Queuing Starts for UK PS3 Launch

via IGN


Sony and official retail partner Virgin Megastore have kicked off the UK launch of PS3 in fine style by setting up camp for early queuers inside the Virgin's Oxford Street branch, ready for the glitzy midnight opening on Friday.

With the promise of a roof over their heads, free drinks, food and some games - plus a taxi ride home once customers have purchased their PS3 - we expected people to be queuing up just to join the actual queue inside the store. So, you can imagine our surprise when we discovered only two people inside the makeshift 'camp'.

Ah well, at least 17-year-old Ritatsu Thomas, the first person in line for a UK PS3, was excited about the launch. He told us that he'd already been queuing for almost 10 hours but was looking forward to the night/day ahead. "This is the way to do a launch," he said. "There are security guards here and I've even heard the police will be here on Thursday night to make sure nothing happens."

Several big London stores have reportedly cancelled their midnight openings amid security fears. The Oxford Street Virgin Megastore is the only large high-street retailer opening its doors at midnight in central London.

Ritatsu told us he felt compelled to join the 'queue camp' after he was unable to secure a pre-order elsewhere. However, although excited about getting his hands on the next generation console, he would consider selling it "if eBay prices go silly and they're going for double".

Next in line was hardcore PlayStation fan Shanie Chatfield, who's been interested in PS3 since it was first announced at E3 2005 and thinks the console is "brilliant". "I know some people have been complaining about the price but I definitely think it's worth the cost," she told us. "It's not just a gaming console, it's an entertainment system."

Unfortunately, Shanie was just as surprised as we were that more people weren't already lining up. "It's certainly more low key than I thought it would be. I was expecting to be about tenth in line. I guess it could be because it's an expensive console. You could almost buy a 360 and Wii for the price of a PS3."

We'll have more on the exciting UK PS3 launch tomorrow, so stay tuned ready to hear how the queues have grown... or not.


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