Page 12 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #39 FREE Edition

PlayStation 2
A LAUNCH DAY RETROSPECTIVE
by Brian Lesyk
THE CALM
The March ’99 announcement of the upcoming PlayStation 2 console instantly triggered a
mental countdown timer for me. I knew I had to keep my finger on
the proverbial pulse to ensure I could reserve one at my local EB Games store. I asked the store’s team to keep me abreast of when the PlayStation 2 pre-order SKU popped-up in their system and, sure enough, they came through for me. On the same day I received notice that they were accepting pre-orders, I raced over the store and plopped down my twenty dollars (that was the minimum at the time) to secure my reservation. As I did so, I was told I was the very first person at their location to officially make a reservation. In subsequent weeks, the store would initiate several hundred more reservations, which
led me to worry just a tad. When
I voiced my concerns about my pre-order being fulfilled on launch day, they reassured me that the reservations were to be filled on a first come, first served basis. Surely, I had nothing to worry about, being as I was lucky enough to be their #1 slot in the pre-order hierarchy... right? RIGHT?!?
The hype and fervor behind
the PlayStation 2 increased exponentially over the course
of the following months prior to launch. It grew to a point where many industry insiders suspected that there might be an inadequate number of available consoles produced for launch day. Sony worked at a fever pitch to produce as many units as possible while endeavoring to quell any anxieties stemming from these rumors. But the die was already cast and many
retailers reacted in panic. One of those retailers was, of course, EB Games.
THE STORM
Just prior to
the PlayStation 2’s launch date, I received a recording on my answering machine from my local EB Games store. I could tell they were reading from a prepared script. The message was something to the effect of
“We regret to inform you that due to the overwhelming number of PlayStation 2 reservations, EB Games is regretfully forced to make a policy change regarding console pre-orders blah blah blah...”. The recording went on to state that
they were honoring PlayStation
2 pre-orders in the order of those customers who had paid-off their reservations in their entirety versus the order in which their reservations were made.
I think I jumped in my car and jetted off to the store before the message had even reached its end. Upon reaching my destination, I was greeted by the morose-faced EB Games manager who broke
the news. Other gamers who had received the same notice I did had already paid off their reservations and claimed their spots. My twenty- dollar deposit wasn’t going to cut it and I was subsequently bumped. There would be no PlayStation 2 for me on launch day... at least not from EB Games.
Dejected, I got back in my car. Driving past the local Circuit City store by chance, I had an epiphany. Circuit City wasn’t accepting pre- orders for the PlayStation 2, but I had previously noticed that they were still advertising in advance
of the system’s arrival. Desperate, I stopped in and inquired about what their plans were for the upcoming launch. The manager was coy with the exact details, but basically
said they would have at least one PlayStation 2 system available
for sale when the store opened
for business on the morning of Thursday, October 26th of 2000... just a few days away! My brow
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OLD SCHOOL GAMER MAGAZINE • ISSUE #39