one incident and you could have had people crushed.
And then on top of the tragedy of the deaths you would have had a ton of lawsuits and hte Mall and store and police would all have been paying through the nose for failing to control the scene.
This sort of thing is ridiculous and should never have been allowed to happen.
Spore @ Nov 17th 2006 7:20PM
wow... all for a crappy 1-st Gen PS3 which is bound to have glitches and a handfull of shoddy games.... It's all about the brand.
no thank you, I'll get a PS3 next march when all the herding nerds are gone.
jopojelly @ Nov 17th 2006 7:22PM
one word: pathetic.
Jason @ Nov 17th 2006 7:27PM
it is kind of messed up, how they got their hopes up and were greeted by a gate and then having to see other people online, it isnt right
haywuzhapnin @ Nov 17th 2006 7:50PM
oh my lord jeasus
moominsean @ Nov 17th 2006 7:53PM
goes to show that ps3 will still probably outsell the other two, even though the price is ridiculous. I'm buying a wii, but I haven't heard jack about anybody camping out or waiting in line for one, and the local stores here are lineless so far as I can tell.
guess it is all really about the name.
Norm @ Nov 17th 2006 7:58PM
HAHA!
I bought 3 PS3s last night at 12:01am at Walmart in hick country Virginia. We got to stay inside all day and the whole process was under control and pretty painless, although spending almost 24 hours in a super walmart sucked balls.
Serves these idiots right for trying to buy a system launch in a major metropolitan area! Me and my friends knew that the best chance you had was to go to hick country and steer clear of cities and suburbs. Oh and college towns.
So ha!
Edwin @ Nov 17th 2006 8:04PM
Haha, I hope you make CNN too. I know the pleasure of owning your system at launch but jeez... I have plent of games on my current gen systems that I haven't played/ bought yet and with these new systems coming out it means these prices will drop.
Like number 16, I can wait with what I got until the crowds calm down and I can go into any place and get the system of my choosing.
Jason @ Nov 17th 2006 8:03PM
Not much more to say besides thats REALLY retarded.
Todd @ Nov 17th 2006 8:02PM
I agree! Did they really think that they had hundreds of PS3s? If you’re going to pick it up on day one, you've already done some research so you should have known once you drive by and see more than 50 people in line that it's just not worth it. Go and look elsewhere.
A co-workers son made it to our local Wal-Mart right after I did yesterday at lunch and went home with a voucher since they only got in 6 with 6 more expected next week. Still there were 15 waiting in line at the end. 15 people waiting for (potentially) 12 PS3s makes sense. 600 waiting for (potentially) 50 is ludicrous.
If you live in Boston, stop drinking the tap water right now. It must be rotting your brains.
Stuart @ Nov 17th 2006 8:07PM
Okay there was a line over 100 people, and yet they knew that there were less than 50 PS3s? Hell even I knew 50 PS3's was too good to be true. Those people should have known better.
jarod @ Nov 17th 2006 8:08PM
wow that makes me hate america. and i live there.
people are stupid and worthless. look at that. the fucking system has decent games on it and its overpriced as hell and wont even work right on half these peoples tv's, but OMG PS3 MUST HAVE OMG OMG *slams head on massive sony dick*
Ritz @ Nov 17th 2006 8:49PM
#21,
There are also a lot more Wii units to go around. No need to line up if your store says their going to get 100+ units on launch day D:
Cherry Ghost @ Nov 17th 2006 8:16PM
@ #6
EXACTLY what I was thinking, just like Dawn of the Dead. For a moment I was amused by their misfortune, but that's a pretty dangerous situation.
The idea that Sony is purposely reducing their shipments to insight chaos is an interesting one, almost the same idea presented in the book "Jennifer Government" (in a not-so-distant future Nike charges thousands of dollars for sneakers that cost pennies to make and hire people to shoot those who buy them to increase their "street cred"). Scary stuff!
MojoFilter @ Nov 17th 2006 8:17PM
That is so far beyond stupid. I feel dirty for witnessing it.
Mintz @ Nov 17th 2006 8:37PM
...
And why won't store takes preorders for these kinds of things?
