Author Topic: PS3 Launch Waiting Line Pics (Read 6493 times)

mairsil · « **on:** November 14, 2006, 09:50:05 pm »

ChadTower · « **Reply #1 on:** November 14, 2006, 09:51:36 pm »

Isn't the launch date in a couple of days?

mairsil · « **Reply #2 on:** November 14, 2006, 09:54:56 pm »

Launches on Friday. Some places, like the above CC, are having midnight openings.

ChadTower · « **Reply #3 on:** November 14, 2006, 09:55:29 pm »

And people are lined up 3 days in advance?

chopps · « **Reply #4 on:** November 14, 2006, 10:32:00 pm »

This reminds me of Homer lining up for Superbowl tickets...

mairsil · « **Reply #5 on:** November 14, 2006, 10:34:02 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on November 14, 2006, 09:55:29 pm

And people are lined up 3 days in advance?

Unless Circuit City is having a tent sale.

ChadTower · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2006, 09:00:21 am »

I don't see why they would allow that... most places they would have the Police disperse them for safety reasons.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2006, 09:14:24 am »

Best Buy corporate offices has actually released a memo to their store managers outlining the treatment of campers. They recommend supplying a portable toilet, leaving the parking lot lights on all night, and notifying local authorities so they can be drive every once in a while to make sure everyone is ok.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2006, 09:18:30 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on November 15, 2006, 09:00:21 am

I don't see why they would allow that... most places they would have the Police disperse them for safety reasons.

It's free publicity. They're not there to hurt anyone. If anything, there's the liability issues. That's up to the discretion of each individual store, though.

ChadTower · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2006, 09:36:32 am »

Quote from: AlanS17 on November 15, 2006, 09:18:30 am

It's free publicity. They're not there to hurt anyone. If anything, there's the liability issues. That's up to the discretion of each individual store, though.

Safety and liability fall under the same set of rules. The Police call it safety, the store calls it liability.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 15, 2006, 09:59:08 am »

I totally see where you're going with it, but imagine how ticked off your customers would be if you had one of the largest stocks in town and you didn't allow people to camp. If done as part of a nation-wide policy, it would probably cost the company more to turn them away then to weather some sort of incident involving liability. Know what I mean?

ChadTower · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:14:26 am »

No it wouldn't. The store would allow them to camp following closing time the preceding night. Allowing it now really is a safety/liability problem as they have to operate a major retail operation with campers on the property. The longer people are there the greater the odds of an incident that will cost the company PR points or worse. All they need is some fat guy to have a heart attack in his tent to cost them millions in bad press.

These people will line up to get what they want no matter what. It really doesn't matter to them if it's today or at 10pm tomorrow.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:27:19 am »

If someone sued because their family member had a heart attack in a tent, how many people are honestly going to say, "Shame on Best Buy for not taking care of that guy?"

Nobody in their right mind would hold BB responsible in that scenario. Yeah it sucks that a guy died, but it was gonna happen no matter where he was. That's just bad fortune. How can anyone hold you responsible for that?

Maybe I'm just too logical, though. It's all the irrational people that ruin it for the rest of us with stupid stuff like lawsuit abuse.

ChadTower · « **Reply #13 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:36:03 am »

Quote from: AlanS17 on November 15, 2006, 10:27:19 am

If someone sued because their family member had a heart attack in a tent, how many people are honestly going to say, "Shame on Best Buy for not taking care of that guy?"

PR isn't logical, it's rational. Any time the Best Buy name is out there for a negative story it costs them money. The story itself is irrelevant.

Plus, a lot of people would look at that and say "well why did they allow the people there two days ahead of time? If he weren't there he wouldn't have been alone in a tent to die." People never want to blame the person sitting there, they want to blame the company/gov't/someone else.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:39:08 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on November 15, 2006, 10:36:03 am

Plus, a lot of people would look at that and say "well why did they allow the people there two days ahead of time? If he weren't there he wouldn't have been alone in a tent to die." People never want to blame the person sitting there, they want to blame the company/gov't/someone else.

Who would you blame?

ChadTower · « **Reply #15 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:42:22 am »

Personally? I don't think that would be anyone's fault, really. Dude made a choice to sit there and happened to have his heart give out. It would have happened in his apartment too. But I think logically... most people don't think at all.

Havoc · « **Reply #16 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:47:23 am »

Whats funny is half these people aren't going to even use the system, they will just by the max per person and try and sell it for a profit on ebay before the holidays.

ChadTower · « **Reply #17 on:** November 15, 2006, 10:53:31 am »

That's the only reason I am thinking of trying for one.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:00:52 am »

It's kind of crappy because it drives up the whole average price of the product...

shmokes · « **Reply #19 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:12:44 am »

I agree. I do believe it is a little bit unethical, because if I get my hands on one, that's one less available at a "reasonable" (LOL) price for someone who actually wants one. On the other hand, all that money I can get on Ebay effectively bribes my conscience to take a coffee break.

ChadTower · « **Reply #20 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:15:47 am »

I don't see it as unethical. It's not a flu vaccine. If that person wanted yours at the same price you paid they could have gotten in line ahead of you.

