Quip

[nfotxn]

Middle class brats of the world, start your engines. Life simply wouldn't go on if you owned a Playstation 3 four weeks from now when the "shortage" of units ends. Funny how there is always a shortage of new video game consoles right before Christmas. You'd think be multi-national super corporations like Sony would get that shit together by now.

I find the whole Veruca Salt attitude from gamers really unappealing. And I'm sure handing out copies of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" would be over their heads. I guess a big component of video game console marketing is childhood wish fulfillment given that most of the man-brats lined up outside Best Buy twenty four hours prior to release are adults. You can totally have the new Playstation before Randy or Mike or Steven or Mike S. or Chris D. or Chris R. have it! You'll be the coolest!

Personally growing up with a single Mom I was never given those expectations. Mom worked full time as an ER nurse and it was made quite clear we couldn't afford a Super Nintendo. I remember the Christmas of 1991 quite vividly still, opening the present with my brother. There's a picture of our ecstatic faces somewhere in her photo albums.

Now I know that is in fact childhood wish fulfillment in the fullest and contrary to my thesis that adults simply want to re-live their perhaps botched childhood. I think what I learned as a kid is that it wasn't the fulfilment of a childhood fantasy but the resourcefulness, kindness and love of a parent over-extending herself to make me and my brother happy that mattered. But you won't find me lined up on launch day, I can probably guarantee that unless I'm buying it for somebody else who deserves it.

Comments

[trachalio.livejournal.com]

Now now, don't go lumping me in with those freaks ;)

I did the smart/responsible thing. I chose an affordable system, put a pre-order in, and saved up for it. I ain't gonna die if I don't get my Wii on Sunday, but at least I'm not gonna be standing in line to make sure I get one either. I wouldn't stand in line for days to get concert tickets, let alone to buy an over priced, underwhelming gaming system!

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

See the Wii is actually a different story because Nintendo isn't sabotaging the supply chain in order to create hype just before Christmas. I don't wanna be the Anti-Penetration Separatist Lesbian Vegan Mom for Austerity and Sound Child Rear, because fun is fun. But the adult-kids trampling each other outside the Best Buy is literally a page out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They don't know that Sony is playing them or don't care because they're just so totally caught up in their own instant gratification.

[pensivegargoyle.livejournal.com]

I couldn't stand the crowds anyway. And yeah, I never got anything that wasn't on sale either.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

I am a much happier camper to go buy the Nintendo Wii in February when it's $40 cheaper and I can just pick one up when I have some extra cash and I'm bored.

[carytown.livejournal.com]

Bravo. Well said. Some people never seem to learn these lessons, and spend their life in a miserable rat-race of more more more.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I mean on one hand I don't want to be self-righteous and all holier than thou 'cause that's also lame. That makes me like some Christian Conservative Missionary Position Sex Only Parent for Total Moral Austerity. But I think this is pretty flagrant greed and easy pickins'

[abearius.livejournal.com]

Why are you so mean to corporate power? What did it ever do to hurt you? *pout*

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

That's true. Corporations provide me with all the good and services I need to be unquestioning and placated!

[pensivegargoyle.livejournal.com]

Quite so...I remember when the first Xbox 360s came out and lots of them overheated and died. Ha-ha!

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on the kid too. Most smart kids will want to the toys from which they can stimulate their minds more readily. I'm a bit younger than you and I remember being absolutely ga-ga over Simcity and Mario Paint because they were toys like Lego or other stimulating toys but ALSO video games.

[slate-canada.livejournal.com]

Here here. I was the last kid to get ANYTHING, my mother didn't buy a VCR until absolutely everyone in the world had one before us. It seemed like such tragedy at the time and now I am nothing but thankful to her.

Hardship breeds character.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Don't the books have a tune "A Little Longing Goes Away"? I think it's applicable here.