AzaMcWazza @ Nov 17th 2006 8:57PM
It's fucking crazy for a number of reasons:
1 - Sony are so shit that they have only 400k units
2 - Those people think that if they're past #50 they might get a unit
3 - The fucking mall/shop didn't tell them that there was no point cause they had only 20 units.
Totally this organisation. In a way I'm thankful we're in New Zealand. Whatever people preorder they'll get no doubt without a hassle....me, I'm getting a Wii so I have no problems anyway .
Nick @ Nov 17th 2006 9:02PM
Pathetic.
That's beyond retarded to be in a crowd of over 200 when there's not even 50 units? Unless you have a pre-order and are one of the first in line, why even bother?
sploy @ Nov 17th 2006 9:34PM
I'm not implying anything bad about Americans, nor am I calling them stupid but here in the UK I got a 360 at launch, and I'm getting a Wii at Launch. I've pre-ordered them off the internet, no outrageous bundles, and delivered straight to my door. I might even get the Wii the day before release because retailers are allowed to compensate for postal delay by dispatching orders early. I ain't gunna have to wait in the rain or camp out on the street.
joe @ Nov 17th 2006 10:30PM
nice quote from the big lebowski on the 2nd video, anyone else notice it?
airpolgas @ Nov 17th 2006 9:43PM
I was also at a SonyStyle earlier today (stepped in about 750 AM), and I have to say that they just make Sony look really bad. It is also located at a Mall (Beverly Center), and the same thing happened - two different lines, both of which did not know that the other existed - until they met up at the entrance to the SonyStyle store, faced by 3 mall security and 7 LAPD officers.
No one in the store will tell how many units are available. We ended up counting the ones coming out, and they had 20. After that, they were handing out vouchers 10 at a time, promising a console on its next shipment. When? Before Christmas or around March.
I like that Best Buy I read about that gave tickets to those in line and sent them home. That's one way to do it. Waiting while playing NES and SNES games on your PSP at the comfort of your house :)
bobert @ Nov 17th 2006 9:54PM
Have those people even PLAYED the PS3, I personally had a hands on a few days ago, and couldn't stand to play it for more than a few minutes. It's like a frankenstein monster created from the Wii and the 360. The tilt feature doesn't even work on Motorstorm, and Perfect dark zero looked better than half of the launch titles for this thing. Not to mention the menu button on the controller is flawed due to the fact that you have to hold the button in for it to work. Everyone I have talked to so far who wants a PS3, Haven't even played it yet, What does that tell you?!
mietha CAG @ Nov 17th 2006 9:57PM
I just feel sorry for anybody that wanted to buy the thing to actually PLAY it. The vast majority of the assholes trying to get one are just looking for a quick buck. I want one, but I'm not going through the hell required to get one any time soon. There's only 1 exclusive game worth a crap ATM. It's simply not worth the effort or money at this time. Just buy a damn 360. Save $200, get a better system with better games, and avoid the hassle. If, like me, you already have a 360, then I feel for you, as long as you actually want it to PLAY GAMES, not resale or watch Blu-Ray movies.
moominsean @ Nov 17th 2006 10:21PM
i was very underwhelmed by motorstorm at target. It looked pretty good, but not THAT good. still had jagged edges and such. certainly looked better than ps2, but i've seen better in the arcade for sure (though i guess standing 12 inches from the screen doesn't help). I guess at this point I expect a BIG jump in quality. played the wii racing game at gamestop, and though it looked a bit crap (what's with the cactii that break up into cubes?), it was a blast to play. a bit easier to control with one hand and just moving your wrist a bit, i thought. motorstorm was like everything else i've ever played (and what's with the 20 minute slo-mo of your driver falling if you don't press any buttons?). Never been an xbox fan, but i'm actually pretty impressed with some of the newer games for the 360.
anyway...just my first impressions.
LastRequest @ Nov 17th 2006 10:33PM
Ive broken this down into separate parts:
People are reacting to the PS3 as a cure for a deadly disease thats killing millions. Take another look at the video, and replace anyone mentioning PS3 with "cure".
Sony is only selling because of their rep. If some company just opened up and said their console is next-gen(and lets just say that it is) how would it get through to people?
