15 Hours Down The Shitter.

NoseMaster · 11-17-2006, 12:14 AM

I tried waiting in line for PS3. People were starting to line up at every store selling them at like noon on Wednesday. After hunting a little, we found an empty Best Buy in bumblefuck, Wisconsin. Every Best Buy is guaranteed 26 units. We were the first in line, sort of. The store management are sadists.

We were told by two other guys sitting in their truck that the actual line isn't going to start until 3PM on thursday. Which makes no god damn sense. Of course, people showed up anyways and started lining up. The manager told them to leave, and they all (suprisingly somewhat politely) told him that his policy was the most ridiculous shit they have ever heard. Eventually, we got out and got behind them in line.

Everyone in the line to that point was cool, getting along perfectly. We were passing around the random snack shit we brought, telling random line and game stories, etc. Perfectly civil. It's part of the reason I wait for console launches (other than the ridiculous reselling profit); the people. It's liek a giant, gamer tailgate party. And you get $500 for going and hanging out for a day or so. Not a bad gig, honestly.

After about 2 hours of sitting around with these guys and having a few more show up, the manager proves he wasn't bluffing earlier; the cops ride in. By that point, the three guys I was waiting in line with bought a tent and had it set up, and they had to take it down 5 minutes after getting it built. The cop wasn't too much of a dick, honestly, but we had to leave. Everyone agreed on just sitting in TGIFriday or Circuit City's parking lot (right next to the store). So, we got some Webb's and then slept in our cars.

During the night, one of the guys we were waiting with last night were tapping on our windows pretty loudly, but we were surprisingly all out enough not to really acknowledge it. At 8am, Jake pounds on my window and tells me to get out of the car; there's another line forming. In the fucking parking lot, where people drive. They called the cops on us for blocking the shitty sidewalk no one uses at 2am in the morning, but 8am in the morning at the parking lot is okay.

This line was not the same as the friendly line the night before. These people were letting everyone they vaguely knew whatsoever skip, being rowdy assholes, just... ugh. It was like the complete opposite of the line at that night. "Luckily", however, the dudes we were with last night were at the front of this line, still. I guess they were watching the parking lot like hawks and jumped out of their cars right away.

Anyways, we get corralled over to the sidewalk (-_-), and because they didnt organize it whatsoever, people just rushed and we just went up by the guys we were with last night. Keep in mind: this is the line to get in the fucking real line, in 6 hours. Anyways, apparently some old guy noticed, and starts completely fucking unnecessary drama about it. He walks up to us, and in his loudest voice:

Old Guy: "YOU GUYS KNOW YOU'RE NOT SKIPPING ALL OF US RIGHT, WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE SEVEN AM."
Our four people: "Wow, 7? We've been here since midnight. We just didn't start a stink about it earlier to avoid bullshit like this."
Old Guy: "I was here at midnight last night."
20 guys, including the guys we were with last night: "No, no you really weren't."
Old Guy: "HEY GUYS YOU HEAR THAT THEY THINK ITS OKAY TO SKIP ALL OF US."
Our four people: "..."

And the line behind us just muttered angrily amongst themselves.

We sit in line and the line is just bulging with people letting others cut in. We were somewhere around #15ish, and eventually at 2:30 about 300 people showed up to the store. They crowded around the door like fucking piranha, completely disregarding our line. Every time anyone in a blue shirt would walk out, they'd swarm. Eventually at 3 they corralled all of them into our line. And, rather than having it work like every other store and cut it off at the number of systems their were *last night*, they decided to be publicity whores and do it this... unique way.

At 3PM they closed off the line and counted hands of the people waiting in line. Then they wrote 1 - # of people (400 ) on slips of paper and threw them in a bag. You drew a number, and that was your position in line. If you drew over 26, you were pretty much fucked. I drew...

#237. Jesus. Thirty pricks that had just gotten there 5 minutes ago had the exact same chance as us at getting a PS3. People who were there for 15 hours already. They didn't care. They just wanted the publicity. We packed up and left, understandably pissed off.