[shawnsyms.livejournal.com]

Think you might make it into the Tea-Dot this weekend?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I will be working solid until I leave for Ireland on Wednesday :( otherwise I'd be all up in that. I have Saturday evening free but I'm back at work at 10AM which negates any worthwhile form of partying.

No argument here

[gmjambear]

I find the whole Veruca Salt attitude from gamers really unappealing.

"Daddy! I want a PlayStation 3 and I want it now!"

Sony probably got orgasmic with all of the scenes of gamers camping outside of stores.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Sony is the Borg.
"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

W&NM

[poodler.livejournal.com]

You're a wise and noble man, despite your tender years.

[pensivegargoyle.livejournal.com]

One store did this whole thing wrong. Or possibly right :)

http://www.todaystmj4.com/_content/news/topstories/story_5432.asp

"The assistant manager explained he was going to put 10 chairs out, and the first 10 customers to get to the chairs would be eligible to purchase the game consoles when they go on sale.

The assistant manager then lined up the 10 chairs outside the store and directed the waiting customers to another area outside.
He then gave a signal for the customers to run to the chairs.

As the customers ran to the chairs a 19-year-old male ran into a pole and struck his head injuring himself. The 19-year old was conveyed to an area hospital where he is being treated."

[kenlin.livejournal.com]

Yeah the entire thing was embarassing.

The thing the blew my mind why... why couldn't Best Buys or other store control the crowd? It's quite simple.

My store has 50 PS/3... the first 50 people in line will get a ticket or a wristband and get get to buy it. Simple as that. No ticket/wristband, go away.

But these retail stores never learned.

Years ago, I lined up real early to get the Spice Girls dolls. I was first in line and got there 1 hour before the store opened. However, minuted before the store opened, these uncivilized mothers and their children showed up and refused to line up. The store employees said "no running" but of course these unruly mothers and children ran. I ended up getting the Spice Girls doll I needed by snatching it out of a little girl's hand and running to the register.

I admit... thinking back now I'm pretty embarassed about myself for doing that. But I got my Spice Girl doll.

[pensivegargoyle.livejournal.com]

Is it so wrong that this reminds me of that scene from The Simpsons with all the girls and Smithers running to get the Lisa Lionheart doll? :)

[zombietruckstop.livejournal.com]

One of these nerds (at one of the big box stores) got shot in line last night - some tuffs came along and forced the kids in line to give them their money, but one nerd refused and got shot.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I sort of don't feel bad about it.

But then again, my bf will be in line Sunday morning for the Wii, so what are ya gonna do?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah I've been thinking there's some liability for the stores there to protect their customers. I mean shit those people are all lining up to give them $600 you'd think they'd at least provide maybe some light security, a tent and oh I dunno a little hot cocoa?

But no, some kid gets shot over video games. Great.

[poohbearjim.livejournal.com]

I don't have an iPod or Tivo or any kind of game machine. I'm very happy about that.

I don't know any computer games :(

[tkn1114.livejournal.com]

Is that bad? Is that un-Amahricun?

[p0lish-sausage.livejournal.com]

As a game developer, I have access to these consoles months, sometimes years in advance. I've had in my possession a PS3 for many months now. What's different about this generation of consoles is that Sony is allowing non-developmental games to be played on their devkits. So, one of my co-workers went out to Future Shop and asked the nice store lady to pull out a PS3 game (Resistance) from their store room and sell it to us a few days in advance.

This game looks, plays and feels like Call of Duty, only with Aliens. Very uninspiring, and very much the same formula that has been used for first person shooters since 1999. Unless you're intending to play the same game that you have been playing for years with better graphics, you're in for a lot of disappointment. It's really quite depressing to see people line up for more of the same thing.

[chrisglass.livejournal.com]

I'm still baffled that I didn't, and still don't, have an xbox 360.

Consoles used to be, I dunno, important or something to me.

But something snapped last year, and I don't feel any less worse for the wear.

The Wii is another story, and thank goodness for pre-ordering.