I can bet you about 8/10 of those people have no idea what this console brings up to the table. Its all marketing the right things to say. If you look at the PS3 ads, they terribly over-compare the PS3. They show nothing of real-footage, actual gamer response. For all these people know, they could wait through rain for something they have no idea does. I can picture it now, talking to a person who was waiting, "Do you know what this console is capable of?"
"Uhhh, I know Sony makes awesome T.V.s and they've been in the gaming business longer than Microsoft so they probably know what their doing." Or "I dont know, but if it brings a crowd, Im in." If only the world would do some simple research on reviews, hardware specs, competitors, and if the developers would speak more clearly about this console instead of telling the world it can do this, and that, those 650 people would be greatly reduced to at least 20 people who like to window shop. People these days, I cant believe it. If I were to make a prediction, in 20 years, we will all kill each other over war, disease, race/religion, and life as we know it will, become a hellish fight for survival, if we rob, kill, and riot over consoles, what will become of us?
ZaxCG2 @ Nov 17th 2006 11:49PM
This makes me sick to my stomach at how gluttonous, cheap, ignorant, repugnant, slimy, annoying, rich but stupid, and retarded people are in America.* (Slow down there, I'm a USA-ian too.)
You'd think that less people would be so concerned about it. 25% of people here want it because they're fans of Sony, or just expensive video games in general. The rest I'm sure all heard the story of "I bought 2 Xbox 360's last year, and sold the second for double the price!!", and are looking to get some ounce of payment for skipping school and work to camp in front of a store. Its even worse with the popularity of the PS2 driving these people's minds to assume the aura of God is trapped within the heavily vented plastic brick. ((AKA Coffee-Warmer from a 1up.com worker))
BUT, LO! A visage of retribution!**
To show how stupid or greedy people are, smashmyps3.com has performed a heroic feat. Really puts you back in your place. Keep in mind Joystiqians, earthly things like the PS3 (or Wii) shouldn't bother us as much as they do. Theres freakin' more to life -- weather that be getting married***, or giving that $700+ to CHARITY.
*lol, adjectives
*lol, Shakespeare
*lol, 2:02 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khemwGmqRbU&mode=related&search=
TransatlanticFoe @ Nov 27th 2006 11:24AM
tsk tsk
This is a VERY pathetic display. I know that's been said, but I couldn't resist.
Keadin @ Nov 18th 2006 8:48AM
DEAD RISING!!!
AL @ Nov 18th 2006 12:46AM
Now if only Capcom would somehow make a mod for Dead Rising based around the PS3 launch. Lawn Mower anyone?
Chuck @ Nov 18th 2006 1:45AM
I for one am glad that i'm getting a Wii. There's nobody I know of that's camping out for one so me and 7 other friends are gonna start the line. I don't expect any chaos or riots. I'm so glad I don't need to put up with PS3 crap like this, I really feel bad for people and that they have to go through all the pain and suffering just so they can have a system with one good game at launch. Shame on you Sony. You should've delayed your release date to supply with demand. And waited till you had better launch games.
TeddyN @ Nov 18th 2006 1:51AM
"Mall guards should have just opened fire.
Its time to cull the herd"
lol
That quote warranted a re-printing :)
I always get a sense that us humans are just puny ant-like animals whenver I such a concentration of people. We all think we're individuals and have important needs, but when it comes down to it we're just helpless creatures in weak, fleshy, biodegradable bodies...
oldschoolgamer @ Nov 18th 2006 2:23AM
this is great. Sony has contributed negatively to our economy in 2 ways:
1. Diminishing productivity - thats 650 people who otherwise should be working or studying their school work or spending time with family instead of sitting in line for days and potentially risking their lives.
2. Economic Hardship - I'm judging that these people are all paying with a credit card. $500 to $600 of credit being dumped on a credit card bill for a videogame system just doesn't seem right to me when Christmas is supposed to be about giving and sharing. Not getting something for yourself do matter what the cost so that you can resell it on ebay.
Hopefully they will learn from this mess.
scannerfish @ Nov 28th 2006 7:25PM
Pathetic , mostly at sony . Its crap like this that makes me happy that my alligience if you will has switched to PC . If sony would have been smart they would have made 4-5 million PS3's but doubled the hype.
Anonie Mouse @ Nov 18th 2006 3:15AM
If only the SmashMyPS3 guys did their thing there instead of in front of like...10 people