"I am profoundly sorry," Causey said against a backdrop of the United States and North Carolina flags. "I cannot begin to imagine the immense sorrow the Strickland family must continue to feel, but they will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. It is my hope that the Strickland family will accept this apology and know that it is offered with compassion and sincerity."

How much does a fatal mistake cost? According to county officials, $2.45 million. Strickland family spokesperson Joyce Fitzpatrick says the money will go towards establishing a foundation for need-based scholarships.

"The Stricklands were not interested in money," she said. "That cannot bring their son back."

"The stunt of giving away over 200,000 worth HDTVs, though great for the fans that managed to get one, struck me as being slightly unnecessary in the greater scheme of things - especially as it may have encouraged some of the more cynical media to think of it as a last-minute attempt to bolster queues and PR coverage."

Oh my god, he could be onto something here. Could giving away $480,000 worth of hi-definition televisions been something other than Sony demonstrating their Oprah-level philanthropy, or am I just a member of the more cynical media?

Why even bother commenting? Could HMV be miffed at having been passed up as the official launch venue for Virgin Megastores, or just feeling a bit inadequate for only offering free copies of Virtua Tennis 3? Uh oh, there goes that cynical media again. Michael Fahey

HMV questions PS3 TV "stunt" [GamesIndustry.biz]

"This is the third continent out of three, but it is the most important," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "It's got most countries, it's the most people, it's the most cultures...

"The fact that we've got the launch here with more consoles shipped on day one that we've ever had in our history is a compliment to the importance of the European market."

Still, I can see where he's coming from. Europe has given us French toast, Belgian Waffles, Swedish pancakes, English muffins, Polish sausage, and Danish pastries. Seeing as breakfast is the most important meal of the day, logic dictates that Europe be the most important continent.

I really need to eat before I start posting. Michael Fahey

Europe is "most important continent", says Harrison [GamesIndustry.biz]

This isn't simply a case of some lucky guy getting his PS3 early by mistake. No, this is two relatively big retail chains in Italy making a conscious decision to break the street date on the PS3 by two days.

First retail chain Darcy announced they would be selling the system at 7pm today in major newspapers across the country. Then rival Media World, fearing lost business, announced they would start selling this morning at 9am.

GameStop stores in Italy have remained firm on the street date despite the fact that if any chain could break a street date unscathed, they'd be the one. I'm not ruling out the possibility that they are hard at work building a time machine so they can beat Media World to the punch.

Sony is understandably pissed, but like parents around the world, they call it disappointed.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz a Sony spokesperson said, "Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is deeply disappointed by the unilateral decision of some Italian retail chains to commence the sale of PlayStation 3 to consumers before this official launch date.

Sony is carefully considering what actions they will take against the offending chains. I suggest they buy them, sell them, and split the profits between the poor specialty game stores out there that are now completely screwed by this move. Michael Fahey

Italian retailers break street date for PlayStation 3 [GamesIndustry.biz - Thanks Tyler!]

While the ready availability of PS3 preorders in Europe four days before the big launch is a source of worry (or hilarity) for some, Screen Digest analyst Nick Parker says the system is on track to sell upwards of 4 million units by the end of the year in Europe, and that the perceived lack of interest merely indicates Sony's dedication to keeping up supply.

Speaking to The Times Online, analyst Nick Parker dismissed suggestions that plentiful stocks of the console could be seen to indicate poor sales performance. "The lack of shortage is supply driven; what Sony has shipped will sell," he said.

While analysts have historically been completely wrong about the PS3 in most instances, Parker is most likely right about the supply issue. Sony has gone great lengths to make sure there isn't a repeat of the problems caused by shortages during the US launch, and that means there'll be a few extra systems on the shelves. I guess we'll find out later this week. Michael Fahey

Euro PS3 sales will hit 4m by next year - analyst [GamesIndustry.biz]

Stories of PlayStation 3 eBay speculators getting shafted never seem to grow old for me. Take the recent article The Globe and Mail, which tells the sad story of a construction worker with a heart of gold, who shelled out $2459 Canadian for two consoles, all in the name of love.

The hard part done, Mr. O'Brien thought he could sit back. He would flip the PlayStation 3s just before Christmas when demand was at its peak and use the profit to buy an engagement ring for his girlfriend...

But two months later, the sleek PlayStation 3 units are collecting dust in Mr. O'Brien's closet in Bowmanville, Ont., while his girlfriend is still without a ring

MSNBC has an article up on stolen PS3s and the gray market crime fleshed out with quotes from Kotaku's own Michael Fahey. From the article:

...Demand dropped off steeply in the weeks following, with prices on eBay plunging from an average $2,367 on Nov. 16 to $724 on December 21, according to Michael Fahey, who detailed the price fluctuations in a recent post on gaming blog Kotaku.

'The root cause of all the prospecting and violence, in my opinion, was Sony's decision to release a console when they knew full well supply was nowhere near demand," says Fahey. 'Americans stole, lied, cheated, and hurt each other for the promise of a big payoff, which in the end amounted to nothing.'

Yup, yup. Silly humans. Brian Ashcraft

Thieves Steal Car And PS3 [MSNBC]

The rise and fall of the PlayStation 3 on eBay is one of the most talked about gaming stories of the year. In order to paint a broader picture, I've tracked pricing trends from preorders to Christmas Eve and surveyed retailers to determine just how hard the PS3 grey market has crashed.

In the days leading up to the PlayStation 3 launch in mid-November, people all over the country lined up with dollar signs in their eyes, hoping to cash in on what was sure to be the most sought after gift this holiday season. I talked to many people planning on financing college, cars, vacations, and countless other dream items with the fruits of their labor. A week later those hopes and dreams were crushed, as reports of plummeting eBay prices poured in. Just how fast did the PS3 grey market crash? Take a look for yourself, and feel free to click the graph for a larger version.

Within two days of the system's launch the going price dropped by over $1000. eBay prospectors across the country were stunned at the rapid depreciation of their investment. While they were still looking at $600 profit on average, it was a far cry from the windfall everyone had been expecting.

