Boston Mayor Plans To Bill Sony For PS3 Crowd Madness
from the pay-up dept
Following the various messes caused by so many people lining up to buy Sony PS3s last week, Joystiq points out that Boston's mayor has said he plans to bill Sony for the crowd control that was necessary when 500 people stormed the doors at the Sony Style store in Boston as the consoles went on sale. Joystiq wonders if other local officials will do the same. They note that some stores handled the crowds much better than others, in terms of how they organized those who were lined up -- including whether they allowed pre-orders, or at least explained the basic process for getting one of the coveted game consoles. Either way, it may represent yet another cost for Sony to overcome in actually making the console profitable.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Hardly Sony's Fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Hardly Sony's Fault
they created a false shortage to hype up the product. they knew what would happen.
I agree , they knew what would happen since they released it within their own country and seen the results. This was foreseeable especially the injuries. Not only should walmart be suied for the shooting incident but so should sony.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
totally sony's fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: totally sony's fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: totally sony's fault
Compare how many Wii stories there are versus PS3 stories and you'll see my point. Sony did it intentionally, so did Microsoft with the 360, and also Nintendo with the Wii, though to a much smaller extent.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: totally sony's fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: totally sony's fault
At least by reading this thread should be able to tell who is a fanboy around here and whos not. I dont have anything against sony but I wouldnt buy anything from Microsoft or sony on release day. Neither one of these company's have a very good track record for releasing quality hardware or enough to fill customers demand.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
False Shortage
They're manufacturing the things as fast as they can. If they SOLD OUT at $600 a console, you think Sony would make MORE money making more consoles, or LESS?
Or do you think Sony doesn't like money?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: False Shortage
Sony wouldn't make MORE money by selling more consoles. They make money on accessories and games, which aren't selling much since 90% of consoles are being flipping instead of being played.
The PS3 really wasn't ready to release for this holiday but Sony pushed it out anyway, because Nintendo has the right game plan this season.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: False Shortage
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: False Shortage
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: totally sony's fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: totally sony's fault
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The stores need to be charged, not Sony
Go Wii!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The stores need to be charged, not Sony
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The stores need to be charged, not Sony
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: The stores need to be charged, not Son
www.thatpoliticalblog.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The stores need to be charged, not Sony
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
of course it's billable
THis has been so hyped up, how could it have been anything less than a major event?
I think that all the police details are billable.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
vouchers, no. with pre-orders, you are gauranteed to pick up an item for like a week or whatever after it is released. (at least every pre-order i've had has had an extended period of time to pickup the product. after that, you wait or get a refund)
vouchers are something else. vouchers are reserved for a short time span. (normally 1 hour to 1 business day) after that, boom. the item is up for grabs. so people would line up to get the "leftover items"
but either way, there will be people lining up to get the voucher/preorder the very moment that time comes. so instead of waiting on nov. 18, they'll come in june 1st or whatever. still the same crowd. different date. that's all.
does any municipality have the authority to charge sony for causing the disturbance? i really don't know. i mean, i can be arrested for starting a riot but i am just practing free speech. i never said to riot. i just spoke passionately about the subject. others decided to throw rocks, set cars on fire, break stores...i never said to do that. yet if i'm the leader, i can get arrested, right?
so why not sony? they are doing the same thing. they hyped up the crowd to gather, never said be meand and whatnot. however it was their presence that caused it. where do we draw the line? individuals vs. corporations?
come on people. debate!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
BILL them all and let God sort it out
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: BILL them all and let God sort it out
Sony didn't force them to stand in line all night, the store didn't force them either. No one forced them to rush the doors.
This is the same mob mentality that comes into play during sporting events, but no one blames the sports teams for causing the disturbances, why should this be any different?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: BILL them all and let God sort it out
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: BILL them all and let God sort it out
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: BILL them all and let God sort it out
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anyone catch the video of the guy smashing a PS3 in front of guys waiting in line? SWEET!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mayor Menino blunders again
Menino never learned from the first Super Bowl that there should be an increased BPD presence in case the city residents and students repeated their actions.
It wouldn't have been to hard for Menino's office to have said "hey look at all the coverage predicting mobs of people gathering for this game console release just like they've gathered for previous game console releases. We should either increase our city police force for the night or better yet, encourage the retail stores to take responsibility and hire some additional private security for the night".
Some stores did this on their own but the ones who did not are now causing problems for Sony. It should be problems for the retailer.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I have an idea
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
rioters vs stores
if people riot, the rioters should be held responsible.
Sony was not irresponsible in their release of their product.
I'm not a huge fan of sony, but I Still have to say leave them alone in this case.
I don't recall california suing itself for casuing riots after the rodney king court ruling.
really. personal responsibility.
200 guys show up in a place, camp out for 2 days waiting for 100 items. yeah, there may be trouble.
is it the responsibility of the seller to keep the dopes under control? no.
if the cops see a giant group camping on a city street for days, maybe they should tell them to scram. come back in a day.
arrest the guy who threw the brick, that's waht I say.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sony not to blame
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Also, I remember reading this story when it came out, it was much longer than a paragraph, and IIRC, the rioting happened at a walmart or something. Hold on... I'll see if I can dig up the link.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
There is a slightly more indepth story about it, although with a bit of wording bias and personal opinion thrown in.
