I've been hearing this rumor on and off for a few days, but hadn't posted it because I'm trying to keep the Sony Bashing to a mnimum with the launch coming up.... When I got this email though through our anonymous tip line, I thought i'd toss it out there for ya'll to see. - Andy
Today I was at my local Wal-Mart waiting for my prescriptions to be filled as I played some Guitar Hero 2 on the display they had setup. After the employees (including electronics dept. manager and DM) finished "ooh"- and "ahh"-ing over my ability to use all five fret buttons and do three finger chords they persuaded me to check out the PS3 display that the Sony reps had just finished putting in while I was dropping off my medications.
After they had a good giggle at my George Forman grill joke and agreed with me on the inflated price point and lack of Blu-Ray titles (hell, they only had 6 BR movies in the entire store), I noted how much the remote next to the Bravia remote they had inside the display looked like a cheap DVD player remote. Upon further inspection, I noticed out loud that the PS3 (displayed with ugly Spiderman font facing, so ports and disc drive were visible only under close scrutiny) was actually not connected... at least through the ports on the side.
After talking to the Wally-World peons, they did note that the displays weren't actual PS3s - the video on the screens was actually coming from a DVD player (upscaling, I presume - as it was HD). If Sony can't spare a single PS3 for an in-store displ
ay, how many will Wal-Mart actually be getting? They couldn't answer, but they sure were ready to sell me a game for one - either THP8 or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, as that was all they had in stock. (Not too shabby for 3 days ahead of launch, I suppose.) I have included evidence photos below, but my cameraphone isn't the best and the glare from the halogen lights on the display didn't help matters. The photo of the entire display shows the remotes sitting on the shelf to the left of the "PS3", and, under close scrutiny, shows no apparent cables coming from the "PS3", but, again, the glare may make some apprehensive to this idea. The second photo vividly shows a 23in Bravia LCD remote on the right hand side, with a black non-descript DVD player remote next to it. That's proof enough for me. -Anonymous
Sucks to be you boss.. I played one today.. :)
Hawkes, details please? Impressions..?
I noticed this at my local Wal Mart 2 days ago.
I saw the shiny obelisk in the case, then loked at the ass end of it to see what the ports looked like. Imagine my surprise when the "ports" were a sticker stuck across the back of the display "unit".
Kinda sneaky if you ask me. But, honestly, I would rather they put units in gamers hands than in Wal Mart to display. You don't need a demo unit to sell a PS3 launch. (360 did have WORKING units on display at Wal Mart prior to their launch however).
Full impressions.. on the next podcast.. :)
hehehe.. can't wait! :)
Who are the hosts on the podcast this week?
"Full impressions.. on the next podcast.. :)"
Fvcker.......
;)
I played one Tuesday. Played Motorstorm at my local Target. Get my impressions on it, by clicking on my name.
Not to be anal, but I played it Monday not Tuesday. ooops.
Well if you head over to gametrailers.com they have another article about how a analyste did a retail store check and figures the PS3 luanch numbers to be in around 150-200k units not the previous 400k they has spoken of before.
Im in the Uk . Whats a PS3?
LOL, Dante you're too much.
The three Walmarts I went to in Las Vegas all had a PS3 set up and available to demo (Motosports and some crap NBA game) They had that plastic shell ps3 in a case on the endcap, but no video playing on it.
THE KICKER IS....In all three Walmarts I went to they had a note taped over the Demo PS3 stating something to the effect. "All Walmarts might not get their minimal allotment of 10 PS3 per store due to shipping problems. We will sell however many we have on hand at 12:01 and we will issue rainchecks for the remainder of the 10. (Laf here's the kicker....This next sentence is quoted WORD FOR WORD) IT MAY TAKE UP TO 3 WEEKS TO RECEIVE THE REMAINDER OF OUR PS3 ALLOTMENT!
I was going to go gung ho and camp out at a Walmart....after reading that....Don't think so. (Besides I got the inside scoop on 2 other places!!!)
Both my Walmarts have PS3's sitting in the box on display. I assumed video was coming from elsewhere, but a PS3 was definitely in there.
Jeff, you snap a picture of one of those notes by any chance?
Nope. But I'll take one for the team and go get a picture....Gotta get some cash for a PS3 anyways...
Actually, yeah, it is a DVD player of some kind. I watched them finish up installing the one at my local wally world. The one on display is an empty shell, with printed cardboard in where the parts should show (power connector etc). Not only that, (and I found this very appropriate), after about 15 minutes, the display locked up and the video froze SOLID!! LOL... I got a feeling this is a sign of things to come.
This is true... I was at Wal-Mart (ironically playing Guitar Hero as well) when they were setting up the display. The DVD player can be found behind the Bravia television, under a dark-colored metal, half-sphere type of piece. Not only is that PS3 NOT powering the video on the Bravia, it's actually just a PS3 casing... no parts on the inside. I felt the case, and low and behold--flimsy, hollow plastic.
This is definetly true, i went to walmart a few days ago, and the tv was "froze", i checked out the back of the ps3, where all the inputs are, and there was nothing plugged in, the back looks like cardboard, it is extremely obvious that it is fake if you just look at those, althought the rest looks like the real thing :)
Wal-Mart interactives are dummy units, just like the Best Buy ones. However, with Best Buy the actual console is INSIDE the interactive, with very little ventilation (this was after Sony sent them back to have extra fans retrofitted after the consoles were overheating up at TGS). One Best Buy that I was at the LP guy was telling me that part of his rounds now is to check on the PS3 interactive to make sure that it hasn't overheated... said that the console locks up around every two hours. He opened up the interactive and then left it open while standing there to air it out.
Target has playable interactives... GameStop/EB currently does not (but they do have the Wii interactives).
Nice.
Huh, I could tell something was up. I blogged about the kiosk about a week ago when I saw it. Noticed there were no controllers connected to it (as opposed to the Gamestop kiosk, which was BROKEN!).
Devious I tell you, devious.
The Wal-Mart in Palatine, IL has a working PS3 on display. I played the 4x4 game and navigated the interface for about 5 minutes last night, after which some kids took over and played (I think it was) Madden 07. Seemed real enough, and the graphics are really impressive.
I'm still getting a Wii, though.
Wow. That's some interesting information. You'd think they could spare a PS3 for a display. Then again, with the demand the employees would probably just buy or steal the units.
I watched a kid playing a PS3 at a Target in Atlanta over a week ago so I would imagine this sort of thing either has to do with the arrangement between the stores and Sony or the lack of PS3s.
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