The smart thing to do in that situation would be to wait, right? Several enterprising folks I talked to during the launch festivities predicted a glut early on, and planned on holding their systems until Christmas, when demand would be at its highest. As the graph indicates, that wasn't the wisest move. Four days before Christmas PS3 auctions hit the lowest point ever, bottoming out at just $724. Figuring in sales tax, that's less than $100 profit on a 60GB system.

Clearly the way to go for the PS3 prospector was preorders. On November 16th, as the reality of the system shortages began to sink in, buyers spent an average of $2,367 to secure themselves on of the 600 or so preorders sold that day, and from the point eBay started allowing receipt-verified presales prices maintained a steady average of around $1500.

How are retail stores being affected?

With the prices dropping so low, many eBay hopefuls have been returning their purchases to the stores they procured them from. Between packing, shipping, and taxes, it's much less of a hassle just to get a refund and forget the whole thing ever happened. I decided to survey several popular retail 'superstores' to get a feel for just how big a trend grey market returns were.

Here's how this worked. I called a random selection of stores across the country from each of the four retailers listed below. I asked to speak to their electronics department first, and then called back to speak with customer service. I made sure to specify intact, boxed returns to avoid clouding data with random defective units. Interestingly enough, not one store I spoke to mentioned any defective returns. If anything the PS3 is a solid machine. Bear in mind that these are not hard numbers. I spoke to whoever was staffing the departments at the time I called, and only counted the answers applying directly to those people. While I'd like to say you could safely double the returned system numbers below, there are far too many factors involved to make it an accurate estimate.

I picked the four below for various reasons. Fry's because of its unique bundling policy, Best Buy because of its huge initial allotments, Target as a major retailer that isn't focused on electronics, and Wal-Mart because I am apparently a glutton for punishment. All four stores had people wait in line for the consoles...one of the reasons you don't see GameStop represented, another reason being that many GameStop systems went to either employees or regulars to the store tipped off by employees. "But GameStop wasn't allowed to sell to employees!" Where do you think I got mine?

Store Findings:

Fry's Electronics
Number Called: 10 - Called double what I had planned for Fry's because the first five all reported having systems in stock.
Average Returns: two per store
Systems Available? Yes

Fry's stands out from the other retailers I've surveyed in that they still insist on selling their PS3 systems in ridiculous bundle packs with eight or so games. Every single store I called reported having plenty of bundles available for purchase. On average each store had received two returns, with the Alpharetta Georgia location, a favorite of mine, reporting four. Systems at Fry's can only be returned with the full bundle intact, and are resold the same way.

Conclusion: Nothing too surprising here. When I was working at GameStop on Christmas Eve I had countless customers tell me that Fry's had PlayStation 3s just sitting there, with no one buying. The only thing harder than trying to turn a profit off of a PS3 on eBay is trying to turn a profit off an $1100 bundle filled with games no one wants to play.

Target
Number Called: five - they're a major retailer, but they weren't exactly a big launch location.
Average Returns: two
Systems Available? No, though two out of five stores did tell me I had "just missed one."
Conclusion: Target doesn't get many systems in, and when they do they generally last a day tops. One electronics rep I spoke to in Colorado told me they had gotten two returns earlier in the week, which didn't last more that 24 hours on the shelf. Low volume, relatively quick turnaround.

Best Buy
Number Called: 15 - Best Buy had the greatest launch allocations, so I gave them a bit more attention while conducting the survey.
Average Returns: Four - One customer service rep said she had seen as many as eight returned, though she worked at a midnight launch store with a much larger console allocation than the rest.
Systems Available? Not a one, at any store. Most likely a corporate sponsored lie, however, as we've been getting several reports on Best Buy holding systems until New Year's Eve.
Conclusion: A much larger allocation equals a slightly higher number of returns. This whole sitting on items for big holiday sales severely screws up survey data. As well as forcing their employees to lie, they also forced me to lie. When I mentioned I was writing a story, I was told they couldn't comment to the press. I had to tell them I was a father looking in to buying one for his son, trying to figure out if the system was reliable. If anyone asks, my son's name is Rufus, and he has a glandular disorder.

Wal-Mart
Number called: Five before I gave up out of sheer frustration
Average Returns: Inconclusive. While I did have one store tell me they'd seen a couple come back, most of them couldn't figure out how to transfer me to customer service.
Systems Available? Possibly. They might not even know what it is.
Conclusion: While I've known some very helpful and intelligent Wal-Mart employees in my time, all of them must have been off over the past two days. I got through to one customer service rep and one electronics department out of five stores, the rest of the time spent either waiting endlessly on hold or being accidentally hung up on.

While return numbers seem to be relatively low, when you figure in the transactions the employees I spoke to weren't privy to, and then multiply the number by even a fraction of the stores these retailers have scattered across the country, and things start adding up. In an ironic twist to the whole story, it seems as though your best bet for securing a PlayStation 3 console, unless you want to shell out $1100 for a bundle at Fry's, is eBay. As of this writing there are over 7,000 up for auction, looking for a good home.

The Grand Conclusion, with a Personal Note
To be completely honest, when I first secured my PS3 preorder with GameStop the first thought in my head was the massive amount of money I could make from selling it. That's how I got approval from my girlfriend to put down the $100. The TMX Elmo had just been released and was selling for ten times retail price. I figured I could triple my money, pick myself up a nice flat panel HDTV...hell, I might even have enough left over for another PS3 once the dust cleared.

What changed? Well the more I thought about the PS3, the more articles I read, and the more videos I watched, until the gamer in me basically slapped the profiteer silly. The PlayStation 3 has real potential. Lair. Motorstorm. Resistance. Soon dreams of a giant TV faded away, replaced by the gnawing anticipation I'm prone to get whenever something big is going to happen in the gaming industry. That, and I got this gig at Kotaku. If you guys ever got wind of me eBaying a PS3 I'd never hear the end of it.

As it turns out my gamer instincts and the threat of hordes of angry readers steered me clear of potential disaster. Aside from a couple brief spikes, there is no way I'd have been able to pull off the television, and I know damn well I would have waited for Christmas like so many others did, only to lose even more.

The moral of this story? There's no such creature as a sure thing. The majority of eBay prospectors walked away from this experience with that lesson burned into the back of their brains. My suggestion for the future? If you want to gamble, go to Vegas. If you want to invest, try mutual funds. Leave the video game system buying to the gamers. We'll all be happier for it.

