• Kotaku's PS3 Launch Coverage

• •Lines Are Forming
  •Homeless Winos Wait
  •Not Quite Chaos
  •Organized Chaos
  •Ikebukuro de GO!
  •Tempers Flare
  •It's Raining
  •Chances Slim, But They Tough It Out
  •Death of a Line
  •Elsewhere In Osaka
  •The Empty Line
  •Ashcraft Gets His
  •Harrison's Launch Day Scrap Book
  •Foreigners And Fights, PS3 JPN Launch's Dark Side

• Coverage Around the Intertubes
• •PS3 Sells Out[BBC] •PS3 Get! [The Tokyo Incidents] •Storm Trooper Lines Up [Danny Choo] •Chinese Fans Invade Japanese PS3 Launch [Dark Mirage, Thanks Nadesico!]

The PS3 launch a cakewalk? Far from it. We don't usually let readers take the reins (fearing y'all would rub us out of a job), but Tokyo-based reader Dirk Benedict sent us this doozy of an email, complete with first hand reporting, a pic and video. His observations struck a cord with me: Things that I saw at launch, which at the time seemed small, but in hindsight, really, weren't. Hit the jump for video of the PS3 chaos and Dirk's email in full:

At the worldwide sales debut of PlayStation 3, Sony's newest console attracted dozens of media outlets and thousands of people willing to camp outside overnight for a chance to score the 60,000 yen game system.

Minutes before the clock struck 7:00 A.M. and Sony's new PlayStation 3 console would officially go on sale, a company representative addressed the crowd of media and the new face of early bird game console buyers - Chinese nationals.

"Everybody, the PlayStation 3 is the door to a new world of interactive entertainment," the spunky Japanese rep trumpeted as SCE CEO Ken Kutaragi joined her on stage.

Unfortunately for her and the rest of the Sony entourage, the men and women standing patiently in the front of the line either didn't understand what she was saying, or didn't care - the first buyers of PS3 were largely elderly Chinese men and young Chinese women with shaky Japanese language skills.

This became readily apparent when Kutaragi welcomed the first official PS3 owner on stage for an on-spot interview. A 26-year-old Chinese man politely stood on stage while the organizers earnestly tried to squeeze some information him.

Questions like "When did you start lining up?" and "What games will you buy?" were left unanswered as the young man shook his head, refusing (or unable) to respond. The Japanese media would later catch up with him, confirming suspicions that the first PS3 buyer didn't understand Japanese. An eyewitness claimed the young man didn't purchase a single game for his brand-new PS3.

This is the true face of the PlayStation 3 debut in Japan. Hardcore gamers are not here waiting in line overnight, buying a first-run PS3, and running home to play some good old next-gen gaming. Rather, opportunistic Japanese businessmen have the largest presence, hiring poor Chinese men and women to wait in line for a PS3, one which will later be sold on web auctions to wealthy gamers around the world for exorbitant amounts of money.

THE LINE

Some waited patiently for the clock to strike 7 A.M., others pushed.

Around the corner of Bic Camera, the line continued on and was partitioned by a television news van. With one hour left of waiting, this became a troublesome spot for Bic Camera employees who tried to calm a crowd of increasingly agitated people, upset over the lack of organization, cramped spaces, and increasing number of people cutting in line. Soon pushing ensued, men began yelling at one another, and some women began crying for help.

Without the presence of Tokyo police officers, the Bic Camera employees were temporarily able to bring order to the line, most armed with their weapon of choice - ear-splitting megaphones.

The levy broke soon afterwards, as a truck attempted to pass through the narrow street, forcing the organizers to push back to the line closer towards the wall. Or in other words, squeezing together a line of people already packed like sardines.

The pressure was too much as the line busted open and more pushing ensued (which broke out in front of the waiting truck), causing those waiting in back to push forward, inching themselves closer to the finish line with a prideful Kutaragi waiting.

One man truly leveled-up - the chaos allowed him to push forward from roughly 200th in place all the way up to 20th in line.

The Tokyo police would eventually arrive just prior to 7 A.M. - fifty minutes after the pushing first took place.

