PS3 and Wii: A tale of two launch lines

by Blake Snow { Nov 20th 2006 at 4:25PM }

Though some kind things did happen at PS3 campouts, we'd say the above comic sums up both launch lines pretty nicely.*

* Used white-out on angry PS3 expletives

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Derbeste @ Nov 20th 2006 4:33PM

I can see that.

It's because gamers have a greater sense of community and comradery than scalpers.

number40one @ Nov 20th 2006 4:33PM

This seemed to be true on pre-order day as well.

Ryan @ Nov 20th 2006 4:49PM

Yeah in my town for the wWii line no one was selling it and at the Wal Mart line they only got but there were 50 and one guy bought us all pizzas.

Skwurl @ Nov 20th 2006 4:38PM

#4

If hippies are people that don't shoot each other in line, then I suppose yes.

GT @ Nov 20th 2006 4:47PM

you can get a free Wii at www.freebieauthority.com . mine will be here in december. check out the congas at the top of the page.

Alan @ Nov 20th 2006 5:45PM

That's a pretty good representation of the Wii line I was in.

Just mention 8.8 and lets see if the Nintendo fans will remain so nice :p
I also wonder if nintendo gamers be so loving towards each other if there were only 300k available and cost a fortune like the ps3. Somehow I doubt it

zenprism @ Nov 20th 2006 4:46PM

I camped for both 360 and Wii and found them both to be great fun.
I've read of people who camped for the Wii even though they knew the store they were at wouldn't have enough for them. They said they were there for the experience (points). That's hardcore.
I now await the launch of the Wiii and Xbox 720 so I can do it all over again.

John @ Nov 20th 2006 4:46PM

Amen, #5.

Kish @ Nov 20th 2006 6:55PM

It was interesting what a different atmosphere the two launches were. At the PS3 launch everyone was talking about how they were going to go post it on ebay (sorry I was one of them. Heh. 2k would pay for a whole semesters tuition!), but at the wii launch everyone was talking about how excited they were to play and what games they were getting. Actually people were talking about how excited they were to get the wii at the PS3 launch too.

I wonder if the main reason for the PS3 sellout wasn't so much because people wanted the system, but more because they were hoping for a 360 style ebay profit.

Regardless, I haven't been this kind of 10 year old Christmas eve excited for game system since the n64 (don't get mine till tomorrow, it is being overnighted). It has made me realize that it has been a long time since new systems were revolutionary instead of evolutionary.

SlayerRB @ Nov 20th 2006 4:49PM

All I gotta say is that there was need to wait in line for a Wii. Unless you are lazy and did not take the initiative to preorder one.

I got out of my warm car, walked into the store and was out within 30 minutes. Definately, a lower chance of getting robbed or shot.

number one fan @ Nov 20th 2006 4:49PM

regardless of everything, it's good to see a well-deserved knod for XKCD.com . Good show, good show.

Andrew C @ Nov 20th 2006 4:48PM

haha that was funny

yea as #3 Derbeste said, it is because they aren't scalpers.

apc

bobeotm @ Nov 20th 2006 4:51PM

Well, there were more Wii's to go around, is the likely reason. Not only were there fewer PS3's but there were more people not even interested in gaming trying to scalp, so it made for a slightly less friendly environment. No one is trying to make money off of something that is only 250 and has a significantly greater availability.

Gamey McGee @ Nov 20th 2006 4:53PM

Two words: Supply / Demand. There was high demand for all the consoles at launch. There was half the supply of PS3's as there were of Wii's. Had the tables been turned for the supply, you bet your ass someone in the Wii line would've got a bee-bee gun peppering.

Point being this is a poor and inaccurate portrayal of the type of people in each line. To categorize them in such a way is stupendously short sighted and bigoted.

I honestly don't think the Wii folks would have been in any different shoes if all things were equal.

crono141 @ Nov 20th 2006 4:58PM

"I also wonder if nintendo gamers be so loving towards each other if there were only 300k available and cost a fortune like the ps3. Somehow I doubt it"

This is why we're nintendo fans. Great games at a great price with great availability. If nintendo had pulled what sony has pulled, I'd be pissed.

velocitystrike @ Nov 20th 2006 5:10PM

Joystiq, ur such Nintendo freaks!! (Thats a joke, by the way)

In Europe, I suppose there'll be nothing going on other than isolated launches with the PS3 next year and Wii in three weeks.

Still, I'm sure our queues will be similar, minus the Americanisms, shootings and stuff like that.

*smiles*

Marco @ Nov 20th 2006 5:10PM

I passed by a Nintendo Wii line with a friend (who is a non-gamer) who made an interesting observation. She said that the people in the Wii lines looked well educated (students and recent grads) compared to the people she saw in the PS3 lines on TV who looked and acted less educated (Violent).

