Playstation store San Francisco: Playable PS3’s and launch day info

Want to play the PS3 early? Head over to the PlayStation store in downtown San Francisco. Wedged into an amphitheater style corner of the store are five playable PlayStation 3’s and a huge TV with Sony telling you how great the system is. After being specifically told not to take pictures, I snapped this one from my pocket. Getting by the velvet ropes to play is pretty easy, all you have to do is ask. In fact, the staff was asking anyone watching if they wanted to play because there was barely anyone lined up. So many people said no and walked away that I actually started to feel bad for Sony.

After playing a couple of games, I then spent a good deal of time talking to the staff about their launch day program. Not being to concerned with all the marketing hoopla going on that day, I’ll tell you about the event, and the games, after the break.

“From the horse’s mouth“

• Save your tents, there will be no camping. The line begins at 8 a.m. sharp on the 16th. A few people have already tried to set up camp early and were shoo’ed off property by security. As to where the line begins, no one knows. It seem the people in charge of herding you in are not store employees.
• The exact number of units available is, of course,  still “unconfirmed.” After lamenting to the manager guy about the dismal number of units other stores (EB, GameStop) were getting, he said their store would at least have “Quite a few.” This is, after all, one of Sony’s very own PlayStation stores. If they aren’t getting the lion’s share of units then Sony is in more trouble than people think.
• No tickets! Some other stores will be handing out tickets pre-order style so that you can come and go as you please. If you want to get your hands on a system here, I suggest you bring a very comfy chair. The store will start selling units at exactly 12:01 a.m. Nov. 17. First come, first served. Expect to be in line for over 16 hours.
• No bundles. If all you want is the PS3 then you’re in luck. Unlike some unscrupulous vendors, you don’t have to buy a billion games just to get a system.

That’s all the info I could squeeze out the store employees. For all you out-of-towners coming to the city to try your luck, a few pieces of advice. Bring a friend. The closest public bathroom is around four hundred feet away, and inside. Also, dress in layers and bring an umbrella. San Fran’s weather is unpredictable at best. If you want your picture up on D-toid, look for the guy in a black sweatshirt that says “Lugnuts.” I’ll be there all day.

If you want to try out the system before you buy, here is the list of games available for you to demo:

• Tony Hawk’s Project 8
• Resistance: Fall of Man
• Genji: Days of the Blade
• MotorStorm
• NBA 07
  
• MARVEL:ULTIMATE ALLIANCE