Personally, I think all the hoopla about the Playstation3 is bull. Its a video game for God’s sake…not a way to save the planet or feed some hungry children. It’s a G.A.M.E.. Sorry to all of you out there that just have to have the newest system the day it comes out, but after reading about:
People fighting over the game.
People shooting each other over the game.
People getting robbed over the game.
People selling the game on Ebay for $11,000.
People actually standing in line for days for the game.
I cant take it anymore.
And also, to the parents saying they HAD to get the game for their kids for Christmas, I have had it. Honestly, unless you are LOADED beyond belief, there are so many more things you could do with $600. Open a savings account. Buy a month or 2 worth of groceries. Pay off a credit card. Take your child on a vacation. Sign them up for some classes. Cannot find anything else to do? Give it to Sally Struthers and help her feed some kids in a third world country somewhere. Anything but the game.
Everyone knows the game will drop in price and be available everywhere a month after Christmas. Why go through all the crap when you can get it in a month? I know why…so you can impress your friends by saying “I got a PS3”, thats why.
Now, before everyone starts telling me off, I enjoy the occasional video game. I even have an Xbox….the old one, that is. And it works just fine and dandy. Sure, the bullets don’t actually come off the screen and hit me like they do with a PS3 (it does that, right?), but it works.
Anyways…to the “point” of this post….if you MUST BE ABLE TO GET THE GAME, SmartMoney has some tips for you, but first:
*Note – SmartMoney can’t be too smart if they think its smart to spend $600 on a video game. Sorry. Anyways, on we go…
A West Bend, Wis., man sustained a dislocated jaw when he was shoved into a telephone pole while racing for one of 10 empty chairs “” thats how the local Wal-Mart decided to raffle off its available units. Noting the price tag, armed thugs targeted cash-carrying consumers: One man was shot during an attempted robbery at a Putnam, Conn., Wal-Mart; three others were mugged near a Target in Springfield, Ore. In Lexington, Ky., four Best Buy customers were sprayed with BB pellets in a drive-by shooting.
Now that is what I call Christmas spirit!
On to their “tips”:
Focus on wait lists.
Call your local retailers and ask to be put on their wait list, suggests Dahlen. Theres safety in numbers “” the more lists youre on, the better your chance of snagging a console.
Hit the stores “” again and again and again.
Dont bother calling around to see who has units in stock, Broady says. “Theyre never going to hold one for you.” Just hit the store, and head straight to the videogame section. Plenty of places wont be putting the units out on the floor. “Theyre afraid of a frenzy,” he says. Ask, and you may be in luck.
Mind the limits.
Remember, there are very few units available. Now that the initial launch is completed, its unlikely any given store will get in more than a handful of units at a time. “If you go somewhere and see a line, thats the wrong place,” Broady says.
Try eBay “” with caution.
If you simply must have a PS3 before the holidays, by all means hit the auction web sites. But we wouldnt recommend it. Most units are going for more than $2,000, and we spotted three auctions bid up to an eye-popping $11,000. Youll also have to worry about potential rip-offs, like sellers who dont actually have the item in hand.
Complicating the matter, plenty of sellers are auctioning the Japanese version of the console. “I would highly advise anyone against buying a Japanese version,” warns Broady. The included Blu-ray DVD technology will be coded for a different region. “You wont be able to play your DVDs,” he says. And you may have glitches in your videogames down the line.
Give up.
Waiting is your best solution, says Dahlen. The console should be more readily available after the holidays, because fewer people will be rushing to buy it as a gift. Parents should also consider waiting if their child is excited about an as-yet-unreleased game. “
The only good tips in this article? Telling you you might get shot if you try to buy the game and the last part about waiting.
Please, for the love of all things sane and reasonable, either wait till they are everywhere and spend your $600 on the game, or do something worthwhile with your $600 and buy your kid something a little more reasonably priced.
And for those I have offended, I apologize. But…its a game. Relax.