How I collected the graph data:
To track eBay sales I used a website called Terapeak, which is of of the most trusted eBay market research tools available. I looked at data for the US eBay site each day utilizing the keyword "PlayStation 3" in the Video Games/Systems category. I set the price range for $200 through $10,000 to weed out any artificially inflated auctions as well as any bogus "PS3 Buying Guide" type offerings. Keep in mind that the statistics provided are for both the 60GB and 20GB models combined. Many sellers neglected to specify which version they were auctioning, so weeding out one from the other was nigh impossible. Counterbalancing that slightly are auctions including games and extra controllers, which are also figured into the statistics.

While certainly not a completely infallible system, I believe it led to a more accurate overview of the eBay PlayStation 3 market than simply searching for PlayStation 3 and leaving it at that.

Using the same guidelines outlined above, I poked about for a few more interesting tidbits regarding system demand. For instance, auctions ending on or before November 16th, meaning preorders, had a 96.5% success rate. In the period after the system was released the figure dropped to 73%. Hazarding a guess I would say those figures are due largely in part to unrealistic reserve price auctions.

Today Sony Corp's President, Ryoji Chubachi, reaffirmed that, saying that Sony is sticking to its target of shipping 2 million PS3s by the end of the year.

"It's true that availability has been a bottleneck," Chubachi said of the PlayStation 3. "But the targets are achievable. We do not need to revise our shipment targets."

He went on to say that they still plan to hit 6 million PS3s by the end of their fiscal year in March and will launch the system in Europe "as soon as possible."

Uh, oh. As soon as possible is never good when its coming from a hardware developer.

Sony Sticks to PS3 Shipment Target [AP]

Cpl. Christopher Long, 34, was indicted Monday on second-degree murder for the death of 18-year-old college student Payton Strickland, which was shot Dec. 1.

Stories do not address whether Strickland had a controller in his hand when he was shot, though his roommate said that might have been the case. The stories do say he was unarmed.

District Attorney Ben David said Long mistook the sound of another sheriff deputy's battering ram hitting a door as a gunshot. Strickland was shot in the shoulder and once in the head. The fatal shot first ricocheted off of another object, according to an autopsy report.

Deputies believed that the raid would be high risk because of pictures found on the Internet which showed one of Strickland's friend's posing with guns and because UNC Wilmington police had said they had received information that the friend, who didn't live with Strickland, was known to carry a weapon.

Strickland and two friends were suspected of beating a UNC Wilmington student and robbing him of two Playstation 3s in November.

"This indictment is an important first step in holding accountable everyone responsible for Peyton's death - but this is only a first step," his parents, Don and Kathy Strickland, said in a written statement. "None of these actions can bring Peyton back to us, but perhaps they can save someone else's child."

Family and friends of Long, who was fired last week, described the man as widely known, respected and loved. He has, they say, received death threats since the shooting.

These cases are never black and white and in my investigatory experience, which is quite substantial, charging an officer or deputy in a case like this is very rare. Brian Crecente

Former N.C. sheriff's deputy charged in death of teen during raid [AP]

Two police officers in Rhode Island are being investigated for using their magical policeman powers to skip to the front of the PlayStation 3 launch line at the Sony Store in Providence Place Mall. Apparently one Warwick officer and one Providence officer were among a group of seven folks ushered into the front of the queue on launch day by a couple of mall security guards, both of which are now jobless.

Both officers are expected to receive disciplinary action. The Providence cop is quoted as saying he didn't do anything wrong. Tell that to the first couple of people who went home empty handed, asshole.

This marks the beginning of a disturbing trend. First police bust in line, next thing you know they'll be using their sirens as a way to avoid having to sit in traffic or wait at stop signs. Oh, wait. Michael Fahey

2 officers accused of skipping line to buy PlayStation 3 consoles [azcentral.com]

I finally tracked down that rumor, it turns out it came from Electronic Arts own Larry Probst, who told Reuters today that a supply shortage meant that Sony was only able to ship 200,000 Playstation 3 for the launch.

Probst added that he expects Sony to ship just 500,000 to 800,000 PS3s by the end of the year. Which is, of course, significantly less than Sony initially forecasted.

Keep in mind this is Electronic Arts talking about Sony PS3 sales figures, but I suspect Probst has some insight into sales that the typical man on the street doesn't.

Probst said that EA had set a lower bar for initial shipments, but "where they ended up was a bit of a surprise." ... "We think they'll get into that range," said Probst, who noted that console sales and corresponding game sales were typically slow to begin with because of supply constraints, and a clear winner will not be known for as long as five years.

Probst was full of other interesting tidbits not relating to his company as well, like the fact, he says, that 20,000 of the 200,000 PS3s were flipped on eBay.

Hit the jump for Reuter reporter's Lisa Baertlein's excellent story. Brian Crecente

By Lisa Baertlein

NEW YORK, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Electronic Arts Inc. CEO Larry Probst said on Wednesday that initial shipments of Sony Corp.'s <6758.T> new PlayStation 3 have been below his expectations due to shortages, though overall holiday sales thus far of video games and players were at or slightly ahead of targets.

His comments at the Reuters Media Summit in New York pushed down shares of EA, the world's biggest video game publisher, by nearly 2 percent.

Probst said demand for Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation 3 (PS3), which made its U.S. debut on Nov. 17 for the critical holiday season, was strong but a shortage of supply meant that only about 200,000 units of the game console were sold at retail outlets.

Sony had originally aimed to ship 400,000 PS3 units for its U.S. launch, and has not given actual figures.

Probst said that EA had set a lower bar for initial shipments, but "where they ended up was a bit of a surprise."

By the end of 2006, he expects Sony to ship 500,000 to 800,000 units.

"We think they'll get into that range," said Probst, who noted that console sales and corresponding game sales were typically slow to begin with because of supply constraints, and a clear winner will not be known for as long as five years.

This holiday season is crucial for the $30 billion global video game industry. Video game makers reap more than half of their annual sales in the end-year shopping season.

EA, whose games include titles like football game "Madden" and "The Sims," recently raised its 2006 outlook to call for flat to 5 percent growth in overall U.S. game sales. Previously, it expected overall sales to be flat to down 5 percent in 2006.

