Let loose the consoles of war! Just in time for the holidays, two next-generation systems have risen to challenge Microsoft’s X-Box 360 for gaming supremacy. The Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii greeted long lines of excited gamers, only a portion of whom came home with their prize.
Plymouth Wal-Mart, like every other store that offers games, could only offer a limited number of systems. On its release date of November 17, only six PlayStation 3’s were offered. Gamers lined up more than a day before, for their chance to pay the $600 price tag.
On a rainy Friday morning, after waiting 31 straight hours in line, Plymouth State student, Adam Rourke paid the price. In return, he got one of the most advanced gaming consoles on the planet.
“The people in line were great and fun,” he said, “it made time go a lot faster.” There were problems, though. According to him, some people tried to show up just an hour before the store opened and attempted to cut people in line.
“I was shocked,” he said about an incident that occurred when a woman tried to cut in front of him half an hour before opening time.
Just two days later, the Nintendo Wii hit North American shores – surprisingly two weeks earlier than the Japanese release. Nintendo hoped to monopolize on the popularity it gained with the Nintendo DS, after it fell behind in the previous console three-way war when its Gamecube went up against the X-Box and the PlayStation 2. Sony came away best from that battle – but Microsoft has gained a lot of ground in recent years.
Unlike Sony, however, Nintendo released many more systems onto the market – at a much cheaper price. The Wii costs $250, even less than the X-Box 360, which has been out for about a year. Plymouth Wal-Mart carried 17 systems on its Sunday debut.
Despite this, gamers still showed up early, and some left disappointed. PSU student and self-described “Nintendo elitist” Ryan Marchand was one of the lucky 17. He showed up at 11:30 in the morning on Saturday to begin the wait.
When people began to ask what he was doing in line, he and the others got creative, telling passerby that they were, “Waiting for a new Betty Crocker cake mix.” He did, however, feel a little out of place in line because he seemed to be the oldest person there.
Ryan explained the real difference between the two systems by saying, “The bottom line here is that if you want beautiful games and super vivid landscapes in a traditional fashion, go for the PS3. If you are looking for an unmatched experience in fun, with games that are as interactive and innovative as they are original, go for the Wii.”
Going for either before the holidays is taking a risk of coming away empty-handed. On Monday, when two PS3’s arrived at Wal-Mart, the electronics staff didn’t even have time to put them in the display case before they were snapped up. Next Wednesday, though, Wal-Mart expects to get in 50 shiny new Wii’s for their customers.
Gung-ho gamers should keep in mind additional prices when going to purchase their new system. Buying a new game system means buying new games. In addition to the $600 price tag, PS3 games run about $50 each. Wii games are a little cheaper, typically running between $40 and $45. Regardless of the system: 36, Playstation or Wii, the future looks real.