Japan Lines up For Wii But not for PS3 just yet. by Anoop Gantayat showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? 'US, ' : ''); November 9, 2006 - Yes, you read that right! We've got a story about something not happening!

 

In truth, something not happening is something that happens every day, and we don't, in general, report on such non occurrences. For instance, today, Sega didn't announce the Dreamcast 2 (from what we hear, that won't happen until January 15th). Turn to the Dreamcast channel, however, and you won't see a story about Sega having not announced its new platform.

 

But given that the PlayStation 3 launches only once in a... well, ever... we're making an exception to the general rule of not reporting about nothing, and reporting about nothing, and with pictures!

 

And so, we can report today that no one has started to line up for the PlayStation 3 in Japan. This is based on a tour we took today of Tokyo's biggest game shops. That's right, the Bics, the Yodobashis, the Tsutayas, the Sakurayas, the Don Quixotes. No matter where we looked, no one was lining up for the 11/11 launch.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of people not lining up for the PS3.

It's also a picture of people not lining up for Dreamcast 2. There's a reason. Many major retailers, including the Bics and the Yodobashis, are resorting to a lottery system for the PS3. A Bic Camera local to IGN Japan's headquarters in Shibuya's love hotel district will start handing out lottery tickets at 9:00 AM on Saturday. The drawing will be held at 11:00AM. Those who win will be able to select from a 60 Gig or 20 Gig model. The others... will probably be stoned to death.

 

 

 

Bic Camera's lottery program. Some stores are going with traditional line-up systems. Asking around (in Japanese no less!), IGN was able to learn that the Bic Camera in Yurakucho and the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku will start selling the PS3 at, respectively, 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM on Saturday morning on a first come, first serve basis.

 

Why the difference in opening times? The store reps wouldn't confirm this, but Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi will apparently be making appearances at both locations. They're separated by about 30 minutes or so by train, so Kutaragi should have just enough time to hand off the first (also likely the last -- snap!) PS3 at one location before moving on to the other.

 

Reps at the Yurakucho Bic told us that we're allowed to line up whenever the first people begin lining up. We're not sure if this means that we're not allowed to be the first ones in line. If the rep was worried about Kutaragi not being able to greet us in English, there shouldn't be much of a problem, as the Sony chief speaks English good.

 

 

 

At least Sony has some slick retail displays! Famitsu's online publication reports that some shops (the site wouldn't name names) were turning people away from lining up too early. Some punks apparently tried to line up on Wednesday night at one shop. The store refused them, citing worries about disturbances to the neighbors, and plans on doing the same to people who attempt to line up Thursday night. Friday night (the night IGN intends to camp out), however, is a whole different story.

 

So the number of people waiting in line for a videogame system in Tokyo is... zero, right? Nope! There were actually lots of people waiting in line today as we made the rounds around the city. Only they weren't waiting for a PlayStation 3.

 

 

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All those people may be standing in front of a PS3 display, but they're actually waiting for a Wii. Mega media retailer Tsutaya started Wii pre-orders on Thursday morning at 10:00, following a quiet announcement a couple of days prior. IGN checked in at the Shibuya Tsutaya outlet at 10:30 and found a line of at least 200 people waiting to pre-order a unit.

 

Unlike the 2004 DS pre-order program, this was a no-money down transaction, but 200 people lined up for a pre-order is quite a feat. Tsutaya closed off the line at around 11:00, and even then the last few people didn't complete their transaction until past 1:00.

 

 

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And all these people? When we saw this line at the Bic Camera in Yurakucho, we immediately assumed that we'd found the PS3 line we'd been so longing to see. But no, this was a line for, of all things, the DS Lite. Bic had taken shipment of the popular system, which is still, in general, sold out wherever you go, and people were lining up to get one. This scene was repeated at Bics throughout Tokyo.

 

There will presumably be something like it on Saturday for the PS3, at least at the few shops that aren't resorting to a lottery system.

 

 

http://wii.ign.com/articles/744/744970p1.html

Go XBoxWii60! Sony has approached the new generation of consoles with either arrogance or insanity. They charge 599 US dollars for their system, which btw doesn't even come with an HD cable. And then they say games won't necessarly be $49.99 or $59.99.

 

I think Wii will win the console wars in Japan. In the US I don't see the target demographic for videogames being able to buy the PS3. I think XBox 360 will beat Sony in America, not sure how Wii will do, but with its price, it's hard not to buy a Wii when games like Twilight Princess and Super Smash Brothers Brawl become available.

OH NOEZ!

 

Japanese aren't buying Sony!

 

What's going to happen?

 

I'll own 360 and PS3 and leave the Wii in the stores, personally. Couldn't care less if other's buy it as long as the titles are good (and it'll sell, come on).

OH NOEZ!

 

Japanese aren't buying Sony!

 

What's going to happen?

 

I'll own 360 and PS3 and leave the Wii in the stores, personally. Couldn't care less if other's buy it as long as the titles are good (and it'll sell, come on).

It'll sell, but Sony will still lose the console war. If you look at buying a 360 vs. PS3, having an extra $200 afterwards looks mighty friendly.

OH NOEZ!

 

Japanese aren't buying Sony!

 

What's going to happen?

 

I'll own 360 and PS3 and leave the Wii in the stores, personally. Couldn't care less if other's buy it as long as the titles are good (and it'll sell, come on).

It'll sell, but Sony will still lose the console war. If you look at buying a 360 vs. PS3, having an extra $200 afterwards looks mighty friendly.

 

Yeah, I guess...