The funny part: A local store, about two miles away, is doing the same deal. But, at 6am. Thinking about going there for five minutes and trying my luck. But, who knows. I'm fucking tired.

P.S. It was colder than a fucking BITCH outside. Wind chill prolly made it like 15 degrees. I was shivering with a blanket and like 5-6 layers of clothes/jackets.

Spark Notes: I'm an idiot and waited in a shitty line outside a shitty store for PS3 and got fucked.

ninefivezero · 11-17-2006, 12:43 AM

Sometimes I'm glad I don't play video games.

Scrubbin_Bubbles · 11-17-2006, 04:17 AM

That sucks. I'm sure a lot of people were pissed they did it that way.

superlinuxman · 11-17-2006, 04:28 AM

i went up to walmart last night to see people get sad when they didnt get one..

there were like 50-60 people waiting and walmart handed out 4 tickets
it was a good time

tomorrow ill be waiting in line for a wii and i should really have a problem getting one.

MSP · 11-17-2006, 04:47 AM

15 hours? Holy fuck! I wonder how long before they start showing up on eBay for $1,000+?

Scrubbin_Bubbles · 11-17-2006, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSP

15 hours? Holy fuck! I wonder how long before they start showing up on eBay for $1,000+?

Umm it already started a few weeks ago.

mistawiskas · 11-17-2006, 05:21 AM

One word: REDICULOUS.
The drive to get one seems to be spurred on by greed rather than an actual desire to play games. Get one and list it on E-Bay....that's called profitteering.
The ugly side of 'supply and demand' economics. Meanwhile, the console companies get a huge amount of free publicity....do you honestly think that
is by accident?

ivwshane · 11-17-2006, 08:10 AM

I thought I'd try my luck at costco.com but as soon as 8am rolled around the site went dead! Too much traffic! HA!

~~BrentN~~ · 11-17-2006, 09:12 AM

Wow, the way they handled that at store level was absolutley rediculous. They should have had those line posts so that there was no bunching, and should have had a guy come out every 30 minutes or so before the store opened to make sure everyone was conforming. Thats what we did.

I'd write to best buy head office personally if that were me.

GOG427 · 11-17-2006, 10:20 AM

the ups truck with ps3 on it got robbed so we only got 2 units at our.

Chris · 11-17-2006, 10:30 AM

That's crazy. I did it with the Xbox 360 only because I was the 3rd person in line, and they let us stay inside.

Knowing the shortage, and the RIDICULOUS pricetag of the PS3, I didn't even think for a second about attempting it.

NoseMaster · 11-17-2006, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSP

15 hours? Holy fuck! I wonder how long before they start showing up on eBay for $1,000+?

Heh, dude people have been setting up auctions for their pre-order PS3s for a week or so now. They're selling for $1500 average now, but the price is going to go down a lot when half the people who got one sell them on ebay.

And it would have been another 15 if we got a good spot in line >.>

MovingTarget · 11-17-2006, 02:46 PM

This whole thing is beyond stupid. I like games but - ITS A FUCKING GAME...... youve waited this long - whats a little longer of a wait?.......insane

nidex · 11-17-2006, 03:07 PM

I am also glad I don't play video games.

log1c · 11-17-2006, 04:52 PM

Sucks for you man, Wisconsin can be brutal in the fall/winter. Go Badgers though, eh?!

hans5849 · 11-17-2006, 05:08 PM

set the store on fire

Torx · 11-17-2006, 05:15 PM

damn dude

this whole ordeal is rediculous
i see things escalating a bit more as the weeks go on...

NoseMaster · 11-17-2006, 10:34 PM

You guys seem to be missing a part of the implied text there; I wasn't going to keep it. I was there only to sell it, just like I sold my 360 (to someone on this forum, actually). I was taking advantage of rich idiots who needed the system for their spoiled brat children asap, no matter what it costed.

