What will be the best strategy for getting a PS3 @ launch?

[ClassicGameTrader]

I was pondering this today, I can't seem to find much info on the web regarding presales.

[scooterb23]

Walk into a store launch day and say "Hi, I'd like a PS3"

There, I got it out of the way before all the "zomg P$$$$3 sux" zombies crawl out of their hiding places.

Honestly, I'm going to guess game stores will start taking pre-orders soon (if not started already), if the system is indeed going to come out this year. So maybe a little patience, mixed with asking folks at your local stores, combined with watching for threads here will be your best bet.

Meanwhile, start saving your $20 bills...it's going to be a pricey holiday season :)

[Sothy]

get drunk and walk into a game store on launch day with a valid credit card.

I suppose you could do it sober as well but that seems less likely to happen.

[badinsults]

You will likely have luck if you preorder the system when stores start allowing it.

[Trebuken]

The impression I get from hassling EBgames and Gamestop employees is that they are trying to get a firm committment from Sony on the number of consoles they will be able to provide for launch. Sony will allocate the systems as they see fit, they could send them all to Walmart for all we know. It seems likely that we will at least have a month for preorders, or at least not until October. I would slowly increase the regukarity of your visits to the game stroes and if you are not on their call lists already you ill probably won't be right away because of the length of these lists. My EB only had 30 something systems at launch, I was 37th on the list and managed to get one since some of the preordererd could not come up with the money at launch.

Your going to need to be lucky, and multiple preorders at different pklaces could not hurt as long as you can get your money back if you need to...

You can always get one on ebay the day after for three times the price...

The price of the system looks like it will help reduce the number of people who will be looking to get one at launch. Many dp'ers are turned off by the amount and we are some of the hardcore gamers...imagine the rookies...

Later,
Trebuken

[Xizer]

It shouldn't be too hard. Just wander in to Wal-Mart a few hours before midnight of the launch and if there's a long line, well, shit. Try and cut in front of people. I'm going to try and get one at launch so I can sell it on eBay for $1,000+...then with the profits from that I'm buying an Xbox 360 and a Wii, as well as a bunch of games for each.

Thank you Sony for paying for my Xbox 360 and Wii!

[badinsults]

It shouldn't be too hard. Just wander in to Wal-Mart a few hours before midnight of the launch and if there's a long line, well, shit. Try and cut in front of people. I'm going to try and get one at launch so I can sell it on eBay for $1,000+...then with the profits from that I'm buying an Xbox 360 and a Wii, as well as a bunch of games for each.

Thank you Sony for paying for my Xbox 360 and Wii!

Your idea will fail if the PS3 doesn't sell out at launch.

[PapaStu]

Dress up like a ninja, stalk a store and when they open it up to start selling them, stealth kill a few potential customers and take their cash and then take one their place in line.

Seriously, just do your damndest to pre-order one when they become available, and then get your ass out to another store just in case that falls through the night before launch. Thats what most people did to get X360's .

[drewbrim]

It shouldn't be too hard. Just wander in to Wal-Mart a few hours before midnight of the launch and if there's a long line, well, shit. Try and cut in front of people. I'm going to try and get one at launch so I can sell it on eBay for $1,000+...then with the profits from that I'm buying an Xbox 360 and a Wii, as well as a bunch of games for each.

Thank you Sony for paying for my Xbox 360 and Wii!

Your idea will fail if the PS3 doesn't sell out at launch.

Funny, that's my plan as well. I'm sure that the initial PS3 shipment will sell out considering it's the holiday season. It probably won't be as limited as the the 360 but I'm sure they won't be easy to get.

As far as pre-orders go I've had one pre-ordered at FYE since last February. But it's probably meaningless since they don't know how many they are going to get. I'm 10th on their list for whatever it's worth.

[s1lence]

You should save your money for a Hooker, thats the gift that keeps on giving. Then her pimp can go buy a ps3 and you can go ninja style on the pimp and take his ps3.
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or you can waste your time on a pre-order and get all pissed off in November when your stupid pre-order can't be filled
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or you can stand outside in the cold (at least here) and hope that the 48hours that you sit out there pay off

[Kamino]

lol ps3

[Lord_Magus]

On the night of the PS3's release, go to your local games store a few minutes before midnight, and try and identify a person who's acting somewhat bored and\or impatient.

Then, wait until they go into the store, buy their PS3 and a few games, and watch them walk out with a big wide smile on their face.

Carefully follow them home, ninja-style (ninja outfit optional).

Now, stand outside their living room window and wait for them to hook up the PS3 to their television.

Wait several minutes (possibly in complete silence) while they try out the games they got.

When you hear them start screaming "Oh my god!!! I can't believe I payed nearly $1000 for this shit!!" knock on their door and politely offer to buy it from them for $200.

Chances are they will accept your offer, and not only will you get your PS3+games for less than a third of the price, but you will also get the added satisfaction of helping out a poor soul who thought they were going to get their moneys worth by buying a PS3 at launch.

[Vinnysdad]

Just wait at the end of the parking lot of your local Walmart, Target, Sears, etc. and wait for someone who actually paid for one to walk to thier car and do the old snatch and run. Just hope your victim bought some games too. :D I am kidding of course.

[NEOFREAK9189]

go to the store like 12 hour before the launch day
beacause the freaks LOL

[badinsults]

Apparently only 700,000 to 800,000 units are going to be allocated to the North American market at launch, so it will be tough to get one.

[PDorr3]

I was thinking of getting one to sell on ebay too, I bet like 25% of the people buying a ps2 on launch are just there to sell them on ebay after thew saw how much they were going for, so expect to see a TON of ps3 systems on ebay, and I mean ALOT. With so many on ebay I wouldent count on them doubling in price, however I can definitly see them going for about $1000 a pop if indeed the demand is high enough and it sells out everywhere.

As much as I want one, the delay of heavenly sword has made me not want one at launch at all since that was the only launch game that really caught my attention.

[delafro]

Thousands of dollars in cold, hard cash. That's how.

[steveant1636]

I Don't have a plan, I don't want one. I mean i have never not-wanted a system more than the PS3. I hope it flops

[kainemaxwell]

Hope and pray.

We've got at least 30+ pre-orders as I mentioned in one the Wii topics. I just tell people we don't know yet what the distrubution method or how many we'll have on launch day when they ask. Then I get the anrgy punks demanding they get one on launch day. Fat chance.

[Anthony1]

A good strategy is to go to your local Costco the night before launch. If you look up in the rafters, you will probably see some crates with a "Hold till November 17th" sign on them. That's exactly what happened with the 360 last year. I went to this one Costco, and I saw tons and tons of 360's up real high on these pallets. You couldn't tell they were 360's from the outside, it was covered with a dark plastic, but it had a sheet of paper on it, that said don't sell till November 22nd or something like that. I then asked the Store manager on duty if those were 360's, and how they were going to handle selling them the next day, because premier customers can shop at 10am and regular customers can come in at 11am, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get one, because all the business customers would buy them all up before I got a chance.

She said they didn't know yet how they were going to handle the launch, but that they had about 138 units. That was easily more than any other location in Sacramento, including even Best Buy I think. So anyways, I showed up there the next day at about 8:45am and there was already a huge line. I was like the 79th person in line, but I knew they had 138 of them, so I didn't worry about it. They created a special line, and whether you were a business customer or regular customer you had to wait in that line. It worked out pretty well. I got the 360 with a extra wireless pad and Kameo for like $479 or something like that. Considering the wireless pad was $49 and Kameo was $49, it wasn't a bad bundle.


I can guarantee I'll be checking my local Costco's all during that week in November, to see if they get a similar allotment of them.