However, whilst the process of acquiring a PS3 was considerably safer in Tokyo, it wasn't necessarily easier. And one individual who got to experience the madness first-hand was Kris Polgalse, our man in Japan and occasional PALGN columnist. Here are some of his recollections.
------------------------------------------------------------
November 11th 2006, launch day for the Japanese PlayStation 3. Most, if not all, stores in the Osaka region were foregoing the novelty of a midnight launch, and opening their doors at the standard time of 10am. This meant two main options would be available for those who had to have the machine on the first day:
1. Queue up overnight at one of the big retailers and hope that they have enough supply to fill the entire line.
2. Take your chances on winning one of the many PS3 lotteries that would be held at various stores and at various times throughout the day.
No other people in the world can queue quite like the Japanese, though. Somehow, in some way, they can sleep in any position and through any weather, while still maintaining an awareness of their surroundings. I couldn't compete with that, so I took my chances with the two lotteries I thought I had the best shot with.
LOTTERY NUMBER ONE: BIC CAMERA
Bic Camera, massive electronics superjuggernaughtawesomestore, seemed like the best bet. For one thing, it's massive. It houses seven floors of electronics, teeming with the latest and greatest tech that Japan can invent. They were holding a 9am-10am sign-up, and then an 11am draw for consoles. The line was long when I arrived, wrapping itself around the building like a giant scarf, and was still growing by the minute. Yet unlike some Tokyo stores, the line was ordered and sensible, with each new person simply standing behind the one in front with no direction or signage needed. The sign-up went smoothly (despite over 2,000 people being in line), and the crowd simply dispersed to wait in the various net cafes and fast-food outlets that pepper the area. I had a different plan - I wanted to double my chances. And it was a good thing I did.
A national pastime, more or less.
LOTTERY NUMBER TWO: YAMADA DENKI, LABI 1
Labi 1 was a beacon of gleaming hope for wannabe PlayStation 3 buyers. Opened just this year, the new complex sits on the edge of the famed Den-Den electronics district. However, it isn't situated near a major subway line, so has the benefit of being less popular than its more centrally located cousin. Only a few hundred had gathered around the two entrances of the store in hopes of winning the lottery. This time they were holding a 10am-11am signup and a 2pm drawing. Unfortunately, the signing-up was going to be held on the 4th floor of the building, which meant only one thing: MASSIVE CROWD PANIC TIME. I'd seen the videos from DS Lite launches and similar incidents around Japan, so I tightened my shoelaces and got ready to run.
The doors slid silently open, and the great herd of people charged for the escalators. The next five minutes was a blur: cramming into the escalators, weaving through the stacks of Gundam and Pokémon displays; a lady tripping at my feet, her make-up caking the linoleum like a marshmallow as her head bounced off of it. But the line calmed and formed eventually, the tickets were dispensed (I got 105 and 157) and the swarm melted away.
DRAWING NUMBER ONE: BIC CAMERA
No. NO. NO. Bic Camera had a dismal 40 consoles for 2,000 people. Those are not good odds.
DRAWING NUMBER TWO: LABI 1
Labi 1, according to some estimates (mainly mine), managed to score the second largest supply of PlayStation 3 units in Osaka. Some 400-odd people were able to walk away from the store with a smile on their face and a PlayStation 3 under their arm. A giant sign announced the lucky ones, the crowds gathered in hushed silence. My lucky number, 105, was there. It seemed to glow out from the white backdrop; I'm sure I could almost hear it singing. I joined my last queue of the day and waited to touch it, to take it home. I parted ways with some ¥72,500 (about $AU800 / £320), picked up the PlayStation 3 (it's heavy), two games (Resistance and Ridge Racer 7), a second controller and the return of my sanity after weeks of uncertainty and doubt. It was time to go home.
Success.
The PlayStation 3
I managed to secure a 60GB model, which has a couple of subtle differences from the 20GB version. The front disc loading panel is silver, which nicely complements the rest of the glossy black finish of the console. The unit looks great standing or sitting - I have mine standing now, but only because of the size of my television (which isn't so flash or big) - and the four front USB connections are easy to use in either the vertical or horizontal position, though the hidden memory card slots are a little trickier to access when the system is vertical. The machine itself, as most people should be already aware of, is very, very quiet. The only real noise is emitted by the fan that attempts to reduce the amount of heat he console gives off. The heat itself is no big deal, and certainly no worse than a new laptop might give off, and nowhere near the waffle iron standards that many have been claiming.
The new SIXAXIS controller is great. The size and feel are about the same, but the lack of cabling and the new lightweight design makes a ton of difference in comfort. The middle PS button is perfect, though assigning the controller to a port every time the PS3 is turned on could get a little annoying after doing it 5,000 times. The L2 and R2 buttons are shaped slightly differently, and the whole controller is able to be a little more precise than the old DualShock was. Anyone who has started up a PSP for the first time will be comfortable with setting up the console as well, while those who haven't owned a PSP are still going to find the set up relatively easy. Put in a date, a language (very important for me, given I own the Japanese model) and user name. After that, the much-vaunted Sony XMB (cross media bar) appears and, after a quick update (the update took about 2 minutes), the console is good to go.
The XMB is Sony's attempt at streamlining all of its consumer electronic items, enforcing a single standard of presentation across a wide avenue of consumer products. It works well enough, but is a little on the fidgety side when it comes to using the SIXAXIS to control it. The bar consists of eight different options, which are pretty self-explanatory: User, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network and Friends. One of the more interesting features is the Photo Slideshow. Users can have the PlayStation 3 present the photos as either a scrolling photo album, with photos thrown randomly against the background, or as a traditional slideshow with the photos zooming in or out randomly.
- Kris Polglase
------------------------------------------------------------
PALGN would like to thank Kris for both his reflections and tireless queuing.
Loading...
