Sumaiya Daredia (left) buys a Playstation 3 from sales associate Allan Heider after waiting in line at the Best Buy at Central Expressway and Walnut Hill.
The video game console wars have finally begun as Sony Corp.’s Playstation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii were released this weekend, joining Microsoft’s year-old Xbox 360. The two newest gaming systems have landed in North America just in time for the busiest shopping season, ensuring long lines at any store with an electronics department.
The hype surrounding the $600 Playstation 3 clearly dwarfed that of its $250 opponent as stores across the nation had customers lining up for hours, sometimes days, awaiting the launch of the system.
In North Texas, the Best Buy located at North Central Expressway and Walnut Hill was one store across the country participating in a midnight release event. Gamers began lining up in front of the store two whole days before the release.
“I got here Tuesday at 10 a.m.” said SMU junior David Arledge. “It’s been a waiting game, braving the elements and time.” Arledge was guaranteed a Playstation 3 as he was the first person in line at the store. The eager gamers persevered through rain and even gusting winds.
“One guy rode in [on Tuesday] on a motorcycle. He had to camp out under a mattress with his helmet on to protect him from debris,” said sophomore Jorden Zebeck. “There have been a lot of friendships formed with strangers because of the weather. I think we’re delirious.”
As the line began to grow to a substantial length, off-the-clock Best Buy employees and line goers instituted rules and restrictions in order to make things fair for everyone. As gamers took a position in the line, their name was jotted down on a list. Every hour and a half, these employees would instigate a roll call, making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be.
“Each person can leave one time for an hour and a half as long as someone can vouch for the person on a break. When it’s time for check-in, people basically get one [free absence],” said senior Chris Samons. The rules and regulations were employed due to occurrences in Japan after the release of the Playstation 3. After purchasing the system, people in Japan were mugged and assaulted.
“Best Buy has no commitment with anything that happens out there in the line. They’ve been keeping the order. Everything has gone very smoothly thanks to the patience and hard work of the customers,” manager Brian Weber said.
Within an hour to release time, patrons in line were handed vouchers claiming that they would definitely receive a system. Samons and his girlfriend had also arrived at the store early Tuesday and were guaranteed one system each.
“We’re going to keep one and sell the other one. You’re not going to find too many people in this line who are planning to hold onto [the system],” said Samons.
Pre-orders of the Playstation 3 were being sold for over $5,000 on Internet auction sites, while pre-orders for the Wii barely reached $500. Long lines for the Nintendo Wii existed, but paled in comparison to the Playstation 3.
One contributing factor to this is the high availability of the Wii compared to the Playstation 3. Only 400,000 of Sony’s system were available in the country compared to five times as many Wii units. Most people showed up to stores on the day prior to the midnight release of the Wii.
“I just walked right in and picked mine up at midnight,” said alumnus Michael Guerrero. “I did have to wait in line for the new ‘Zelda,’ but by about 1 a.m., I was all plugged in and ready to go.”
Even though gamers were not quite as fervent to camp out for the Wii, demand was still high. The system was virtually sold out everywhere by late Sunday. So, what sets these two systems apart from each other?
The Playstation 3 boasts a significantly higher price tag than the Wii, but offers two different versions complete with different prices. The $499 Playstation 3 consists of a 20 GB hard drive, built-in Blu-ray DVD player and supports high definition video.
The higher-end model retails for $599, comes with a 60 GB hard drive and supports wireless Internet connectivity. The video capabilities of the Playstation 3 are like no other system to date, surpassing both the new Microsoft and Nintendo systems and shedding light on the high retail price.
“Having a Blu-ray player in a system is awesome. We’ve seen the actual game-play footage and it’s amazing,” Samons said. “It’s an exciting time.” Aside from the top-notch graphics, the Playstation 3 is packaged with one controller, a variant of the Playstation “Dual Shock 2” controller. The major difference this time around is that the new controller is wireless and works up to 20 feet away from the system.
Also, the Playstation 3 is backwards compatible, meaning it can play both Playstation and Playstation 2 games.
The Nintendo Wii may not support high definition video or impress with mind-blowing graphics, but it definitely stands up to the Playstation 3. If the price tag of $250 does not sway gamers into opting for the Wii, the level of innovation the system possesses will. The most notable aspect of the system lies within a controller unlike any other.
The Wii controller consists of a remote control that hooks into a joystick known as the “nunchuk.” The controller is motion sensing, and like the Playstation 3 controller, wireless.
The controller responds to the actions of the gamer. For example, when one swings the controller like a baseball, the player on the screen swings their baseball bat. It may sound gimmicky, but it provides an interesting new take on video gaming.
Nintendo has always aimed at presenting enjoyable games to the public and has created many memorable characters along the way. Nintendo game franchises continue as “Zelda”, “Metroid” and “Super Mario” are all slated for games. The newest chapter of the “Zelda” franchise is available as a launch title for the system, and looks to be the best game available thus far for any of the new systems.
The Wii also includes wireless Internet capabilities, allowing users to download old games from previous Nintendo systems, for a fee.
The Internet capability also provides the system with news and weather updates. Like the Playstation 3, the Wii is backwards compatible, but only with Nintendo’s last system, the Gamecube.
With the holiday season steadily approaching, the demand for these gaming consoles will reach unfathomable heights. At least some in North Texas will not have to partake in that search as they waited patiently in line. But how does it feel for the wait to finally be over?
“I just want to go to sleep,” Zebeck said.
SMU sophomore David Arledge holds up the ticket that guarantees he will receive a Playstation 3 outside the Best Buy at Central Expressway Walnut Hill.
