We wait for Wii/PS3 at Toys R Us (Boston Edition: Part 1)
Dedham, Mass. 1 AM. 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celsius). A sturdy bunch of New Englanders are braving the near freezing overnight temperatures for their chance to pre-order a Wii and/or PS3 at Toys R Us tomorrow morning. All those that arrive are greeted by a sign stating there will be 8 PS3 pre-orders and 20 of the Wii. The 8 PS3 people are already in line and most of them are doubling up on the Wii, they've been told by management that's OK. They've been told that somebody may show up at 4 AM to hand out pieces of paper to confirm their spot, but they'll have to wait and see if that's true. Oh, did we mention that the clocks get turned back an hour tonight?
The car in the picture belongs to Taylor Aubut, who set up a small television in the back for all those waiting to watch movies. He also brought along some gaming systems, but exposing their hands to the cold and wind may make that a difficult challenge. Aubut, who'd typically be playing WoW with his clan Avatars of Light about now, said, "I do a lot of crazy things. I camped out at the Apple store (for a T-shirt). I camped out at Krispey Kreme when they opened ... I'll probably camp out again to get a PS3." Aubut is actually #9 in line, so he won't be getting a PS3 pre-order slip. He's sure that there is some way to get a PS3 other than these pre-order deals at launch.
#8, the last person to get a PS3 pre-order, is Reed, who plans on selling his PS3 on eBay. When asked how much he plans to get for his it Reed says, "Hopefully $1200. Hope to make some some money off it. That'd be cool." He also plans on getting a Wii, but not selling that. To brave the evening Reed is wearing a windbreaker, a jacket, two sweatshirts, boots and is wrapped fully in a blanket.
Most of the people waiting came prepared with provisions and extra layers to survive the night. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Chris (pictured at right). Chris is wearing an undershirt, sweatshirt, a light blanket and shorts! If Chris' mother is reading this, or a concerned reader, somebody bring this boy some clothes. Chris is also #10, so he'll be getting a Wii pre-order at least.
One of the few people in line not selling his PS3 on eBay is Benjamin (pictured at right in black). Asked why he wanted the system and was one of the few not looking to make a profit on his purchase, he said sincerely, "I want the games. Sony's never let me down. So, I'm taking a chance -- I'm not going to sell mine."
Irina, the only girl in line, was the true capitalist. Huddled up to her friend Emilio (both pictured below) she said she was selling hers on eBay, "I'll start at $600 and see where it goes." She says that $1500 - $2000 would make the evening in the cold worth it for her.
Every so often a car would drive by, the people inside ill- prepared or not hearty enough to suffer the evening and they'd drive off into the night. We'll check back with the brave souls in the morning to see how they've survived the almost freezing temperatures and wind through the evening.
