New PlayStation 3 lines people up in stores today

November 17, 2006

The new PlayStation 3 is getting more people lining up in stores than people walking out. EBay has pages full of PlayStation 3s, retailing at US$500-$600, auctioning at about US$3,000 up to US$5,000. The gaming console, which would normally sell for between five to six hundred dollars, sold out in minutes at stores across the US.

Some incidents of violence have been reported. Two gunmen in Putnam, Connecticut, for example, came up to 15 to 20 people standing outside Wal-Mart a little after 3:00 a.m. EST and demanded money. One man resisted and was shot in the chest and shoulder. Police are now searching for the suspects.

EBay is restricting PlayStation 3's to only experienced eBay sellers with high ratings. Only one PS3 can be listed per eBay account. The listing has to include a photo of the pre-order receipt and the seller must guarantee shipment within 30 days starting from the date of purchase.

One individual stood in line for 3 entire days in order to purchase the PS3. He claimed to have bought the game console for $300 and then sold it on Ebay for a grand total of $3000.