"That's a much more optimistic outlook for the year than people were previously expecting," Probst said.

"Bottom line, I would say that the first holiday weekend met or slightly exceeded expectations," he added, citing solid sales of Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, Nintendo's <7974.OS> Wii and Sony's PlayStation 2, as well as Sony's PSP and Nintendos DS handheld devices.

SUPERMAN DISAPPOINTS

Separately, EA Chief Financial Officer Warren Jenson said at an investor conference in Arizona that the game "Superman," an important holiday title that was released later than the film, was a disappointment and that sales would fall short of company targets.

Analysts said Jenson's comments also weighed on the stock.

Large crowds had camped out for days ahead of the PS3's U.S. debut. Supplies were scarce, and Probst said some 20,000 owners were able to flip their new machines on Web auction site eBay Inc. for, on average, more than double the $600 price.

EA's shares fell 1.8 percent to $56.19 after Probst's comments, before recuperating some losses to close at $56.77, still down 0.8 percent on the Nasdaq.

Shares in Activision Inc. , the second-biggest U.S. game maker which has a smaller exposure to the PS3, fell 0.6 percent before rebounding to close up almost 2 percent at $16.58.

EA CEO Says Holiday Sales Met Forecast [Reuters]

That would mean that Sony would have sold about 200,000 PS3s during their launch. I've been pushing Sony for a number to compare to Nintendo's 600,000 in Wii sales and Microsoft's 326,000 Xbox 360s sold last year during its launch. Brian Crecente

Update: I tracked down this rumor. It turns out it comes from EA CEO Larry Probst for a Reuters' story. You can find the full story here.

THIS AUCTION IS FOR THE PURCHASE OF MY STORY OF ACQUIRING A PLAYSTATION 3. WHEN PURCHASED THE STORY WILL BE SENT SAME DAY BY E-MAIL. THIS TWO PAGE STORY WILL DETAIL WHAT OUR PLAN WAS IN ORDER TO GET A PS3, HOW WE GOT THEM, AND A NUMBER OF HORRIBLE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO US ALONG THE WAY. THIS STORY WILL RELIEVE ANYONE WHO HAD IT BAD IN ACQUIRING A PS3. ANYONE WHO THOUGHT THEY HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE ON NOVEMBER 17TH WILL BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE THIS STORY, AND WILL HELP THOSE UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE THEN THEY WERE.

So much suffering!

There are only 41 of these yarns to go around, but don't let that limited number of harrowing PlayStation 3 purchasing tales tempt you to spend. Do not support PS3 horror story auctions! I'm begging you! Michael McWhertor

PLAYSTATION 3 PS3 WII XBOX 360 PLEASE READ MY STORY

Two Connecticut man were arrested early this morning for shooting a man who refused to hand over his wallet while standing in line for a Playstation 3, state police there said.

William J. Robertson, 20, and Andrew Patnaude, 17, were arrested about 4 a.m. on several charges including attempted murder and robbery. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bond, the Associated Press reports.

Michael Penkala, 21, was shot by the two gunmen while waiting for the console outside Wal-Mart in Putnam on Nov. 17, launch day.

The two men had ordered everyone in line to throw their cash and possessions on the ground or put them in bags, but Penkala refused to give up his wallet, which was stuffed with more than $2,600 in cash.

Penkala told the Telegram & Gazette how it played out:

Mr. Penkala said that at 3:14 a.m., two masked men showing guns came around to the front of the building and approached several people in line.

"At that point, I knew what was going on — two kids with bandanas over their faces with guns," he said. "So I dialed 911 on my cellphone and dropped it into my pocket."

Before the two robbers confronted Mr. Penkala, they accosted two other individuals and ordered them to empty their pockets.

"They approached two kids first, and they got 75 cents out of them, and I was the third person they came to. And I wasn't giving it up for anything," Mr. Penkala said. "So they hit me with the butt of the gun in the face, kind of got me to the ground a little bit, continued to hit me and struggled for my wallet. And I just held on to that pocket and wallet for dear life."

Mr. Penkala had $2,600 in cash on him, $900 of which came from his grandmother. He was determined not to give it to the robbers at any cost. The first two individuals escaped unharmed, while Mr. Penkala was not as lucky.

"They emptied their pockets. They didn't have much, but they listened to them, I guess," Mr. Penkala surmised. "They wanted me to hand over whatever I had in my pockets and empty that out to the ground and into a bag. I wasn't going to have any part of that."Prior to being shot, Mr. Penkala, whose glasses were broken during the assault, suffered a black eye, a gash above and underneath his left eye (which needed two stitches combined to close) and impaired hearing in his left ear for several days. He was able to scare away the robbers, but not before one fired a shotgun in his direction, Mr. Penkala said.

"I started yelling at them, '...Get the hell out of here. I called 911!' Mr. Penkala recalled. "And they both ran and, after a couple steps, one of them turned around and fired a sawed-off shotgun at me and then just continued to run off into the woods."

Penkala was hit once in the chest with a shotgun blast from about ten feet away.

Despite the gunshot wound, which had him coughing up blood and feeling "lightheaded" he told the paper that his only concer was getting those Playstation 3s.

"When they let us in the lobby there at Wal-Mart, I was on the floor coughing up blood and telling the workers to take the wallet out of my pocket and give it to my friends so they could continue waiting in line and purchase the PS3s," Mr. Penkala said. "For some reason I wasn't thinking about my wound, I was all about those PlayStations."

Penkala, a PS3 scalper, said he doesn't regret refusing to give up his cash and getting shot in the chest. Things appear to have worked out for Penkala, who landed four, FOUR, Playstation 3s, three of which he purchased and one of which was handed to him by Wal-Mart for his troubles.

No comment. Brian Crecente

PS3 Shooting Victim Has no Regrets [Telegram]

An already short in supply, high in demand product gets even less stock than expected and all hell breaks loose. Sound familiar?

Thing is, I'm not writing about the PS3 launch, I'm writing about the plot of novel Jennifer Government where a Nike marketing exec deliberately holds back stock of shoe stock to create demand and then pays someone to do the shooting to create... um blood.

