PS3 Lines Already Forming In America

Wowzer writes "Nine days until Sony's PlayStation 3 launches in America, and lines are already forming. From the article: "Someone went to Best Buy this morning and saw about 7 people waiting outside. He went inside and one of the workers told him that they had been there since Monday. It must be a tough job being such big PS3 fans and being the butt of many passer-by jokes like 'Where is the line for PS4? Is it on the other side?'"

Here's an idea

[jlebrech]

Why can't Sony just sell the first 200,000 straight from the factory doors. They'll be plenty of demand and it'll save on overheads.

The hype machine

[slim]

I'm pretty sure this is astroturf. Just like for movies, publishers pay people to form queues and get on the TV news.

Anyone who really wants a PS3 that badly would have pre-ordered.

I'm getting a Wii on Euro launch day, and I fully expect to queue for no more than 5 minutes, wave my preorder receipt at the attendant, and walk out with a Wii.

The question is

[Anonymous Coward]

How many of those 7 people were being paid by Sony to make demand look greater than it is?

Stupidly obvious question.. but...

[Chicane-UK]

If they're such diehard fans that they're willing to wait in line for over a week to buy a goddamn games console, why the hell didn't they just preorder it instead?!

consuming waste

[jovius]

The society seems to have closen a circle when you can afford to line up for a product designed to waste time.

Sense of Accomplishment

[GayBliss]

Look, you have people with nothing better to do than stand in line for a week for something that they will probably use for days on end without doing anything else constructive. What else do they do for a sense of accomplishment in their life? It probably makes them feel great about themselves to have such dedication and determination.

Seems pretty simple...

[dimer0]

So, if you get a PS3 on day 1, you can turn it around on ebay for 1500-2000. (Which sickens me). So, that's a 900-1400 profit. Let's assume $1400. So, that's $200/day for standing in line they're making - which is probably a lot more than these kids make in their normal days jobs (if they have one). Not a bad deal, I guess.

Now, I really want a PS3, but we already have a next-gen console out there which is finally getting some quality titles. I'll have no problems playing Gears of War for a month or two while it's hard to get my hands on a PS3. There really isn't anything that excites me about the PS3, well, until the next Gran Turismo comes out.

Paging Triumph the insult comic

[British]

Triumph & a camera crew should get out to the lines. He could heckle them good, just like he did at the lines of the Star Wars premiere.

Re: they'll be soooo disappointed

[Ender Ryan]

netean, I don't believe you.

My disdain for your silly profession aside, why the fuck would you get your hands on a PS3, through work, as a hypnotherapist?

That... and I've already read a lot of hands on accounts of the PS3, from a multitude of sources, and none of them mention any of the supposed problems you speak of.