Havoc · « **Reply #21 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:17:42 am »

I was just reading an article on how the resale of the PS3 in Japan is less than anticipated and actually had some good deals to be found. I am wondering if it will be the same here in the states.

ChadTower · « **Reply #22 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:19:23 am »

What is a good deal in that context? No one is going to be selling it for less than retail... they'd just return it for a refund in that case.

Havoc · « **Reply #23 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:30:00 am »

The article specified as it being close to retail, not below. In the past pre-holiday launches could fetch two - three times the value of the retail package.

This is not the article I read but it has relatively the same information in it.

http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2030877

ChadTower · « **Reply #24 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:40:59 am »

That's exactly what I predicted in the other PS3 launch thread. This one is just too expensive to bring the usual margins.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #25 on:** November 15, 2006, 12:00:43 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on November 15, 2006, 11:40:59 am

That's exactly what I predicted in the other PS3 launch thread. This one is just too expensive to bring the usual margins.

I agree on that point. I don't think it will fetch more than double (at least on average). When I talked with the people already at Best Buy, they expect to sell them for $2500... They're retarded.

When they only make $500, I wonder if they'll think it was all worth it.

JackTucky · « **Reply #26 on:** November 15, 2006, 12:41:58 pm »

How can anyone argue it's wrong when its happening? Obviously the people at Best Buy and Circuit City, and the campers, have something figured out that Chad can't figure out. Shocking!

-J

somunny · « **Reply #27 on:** November 15, 2006, 01:30:06 pm »

Currently, PS3 receipts are getting between $1500 and $2000 on ebay regularly (with spikes going quite a bit higher). The only reason I think the prices are as low as they are is that people can still believe that they have a chance to pick one up at retail.

Once that possibility vanishes on Friday, I believe the prices will go higher (as in $2500 to $3000). Of course this is just my opinion and I could be proven incorrect as thousands of PS3's flood ebay.

ChadTower · « **Reply #28 on:** November 15, 2006, 01:38:15 pm »

Yeah, it's just as plausible that those $2000 completed auctions will go unpaid when that Ebay glut happens and people can get them for $900-1000.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #29 on:** November 15, 2006, 01:55:45 pm »

Is a PS3 more valuable than an XBOX360? If it's not, then it won't sell for more. Anyone who's willing to pay that much (who isn't a millionaire) deserves to be ripping off.

When the XBOX360 launched, there were literally thousands of 24hr auctions for them. There were as many as 20 to 50 auctions ending every single minute.

somunny · « **Reply #30 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:20:08 pm »

Quote from: AlanS17 on November 15, 2006, 01:55:45 pm

Is a PS3 more valuable than an XBOX360?

It is due to the fact that the supply is low. There are people who a) don't want to wait in line or camp out and b) have to have the hot item NOW. These folks will be driving the price and think there's plenty of them out there.

Quote from: ChadTower on November 15, 2006, 01:38:15 pm

Yeah, it's just as plausible that those $2000 completed auctions will go unpaid when that Ebay glut happens and people can get them for $900-1000.

That's also a possibility as I have noticed quite a few auctions with a winning bidder that is new and has zero feedback.

AlanS17 · « **Reply #31 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:34:12 pm »

I can't imagine many people who would prefer to pay $2500 rather than wait in a line for a couple of days. I guess they're out there, though.

If someone were to pay me $2000 for every line I had to wait in for a couple of days, I'd try to find a way to make that my full-time job.

Havoc · « **Reply #32 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:45:21 pm »

Quote from: AlanS17 on November 15, 2006, 02:34:12 pm

I can't imagine many people who would prefer to pay $2500

Its all relative...I couldn't imagine paying $600 for a console.

ChadTower · « **Reply #33 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:50:34 pm »

People who have the money don't have the time. People who have the time don't have the money.

That's why everyone says time equals money.

SirPoonga · « **Reply #34 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:03:56 pm »

The sad part is the store probably only has less than 10 units available.

somunny · « **Reply #35 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:13:28 pm »

ebay is little late to the party...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAME_CONSOLES_EBAY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-11-15-13-50-17

They want to start regulating PS3 pre-sales two days before launch?

ChadTower · « **Reply #36 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:19:11 pm »

Those rules were already in place, I think. At least some of them were.

Wouldn't affect me, my ebay feedback is over 98% and way over the 50 feedback minimum.

somunny · « **Reply #37 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:25:34 pm »

The regs only apply to pre-orders so they don't apply at all unless you have a reservation to sell. On Friday, all bets are off for the "in hand" units.

mairsil · « **Reply #38 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:34:01 pm »

I cannot imagine what is possessing these people to camp out for a week. I considered showing up about 8-10 hours before they hand out tickets (10pm Thursday), but this is just ridiculous. I guess I will have to make due with my (confirmed yesterday) Gamestop preorder.

SirPoonga · « **Reply #39 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:46:38 pm »

somunny, they started that policy about a month and a half ago. People were selling their preorders and screwing buyers over.


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