Kotaku: Robbery

Arizona GameStop Robbed, Money and PS3 Stolen

fdemarco — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:00:00 MST

Two armed men robbed a GameStop store in Arizona on Tuesday, taking with them some cash and a PS3. The two men had apparently been casing the store and then went in around closing time demanding money and then forcing the clerk get them a PS3 from storage before escaping on foot. I certainly don't condone robbery, but if you're going to go to all the trouble to hold up a game store and take the time to make the clerk go in the back and get you a PS3, wouldn't you probably load up on other stuff too? (Insert "Not enough titles for the PS3" joke here) If you're going to do the crime and risk jail time, at least make it worth it.

Men rob game shop, demand Playstation [AZCentral]

Playstation Heist In Belgium

fdemarco — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:00:00 MST

Kotakuite Bargo sends in this little story from Belgium via De Standaard Online. Thankfully he translated because I couldn't read a word of the original source myself. Apparently, two thieves entered a warehouse with automatic weapons and tied up the warehouse manager. They then proceeded to load a truck with three hundred Playstations which must have been grueling as it is reported that it took them two hours to haul in their purloined booty. The estimated cost of the incident rolls in around 150,000 Euros. Ouch! No leads on the robbers or their whereabouts, but fortunately the warehouse manager was unharmed. Looks like the Belgian PS3 black market is about to get very full.

Overvallers stelen 300 Playstation-consoles in Vorst [De Standaard Online]

Suspected PS3 Thief Killed By Sherrif's Deputy

fdemarco — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 14:34:36 MST

Just when you thought the whole PS3 launch ugliness was behind us, comes this terrible piece of news from North Carolina.

Friday evening, a New Hanover County sheriff's deputy shot and killed 18 y.o. Peyton Strickland in the door of Strickland's home. Strickland was suspected in the Nov.17th armed robbery of a University of North Carolina Wilmington student for his PS3 and some games. There are not a lot of details in the case yet, but what is known is that officers arrived at the door to serve Strickland a search warrant in connection with the robbery case. Strickland answered the door and a loud fight ensued ending with not only the death of the young man, but his German shepherd, Blaze, as well. Strickland's roommate (pictured right), who was home at the time, said the man was unarmed when he answered the door.

A full investigation has already been launched by the New Hanover County District Attorney, Ben David who says he has made this his top priority and will show no favoritism towards the deputy.

"No one's above the law. If there's any criminal conduct that can be established, I'm not going to hesitate to treat them as any other defendant."

I'm still completely floored by the senseless deaths and violence surrounding something that is supposed to be an entertainment. How many more lives will the great PS3 gods require before they will finally be appeased? Flynn De Marco

Deputy kills teen while serving warrant [Wilmington Star | Photo by Paul Stephen]
[via YouNewb]

Man Robs Gamestop for Xbox Core System; There Are Too Many People Named Jeff

egauger — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 17:20:10 MDT

Tipper Jeff writes in to point and snigger at a man in an unfortunate shirt who committed ghastly crimes against God and GameStop:

The man, who was the last remaining customer in the store, pointed a revolver at two employees and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, an X-Box game system and two games.

Furthermore, says Jeff, the poor bastard went to all that trouble to relieve the retail chain of an Xbox core system. Pshaw.

As an aside, I personally cannot tell the core system from the premium just by looking at this grainy security photo. Perhaps I lack a certain finesse in these matters.

Further aside than that, if your name is Jason, Jeff, Brian, Rob, Mike, Chris, John, Erin, Erica or Jen, please choose a cool nickname and start demanding that people call you by it exclusively. My Mike quotient has become so swollen (I know at least six or seven, and meet a new one every few days) that I've taken to demanding they choose an alternative when we are introduced. The last Mike is known only as Mikatron, and the Chris I met on Saturday night is now "Fetus".

I suggest the rest of you poor cursed fools with unimaginative parents start choosing nicknames now, so you aren't saddled with something filthy and ludicrous should I ever chance to shake your hand. Eliza "D-Day" Gauger

Video game store robber sought [DallasNews]

Nintendo Calms Euro Gamers' Furrowed Brows

brownlee — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:40:12 MDT

In response to news that an entire truck full of DS Lites was stolen by some intrepid Hong Kong robbers, Nintendo has issued a response, assuaging flustered European gamers that the DS Lite supply has not, we repeat, not been noticeably compromised:

"There will be little impact on the European supply as the licensed producer is rushing additional output," said a Nintendo spokesperson.

Look, Nintendo, I don't care. As the Kotaku representative tasked with purchasing three ebony DS Lites bright and early Friday morning, I'm frankly relieved that you have furnished me with a prime excuse to sleep through my obligations. As long as I can buy at least one black DS Lite to sell on eBay, I'm happy. Give me another to buy off goth gaming grrl Gauger's affections, I'll be positively giddy. And if I can manage to get a third one to send off to the grand prize winner of Kotaku's DS Lite giveaway contest? Yeah, that's okay too, I guess. Florian Eckhardt

DS Lite Raid 'Won't Harm Europe Launch' [Next Generation]