Who's Hardcore? Fans Wait in Line for PSP
- March 24, 2005 09:47 AM PST
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The PSP finally launched this morning at midnight, but fans had been lining up since yesterday to ensure that they'd get their hands on Sony's new portable.
If you missed out, then you'll have to wait a little bit for the next shipment, but in the meantime, take a look at our comprehensive PSP guide to help you decide what to get. Or, if you were the lucky few, the hardcore who waited in line (or presciently pre-ordered), you can pick out what other games might strike your fancy.Wednesday I went by the Metreon to check out the action. Even though I got there as early as 5, there were already people in a line that stretched down the block. Richard Roth, 23, is way more hardcore than you. He was the very first in line at the Metreon Wednesday--in fact, he had started the line Tuesday morning at 8 AM with a chair, a sleeping bag, and a backpack of supplies to endure the drizzling rain. "We got kicked off this side of the street last night," he said, "so we had to go across the street. At one point a family came up to us and offered us food because they thought we were homeless!"
Richard, it turns out, is something of an expert at camping out. He was there for the PS2 launch in 2000. "I was 150th in line then! So I made sure to get here sooner so I don't miss it." Okay, Richard, enjoy your PSP! You deserve it.
Dan Maxwell, 20, took his place in line at 8 AM Wednesday morning. "This is the first time I've camped out for anything," he said. "But if you don't get it now, you can't get it for a month." His buddy in line, Mike Jeffries, 24, qualified as hardcore at number two. Mike was playing games on a mobile phone. I asked him why he was waiting for a PSP when he already had a portable gaming device, and he looked at me like I was crazy. "This is a phone," he explained patiently. "Look at the graphics. That's just a picture of water." Dan and Mike have been following the PSP for a while now. "I saw stuff on websites, the Japanese PSP, some concept art," said Dan. Are you a hardcore gamer? Dan laughed. "Less and less, since I got a girlfriend!"
But, why wait in the cold for something you can pre-order? "Because most stores bundle it with six games you don't want." Good call, Dan. You also qualify as hardcore.
So does gamer mom, Robin Wrablewski, 30, who pointed to young Isaiah: "He's the reason I'm here!" Isaiah has all the consoles, although Robin confided that the "Xbox is for me." Isaiah is looking forward to playing Twisted Metal: Head On. Robin is one dedicated mom--and, I suspect, a closet gamer. Would you play the PSP? "Only if there games on it I can play," she said. "I like easy games, like Mario Kart and Simpsons Road Rage." Sounds like she might get a kick out of Wipeout Pure.
But the award for more hardcore of all--or maybe, the most dedicated--has to go to Concepcion Solis, 18, of Oakland, who sat wrapped in her Hello Kitty blanket listening to her CD Player. She was there for her rabid gamer brother, who had work that day and asled her to fill in. "I've been here since ten," she told me. "My brother is so excited, he's been counting the days, counting the hours." Now that is one sweet sister. When her brother showed up, he had a gleam in his eye. Why so excited? "It's the graphics, it's portable--I mean, you can take it everywhere, even to work." Don't let your boss hear you say that, Arturo!
The PSP staff entertained the troops, handing out free knit hats and water, organizing raffles and giveaways, and in general trying to make the camp-out experience as painless as possible. But in spite of the increasing cold as the night wore on, no one seemed to mind being out there. There was a fair amount of joking around and excited talk. They all recognized something about themselves--the few, the proud, the truly hardcore. And when the stored opened at midnight, gamers finally got to go home with their prizes. And they deserve them!
Can't get enough PSP? Check out our reviews of launch titles:
Lumines: The combination of electronic music and softly psychedelic colors is spellbinding. It's like holding a mini rave in your hand. Turn it on--it's delicious. [Read Review]
Ridge Racer: Racing games are all the same--which makes them either timeless or boring, depending on your point of view. Namco's Ridge Racer for the PSP, though, is everything racing fans could want: solid graphics, tight controls, expansive courses, unlockable secret vehicles, and (of course) the multiplayer option. [Read Review]
Metal Gear Acid: Ultimately, Metal Gear Acid remains an intriguing--and flawed--niche title. [Read Review]
Wipeout Pure: [C]heck out the Zone--a stripped-down abstracted course of silver and white that's like some dreamscape. Your top speed gets faster and faster with each lap, and your only goal is to survive as long as you can before your shields go down. This is maybe the most blissful experience of Wipeout Pure -- and the purest form of racing. [Read Review]