A gruff-looking Bic Camera manager was the first to realize the problem - nobody in line understood the directions his employees were screaming. He quickly grabbed one of his Chinese-speaking employees, put him on top of a ladder, handed him a megaphone, and instructed the young man to address the crowd in Chinese.

CLOCK STRIKES SEVEN

To the relief of everyone, the final countdown took place at 6:59 A.M. as Kutaragi made a quick speech and officially kicked off the retail debut of PlayStation 3.

But what took place at the cash registers moments later would put a big, fat exclamation point on what can only be described as a failure of a hardware launch.

"Thank you for your patience!," welcomed the cashier to the first PS3 buyers. "What game software would you like with your purchase?"

"Hai," the consumer nodded, not understanding the question.

Most cashiers soon figured out that the men and women standing in front of them didn't speak Japanese. Some would then repeat the same question in English, and would all get the say reply, "Only hardware."

Based on my observations of the first twenty PS3s sold at Bic Camera, they were all purchased by Chinese nationals, none of whom bought any software. After making their purchase, television crews asked for interviews but all were declined. These temporary owners of PS3s would then make their way down the street where their bosses waited. After several minutes, a dozen PS3s were rounded up, as their Japanese business manager paid out cash to those who waited in line for them. I witnessed a homeless-looking Chinese man, in his sixties or seventies get paid 20,000 yen for his services and was then sent away.

The sales spree continued back over at the registers, and not everything was running smoothly. One elderly Chinese man, next in line to buy a PS3, was in a state of panic. He explained to a Bic Camera employee that his "friend" has his money, but that he is further back in the line. After further investigation, these poor Chinese are not given the 60,000 yen to purchase the PS3 until minutes before their reach the registers, perhaps out of fear that some will run off with the money. The Bic Camera employee assisted the elderly gentlemen, escorting him back to the cash registered after he received the cash from his good "friend."

The transactions continued, tired-looking Chinese carried away their newly purchased PS3s, and avoided eye contact with journalists asking for interviews. All but one young man - a Chinese exchange student studying in Japan. He was willing to go on camera and was excited to talk about his new purchase.

The television reporter started off with a few questions that the young man didn't understand, so she stuck to simple questions: "Why is PS3 good?"

"It's interesting," the young student said with a grin.

"What game will you play on your PS3?" she asked.

"The tennis game," he replied. Among the four software titles that launched with the PS3 in Japan, there was only one sports title - Sega's golf game. The student was perhaps referring to the recently released "Minna no Tennis" on PlayStation 2. Either way, it was obvious he was no gamer.

The young man would later head over to Yurakucho Station, where he added his purchased PS3 to a collection of consoles bought by his friends, which no doubt will be sold online in an auction later today.

TIME FOR CHANGE

Today I witnessed the most disturbing side of the video game industry in my three decades of game fandom. It's not the Chinese that I'm upset about. Who can blame them? If you're poor and without a good job in Japan, 20,000 yen to wait in line isn't a bad deal. And for ambitious people like the Chinese students I encountered who scored five PS3s, this hardware launch could net them thousands of dollars in profit through online auditioning - that's more money for them to spend on tuition. These are the lucky Chinese kids in Japan, getting an education, and trying to get ahead in life. If these kids are good students, who's to say that they should be playing PS3 instead of using the console to afford more education?

But this story isn't about the hardships of Chinese in Japan. It's about how poorly run hardware launches are done in Japan and why they should change.

Sixty seconds before Kutaragi kicked off the launch, rain started to fall on hundreds of people in line, many without umbrellas. People were pushed and yelled at by out-of-control campers without the presence of a single police officer (even though a police box was located one block away), and hundreds more are still waiting outside as I write this, with the rain pouring down. Meanwhile, true Japanese gamers are waiting. Based on the record-breaking attendence of this year's Tokyo Game Show, there are tens of thousands of Japanese interested in playing (not selling) PlayStation 3. They are waiting for their chance to play Ridge Racer 7 or Genji II (or maybe not), but still the interest is there. And should they line up again when the next shipments of PS3s come in? Hell no. As evidenced by the ongoing DS Lite storages in Japan, patient Chinese and their crooked Japanese bosses will be there too, waiting.

