More evidence of the decline of Western civilization: Riots by twentysomething men waiting in line to buy Playstation 3 video games. Hey, I like video games as much as the next guy, maybe a little less; I understand the attraction, but this is ridiculous.
Nearly a dozen police cruisers responded to Copley Place Mall this morning when a crowd of 400 people clamoring for the new Sony PlayStation 3 overwhelmed mall security. No one was hurt and the crowd dispersed when police arrived and used bullhorns to order them to leave. Some of the video game enthusiasts claimed they had been waiting in line for three days for a chance to purchase the game system for $500 to $600. The crowd had waited outside through a stormy night with high winds and heavy rain.
... In Palmdale, Calif., authorities shut down a Super Wal-Mart after some shoppers got rowdy late Wednesday. In West Bend, Wis., a 19-year-old man was injured when he ran into a pole racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart.
You know that is going to be on YouTube if it isn’t already.
Remember when video games were for children? But at $500 or $600 a piece more and more adult men are buying them. It’s not bad per se, except I hear these guys talking about playing this game and that game and buying three or four different systems and game after game ($50 a pop) and then hear about how they don’t want to spend time with girlfriends, wives, or families while they play or, worse, sit outside an electronics store for three days to be first in line to buy one.
Talk about a consumerist society run amuck. Talk about the increasing infantilization and extended adolescence of American adults.
OK, back to the funny stuff: Go back to that link and check out the photo of the cop on the bullhorn yelling at the slacker in the backward baseball cap. Heh.
Technorati Tags:Playstation 3, police, riot
Dom, many of these guys are buying them up, only to turn around and sell them on eBay for up to $2000, if not more! The only reason to grab one at those prices—and we all know you can sell anything at any ungodly price on eBay—is to be “the first on your block.”
Just another sign of consumerism, the need to have a thing before the next guy, or the will to exploit the ones who do.
Years ago, I was a huge fan of video games. But even then, I can’t imagine I would have spent anywhere close to three days waiting in line just to buy a new gaming system.
Yikes!
More evidence of Dom’s point:
A man was shot at the Wal-Mart in Putnam, MA while waiting in line for a PS3…
Here’s a link to the Telegram & Gazette article on the incident:
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/NEWS/611180352&SearchID=73263456139593
The inevitable Youtube link:
<a >PS3 Riots</a>
It’s Cabbage Patch Mania all over again.