The author of the book, Max Barry, notes the quasi similarities:

Zing. And remember boys and girls, it's not an assassin or assassination unless politically motivated. No politics, then it's just a humdrum murder. Brian Crecente

Max Barry Comments on PS3 Launch [Aeropause]

Their "research" concludes that the actual Playstation 3 launch numbers were in the range of 125,000 to 175,000 and that includes the 15,000 or so being used for kiosks. No wonder people were shooting each other for the console.

If correct, its about half what McNealy though the company would get into stores for the console's launch.

On the Wii side of things, McNealy thinks Nintendo managed to get 425,000 to 475,000 out the door for their launch and expects the company to ship 1.5 to 2 million of the consoles to North American stores by the end of the year.

So far neither Sony nor Nintendo have released hard numbers for their consoles, though I suspect at least one to talk numbers for the upcoming long weekend. Brian Crecente

Sony faceman and bringing of all tidings Playstation 3 Dave Karraker delivered some interesting PS3 launch details earlier today.

Although Sony, like Nintendo, isn't talking specific numbers they have confirmed that their console sold out "within hours."

Biggest selling game: Resistance: Fall of Man, followed by Madden '07

The $599 60GB model was the top selling SKU (over the $499 20GB model)

PSP week-over-week sales increased +29% at our top 5 retailers (week ending Nov. 20)

PS2 week-over-week sales increased +24% at our top 5 retailers (week ending Nov. 20)

Dave Letterman used the system launch to mock Pres. Bush, Wal-Mart used it to attack Sen. John Edwards and Nike used it to create a pair of shoes that no one will be able to buy. Brian Crecente

Bloomberg is reporting that (are you sitting down?) Sony may not have actually made their 400,000 unit shipment target for the launch of the PlayStation 3.

More than half the 150 stores checked by Kaufman Bros. said they wouldn't have enough units to cover preorders, according to a Nov. 16 research note by retail analyst SooAnn Roberts. She predicts Sony will ship no more than 200,000 units to the U.S. this year.

Yeah, that's this year. 200,000. Not on launch day, when Sony expected 400K on that one day and 1.2 million by end of year, but for the rest of 2006.

Other analysts are slightly more positive, with shipments expected to hit the 400,000 mark. Sony is being non-committal, saying that they "shipped as many PlayStation 3 units into the North American market as possible and continue our efforts in supplying systems to retailers nationwide through the holidays" but still hope to ship 1 million units by January 1.

Regardless of the final figures, it's not going to be easy to get one any time soon. Michael McWhertor

Sony May Have Missed PlayStation 3 Goal, Analysts Say

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is calling shenanigans on Sony and their PS3 launch. The mayor blames Sony for Friday night's riot at Copley Plaza where 12 squad cars had to be called in to enforce some crowd control. Five hundred angry customers were gathered outside the Sony store anxiously awaiting the moment when they could purchase their rare prize. When the doors were finally opened at 5am, the crowd surged inside wreaking havoc. There was trampling, broken escalators and people getting arrested in droves.

It is Mayor Menino's opinion that the blame lies directly on Sony for not supplying enough store security and keeping mum on how many units would be for sale. I'm not sure exactly how The Mayor will implement this plan, but I would love to see it go through just to find out exactly what a riot costs. Flynn De Marco

Boston Mayor Charges Sony for Riots [2old2play]
[photo courtesy The Boston Globe]

Before the Playstation 3 hit, the console was selling for $2,000 to $3,000 a pop. The day the console hit, the average price of a Playstation 3 on eBay was $2,900.

But as of Saturday that price had already dropped to closer to $1,100. That was short-lived. The question is, would you stand around in the cold and rain for two to three days for less than $500 profit? Brian Crecente

I've totally caught launch weekend fever! Nothing like waiting in sitting on a cold sidewalk in below freezing temperatures for a good 6-8 hours to bring out the 101 temperature in a man. I've been shot at (with fruit punch!), pulled over by the police (broken tail light), witness to attempted theft, and threatened by a mountain woman who thought I might be a line crasher. And now I'm sick. Huzzah!

My head is throbbing, my body aches, and I would love nothing more than to have a nice little lie down right about now, but I've got places to be tonight, and Wiis to play with, so I soldier on for you folks, because I love you.

If I die, it's all your fault. Michael Fahey

Never, ever shop at the Lexington, Kentucky Best Buy on Nicholasville Road for your video games or electronics. That place is dangerous! After being the home to a drive by shooting incident earlier this week, authorities found another undesirable near the risk-taking PS3 campers.

What type of undesirable? Why, suspected rapist and escaped inmate William Rick Burdine, Sr.!

Burdine was arrested not in line, but at a loading dock after being spotted in the area. Said one Best Buy customer of Burdine's arrest, "I thought it was for the Playstation." Yikes! Michael McWhertor

Escaped rape suspect arrested at Best Buy [Lexington Herald-Leader]

What would you rather have: a $600 PlayStation 3 that you camped out some 40-odd hours for or a $7500 PC gaming rig?

That's the question PC Gamer posed to the PS3 campers at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco. Turns out, when presented with the option, lots of folks will go with the PC. Sure, it may be a complete eyesore, but this top of the line beast from Falcon Northwest with an included 30" LCD monitor probably kicks some serious ass.

The lucky convert, Neil, is now contractually obligated to PC Gamer to never own a PlayStation 3. That's right, he's PC (maybe Wii, maybe Xbox 360) for life! Michael McWhertor

One less Playstation 3 on the market, one more PC gamer joins the team [PC Gamer]

While I was I busy harvesting warm fuzzies last night during the PlayStation 3 launch, around the country the dark side of humanity was rearing its ugly head as the promise of a quick payday drove people to violence. I wish I could say I was exaggerating and being overly dramatic. Take a look for yourself.

Putnam, CT - Two armed teenagers in ski masks attempt to hold-up the PS3 line at the local Wal-Mart, fleeing the scene empty-handed after shooting a customer who tried to resist them. The victim, shot in the chest and shoulder, is currently in stable condition.

Sullivan, IN - A man is stabbed as he and a friend try to rob two other men of their newly acquired systems. He is in critical condition following emergency surgery.

Fresno, CA - Two people are arrested after a crowd tramples people in a parking lot trying to get a chance at purchasing the launch system.

