PS3 Launch: disaster

[Jack McSlay]

>PS3 Launch report>

it seems that chinese desperate for money are far more interested in the PS3 than the Japanese gamers desperate for new consoles.

so if you expected you would be able to buy a PS3 for $600, think again

[Sid]

Ah yes, read that today, too. I think that "WTF" sums it up nicely. They (read: the store and the event organizers) really should have paid some money for good crowd control.

But the most hilarious part has got to be the fact that the first official PS3 customer didn't speak Japanese and got dragged into a Japanese interview

it seems that chinese desperate for money are far more interested in the PS3 than the Japanese gamers desperate for new consoles.

It's all a matter of supply and demand. The demand is high, the supply is low. You invest 600$ and a night of camping and shoving, and you walk out with something you can easily sell for 1000+$. Considering that Sony LOSES money per console while eBay-dudes MAKE money, I honestly hope that launching the console before the Christmas season is worth it for Sony.

US launch should be an interesting follow-up to this...

[Saist]

oh, I'm really hoping I see people camping out on this side of the ocean. Just so I can walk up and SMACK the living daylights out of them. Seriously, what game does the PS3 have to play?

[bill]

One of my friends is camping for a PS3. He plans to make a 300% profit.

[Sid]

oh, I'm really hoping I see people camping out on this side of the ocean. Just so I can walk up and SMACK the living daylights out of them. Seriously, what game does the PS3 have to play?

Can't... resist... must... *wheeze*
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RAAAAAAAAAAAAACER!

And there were actually some people this week who had already started to camp out in front of a shop in California. Yes, nine days before launch. Police dudes told them to get lost, though. ^^;

Camping starts
Camping ends

[Tapewolf]

That article was just beautiful.

[Aridas]

So it's true, nearly everyone who wants a ps3 isn't actually going to play it.

[RJ]

That's because the PS3 is an "entertainment system" 

That article was really an eye opener. I had no idea something like that would (or could) happen! The news article I saw on the tv last night made it look so happy and cheerful...

Remember that Sony said they'll sue anyone selling a PS3 to the Europe regions before the launch date... I wonder if they'll really do that, or to the matter, be able to do that? I saw an English guy who had waited two days in line to get into the launch and got one.

[Sid]

Remember that Sony said they'll sue anyone selling a PS3 to the Europe regions before the launch date... I wonder if they'll really do that, or to the matter, be able to do that? I saw an English guy who had waited two days in line to get into the launch and got one.

They'll have to get their lawyers moving then... just go to the US eBay and do a search for PS3 Japan...

[Arcalane]

Heh. I was reading that site earlier about how lines had been broken up in front of one of the American "Best Buy" stores, and posters put up saying that customers cannot queue until a day[/i] in advance.

Silly people. I personally put them in the same group as the addictive fanboys who can't wait two or three weeks for a game to be released. The sort who think a release now is better because they'll have it sooner, with no regard for any code that may or may not be implemented, or any glaring bugs/errors that may or may not have been fixed.

[Sid]

The sort who think a release now is better because they'll have it sooner, with no regard for any code that may or may not be implemented, or any glaring bugs/errors that may or may not have been fixed.

Ah yes... "release-day customers"... the new euphemism for "beta testers"

[HealingBlight]

Campers spoil everything game related RL and OL.

[Arcalane]

The sort who think a release now is better because they'll have it sooner, with no regard for any code that may or may not be implemented, or any glaring bugs/errors that may or may not have been fixed.

Ah yes... "release-day customers"... the new euphemism for "beta testers"

And just what are you implying there?

*is currently officially private-betatesting Neotokyo:Source*

[Supercheese]

The sort who think a release now is better because they'll have it sooner, with no regard for any code that may or may not be implemented, or any glaring bugs/errors that may or may not have been fixed.

Ah yes... "release-day customers"... the new euphemism for "beta testers"

And just what are you implying there?

*is currently officially private-betatesting Neotokyo:Source*

At least it's not The Burning Crusade...

[Aridas]

IT'S GOING TO CRUSH US ALL

[fakelike]

Profit.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/14/some-dude-is-reselling-100-ps3s-gonna-get-paid/

[Jack McSlay]

Profit.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/14/some-dude-is-reselling-100-ps3s-gonna-get-paid/

I can only lol to that... If I was on his place I'd sell them all, not keep a single one and then buy something more useful, which is likely what he's going to do anyway

[Sid]

Profit.
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/14/some-dude-is-reselling-100-ps3s-gonna-get-paid/

O______________________o

(He should stockpile and burn them all in front of Sony HQ, just to see if Hirai and Kutaragi jump into the flames, trying to save a few... )

[Darkmoon]

Ah yes, because burning $60,000 worth of electronics is a good use of funds...

[Vidar]

Ah yes, because burning $60,000 worth of electronics is a good use of funds...

Depends on
a) whether you have a buyer
b) the electronics in question

Remember: we are talking about PS3's here.
Yes, you have buyers a-plenty, but do you really want to inflict a PS3 on them?

