Those with “guaranteed” spots had several offers from passers-by, some offering up to $3,000 for the prized gaming system. A local Seattle radio-station stunt-jockey, named (KISS 106.1’s Jamie), tried to coax gamers into giving up their spot by putting them on the radio and offer them fabulous prizes. Others in line flipped on their car stereos to listen in on the hilarity going on near the front of the line. No one gave up their tickets, however, because the radio station could not come up with a prize worth they system, not to mention all the time they had already put into attaining one.
Most people whom I spoke with were planning on “flipping” their new consoles to the highest bidder. Many people have heard the consoles were selling for at least twice their retail cost on eBay, and wanted to cash in. With so much buzz going on around the PS3, curiosity is bound to get most of these people, who will probably try it out. Perhaps once they see the system, they may not be so willing to let the system go immediately. It could be a risky gamble, because the PS3’s value will rise as Christmas draws near.
If Sony actually pulls through with their promise and delivers another shipment before Christmas, then these first-edition concoles will drop back down to their retail value. It is yet to be seen if the first-edition PS3s will be plagued with the same problems as the first run of Xbox 360s, which could further reduce their value.
Best Buy learned their lesson last year during the Xbox 360 launch, when many customers became disgruntled at seemingly unfair practices. This time, Best Buy issues sequentially numbered tickets to those in line, and periodically checked the line (even after the store closed), making sure those who received tickets stayed in line. Some people had left to run errands, like walking the dog, others actually went to work. Some of these people who risked their valuable spots lost them.
The Bellevue Best Buy seemed to extend a lot of good will towards the waiting gamers, offering free boxes of Alphy’s pizza (cheese only) to ticket holders. They even allowed campers to pitch tents, even though it was technically against local loitering ordinances. The good-will spread around, as many gamers shared their pizza with friends, visitors, and even strangers (I had several offers of free ‘zza). The employees were very friendly, and seemed to enjoy the party atmosphere.