Joe_123 @ Nov 20th 2006 5:09PM

That's the difference of people that are doing the line to play with the system and people that wants to sell it on freaking ebay...

Shame on you for your attitude...

Miguel @ Nov 20th 2006 5:14PM

I think the comic is right. I was number 33 in a line of 150 people waiting for the Wii and all the people around me were looking out for each other. The people in front of me hooked me up with hot chocolate, donuts, and endless wi-fi matches of mario kart, star fox command, etc.

Nintendo fans....we care :)

HCF @ Nov 21st 2006 2:52PM

Well said crono, if the Wii sell went like the ps3 sell we wouldn't buy.

One thing to remember here is that the estimates for numbers of ps3's in north america was something like 100-200k. The estimates for numbers of Wii were something like 1-2 million.

Our store had 6 ps3's. 60 Wii. Not 12, as McGee would have you believe. The number 6 equivalent to zero for our purposes is one point in itself. The promise for future consoles is 'To Be Determined' for the ps3, 'next week' for the Wii.

These are matters that men encounter, and the insane or deluded mark themselves in their choosing.

In the end, it's all just simple Vegenomics.

http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=212

Pulse @ Nov 20th 2006 5:26PM

I have to admit, Sony's launch was a complete joke, but then again, thats America for you, uncivilised, lol, come and learn some manners in Britain, the queen will teach you all some patience and gratitude, lol, of course I'm kidding, but campared to Japan's little or no muggings and organised and well mannered launch, America's was a disaster, I've never heard of such a messed launch, Europe's will be much better :P

HEFFY @ Nov 20th 2006 5:26PM

The wii line I was in at target was nice. Mom's getting Wii's for kids, and people getting them for themselves.

I checked the PS3 line and it was full of scalpers and pissed off people that knew that there wasnt going to be enough, people that still waited, and people just griping about everything, even calling in sick to work, so they cant be on tv or the radio!!!

Tom B . @ Nov 20th 2006 5:38PM

"Point being this is a poor and inaccurate portrayal of the type of people in each line. To categorize them in such a way is stupendously short sighted and bigoted."

That's why it's a cartoon. I'm pretty sure people waiting in both lines had faces, hands, and feet.

And not to pick on the same poster, but to the point about the PS3 lines being more (shall we say) tense due to low supply... Sony's flop of a launch wasn't due to bad luck, just poor planning. Nintendo designed a cheaper console based on established technology so that they wouldn't have the same production setbacks that Sony ran into.

Add in a huge launch event with performers, demo kiosks, swag, and an appearance by the NoA president, and it all leads to a successful launch. And that's part of the reason Nintendo fans are so loyal. They get treated well.

Duo @ Nov 20th 2006 5:46PM

That doesn't accurately reflect the PS3 line I was in, but maybe mine was an anomaly.

disguised @ Nov 20th 2006 5:44PM

I spent about 2 hours waiting outside ToyRus. And it definitely felt different from what I saw during the PS3 launch. (No I'm not going to get PS3 until MGS and/or GTHD is released). I saw grandparents in front of me getting it for their grandkids. And I saw parents coordinating between the parents of their kids' classmates to 'hunt' for the Wii's around the area. Really interesting, I'd say.

moominsean @ Nov 20th 2006 5:46PM

I hate scalpers...i refuse to by any product by any reseller for more than the actual value. Scalping tickets is legal here in AZ. I waited in line for two hours once to buy smashing pumpkins tickets. when they opened the doors, we had to make our way through the dillards to the ticket counter and these *sshole scalpers ran ahead and cut in front of everyone and bought like 20 tickets apiece, laughing the whole time (seriously)...and i eneded up not getting a ticket by like 2 people in front of me. dumb*ss mall security just shrugged their shoulders. and every scalper i've ever encountered is an arrogant d*ck.
just a little bedtime story.

Hannah @ Nov 20th 2006 5:55PM

The Wii line-up I was in was a very genial and mellow affair. Lots of DS playing, good natured joking. Absolutely no bum rushing when tickets were handed out (thanks in part to the surprisingly well-thought-out and organized efforts of Walmart and staff) which was surprising given the 100 people or so in line.

Inside during the counter line-up, the crowd applauded the first Wii sold. Also, one lady spotted another gamer $10 because his debit card had a limit on it and he almost couldn't go home with Zelda. The crowd applauded at that, too, and the gamer gave the lady a hug.

Meanwhile, at another location, the manager came out and served coffee to everyone who was waiting.

Truly a very memorable experience and there was lots of Wii wub to go around.