There's no reason to buy a system on launch day. Buggy hardware, generic shitty launch games, no one knowing what said games are genuinely going to be like, the only good games being on the distant horizon (year+), price being about $100-200 more than what it'll be when the system has a good library, etc.

That being said, I kind of want a Wii for Twilight. And the online downloading Bonk business. But, I think I'll hold off to see if it turns into another cube.

Goofus Maximus · 11-17-2006, 10:40 PM

Laf! Nowhere near enough units at launch, combined with people who intend to flip the units on e-bay = hype for Sony! "Hey, look how popular this is! it's flying off the shelves!"

MSP · 11-18-2006, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoseMaster

You guys seem to be missing a part of the implied text there; I wasn't going to keep it. I was there only to sell it, just like I sold my 360 (to someone on this forum, actually). I was taking advantage of rich idiots who needed the system for their spoiled brat children asap, no matter what it costed.

So you're calling Tac a rich idiot?

Just messing with you...

ATIzed · 11-18-2006, 11:33 AM

People rioting and acting like it's "War of the Worlds" for a dumb game system is one of those things that makes you ashamed to be a human being.

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11-17-2006, 12:14 AM	15 Hours Down The Shitter.	permalink #1
NoseMaster Horrible Person Jan 2005 Last Seen: 08-26-2008 Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin Posts: 3,613 (#17) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x0	I tried waiting in line for PS3. People were starting to line up at every store selling them at like noon on Wednesday. After hunting a little, we found an empty Best Buy in bumblefuck, Wisconsin. Every Best Buy is guaranteed 26 units. We were the first in line, sort of. The store management are sadists. We were told by two other guys sitting in their truck that the actual line isn't going to start until 3PM on thursday. Which makes no god damn sense. Of course, people showed up anyways and started lining up. The manager told them to leave, and they all (suprisingly somewhat politely) told him that his policy was the most ridiculous shit they have ever heard. Eventually, we got out and got behind them in line. Everyone in the line to that point was cool, getting along perfectly. We were passing around the random snack shit we brought, telling random line and game stories, etc. Perfectly civil. It's part of the reason I wait for console launches (other than the ridiculous reselling profit); the people. It's liek a giant, gamer tailgate party. And you get $500 for going and hanging out for a day or so. Not a bad gig, honestly. After about 2 hours of sitting around with these guys and having a few more show up, the manager proves he wasn't bluffing earlier; the cops ride in. By that point, the three guys I was waiting in line with bought a tent and had it set up, and they had to take it down 5 minutes after getting it built. The cop wasn't too much of a dick, honestly, but we had to leave. Everyone agreed on just sitting in TGIFriday or Circuit City's parking lot (right next to the store). So, we got some Webb's and then slept in our cars. During the night, one of the guys we were waiting with last night were tapping on our windows pretty loudly, but we were surprisingly all out enough not to really acknowledge it. At 8am, Jake pounds on my window and tells me to get out of the car; there's another line forming. In the fucking parking lot, where people drive. They called the cops on us for blocking the shitty sidewalk no one uses at 2am in the morning, but 8am in the morning at the parking lot is okay. This line was not the same as the friendly line the night before. These people were letting everyone they vaguely knew whatsoever skip, being rowdy assholes, just... ugh. It was like the complete opposite of the line at that night. "Luckily", however, the dudes we were with last night were at the front of this line, still. I guess they were watching the parking lot like hawks and jumped out of their cars right away. Anyways, we get corralled over to the sidewalk (-_-), and because they didnt organize it whatsoever, people just rushed and we just went up by the guys we were with last night. Keep in mind: this is the line to get in the fucking real line, in 6 hours. Anyways, apparently some old guy noticed, and starts completely fucking unnecessary drama about it. He walks up to us, and in his loudest voice: Old Guy: "YOU GUYS KNOW YOU'RE NOT SKIPPING ALL OF US RIGHT, WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE SEVEN AM." Our four people: "Wow, 7? We've been here since midnight. We just didn't start a stink about it earlier to avoid bullshit like this." Old Guy: "I was here at midnight last night." 20 guys, including the guys we were with last night: "No, no you really weren't." Old Guy: "HEY GUYS YOU HEAR THAT THEY THINK ITS OKAY TO SKIP ALL OF US." Our four people: "..." And the line behind us just muttered angrily amongst themselves. We sit in line and the line is just bulging with people letting others cut in. We were somewhere around #15ish, and eventually at 2:30 about 300 people showed up to the store. They crowded around the door like fucking piranha, completely disregarding our line. Every time anyone in a blue shirt would walk out, they'd swarm. Eventually at 3 they corralled all of them into our line. And, rather than having it work like every other store and cut it off at the number of systems their were last night, they decided to be publicity whores and do it this... unique way. At 3PM they closed off the line and counted hands of the people waiting in line. Then they wrote 1 - # of people (400 ) on slips of paper and threw them in a bag. You drew a number, and that was your position in line. If you drew over 26, you were pretty much fucked. I drew... #237. Jesus. Thirty pricks that had just gotten there 5 minutes ago had the exact same chance as us at getting a PS3. People who were there for 15 hours already. They didn't care. They just wanted the publicity. We packed up and left, understandably pissed off. The funny part: A local store, about two miles away, is doing the same deal. But, at 6am. Thinking about going there for five minutes and trying my luck. But, who knows. I'm fucking tired. P.S. It was colder than a fucking BITCH outside. Wind chill prolly made it like 15 degrees. I was shivering with a blanket and like 5-6 layers of clothes/jackets. Spark Notes: I'm an idiot and waited in a shitty line outside a shitty store for PS3 and got fucked.
	Give a man a match and he'll be warm for an hour. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm the rest of his life. [Journal]

