It’s a game they have to win
Kyle McMahon wasn’t expecting wind and rain when he and two buddies set up a tent outside of Best Buy in Spokane Valley at 2 o’clock on Wednesday morning.
The Eastern Washington University student slept on concrete with just pillows and two blankets in hopes of snagging one of a limited number of Sony PS3s, a gaming system set to arrive at Best Buy on Friday morning.
“I keep telling everyone, ‘I’m from Montana where the wind blows 70 miles an hour all the time,’ ” said McMahon, who was among a half-dozen campers hanging out in front of the store on Wednesday afternoon. The group included Amanda Sharp, a south side mom hoping to get a PS3 for her three children for Christmas.
Urban campouts are becoming annual events as stores across the nation struggle to allocate limited numbers of the newest game systems. In 2005, Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 took the gaming world by storm. This year, retail experts predict shortages of new systems being released by Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Come midnight tonight — or, in many cases, Friday morning — stores across the nation will distribute a total of 400,000 PlayStations, which come in 20 GB and 60 GB versions. On Sunday, more than 500,000 Nintendo Wii systems, featuring motion-sensitive controllers, will be available at American stores.
Some of Best Buy’s camp-out customers were hard-core gamers looking for the latest thrill, touting PS3’s high-definition capabilities, while others were frank about their desire to pick up a system and resell it on eBay.
“The opportunity to make $1,400 is worth a couple days of waiting in the cold,” said Daniel Edvalson, a Spokane Falls Community College student tenting it with friends.
As of Wednesday evening, preordered PS3 systems, the 60 GB version, were selling for just under $2,000 on eBay. They retail for $599. Bids for Wii were coming in as high as $500, double its $250 retail price.
While the campouts help generate publicity and excitement about the gaming systems, they can also be a hassle for retailers. Management at the Circuit City store on North Division had to evict a miniature tent community when things became too chaotic and started impacting other customers, said Chris Weber, entertainment sales manager for the store.
Overnight customers awaiting the arrival of Xbox 360 last year were well-behaved, Weber said. However, on Wednesday, the store switched to plan B after campers overtook handicap-parking spaces, strung extension cords everywhere and were rude to store employees. A family of seven was coming and going from jobs and school, leading other would-be buyers to complain.
Now the store will hand out vouchers, for a minimum of six PS3 systems, on Thursday night at closing, he said. People can then spend the night and be there for the store opening on Friday. If any voucher holders are no-shows, it will open the door to others.
Weber said all-nighters have become more common as product hype, advertising and eBay add to the excitement of the experience. “I don’t know if I’d be able to stay out in the cold for one day,” let alone three, Weber said.
Camping was going well at Circuit City in Spokane Valley, where a crew of young broadcasters and employees from Spokane’s 104.5 FM offered live broadcasts from a tent in front of the store. They were planning to secure up to five PlayStations to give away on the air. Another tent with a lone camper sat nearby.
Morning disk jockey Dick Stewart said Circuit City management provided them with extension cords, allowing them to power up a television with a gaming system, a heater and other essentials. In addition to broadcast equipment, the setup included sleeping mattresses and a pet Chihuahua named Isabella.
In spite of the sweet hookup, Stewart said, camping in a parking lot has its downside.
“At 2 a.m. in the morning when you wake up and see your breath, you wonder if it was really worth it.”