Englewood, OH - Two armed men in black ski-masks enter a GameStop at closing time, forcing the employees to hand over their stock of five PS3 systems.

Manchester, CT - Five men surround a new Playstation 3 owner as he exits a store with his purchase, beat him, and drive off with his console. As they escape they push one of their own out of the car, a 17 year-old male now being charged with multiple crimes.

Allentown, PA - A teenager has his system stolen by a man who taps on his car window with a handgun.

Henrico, VA - Police are forced to use a talcum powder ball to get a crowd of 350 under control as they waited for a chance at one of a Target stores 8 systems.

Let's not forget the BB gun shootings, and the flagpole facial.

Reports are still coming in from around the country, so the full extent of the violence caused by the limited launch is still unknown. I do know that this is probably the bloodiest console debut I've ever seen, and I would be very interested to hear someone from Sony comment on the rash of crime spreading across the country as a direct result of their product.

Now I'm off to go pick up my own Playstation 3. If I don't make it, tell your mother I love her. Michael Fahey

Update: Yes, I meant inherent. I've had four hours sleep in the past two days, so I am allowed several free errors. :)

1 shot in Conn. amid PlayStation mayhem [Houston Chronicle]

Still looking to score a PlayStation 3? Like paying through the nose for a bundle screwjob loaded with games you don't really want? Don't mind owning the slightly gimped 20GB model? GameStop to the rescue!

We will have an extremely limited supply of 20GB PlayStation 3 console bundles for preorder on our site Friday evening, November 17th. We expect these bundles to ship on or before December 1st.

We will not offer 60GB PlayStation 3 console bundles until our store pre-orders have been filled, but check back soon for future preorder opportunities

No other information is currently available, but we'll update when the order offer goes live. Good luck! Thanks to all who sent this in. Michael McWhertor

GameStop PlayStation 3 20GB Sign Up

You gotta love the pimp outfit, though I think they should have pimp-slapped it around a bit before taking the sledge to the thing.

My favorite part: A toss up between the distance cries of dismay during the smashing and the angry, smiling man calling the two douches. Sweet. Brian Crecente

Sir Howard Stringer hangs with Ludacris at the New York City PS3 launch event last night. Word has it that teh two homies are tight... TIGHT!

Thanks to Sir Richard Blakeley for the, as usual, awesome vid. Sir Brian Crecente

Prior to today, 3,533 PS3s have sold on eBay for an average price of $1,788.88. There are currently about 1,580 listings on the site. The average price for the PS3 for the past week was $1,959.73. While yesterday, 334 of the consoles sold for $2,185.85.

What does that all mean? It means that the price seems have started drifting up a bit since the console has become available in stores. The real measure of what's going to happen to the console's price is what happens with stock come Monday. Brian Crecente

I returned to the Alpharetta Fry's store around 3:45AM to find freezing cold blackness. The employees didn't leave any lights on when they left earlier in the evening. The front of the line was a row of completely silent tents. You'll find the people in the front of a launch line always sleep better than those in the back.

Towards the middle I find List Holder guy, vigilantly standing watch in case any latecomers try to cut into his well organized line. We exchanged war stories. I had missed a drunk guy nearly get arrested, only to be given a warning and sent back to his spot. One of the other guys I met earlier comes over to see what's going on. After awhile he guides me to some folks huddled near the back of the line, eager to hear news of other launch spots and partake of the cookies I brought along as a gesture of good will.

The next hour is spent basically recalling our coverage of the launch to the gathered group. "Tell us more stories!" one girl demands, munching on a pink-frosted cookie.

And I tell them stories. I take web-based writings and spin them into a spoken narrative, which is kind of like reverse-engineering the internet. It makes me feel old and wise, but that could just be lack of sleep kicking in.
The back of the line is where the action is. People need something to occupy them so that the grim reality of the situation doesn't kick in. They aren't getting systems...most of them know that, but at least they can still have a good time.

I pass around my DS so they can watch the Final Fantasy III opening movie. This leads to a discussion about console RPGs, which then leads into a conversation about World of Warcraft between me and another man that I quickly derail. WoW is something that is only important to those who play it. At some point I think I doze off for a few minutes in my comforter-crafted cocoon.

At about 5:45AM people start putting away the tents and cleaning up trash. List Holder guy and an older woman work together, calling out names and maneuvering people into position. It's really amazing how well these people work together. They've know each other for all of a day and a half and here they are creating an orderly line out of chaos in a matter of minutes.
An hour later the sun is rising and the employees begin to arrive, first pushing the line away from the front entrance, and then having them move it back again. I am sure there is some purpose to this, but can't for the life of me figure out what it is.

Then comes 45 minutes of waiting, consisting of staring at the door for signs of life, discussions of the King Ralph theory (If everyone in front of me dies, I get a PS3!), and general nervous chatter. Before we know it, a group of white shirts and black ties are standing before us, announcing, "It's time!'

They hand out 26 vouchers down the line. 20 of the 80gig bundles with the rest 20gigs. No one complains, though I can tell the girl who is number 27 in line is heartbroken. The drunk from earlier is somewhere in the teens, and if not for his second chance at behaving like a grown-up she would have gotten her system. Instead she gets a rain check, along with the 18 other folks in the back of the line.

Despite problems with employees, supply, and weather, I left Fry's this morning feeling pretty good. Some people walked away empty-handed...
...and some, like List Holder here in a pose he called "Cold Black Man", went home with the prize,
but everyone left having had a good time just being there. No shootings, no fist fights, no robbery, and 10 boxes of delicious frosted cookies, 5 of which are still out there in case anyone gets peckish later on. Sounds like a perfect launch to me. Michael Fahey

The man claims that as he and other line-waiters ran for a chance at the PS3, at the bequest of Wal-Mart, someone deliberately pushed him into the pole, face first.

Watching the video, it sort of looks like he just got accidentally bumped into the pole. The bumper/pusher ended up making the list for a console and then lawyered up.

Way to go Wal-Mart, maybe with the Wii launch you could just hand out bats and give out consoles to whoever is left standing. Brian Crecente

Man Inured in Playstation 3 Promotion Melee [The Milwaukee Channel]

Thankfully, for the well-being of everyone involved, the initial sales of the PlayStation 3 in West Hollywood went off without a hitch. Best Buy had issued wristbands to those patiently waiting, which became instrumental to the sanity and sanctity of the line, as a minor bum rush took place as they opened the doors.