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11-17-2006, 12:43 AM	permalink #2
ninefivezero infinite resolution Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,108 (#6) Thanked 4x in 3 posts x367	Sometimes I'm glad I don't play video games.
	"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

11-17-2006, 04:17 AM	permalink #3
Scrubbin_Bubbles My E-Penis Is HUGE Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: Stratford, Connecticut Posts: 6,234 (#5) Thanked 9x in 8 posts x13	That sucks. I'm sure a lot of people were pissed they did it that way.
	All I see is a black hole, and sooner or later they’re going to suck each one of us into it. But when they come for me, I'm going to take as many of them with me as I can.

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11-17-2006, 04:28 AM	permalink #4
superlinuxman 3D+Linux Master Jan 2005 Last Seen: 08-16-2008 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 1,133 (#82) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x9	i went up to walmart last night to see people get sad when they didnt get one.. there were like 50-60 people waiting and walmart handed out 4 tickets it was a good time tomorrow ill be waiting in line for a wii and i should really have a problem getting one.
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11-17-2006, 04:47 AM	permalink #5
MSP Globe Trekker Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Posts: 16,469 (#1) Thanked 7x in 7 posts x74	15 hours? Holy fuck! I wonder how long before they start showing up on eBay for $1,000+?

11-17-2006, 05:21 AM	permalink #7
mistawiskas outside the box! Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: Grants Pass, Oregon Posts: 13,859 (#2) Thanked 8x in 8 posts x104	One word: REDICULOUS. The drive to get one seems to be spurred on by greed rather than an actual desire to play games. Get one and list it on E-Bay....that's called profitteering. The ugly side of 'supply and demand' economics. Meanwhile, the console companies get a huge amount of free publicity....do you honestly think that is by accident?
	Until now,never!before in Earth history, has mass extinction involved a choice.

11-17-2006, 08:10 AM	permalink #8
ivwshane Dont mess with old school Jan 2005 Last Seen: Yesterday Location: CA Posts: 3,890 (#15) Thanked 2x in 2 posts x46	I thought I'd try my luck at costco.com but as soon as 8am rolled around the site went dead! Too much traffic! HA!

