we were out last night at 1:00am(or was it 2:00am? stupid time change. ) so we decided to take a ride by TRU. there was around 35 cars in the parking lot and we saw atleast 7-8 tents and atleast another 15 people just standing out in the cold(the temp was a lovely 39 degrees with a wind chill of 31. just crazy.

Aw!... This year's launch is so frustrating! Single number units available only at Gamestop and now Toys R Us, less than 3 weeks before launch and no online pre-orders. I wonder what craziness will develop outside the nation's Walmarts, Best Buys, Circuit City's, etc. on the eve of Nov. 17th. I hope people don't get hurt over this, but I can foresee the potential for conflict. At the very least, online stores should start offering pre-sales of whatever stock they already know they're getting to ease some steam from this.

Cheapassgamer is reporting PS3 bundles will go up on Gamestop/Ebgames online sites this week on the 1st. Also reporting Walmart.com bundles on the 11th.

I originally posted this on another board, but here goes (warning: long post ahead):

Original plan was to go down at about 10 p.m. Saturday night and get in line with my brother and score 2 ps3's.

Woke up around noon on Saturday, checked FW and CAG and read about possible lotteries and people being removed from line until stores close. Also saw some stores had long lines, so called the local TRU and found out no lotteries, but people in line already. TRU is 2 mins from my apartment, so sped over there and saw 2 high schoolers in line. Dropped my brother off, ran to WalMart and bought 2 $8 sleeping bags and 2 $2 dollar pillows, a 24 pack of water, 2 12 packs of pop, and some random Halloween candy. Prayed there wouldn't be anyone else in line by the time I got back, and there wasn't.

Hopped in line at about 1:30 p.m. with my brother, so this made 4 in line total. Manager came out and said we were crazy, but there were 3 60gb ps3s and 1 20gb PS3, so we'd all get one. Here is a timeline of what happened afterwards:

1:45 - Comicbook style guy came out and recited all of the eBay rules. I'm not sure what his endgame was, as he didn't really look like he wanted to be in line.

2:00 - 2 older but still living in their parents basement guys came and were ready to wait. Manager came out and told them 4 only, so they took off. I'm only noting this because one of them brought a steel chair to sit on, too funny.

2:20 - Husband and wife came and got in line for ps3 because their kid "really really" wanted one. Left to go to other TRUs after manager came out. They will factor into the story later.

3-8p.m. - Random shoppers ask what we are waiting for. Couldn't believe the store was getting so few PS3's and were sure they'd pick one up on launch day. "These will be all over the place, why would you wait?" Too classic. Woman looks us up and down like she feels sorry for us and finally asks if we are homeless. I asked her what homeless people she knows that eats Zebra Cakes.

9 p.m. - Store closes, manager lets us use the bathroom one more time and gives us a pizza. Great guy. Also calls the cops and tells them we will be outside and that it's okay. He has seen us 20x by know and knows our names/faces, so there won't be any problems the next morning.

11:30 - Guy comes and says he will give us 50 each to preorder a Wii for him the next morning. TRU here would only let us do 1 or the other, so we say we can't. He says thanks anyway and says not to sell our spots in line until he comes back.

12:30 a.m. - Husband/wife team from the afternoon stop again and offer $250 for a spot in line. First spot guy considers, but turns them down. He and his cousin (#2 spot guy) both want to keep the system.

2:00 a.m. - Trying to sleep, but are woken up by 5 college guys who want ps3s. They are being loud and obnoxious, and one got at least 8 cell phone calls with "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" as the ringtone. These incidents cause us not to tell them the ps3's are accounted for.

2-5 a.m. - Wii guy comes back, wakes us up, and says he will give us "whatever we want" for our spots in line. We are tired and don't really want to respond, so we curl back under our sleeping bags. Also, daylight savings time screwed us over. We were asleep and don't notice when this happens.

6 a.m. - Manager comes, will hand our vouchers at 8:30 to avoid mad rush.

8:30 - Get the vouchers, a fairly steady stream of people are turned away looking for ps3s.

8:45 - Since we're there, we ask the manager if we can get Elmo too. He says yes so we grab 2 vouchers.

9:00 - Separate register was open for the 4 of us with ps3, so we are in and out quickly.

9:30 - Come back home and read all of the posts all the boards. Thank parents for not moving to California, Atlanta, or New York.

I would have taken the $250 and called it a night.

dvd182,
Thanks for your post, I was really interested in finding out what it was like to camp out, interesting read

What do you guys think about having my friend wait in line for 12 hours until I get off work then I take his spot and he leaves at midnight. Have you seen people switch off places. Would this be considered messed up since no one is really cutting?

Why did nobody tell me Toys R US was preordering these things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldnt care, honestly. Someone might, but what can they do?

If you are really worried, you could both wear the same outfit, then after you get there, chill and talk a while before he leaves.

As W would say, trickery.

Not really trickery its just that I have work till midnight that 1 day and since technically I am not cutting anyone just having a friend hold my spot for 12 hours till I get off would that be wrong. Any campers here seen this done often?

there was a whole thread about it - started well over a week ago.

When I camped for my 360, the Target manager told us (everyone in line) that line switching (your idea) was okay, but no cutting (obviously) and no saving multiple spots, meaning one person in line could not save the spots of his friends. Other places might/will have their own policies.

How many people camping, and how many got 360's?

That particular Target got 40 360s: 20 premium and 20 core. Of course, we didn't know how many until the following morning. I got in line about 9pm the previous night and was #20. The 40th person probably showed up an hour or two after I did. People kept coming though, and by the time the store opened, there was at least 80 people in line. I can only imagine that the PS3 launch will be much worse, with people camping out just for preorders.

I wouldn't foresee a problem with switching. Cutting is what everyone hates. I had my sister hold a spot for a friend of mine at the PS2 launch.

Yeah ... I doubt switching would be a problem. Now having a friend hold a spot, then both of you taking a place in the line ... that would be different.

I went to pick up lunch Saturday afternoon (between noon and one) and stopped at the Toys R Us which was next door to where I was heading to check out the B2G1 sale and there were already about seven people camping out.. crazy.

I have completely given up hope of getting a PS3 for the next 4-5 months. considering almost every person on the planet and their grandmothers only want this for profit has just killed it for me. I will not risk my health by standing/sitting in a line for 24hrs just to get one. nor will I pay some greedy person 2000.00+ on ebay for one. so, if when March or April 2007 rolls around I may try to look again.

**the above statement will hold true unless I walk into some random store and am able to walk out with a PS3 at retail cost from Nov. 17th the the stated date above**

LMAO! PS3 Ebay sale gives seller a $150 shaft:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-Playstation...QQcmdZViewItem

$903.97 Canadian = $805

Not a Registered User

I guess that buyer isn't getting his PS3.

Agreed. Still funny though.

Those Canadian Taxes are insane, btw.

they definately are. an extra 100.00 in taxes. WOW!!

there was a link over at CAG I believe where a PS3 sold for 610.00. I should try to find it again and see if that seller dumped his account too.

found it. it was for the 20gig version though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-PlayStation...QQcmdZViewItem

think the buyer will get it? will there even be a profit after fees?

That doesn't even cover tax on the system. People that start these below cost are idiots. The winning bidder only has 1 feedback rating at a 66%. I don't think he ever intended to buy it anyway.

I have one I will sell, but my opening bid will be EXACTLY what the total rings up on launch day. Not a penny more, not a penny less.

If it only gets one bid, I am only out my time.