But like I said, this midnight sale was smooth and creamy. Mmmm. Delicious organization.

Mere moments after we entered the store, then zipped our way around the throngs of cameramen, the man who had secured the first place in line entered. He began his shopping, pondering out loud "Hmm... Genji..." to which I shouted "Don't buy Genji!"

And if we just pan out slightly, you can enjoy the off-camera media sharks. It was very bright in Best Buy tonight!

After Number One picked up a few more things, his wife and infant daughter caught up to him. They both looked very tired and vastly uninterested in getting hands-on time with the PS3 tonight.

PS3 owner Number Two also brought her kids. But she was Number Two and might as well have been Number 98907210 for all the media cared. They wanted Number One.

Numbers Three and Four did their thing, mugging for the camera.

Then the rest of the rest started streaming in. Look how happy they are to pick out tomorrow's eBay listings!

By this time, Number One was checking out. His total? $944.95. We heard he only had to sell one daughter to pay it off.

With his prize paid off, he exited the store, coveted PlayStation 3 held high, copy of Tony Hawk's Project 8 nestled comfortably in his pocket.

And that was it for us. We snuck out, weaving past the cameras and hundreds still in line, all waiting their turn to drop close to grand on their console, games, and controllers. Let's hope they all made it to their cars safely!

As I walked back to my own car, I was amazed at the devastation caused by the pasty nerds desperate for their console. What a disgusting display!

Trash laden sidewalk aside, folks at the West Hollywood Best Buy deserve some credit for keeping this particular midnight sale civil. Kudos to the staff, the management, and the well mannered people in line. Michael McWhertor

After parking on a "better hide the laptop" kind of street, I walked my way over to the Best Buy on La Brea, strolling past the hundreds upon hundreds of campers and line-sitters passed out and sprawled out on the sidewalk

A few dozen patient potential PS3 owners had run out of sidewalk, forcing a second line across the street. The annex line was full of kids who smelled way too good, dressed way too sharp to dirty themselves with a three day line-up. This was the fresh crowd. And it looked like they too were going to get a PS3 tonight.

I called my friend, Freeloadin' Scott Andrews who had just parked and planned to meet at the media entrance. He paused carefully to take this snapshot.

After checking in at the press desk, then meeting up with Scott, we weaseled our way in to the party zone. No one of note really, save Danny "Surely I've Killed A Guy" Trejo, Stan "The Man" Lee and some very tall basketball playing type (look, I don't follow the sports, okay?) had made their way into the event.

They'd be here soon enough, but Scott and I decided to work our way in, check out the scene, and maybe score a late dinner. Sushi, burgers, chili, corndogs, all manner of hors d'oeuvres, mashed potatoes, BBQ beef sandwiches, donuts, Jamba Juice, mini-pastries, it was all there for the devouring.

We first checked out the Resistance: Fall of Man set up. Behind it were a few PS3's with Call of Duty 3 running. Both stationgs were patrolled by fake military types, but occupied by real life military types.

After watching the above enlisted man get his ass handed to him repeatedly by a Chimera Titan in Resistance, I gave him a few pointers, to no avail. He was a lost cause.

A quartet of Guitar Hero II demo stations were just behind us, so I figured, what the hell, I'll get a couple songs in before the perfumed masses arrive. Before I knew it, a "Shout At The Devil" here, a "Killing In The Name Of" there, the place was packed.

Then George Constanza... crap, I mean Jason Alexander appeared, ready to rock out.

Unfortunately, he sucked like you wouldn't believe. He made it about 14% through one song on Easy before throwing in the towel.

The rest of the party featured playable PS3 and PS2 kiosks, ranging from titles like Motorstorm (looking much improved), NBA 2K7 (shiny, pretty), Need For Speed Carbon (hideous, as it was shockingly fed through composite cables into Sony Bravia displays) and... Pimp My Ride? (Yes, Xzibit was there.) After mocking the game and the girl playing it a little too loud, we decided to check out the Blu-Ray igloo.

Reps from various movie studios were on hand to answer questions and hand out free discs, but we got trapped either at the bar or planted comfortably in front of the Panasonic Elite displays, soaking in the crystal clear imagery. Yeah, that's right. We were at a party with free booze watching TV. Pathetic.

We emerged from the bustling igloo to witness a half-dozen Laker girls strutting their stuff. What else can you do at this point?

Soon enough, Camp Freddy/pretty-much-Velvet Revolver took the stage, clearly there to collect a paycheck and cover some of their favorite songs. I saw Slash. The night bordered on surreal.

They made Guitar Hero II sessions virtually unplayable at this point, so, after discussing the Guitar Hero on PS3 problem and getting some bad news (it won't ever be playable), I stormed off to find corndogs. We ran into the Genji producer we made to suffer during a Justify Your Game segment and apologized profusely for putting him on the spot like that. Then we all laughed and froze in place, allowing the credits to roll.

Okay, that last bit didn't happen, but the night was definitely winding down. We momentarily got excited when Ricky Schroeder walked by. This was a bad sign. Then Ari's assistant Lloyd (real name unknown) from Entourage emerged from the Blu-Ray tent and I became inappropriately speechless.

I check my watch.

It was almost 11:45 so we decided to depart to visit the camper queue, waiting for the herd to rush the store. After three days of smelly anticipation, many were going home with a PlayStation 3 within the hour. What will happen?! Michael McWhertor

Mission #2: Waiting in line is for suckers! Work for this three-named big cheese and never have to wait in line again. Like ever. Well, at least for one company's products...

As we talk, a white pickup truck passes by and a kid leans out the window with a Super Soaker, which we later determine was filled with fruit punch. He misses us, but every tent along the line gets a nice little shower. Sweet.

Then a guy named Dave walks up. Dave has just come from the midnight Best Buy launch across town. He didn't buy a PS3...he just seems to want to hang out and talk about games. We reminisce for awhile about consoles long since dead and games nearly forgotten.

From across the parking lot come three loud bangs, like gunshots.

Dave and I hop to our feet. "What the hell was that?" We decide to investigate. Normally gunshot sounds are something I try to hide from, but I've got cookies and a digital camera, which somehow makes me feel safe.

Halfway down the line, my partner breaks into a run out into the parking lot, yelling, "Get the fuck away from there!" In the lot a trunk has just opened. A white guy in a red cap pokes his head up, sees Dave coming for him, and runs towards a waiting vehicle which then peels off, exposing a conveniently taped over license plate. Dave is left standing amidst the shattered glass of his car window.

Some kids in another car apparently saw the whole thing. The guy breaking into the car acted as if it were his own, patting his pockets as if checking for keys, then with a sigh retrieved a smallish sledgehammer and proceeded to smash the window open with it, full in the view of half of the Best Buy PS3 line. Finding nothing in the backseat, he opened the front door, flipped open the trunk, and that's where we came in.

The cops arrived minutes later to take the report. There was no way they were catching the guys with the description we had. Dave called his insurance company and then drove off into the night, leaving me with a nagging question. Why break into a car at a Best Buy where the PS3 hadn't been released yet? It made no sense. The, with a chill, it dawned on me. Dave had come from the midnight launch. These guys followed him across town.

Needless to say the whole way back home I kept one eye in my rear view mirror. I had no PS3, but then again neither had Dave.

On the plus side, between the fruit punch shower and the attempted smash 'n grab, everyone at the Alpharetta Best Buy has come together, vowing to make sure nothing else disturbs their night. Many of them are now armed with bats. Roving bands of armed men and women patrolling the streets is what America is all about. That and free cookies. Michael Fahey

Is it really line-waiting if you're doing it sitting on comfy chairs inside a Wal-Mart on the doorstep of a McDonald's? Yeah, I don't think so. They need to make them stand outside or at least take their bathroom breaks in the gardening section. Brian Crecente

Things are getting prickly at the Best Buy near Denver.

Some really big guy just walked by with a handful of screw drivers and football helmet. Other people are racing by on Best Buy carts.

It's cold and the people at the back of the line are drunk. D R U N K. And other things, likely.

There are about 45 people in line for about 38 systems. Earlier in the day the line Nazis went down the line and inked numbers on everyone's wrist.

But the numbers, strangely, didn't add up hours later. Probably not that strange since the big-ass guy wearing the wife-beater who thought the line was janky was drunk off his gord when he started mouthing off.

People have retreated to their tents and tables, poked their heads back into their North Face jackets.

Some Lone Tree cops just swung buy, they're working the crowd, making sure everyone knows not to start shit. My money's on them not realizing that someone in the crowd has three shivs.

And it's only 11 p.m.

I'm off to Circuit City. Though I'll be keeping an ear to the police radio for Best Buy Lone Tree. Brian Crecente

For the folks here, it's been a long couple of days. The first person in line got here 7AM on Wednesday, setting himself up with a cot and a thick comforter. The line has grown to a modest 35 people since then, with quite a few cots and one extremely elaborate tent, complete with four chairs and a dining table.

The amazing thing is that these folks are camping out for $1100 bundles. Each person in line is purchasing the system along with 8 games that they don't get to choose. You'd think Fry's would treat these potential sales with at least a little bit of respect. Apparently not.

"There was one guy who came out to help us earlier," says the list holder, a well-bundled up black man appointed by the crowd to take down names and keep things in order. "They suspended him from work for talking to us. He came out and got in line, and they told him he couldn't buy from this store, so he quit." Other folks in line were under the impression that Fry's would be taking care of them, providing hot drinks and possibly food. So far all they'd provided was open scorn and mixed information.

Over the course of the past day they've been told the store would be receiving anywhere from 8-26 systems. People have come to the line, heard the lower numbers, and then left, only to have the number arbitrarily change as soon as they were gone.

I thought maybe this was an exaggeration, but as I was standing there a man and a woman, both employees, came out to survey the line. They laugh, and as they are heading back in the guy says, "Wouldn't it be funny if a hurricane came in the night and washed them all away?" I was stunned. Then ten minutes later another pair comes out...young guys. The one who speaks looks like a grown-up version of the main character from Bully, complete with badly fitting dress shirt and unfortunate acne. "Folks, the Sony truck pulled up 10 minutes ago and took all but 5 of the PS3's away, so we're only going to have those 5 in the morning." The folks around me all simply stare at him incredulously until he breaks into a laugh, nudging his buddy back towards the store. "Can't keep a straight face in front of the PS3 campers!"

Despite the poor treatment, the line is in great spirits. There are actual gamers here. The list holder himself is one of them, excited about a whole 3 of the 8 games he is being forced to buy. An honest to goodness Final Fantasy fanboy conversation strikes up, with me in the thick of it...something that wouldn't have happened at the other places I visited today. They put me back in the spirit of things. After hearing person after person in line after line speculating on how much they money they'd be making it was nice to hear people speculating on how much fun was coming their way.

As for Fry's...these people are about to spend $1100 and change each at your store. I'd really like to see your employees trying to sell a plasma television to a customer while laughing openly at his desire to buy it. I know it's hard to staff a superstore without getting your fair share of assholes, but try to keep them away from the paying customers, kay? Michael Fahey

According to the AP there is a pregnant woman in line at a Mount Laurel, New Jersey Circuit City. She's also having contractions. She's also staying in line until she gets a PlayStation 3. Who can compete with nutjobs like this?

Nine months pregnant, Julie Mosley said she tried to ignore her contractions for the chance to score machines for her family, her daughter's father and her younger brother.

Come on, people! This is getting ri-goddamn-diculous! Think of the children, etc. Michael McWhertor

Gamers line up for coveted PlayStation 3 [Yahoo/AP]

The manufacturer of PlayStation 3 is unable to supply adequate quantities to the market. In the best interest of our customers, we are NOT offering PS3 for sale until the manufacturer can guarantee us an adequate supply.

We have donated a handful of units that we received to local charities to help them with their Christmas fundraising.

Thank you for your understanding. When we have adequate numbers of PS3, we will advertise it to the public.

Let's hope those charities scalp 'em for big bucks. Thanks for the news, J. Michael McWhertor

Nebraska Furniture Mart