Console Madness
Every time one of the new consoles come out, we get sad stories like these. On top of the obvious insanity in camping for days to buy a buggy $600 system, we have people getting hurt and robbed for their systems. Is this really a difficult problem to solve?
How about this: two weeks before launch of a console the console manufacture announces a lottery for systems on opening day. They use the power of “the Internet” to allow everyone with a valid credit card to register for one lottery ticket. They would have to cross check addresses and names to prevent people who just want to turn around and sell the system on ebay.
The day before release, they announce the winning tickets through a special sponsored event on Gamespot or something. Only folks with a winning ticket can then purchase systems on opening day, and so now there is no reason for people to camp out or drive from store to store looking for systems. Heck, if the logistics of this are too complicated, just the major chains could do this for each of their own inventories. At least that would prevent problems at Best Buy and Walmart.
Unfortunately, Sony and Nintendo probably love all the free publicity too much to ever do something like this. Then we wouldn’t have the nerd herds camping out days before release, with all the resulting new coverage, reminding everyone of the impending console release.
Oh well…enjoy all those innovative PS3 games available at launch - like NBA 7. And, uh, NBA 2K7…wait, and theres Madden NFL 2007…