Moab Bomb @ Nov 21st 2006 10:42AM

#21-Yes, America can be uncivilised, especially when we are fired up over a stupid freakin' game! England-well, you'd never see a Brit act like an ass over a game. It just isn't his nature to drop his civil mask and act like a massive tool over mere entertainment. Which begs the question: Do you import all of your soccer-er, I meant football- hooligans England is renowned for?

KellyC @ Nov 20th 2006 6:09PM

Well I did the Wii preorder line and it went just fine. Did the PS3 launch line at Target, slept out overnight, and gotta say our line was great. The management of Target left us in charge of a list so no one could sneak in and we all watched out for each other. There was even one guy who'd been there the night before and left and he was gone for so long that we all got together and decided, as a group, that he was to marked off the list.

Now that said, there was one girl who decided she was going to just put herself in the front of the line cuz the 'official line' at Target didn't start until 3pm. We got a bit vocal then but the folks at Target sorted her out.

But yeah, our line was great. Watched each others stuff, offered to go grab coffee/cocoa/food for each other, etc. So while that pic is funny as hell and might represent the majority of PS3 lines - it didn't represent mine. :)

Judd @ Nov 20th 2006 6:14PM

I'd like to revert to a post I made under the "Violence escalates during PS3 launch":

Ok, it might be a generalization, but who are the kinds of people who really want a PS3? A large majority of people are either buying the PS3 because A. They are hardcore gamers who need to have the system first day, but even more so B. The urban culture. Trust me the best selling game of the PS3 launch is not going to be Resistance, it will be Madden.
"Oh yea, I gotta get that Playstation. I love that shit. Madden and Grand Theft Auto."
"Do you realize Maddden is on every system?"
"No, no it's gosta be da Playstation."

Personally, if you asked me what systems I think will be the best this generation it would be 1. Xbox 360 2.Wii 3. PS3. But if you ask me which system I think will be the best selling it would be 1. PS3 2. Wii 3. Xbox 360.

Playstation is really the only mainstream system. The Xbox brand is getting there. And people still view Nintendo as a kiddy system. Even though Nintendo is trying to appeal to an older crowd this generation, and the Wii and DS might start appealing to parents, it's not going to appeal to the 20's and 30's gangster crowd. And these mainstream douchebags are the kinds of people who are into hip-hop,blings and guns(don't mistake that comment as racism. I know plenty of white people like that). So let's no longer ignore the elephant in the room. A large group of people who are getting the PS3 are into a violent culture. Yes it is a generalization. But you don't see Jack Thompson arguing cases over some kid playing a Nintendo game. I promise you that during the Wii launch people might get robbed, but they won't get shot.

Derek @ Nov 20th 2006 6:17PM

I also had a terrific Wii launch experience. I was #69 in a line that eventually grew to around 200 people. The line was organized by a small group of guys keeping a list and doing roll call. Even though the method of organization wasn't endorsed by Target officially, everyone adhered to it without incident.

The whole night was filled with gaming and crude game-related humor. The people around me became my official Nintendo family, and we bought food, coffee, and ran errands for each other. It was great.

We even played a prank on the people in line at Best Buy in the same plaza. The GameStop nearby gave an empty Wii box to one of us, so we filled it with various breakable items... and well, you get the idea. Needless to say, about 100 people at Best Buy thought we ran over a Wii at 3:00 a.m. with a car.

Jamaicangmr @ Nov 20th 2006 6:26PM

Thats the funniest thing i've seen on Joystiq period... Come on guys we gotta learn to laugh at these things. lol!

My only issue is with Marco's post stating that his female friend belittled the PS3 campers even though this was her opinion. Marco it's still steriotying and prejudicitic you shouldnt encourage it. Because by doing so you put yourself in the PS3 line depicted in the cartoon and very far from the we love each other Wii line. It doesnt matter if your a PS3, Wii or X360 gamer your a gamer. Have some respect for your fellow gamers Marco.

Will @ Nov 20th 2006 6:34PM

Yeah the Wii line was so great to be in, we were like a giant family making sure no one cut, and we had the lines perfect except for one person who tried to cut right as the vouchers were being handed out, we as a group alerted Circuit City and they Voided his voucher and gave the last person who deserved one a system.

Brian @ Nov 20th 2006 6:34PM

On a completely unrelated note...

I remember when my friends and I used to refer to my NES as "Nintari".

Stagger @ Nov 20th 2006 6:39PM

My camp out was very benign and community oriented. Everyone put their names on a list and accounted for anyone if they wanted to leave to go grab something at home or eat food or whatever. People bought the whole group McDonalds and Dunkndonuts and coffee and one couple who wasn't even waiting to get a Wii baked us all cookies =D A kid did get hit by a car (not badly) and we got egged by some douche bags.