This is the true story of the PlayStation 3 debut in Japan. This is the kind of expose that Japanese media are prevented to run because of their nationalism and close ties with big business. While it's honorable to not smear their own countrymen (Sony) for their botched launch, the truth must be told.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN

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 Chinese and opportunistic Japanese took full advantage of today.

If Sony and major retailers like Bic Camera or Yodobashi Camera are going to participate in launch day festivities like today, police need to be present.

If measures aren't taken to try and curb rampant scalping of hardware through online auctions, then retailers must address their customers - Mandarin-speaking Chinese. Don't bother having your employees shout into megaphones all morning long - nobody understands a word they are saying.

CONCLUSION

As a fellow foreigner studying in Japan, I can tell you the hardships that many of us face everyday. The intent of this story is not to point fingers at hard-working Chinese nationals. Rather, I think this subject needs to be brought to light. This is the truth that no Japanese media wants to touch.

Eds Note: Be Patient. The vids are still processing.

It's somewhere between 9-9:30am, and I'm getting on a train. Stop by home, drop off my laptop, say hi to the fam, think about collapsing, grab the car keys and drive.

GEO is a short ride from my house. The parking garage isn't crowded, but the front of the store is. There's about 15 people. All for the PS3?

I see a store staffer, whom I bugged earlier about my pre-order.

"Good morning."
"Hey."
"I think you'll be alright."
Oh?

The doors open, and we pile in. Two PS3s are purchased right away (including mine). The other customers snap up DS Lites. A few PLAYSTATION 3 reserves are made. This store received 7 PS3s total. The others will be held a week for those who reserved them.

59,800 yen later, the clerk hands me a blue bag with a PLAYSTATION 3 packaged up inside. My first impression? It's heavy. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's coverage continues.

Rumor has it that after Yodobashi Camera, Yamada Denki will be getting the second biggest shipment of PS3s in Osaka. And there's nobody here. 'Cept for me. And the cleaning lady.

A businessman appears, and I ask if he's waiting for the PS3. He says he is. "There's no one here."

Why?

"Everyone's lined up at Bic and Sofmap. They're going to register for those lotteries to see if they get a PS3 and then come here, I guess. The Yamada lottery is later."

And nobody, I mean nobody is here. The otaku in Den Den Town are that organized. Brian Ashcraft

Moving south. On foot again. Bic Camera is around her somewhere. There's a line. Must be over 100 people here, 120 at most. They're not waiting for a chance to buy the PS3, but a chance to enter a lottery to get a chance to buy the PS3. (In the span of the next hour, the line will grown to a couple hundred.)

The guy at the front, with bad teeth and dry lips, tells me he got there at 2:30am.

I'm coming up on Sofmap in Den Den Town. There's a line, doubled up, of about eighty. At the front of the line, there are a handful of guys with orange hair, pierced faces, playing cards. Otaku, these are not.

To not interrupt their game, I ask a pimply-faced guy right behind them what time he arrived. Half past six he says. That's when I see the hat wearing college students. One's in a baseball cap, the other in a bucket hat.

"Hey," they say.
Hey.
Likewise, they're just soaking up the atmosphere. "It's like a festival", Baseball points out.
"Seems like everyone who wanted at console went to Yodobashi Camera," Bucket says. "There really aren't that many here."
Comparatively, yeah. He's right.
"Have you checked out Yamada Denki?"
No, actually.
"You should. You'll be shocked what you see. It's sad, really."
And with that, I'm off. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's coverage continues: In front of Yodobashi Camera in Osaka. Around 7am.

And of course, the rain just makes everything worse. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's coverage continues. Here we are in front of Yodobashi Camera in Umeda.

These are the battle hardened. The security guard's head-count puts them at 300 strong. All without tickets. Over a thousand of those tickets have been passed out, long away. Each of those ticket holders have been ushered into the store to purchase the PS3.