Besides, this is America, remember what it stands for! To go against a corporation is foolish and suicide. If sony gets billed, the demo*cough**cough* --terrorist win!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Taxpayers (individuals, families and businesses) pay the police to be ready to handle WHATEVER happens. They don't pay the police to only protect them during those times when everything is calm and NOTHING is happening.
If you bill Sony for the madness surrounding the PS3, then fairness dictates that you also bill the Patriots, the Sox, any organizer of political protests. And then logic dictates that you also bill extra for someone who reports a mugging, gets into a car accident, or asks a police officer for directions. Because heaven forbid that the police officers we pay for actually be required to ... do the jobs we paid them to do without taxpayers paying extra money -- money, I might add, that the officers involved wouldn't even see a cent of.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Shortage
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
yes, I'm from MA. I'll parhk my cah in your ass.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This sort of stuff happens, it isnt like it wasnt expected. It happened with the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 2. Hell, it even happened with Tickle me Elmo. And you know what? Didnt they make a movie about hot holiday items with Arnold Swartzenegger? -- Yeah, they did.
So who is to blame? Please, the officials in Boston had to of been blind to not see this coming.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
if sony purposfully incited people to act that way, they are responsible. NO different than someone starting a riot.
however, i find that very hard to prove.
so, i don't think sony will be charged. however, i think they knew about their product and didn't take the steps to provide a "safe launch"
ohwell. just my 2 pence.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sue Sony to hell
2. People, learn how to read, this wasn't just any store, it was a SONY store so it makes sense that they get the bill.
3. This is all about Sony getting some free publicity. If they wanted to avoid this they could have just made all the available consoles available for online ordering only and sold out just as fast (maybe even faster).
4. Those of you who compare this to LA riots, how silly. In that case, who do you send the bill to? LA city/county didn't start the insurrection, the people of LA did.
5. Unlike the erroneous statements made by others above, sports franchises often do reimburse the city from damages caused by rioting AND most times pay the city to help provide security during events so why should stores be any different.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Any customers who got arrested should pay fines that will help offset the cost
- Any company, not just Sony, that purposely creates this kind of environment should have to contribute to any damage it may cause.
For anyone who thinks the companies that do this are innocent. Think about this, they knew this would be an incredibly popular item, yet they only released enough to average 35 per store and then they sold them at a loss. They just wanted to be the next Elmo.
You have to give them credit though. This is better advertising than they'd get with a superbowl commercial and the loss they took was probably less than that commercial would have cost.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Any customers who got arrested should pay fines that will help offset the cost
- Any company, not just Sony, that purposely creates this kind of environment should have to contribute to any damage it may cause.
For anyone who thinks the companies that do this are innocent. Think about this, they knew this would be an incredibly popular item, yet they only released enough to average 35 per store and then they sold them at a loss. They just wanted to be the next Elmo.
You have to give them credit though. This is better advertising than they'd get with a superbowl commercial and the loss they took was probably less than that commercial would have cost.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Why bill Sony?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The funny thing is...
I don't know how many damn churches, funerals, gay pride parades(never seen on of these actually) I have seen that require police security. Is he going to bill them?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Who to sue?
Why not sue universal? they seem to be suing lots of companys now. why not give them a little bit of frivolousity ( if thats even a word ) LOL!! These stores pay property taxes, and all the employees pay income taxes, the mayor should sue himself for bieng an ass . Then Universal should sue the mayor for using the words ass and mayor because they probably think they own the words in some of their songs. by the way I'm playing GTA right now and cleaning my guns . anyone wanna go for a ride?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I might need a good lawyer
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Funny
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
They won't pay
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Gun Manufacturers
I think NOT... What ever happened to making people accountable for their actions?
That started going into the toilet with the plea aggremenst and softening of sentences for those who do the crime but do not have to do the time.
Stuff a sock in the bleeding heart liberals and ACLU and then this country may get back on track to what it once was. . . . .
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
typical
www.thatpoliticalblog.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
GROWNUPS FIGHTING OVER GAMES
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: GROWNUPS FIGHTING OVER GAMES
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
To all the morons above...
False shortage or not (and that is no crime), Sony in no way told people to go crazy and be anti-social. Each individual made a choice. Be it to stand in line peacefully, rob/attack people standing in lines, or anything of the sort.
Does Sony have a new mind control device that I don't know about? Oh wait, how would I know? We've all been implanted, the end is near.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Boston Mayor
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
while the republicans blame people for the actions of businesses. it all works the same. if a does something, it's b's fault.
for every dumb thing a deomcrat does, there's a republican behind him doing something just as stupid.
here's one, let's not tax large business or right people, because they are rich, they will employ people, who will give the gov't money in the "poor peoples" taxes. or lets not tax the rich, because they pay too much, and they are better off "investing" so corporations will grow, and pay employees more. no need for minimum wage.
NO NEED FOR MINIMUM WAGE? then, why do business send jobs overseas? because they get cheap labor. if there is no minimum wage, who's to say big corporations won't pay less than a dollar a day for wages? i know mcdondalds loves to cut costs, so i wouldn't put it past them to pay as little asthey had to.
so it goes both ways.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sheer Madness
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
SonyStyle is should have known
Knowing that, then they should provide enough security, plain and simple.
The police are right in billing sony. This event is beyond norms and goes beyond the regular responsibility of police.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Childish
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Personal Responsibility
If anyone should foot the bill, it should be the people who required crowd control. Allowing the blame to fall anywhere else only propagates our litigious mindset.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
#64 - you got it. THAT is the answer.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The American Way
[ link to this | view in chronology ]