 

But anyone who owns a 360 and is honest about it will tell you--that you're spending about the same after you buy all the crap you really need to have all the same stuff as PS3. I got my 360 for free and was poed when I found out all the crap I had to buy on then side.

love my 360...if someone wanted to trade me a ps3 for my 360 i would gratefully decline...

 

 

 

 

ps.

 

 

call of duty 3 is soooooo sick

I was originally going to go for the PS3 first but from the looks of things I'll probably grab up a 360 this year and leave the PS3 in the store until it goes down in price. And of course, Wii is a must.

i don't really care for either system whatsoever but I do find amusing that people complain about the price of the PS3 compared to the XBOX.

 

At the end of the day if you want an HD DVD player on your 360 to match the PS3 Blu-Ray player, you will need to pay $200 for the add-on, which brings your total cost to the same price as the PS3.

 

Granted you do have the option of not buying it, but if you do, you will have spent as much as a PS3 customer.

I'm so going to go back and buy a PS2 when it's like 80 bucks and buy up a bunch of classic games at like 10-15 bucks a piece.

 

These next-gen consoles do nothing for me. If my 360 wasn't a gift, I wouldn't have one.

I'll wait and see what happens during the holiday season. I am still on the fence as to which to pick (xbox360, wii or ps3). However I have played madden on xbox and its terrible, so thats a major strike against it. I'll need to do some research.

I'll wait and see what happens during the holiday season. I am still on the fence as to which to pick (xbox360, wii or ps3). However I have played madden on xbox and its terrible, so thats a major strike against it. I'll need to do some research.

that would be EA's fault more than microsoft/xbox though...EA has kinda disappointed me two years in a row...madden 08 better pick it up or else ill beboycotting the series(like that would really do anything) but ive gotten pretty much every madden on its day of release since like madden 93 on genesis

i don't really care for either system whatsoever but I do find amusing that people complain about the price of the PS3 compared to the XBOX.

 

At the end of the day if you want an HD DVD player on your 360 to match the PS3 Blu-Ray player, you will need to pay $200 for the add-on, which brings your total cost to the same price as the PS3.

 

Granted you do have the option of not buying it, but if you do, you will have spent as much as a PS3 customer.

 

The nice thing about that is, a lot of people really don't give a damn about being able to play HD DVDs. A lot of people just want to play games. Same goes for the Blu-Ray, except with the PS3, people don't have a choice.

unless you have the 1080 hd what's SO special about PS3????

Bradcore, I assume your getting a Wii, which is why I have to ask, how do you plan on coming across one? I'm planning on camping out Saturday night, but I'm unsure about where to campout since I live in a college town. Anybody have any suggestions on where one would have the best chance of securing a Wii on launch night?

Bradcore, I assume your getting a Wii, which is why I have to ask, how do you plan on coming across one? I'm planning on camping out Saturday night, but I'm unsure about where to campout since I live in a college town. Anybody have any suggestions on where one would have the best chance of securing a Wii on launch night?

 

Wal-Mart is doing a launch at Midnight. If your wal-mart is 24/7, you can just hang out by the electronics register. If not, you can hang out by the front doors when they close until they re-open again at midnight. I live in a small area. It'll be really easy for me to get one.

Bradcore, I assume your getting a Wii, which is why I have to ask, how do you plan on coming across one? I'm planning on camping out Saturday night, but I'm unsure about where to campout since I live in a college town. Anybody have any suggestions on where one would have the best chance of securing a Wii on launch night?

 

Wal-Mart is doing a launch at Midnight. If your wal-mart is 24/7, you can just hang out by the electronics register. If not, you can hang out by the front doors when they close until they re-open again at midnight. I live in a small area. It'll be really easy for me to get one.

Yeah, I live 3 minutes from Walmart so I was scope it out every hours starting at around 3pm and when I see some resemblance of a line staying there. If that fails and I don't get a ticket at 10pm, I'll have to run over to Target. Both Walmart and Target have around 50, Best Buy has over 100 but there's 50,000 students at the University of Florida. Words cannot express the disapointment I will have if I miss out on launch night.

 

BTW, IGN has reviews for Trauma Center(8.0) and Wii Sports(7.5) up, which isn't that shocking. I need them to review the big games soon like Zelda and Red Steel. I've been spending 2+ hours a day reading about the Wii and watching Wii videos, so I really really need Saturday night to come already! (and freezing myself until then didn't work)

I normally do my laundry Sunday. I'll be doing it after work on Saturday this week. Playing with my Wii til 4 in the morning. Sleep til noon. Play with my Wii again until 7:30 and watch the TNA PPV.

Japanese not buying a Sony PS3 is like American's not buying Ford's.

Is there a website to find the ship quantities for stores in your area for the Wii and PS3?

Is there a website to find the ship quantities for stores in your area for the Wii and PS3?

You gotta call the store or go there and ask. I did plenty of that in the past week.

 

I think Best Buy may have that information online somewhere.

I will take a PS3 over a WEII anyday

 

glad I got my 360 also

Japanese not buying a Sony PS3 is like American's not buying Ford's.

seriously. i saw atleast 20 articles today about how they're completely sold out in japan, and how people paid homeless guys to wait in line for them.

I went to the Best Buy on Broadway to see how things were shaping up since I was thinking about getting a PS3, well, people go in line yesterday. No system is worth three days wait plus the system cost plus games. Jesus.

High profile Best Buys may have the most systems, but they aren't really the best choice since so many people go there.

 

Something not too shocking but still worth note, in Japan, .75 games were sold for every PS3 solds. People are buying the system without buying any games for reasons that are easy to figure out.

Wow, just drove by Best Buy, about 30 people already in line for PS3. Fortunatly, Saturday is gameday, so half of Gainesville will be at the game and I can get in line for the Wii before the game ends.