These 300 have standing in the rain for hours. The security guard at the end of the line continues to usher stragglers, inviting them to wait it out.

"They're not gonna get a console," I tell a pair of college students wearing caps standing in earshot. One's a baseball, the other's a bucket hat.

"Well, they might. But they'll be 20GB models," Bucket Hat tells me.

"And that's a waste," he adds. Brian Ashcraft

More of Bashcraft's coverage.

Rain hit. And hard. We weren't let in, and the throng dispersed, rather, the throng with pre-reserves. They hid under umbrellas. In doorways. In convenience stores. Watching Yodobashi Camera across the street. Intently.

Those without reserves, stood it out. On the slim chance that they might pick up an unclaimed console.

The security guards told us to move towards the door. We did. All of us. (Current head counts puts the number over a thousand.) Can't be sure.

Right now, I've crammed myself into a photo booth. I am ten feet or more from the doorway. My laptop up on my knees. This is the only available seat. And it's mine.

Wet, impatient people are pushing. And that doorwary to Yodobashi Camera, it looks tiny. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's coverage continues.

"Do your fucking job! It's because you're not that this is happening. You listening? You idiot. You disgust me."

That's the tail end of an ass chewing I hear. The droopey mop of hair in the white jacket has just unleashed on a security guard. The security guard doesn't even have a night stick. Just a walkie-talkie. And a hat.

The Yodobashi staffer with a peanut head rushes over, threatening to boot people from line.

Here's the deal. We have tons of people lined up, ready to shell out $600 for a game console. It's late, and we're all tired and bitchy and tired. Droopey is pissed because two women are "cutting" in line.

He's now spewing venom at the two women. They too are idiots. "The end of the line is over there! That isn't the end, ya morons."

Thing is, for a jerk, he's right. Brian Ashcraft

The middle of the night. There are over a thousand people in line. Yodobashi in Osaka just closed sales. Can't wait until the trains start running, and a face wave of disappointed faces appear. Brian Ashcraft

While Ashcraft has you covered for all the PS3 launch madness in Osaka, I just biked over to the main Bic Camera store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district — I specify "main" because there are 5 of them here, which I believe is where the chain started — to have a look, and what they've done is set up a line in the back of the store, inside a park. As of midnight, I can say that there are already several hundred people queuing, quite possibly a thousand. What you see here is the start of the line, with more after the jump.

At first I was just in shock when I got to the front of the store to see absolutely no one, except this guy standing in front, yelling instructions.

Looking way to the right, you can see this guy with a sign pointing to where you need to go.

This kid must have the greatest mother ever, coming to queue with him all night.

There's the sign. You gotta love this level of organization. I was just talking with my friend Brad, who's at the Bic Camera store in Yurakucho, where it's pretty much chaos since the store is not allowing any official queue until the 5:00, and so there are currently a few hundred people hovering around the store.

End of the line, baby!

See the lovely cones! See the people waiting in line!

The park even has a small temple, so I imagine you can stop by for a few prayers, to increase your chances of getting your hands on a PS3.

Is he feeling lucky? I wonder what his chances are of getting one.

French blogger and Kotaku reader Thomas Bertrand sent along this video of the line at Osaka's Yodobashi Camera. It's at 9pm, earlier tonight, and will hopefully give you a good feel of what it's like out here on the front lines. Hint: It sucks. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft's PS3 Japan launch coverage continues.

The crowd has grown. Considerably. A round secuirty guard holds up a sign marking the end of the line, which now is segmented into three compact zigzags. Yodobashi Camera staff, wearing white sweaters and khakis circulate.

"It's only one per-person. Sir. One-per person. If you cannot understand that, I will have to ask you to leave the line." A peanut-headed Sweater says.

Place holder tickets are being passed out. One by one. It's not quite 10pm.

"How many of those tickets do you have?" I ask a Sweater.
My previous question of how many consoles are coming in, didn't jive.
"I don't know."
"How can you not know? You work for Yodobashi Camera, right?"
He inches away slightly.
"The end of the line is over there," he points out.
"I know."
"You can't tell me, right?"
Inches become feet.