[Tapewolf]

Ah yes, because burning $60,000 worth of electronics is a good use of funds...

Remember: we are talking about PS3's here.
Yes, you have buyers a-plenty, but do you really want to inflict a PS3 on them?

I'm sure you could do something useful with the laser diodes.

[Sid]

Ah yes, because burning $60,000 worth of electronics is a good use of funds...

If Kaz and Ken jump in and we get it on video, those 60k would be an investment, soon to be overshadowed by the profit generated by the movie

[Darkmoon]

Well you figure, conservatively, each PS3 resold generates a double in investment, that's 12 stacks of high society right there. Depending on what you do with the video afterwards, sure, maybe you can generate that, but, would you really want to burn 120gs and take that chance?

[ShadesFox]

Seems like a pretty good investment.  With how pittifully few consoles there are and the Internet's ability to hook you up with the crazies, someone is going to pay.

Still, I'm not going to dismiss the PS3 entirely.  Console launch is always crazy.
(Though I'm still not going to get one for at least a year)

[Aridas]

I just heard this from someone just now, but supposedly the ps3 controllers are all wireless and have no way of being recharged without opening up the controller... and I've had to open controllers before. it can get messy and difficult to put back together again at times. But it's not just that, opening the controller usually means bye bye warranty, and i'll bet it does here too. GENIUS FROM THE FOLKS WHO BRING YOU EXPLODING LAPTOP BATTERIES

...Which would mean you'd either have to keep buying new controllers (that is, if there's some last minute policy change, which is bound to happen considering it's sony we're talking about but I won't consider it that much yet) or void your warranty... Interesting... Unless there's some other magic way of doing this.

edited to keep everything together

[Supercheese]

I just heard this from someone just now, but supposedly the ps3 controllers are all wireless and have no way of being recharged without opening up the controller... and I've had to open controllers before. it can get messy and difficult to put back together again at times. But it's not just that, opening the controller usually means bye bye warranty, and i'll bet it does here too. GENIUS FROM THE FOLKS WHO BRING YOU EXPLODING LAPTOP BATTERIES

...Which would mean you'd either have to keep buying new controllers (that is, if there's some last minute policy change, which is bound to happen considering it's sony we're talking about but I won't consider it that much yet) or void your warranty... Interesting... Unless there's some other magic way of doing this.

That sounds colossally retarded, even for Sony. Well, it is Sony... but I still don't think even they could be that monumentally stupid.

...unless of course the controllers run on some sort of God-like everlasting battery that just keeps going and going and going and going...

[Aridas]

Not sure. but the fact that replacing the battery potentially means kissing the warranty goodbye (unless thre's some exception), i'm not sure how much it's worth it to replace them. I kind of prefer wired controllers anyway.

[Reese Tora]

I can't imagine that the PS3 won't have ports to plug in other controllers. (like racing yokes) Unless they went and changed the interface design and protocols going from PS2 to PS3, my controllers from the previous two consoles will be seeing use.

Of course, I have no plans to aquire a PS3; atleast, not until late 2007. (FFXIII)

[Sid]

I just heard this from someone just now, but supposedly the ps3 controllers are all wireless and have no way of being recharged without opening up the controller... and I've had to open controllers before. it can get messy and difficult to put back together again at times. But it's not just that, opening the controller usually means bye bye warranty, and i'll bet it does here too. GENIUS FROM THE FOLKS WHO BRING YOU EXPLODING LAPTOP BATTERIES

Actually, no. I'm working from memory here, but I'm very certain that the controller can be recharged by hooking it up to an USB port. The whole "open controller" issue is when the battery is actually dead (to the degree of not being able to hold a charge for more than a few hours or minutes). Sony has said it would offer some way to prevent people from buying new controllers all the time, but they didn't say more about it (so either they start selling replacement batteries or make you send in the controller and some money for the new battery). On the other hand, that is a vague promise coming from the same company that promised a worldwide November launch.

I can't imagine that the PS3 won't have ports to plug in other controllers. (like racing yokes) Unless they went and changed the interface design and protocols going from PS2 to PS3, my controllers from the previous two consoles will be seeing use.

From what I read, it actually doesn't have native ports for that. However, those "PS2 -> PC USB" adapters seem to work. But there are still some problems, as has been mentioned in http://ps3.ign.com/articles/745/745329p1.html

[Aridas]

Actually, no. I'm working from memory here, but I'm very certain that the controller can be recharged by hooking it up to an USB port. The whole "open controller" issue is when the battery is actually dead (to the degree of not being able to hold a charge for more than a few hours or minutes). Sony has said it would offer some way to prevent people from buying new controllers all the time, but they didn't say more about it (so either they start selling replacement batteries or make you send in the controller and some money for the new battery). On the other hand, that is a vague promise coming from the same company that promised a worldwide November launch.

Good info... But I still don't trust them to have that >.>