Earlier, we posted a letter from a reader detailing what went on during the Japan PS3 launch. Homeless people lined up for consoles as well as select Chinese who then turned around and tried to sell the machines. The story got substantial internet play, including being picked up by the BBC, who interviewed me as well. But, was the coverage racist?

We don't like to air every email we get that disagrees with our banter, but this is an email which didn't only agree with us, but the reader who sent in the original story. So, to be fair, it will get a public airing (the identity of this person shall remain private). I've already contacted this individual, stating my position. What's yours?

Hit the jump for not one, but two emails from this individual. Brian Ashcraft

Dear Sir,

I am a resident of Japan and I have just read a BBC News article quoting you.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6142576.stm

I was dismayed by the BBC's portrayal and focus on what seemed like Osaka's Chinese community being no more than immoral purchasers and this being a major problem in all of Japan.

Before I blame you (I have already emailed the bbc with thoughts about their reporting), I would like to know your thoughts about the article and what you really meant if you feel that the BBC misquoted you.

I feel that the article:

1/ Makes Chinese out to be the same as Yakuza and bad businessmen.
2/ That chinese buying playstations for others as a service and for an extra cost rather than waiting themselves is legally and morally wrong.
3/ that chinese were quoted by yourself as a small observation by yourself IN OSAKA and the BBC have made this look like its a nationwide epidemic.
4/ That you didnt aknowledge that although many Chinese, including elderly ones, were buying the product, that they were just as likely to be buying them for legit reasons, like buying them for their family and friends. Your comments were just opinions without any concrete proof or evidence.
5/ That Japanese are just as liable to to do the same thing, either for good or bad reasons so the quoting of ethnicity, ability to use japanese was not needed.
6/ that you really meant that you believed that Ps3s were being bought by any potential customer for "scalping" purposes and that any extra information attributed to this was not newsworthy.

etc

As you may know, the Chinese community in Japan have been demonised in the Japanese media from time to time, either by polititians such as shintaro ishihara, and to right wing articles in various publications. Therefore I would ask for your clarifications on this matter.

Thank you for your time.

...and this as well...

Dear Sir,

Furthermore, in order to highlight how the article could be inferred as "racist", please look at a doctored edition of the article. The word "Chinese" has been replaced with "Black" and the setting changed to America. this is purely fictitious and in no way implies that black people are criminals or untrustworthy. They have been chosen as they are often seen to also be stigmatized by the white majority and said to have poor English/education backgrounds, be poorer than the majority of whites etc:

" "The PlayStation 3 goes on sale in the US on Friday
PlayStation 3 consoles advertised as used are appearing for sale in American shops as well as online auctions.

They are being sold for up to four times the retail price of the console, which went on sale in the USA last Saturday for about 270.

There are also reports that homeless people were paid to queue for the console on behalf of people now selling them on at a higher price.

The product launch is one of the most crucial in Sony's history.

Thousands of people queued for many hours in cities across the USA on Saturday and many people went home empty-handed.

One PS3 with a 60GB hard drive, which would have cost about $500 ( 270) in American stores, was on sale on Monday on the auction site eBay for an asking price of $2,300 ( 1,200).

Other PS3s were attracting bids starting from $600 ( 313) up to $1,475 ( 771).

Brian Ashcraft, an editor for gaming website Kotaku in the USA, said: "I witnessed homeless people waiting in line as well as a high number of BLACK customers."

He said he had heard similar stories from other shops around New York and in LA.

A Kotaku reader, Dirk Benedict, contacted the website about the launch day at flagship New York store, Radio Shack.

"The first buyers of PS3 were largely elderly BLACK men and young BLACK women with shaky ENGLISH language skills," he wrote.

"Opportunistic WHITE businessmen have the largest presence, hiring poor BLACK men and women to wait in line for a PS3."

Mr Benedict said the BLACK men and women were then delivering the consoles to WHITE men, who were paying them up to 90 for queuing.

He wrote: "Sony should be scolded for staging a national launch event with 80,000 units.

"An extreme lack of supply ignited an extreme surge of demand - that of which poor BLACKS and opportunistic WHITES took full advantage of."

Kotaku reports that PS3 consoles advertised as used are now being sold for 144,900 yen ( 645) in some American shops."

That sound like it could be newsworthy of an average newspaper to you?

Yours Sincerely,

Contact information for this author is not available.