Line sitters take pictures of their reserve tickets with camera phones and talk about posting them online. They're good as gold. When Yodobashi Camera hands you one of those, they've all but handed you the console.

I approach one. Snap a pic of his ticket. There are at least 600 consoles. And the line shows no sign of ending. Neither does tonight. Brian Ashcraft

Bashcraft 's relatively live coverage of the Japan PS3 launch continues.

Furitive glances. Odd couples move through dark allies as Nipponbashi comes alive at night. The neighborhood is just south of Namba's hustle and bustle. Quiet comparatively, behind closed doors and dotted with love hotels and health salons.

Tonight I am on the move. Goal: cover as much of the PS3 launch as humanly possible. Nevermind that I actually want to buy a PS3 myself. Nevermind that the store never contacted me today to confirm my pre-order. Forget that, not important, cover the event, keep moving. Like a shark.

Hours later, here I am again at Bic Camera. The front of the store tells me there will be lottery. Tickets given out between 9 and 10. Drawing at 11. I peak around back to see if there's anyone lined up.

There is a couple. Playing a white DS Lite. An English study game, the woman tells me in Japanese. Note: They aren't waiting for the PS3, but taking a study break.

Head further south. Den Den Town. Likewise, Sofmap is doing a lottery in the morning.

The front of the store is deserted, save for a homeless couple folding cardboard boxes. A Sofmap comes out and dumps several garbages in front of them. They pick through them. One by one.

And I back track all the way to the station. Must. Keep. Moving. Brian Ashcraft

First and foremost, I'm working off of Japanese stereotypes here. Old leathery skinned men, who have beards, smoke and drink sake from paper boxes are typically thought to be winos. Old leathery skinned men, who have beards, smoke drink sake from boxes, smell like a dumpster and have bags of old magazines are typically regarded as homeless or homeless winos.

In front of Yodobashi Camera in Osaka, there are at least 15 or more of these types waiting in line. The youngest looks to be fifty. They are all grouped together in a line that goes form otaku, otaku, otaku, old man, old man, old man, old man, otaku, otaku, otaku. They stick out. Bad. A nearby tree, three of them congregate, talking to the others in line.

I approach one in line.

ME: "What are you waiting for?"
OLD MAN: "Dunno."
ME: "Are you waiting for the PS3?"
OLD MAN: "Dunno."
ME: "Are you going to buy it?"

He looks at me hard, mumbles to himself and turns away. I try to press him, and he starts getting annoyed, telling me to leave him alone. Perhaps he just hasn't shaved. Or showered. Perhaps he has grandchildren. Perhaps he loves Sony with all his heart. But remember: If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it just might be a homeless wino waiting in line to buy a PS3. Brian Ashcraft

This is the beginning of Bashcraft's PS3 Launch coverage. Check back for regular updates.

It has begun. I'm in Osaka's Umeda Station, and it's a little past 5pm. People are coming and going, and the city is influx. Pushing my way through the crowd, making my way over to Yodobashi Camera.

Tomorrow morning, the PLAYSTATION 3 will launch in Japan. After a false start, the console has finally arrived. Over at Neo GAF, they posted a Famitsu pic of the Ikebukuro Bic Camera (and the eight people lined up out in front). And Gizmodo Japan reported that by 1pm, the line had grown to 25 people.

Earlier, I swung by Sofmap in Den Den Town to see what the status was. No line. Drawing for consoles tomorrow morning, come back then, a clerk told me. Come early.

Bic Camera in Namba, likewise, empty—save for some dude smoking. At around 4pm, not a single person lined up. And earlier I'd heard the same thing from Kotakuite Brad: The Bic Camera in Tokyo's Yurakucho was dead. The PS3 launch was looking to be bust.

It's hard to tell exactly what was going on in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Osaka. A throng of people cross the street. Foot traffic is heavy.

And that's when I see the line. It's about 200 people strong, and the first guy has been here since 7am. That's what he tells me.

Sony, they're here for your console. All 150 plus of them. Brian Ashcraft