It was a lot of fun.

greenfly360 @ Nov 20th 2006 7:17PM

When someone come to come the Q for the xbox 360 at 11:30 we just all laughed and said no way! lol

Amish_Gramish @ Nov 20th 2006 8:10PM

This is really funny, but it happened the same amount of the time as the Wii lines did.

Also, there were a lot fewer people in the lines for the Wii, because there is a lot smaller demand for it (3.2 million in the U.S. according to Interpret)

Sketchy Fletchy @ Nov 20th 2006 8:45PM

Well, I'm planning on supporting the Wii line theory shown above when it comes out here in Australia. I've got mine on preorder, and I don't think we'll have the same crazy numbers problems you guys have had, but I'll be hanging around outside the shop where I preordered before they open, and I'll probably bring along donuts and other goodies for those other community minded Wii enthusiasts who're there.

Oh yeah, what's the bet our ol' buddy Jack Thompson will use this as further fuel in his everlasting tirade against gamers - obviously we're all evil hearted bastards who'd gladly murder one another for our gaming fix, and we're happy to teach children how they too can kill and maim. Clearly we're responsible for the downfall of society.

Cheers all!

Poko @ Nov 21st 2006 12:25AM

#40 Amish_Gramish, you obviously didn't look at a lot of Wii lines. Sure there weren't 650 scalpers outside of some mall causing a riot somewhere but in my area there were more Wii people in line than PS3 people. There was only one store in town selling the systems.

For the PS3 launch there were nine men 14-25 in line and a cop car to keep it civil. The newspaper showed up and they got their tickets at 6am.

For the Nintendo launch (which I was in) there were 18 people in line, including one grandma and no police. Several of the people in line had shopped around within a 40 mile radius looking for a store that had a short line like ours. I don't think we had a single scalper.

Also, it was half the temperature, no newspaper coverage and we didn't get our tickets 'till 7am. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

ChrisL @ Nov 20th 2006 9:01PM

Keep telling yourself there's not that much demand for the Wii #40 . . .

chocobo @ Nov 20th 2006 9:46PM

@ 40:
" This is really funny, but it happened the same amount of the time as the Wii lines did.

Also, there were a lot fewer people in the lines for the Wii, because there is a lot smaller demand for it (3.2 million in the U.S. according to Interpret)"

http://tinyurl.com/yg4btb

smaller demand you say? hmm...

Ryuukuro @ Nov 20th 2006 10:31PM

I can't quite agree with that cartoon. Where I work, there was a mess with PS3s indeed with some people so shellshocked that my store never got any at all (we suck) that they had to speak to a manager so they could hear that we did not get any PS3s.

However, the Wii launch had its own problems. We didn't even have a handful of Wiis but they were there. One of my mangers, who is probably too nice for his own good, handed out cards to folks at the head of the line and told them that they were the ones who would get the Wiis. However, when the store opened some people (who from their description weren't the typical gaming type) rushed ahead of the pack. Mr. Friendly Manager stopped them cold and they tried to have a fit but he wouldn't have it and they went home. That said, there were some not-so-nice folks in the Wii camping line but at least the management stepped in to recognize that the first who come are the first who get served (not counting jerks who think they're slick.)

Joshua @ Nov 21st 2006 2:31AM

I don't know if this was already said or not but here I go. The comic is true in someways yes, but wrong also. It's not just because of Supply and Demand, it was because half the people waiting for the PS3 weren't gamers and were just waiting to get it to sell it on Ebay. While the Wii waiters (hmmm seems fun to say) Were all gamers and weren't just waiting to buy the Wii to make a profit, but to have good, clean, pure fun. That changes it alot if I do say so myself.

ginnal @ Nov 21st 2006 10:59AM

#32,

So you're using "urban" as a euphemism for black.
Since you've got a nice black person impression going why not just "keep it real" and say what you mean?

After all blacks are at the epicenter of everything wrong in this country including video game launches am I rite or am I rite?

WizarDru @ Nov 21st 2006 8:17AM

"but campared to Japan's little or no muggings and organised and well mannered launch, America's was a disaster,"

You mean, except for Japan's near riots and trampling of people during the initial mad rush into places like Bic Camera and the employment of the homeless and immigrants to ensure that illegal units would make their way to places like NYC's Chinatown a day later? Is that the well mannered launch you were referring to?

The Wii line I was in was exactly like the cartoon describes. Well organized with complete cooperation by Target, nary a scalper in site. We played Mario Kart on our DSs and when I ran out of coffee, the guy behind me came back with hot tea in a thermos and shared it with everyone he could offer it to.

No one was talking about ebay, they were talking about Zelda.