11-17-2006, 09:12 AM	permalink #9
~~BrentN~~ Party? Where? Jan 2005 Last Seen: 12-29-2007 Location: Calgary Alberta Posts: 2,330 (#38) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x3	Wow, the way they handled that at store level was absolutley rediculous. They should have had those line posts so that there was no bunching, and should have had a guy come out every 30 minutes or so before the store opened to make sure everyone was conforming. Thats what we did. I'd write to best buy head office personally if that were me.

11-17-2006, 10:20 AM	permalink #10
GOG427 The Mole. Feb 2005 Last Seen: Yesterday Posts: 1,331 (#68) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x30	the ups truck with ps3 on it got robbed so we only got 2 units at our.

11-17-2006, 10:30 AM	permalink #11
Chris Raptor Jesus Apr 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,420 (#22) Thanked 1x in one post x6	That's crazy. I did it with the Xbox 360 only because I was the 3rd person in line, and they let us stay inside. Knowing the shortage, and the RIDICULOUS pricetag of the PS3, I didn't even think for a second about attempting it.

11-17-2006, 02:46 PM	permalink #13
MovingTarget Uber Noob Jul 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,512 (#60) Thanked 2x in 2 posts x58	This whole thing is beyond stupid. I like games but - ITS A FUCKING GAME...... youve waited this long - whats a little longer of a wait?.......insane
	I am me, and nobody else can be me, except for myself or I, but neither of them are here right now so leave a message.....

11-17-2006, 03:07 PM	permalink #14
nidex Hood Rich Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: the 773 & 414 Posts: 3,568 (#18) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x0	I am also glad I don't play video games.

11-17-2006, 04:52 PM	permalink #15
log1c The Underwriter Jan 2005 Last Seen: 08-25-2008 Location: Atlanta Georgia Posts: 1,289 (#71) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x3	Sucks for you man, Wisconsin can be brutal in the fall/winter. Go Badgers though, eh?!
	Master of the lightnings, rider on the storm, wearer of a crown of swords, spinnerout of fate. Who thinks he turns the Wheel of Time, may learn the truth too late. I'll never be too old to tweak.

11-17-2006, 05:08 PM	permalink #16
hans5849 Has Absolutely no life Jan 2005 Last Seen: Yesterday Location: The Gorge, WA Posts: 6,753 (#4) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x53	set the store on fire
	I make myself laugh.

11-17-2006, 05:15 PM	permalink #17
Torx Fecal Funsies! Jan 2005 Last Seen: Today Location: Memphis Posts: 7,455 (#3) Thanked 8x in 6 posts x10	damn dude this whole ordeal is rediculous i see things escalating a bit more as the weeks go on...

11-17-2006, 10:34 PM	permalink #18
NoseMaster Horrible Person Jan 2005 Last Seen: 08-26-2008 Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin Posts: 3,613 (#17) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x0	You guys seem to be missing a part of the implied text there; I wasn't going to keep it. I was there only to sell it, just like I sold my 360 (to someone on this forum, actually). I was taking advantage of rich idiots who needed the system for their spoiled brat children asap, no matter what it costed. There's no reason to buy a system on launch day. Buggy hardware, generic shitty launch games, no one knowing what said games are genuinely going to be like, the only good games being on the distant horizon (year+), price being about $100-200 more than what it'll be when the system has a good library, etc. That being said, I kind of want a Wii for Twilight. And the online downloading Bonk business. But, I think I'll hold off to see if it turns into another cube.

11-17-2006, 10:40 PM	permalink #19
Goofus Maximus Too old to be this dumb! Jan 2005 Last Seen: Yesterday Location: St. Louis area, but in Illinois Posts: 2,443 (#33) Thanked 3x in 3 posts x26	Laf! Nowhere near enough units at launch, combined with people who intend to flip the units on e-bay = hype for Sony! "Hey, look how popular this is! it's flying off the shelves!"
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11-18-2006, 11:33 AM	permalink #21
ATIzed Senior Member Jan 2005 Posts: 574 (#112) Thanked 0x in 0 posts x0	People rioting and acting like it's "War of the Worlds" for a dumb game system is one of those things that makes you ashamed to be a human being.

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