It's Just A PS3...

The battle to be the first to own a PS3 was sure daunting at times this week. Customers who made the commitment braved seasonably cold weather, with harsh winds and rain affecting line dwellers across the nation. With new technology, a substantially higher price tag and only 400,000 consoles in the U.S., the joy of owning a PS3 turned downright ugly for many gamers around the country. Robberies, shootings, stabbings and unfortunate police measures have all been witnessed within the first 18 hours of the PS3's release. Really, people...was it worth it?

For gamers in Putnam, Connecticut, a robbery situation almost turned deadly when two armed teenagers approached a line outside of a Wal-Mart, demanding cash. One customer who tried to resist was shot twice - once in the chest and in the arm. The two teens ran immediately afterward, though reportedly not succeeding in robbing a single cent. The injured customer is now in stable condition.

Elsewhere in Connecticut, five men surrounded, robbed and beat a customer walking out of a store with a PS3. As they drove off with the console, one of the guys was pushed out of the vehicle, a 17 year old, and left to take the blame for multiple crimes.

In Pennsylvania, a teenager was robbed of his system when an older man approached his car, tapping on his window with a handgun. No arrests as of yet.

Police outside of a Target store in Virginia were forced to use talcum powder balls to subdue a crowd of about 350 customers waiting for their chance to buy a system. Speaking of which, I hear the Targets around Chicago only received 4-5 consoles for each store.

Finally, in Englewood, OH, two men in ski masks barge into a GameStop after closing, wielding guns and demanding all PS3's that were in stock. They made away with all five consoles.

Of course there's bound to be more commotion around the U.S. and perhaps even Japan, which is still cooling from the release fuss they endured during the week. But is any of this senseless violence to other gamers like ourselves really worth the trouble? And for what...a quick buck on Ebay that will probably be gone by year's end. By Christmas Sony hopes to have pushed out another 500,000 or so consoles (possibly another million by end of the fiscal year) giving many gamers at least another chance to own something that will soon be plentiful in stock if gamers just give it enough time. Hopefully, the next batch of consoles that are sold are done so without any lives being threatened.