Purkeynator
CAGiversary!
- Feedback
- 148 (100%)
So it was exactly 10 years ago tonight at midnight that the Sony Playstation 2 was released in Japan. About this time stores in Japan had customers lined up for blocks just to get their hands on the hottest new game system. I remember I had to have one at launch too.
My launch unit is still working fine after all these years. Around 2002 it stopped playing the blue-backed cd games and I sent it to Sony for a free fix. Been working ever since. I still remember getting it on launch day. I drove around that night looking for a store that didn't have too long of a line, Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Toys R Us ect. All had ridiculously huge lines when I went looking around 9pm. I went home to bed disgusted. I couldn't sleep. I had to get one somehow.
So I had a thought in my brain. Being active duty military I wondered if the local Base Exchange might be getting any units. I drove to the BX at about 4am. There was only one guy in line camped out in front of the door. I parked the car and walked up excitedly and asked him how many units they were getting. To the best of his knowledge it was 4 units. We waited and chatted about games for hours and gradually more people started to show up and wait in line.
By the time they opened at 9am there was a sizeable line of hopefuls. The store opened and they regretfully informed us they had no units yet and were still waiting on the shipment. They took down our names in the order we arrived and we walked out. The first of us four walked out and stood around the front of the store. We didn't know what to do. Should we go home and come back? Should we stay and wait? Just then a UPS truck arrived. Were our consoles within this last beacon of hope?
They were. After waiting a few minutes for some packages to be unpacked and walked into the store we followed nervously. The store workers signed for the packages and started unpacking them immediately because they knew we were anxiously waiting. Finally one of the boxes shown a beautiful blue set of 2 PS2 systems when it was opened. There were two boxes for a total of 4 units as promised. We happily made our purchases. Some bought games and controllers too, I just purchased the console. I had already bought a memory card and extra controller a week prior at Target in anticipation of my purchase. I was lucky to have done so as memory cards were in high demand and short supply at launch.
After we made our purchases the store employees wanted us to gather around and have our picture taken so they could hang it on the wall. It was an honor to us and we were extremely happy just to have our units for $300 with no tax on launch day! As we walked out I heard other customers coming in and asking if they had any more PS2s and the employees beginning what I am sure would be a long day of answering the same question over and over.
Once I had my PS2 I carefully placed it in my trunk and looked around to make sure no one was following me. I had serious thoughts that I might get jumped for my PS2. I drove off base to Target where I had a coupon to get a discount on some PS2 games. I selected Street Fighter EX3 and SSX as my go to titles.
As I got home and hooked up my system and booted it on for the first time, I was blown away. Both titles blew my mind and I spent the whole day amazed and happy that I had called in sick for that day.
My launch unit is still working fine after all these years. Around 2002 it stopped playing the blue-backed cd games and I sent it to Sony for a free fix. Been working ever since. I still remember getting it on launch day. I drove around that night looking for a store that didn't have too long of a line, Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Toys R Us ect. All had ridiculously huge lines when I went looking around 9pm. I went home to bed disgusted. I couldn't sleep. I had to get one somehow.
So I had a thought in my brain. Being active duty military I wondered if the local Base Exchange might be getting any units. I drove to the BX at about 4am. There was only one guy in line camped out in front of the door. I parked the car and walked up excitedly and asked him how many units they were getting. To the best of his knowledge it was 4 units. We waited and chatted about games for hours and gradually more people started to show up and wait in line.
By the time they opened at 9am there was a sizeable line of hopefuls. The store opened and they regretfully informed us they had no units yet and were still waiting on the shipment. They took down our names in the order we arrived and we walked out. The first of us four walked out and stood around the front of the store. We didn't know what to do. Should we go home and come back? Should we stay and wait? Just then a UPS truck arrived. Were our consoles within this last beacon of hope?
They were. After waiting a few minutes for some packages to be unpacked and walked into the store we followed nervously. The store workers signed for the packages and started unpacking them immediately because they knew we were anxiously waiting. Finally one of the boxes shown a beautiful blue set of 2 PS2 systems when it was opened. There were two boxes for a total of 4 units as promised. We happily made our purchases. Some bought games and controllers too, I just purchased the console. I had already bought a memory card and extra controller a week prior at Target in anticipation of my purchase. I was lucky to have done so as memory cards were in high demand and short supply at launch.
After we made our purchases the store employees wanted us to gather around and have our picture taken so they could hang it on the wall. It was an honor to us and we were extremely happy just to have our units for $300 with no tax on launch day! As we walked out I heard other customers coming in and asking if they had any more PS2s and the employees beginning what I am sure would be a long day of answering the same question over and over.
Once I had my PS2 I carefully placed it in my trunk and looked around to make sure no one was following me. I had serious thoughts that I might get jumped for my PS2. I drove off base to Target where I had a coupon to get a discount on some PS2 games. I selected Street Fighter EX3 and SSX as my go to titles.
As I got home and hooked up my system and booted it on for the first time, I was blown away. Both titles blew my mind and I spent the whole day amazed and happy that I had called in sick for that day.
Last edited by a moderator: