stupidity Did you get a PS3 this year? If you did, you're one of the few, the proud, and the stupid. Due to what I've come to call the "Cabbage Patch Effect," (aptly named after the first toy craze I can remember) demand for the video game systems far outweighed supply, and people have been injured amongst the masses attempting to get their hands on the sparse units available. The frenzy starts several days before, when people start setting up camp on the cold hard sidewalks outside stores, awaiting the exact minute when the consoles become available. Media outlets show up, driving the hype to a new level and encouraging more people to participate in the insanity. When the sale is finally given the green light, usually at midnight on the date of release, the tired, frustrated, and often malodorous wanna-be gamers push, pull, elbow, shove, trample, punch, and even shoot at each other in order to be one of the first to own new gaming system.
So what do those few people get for all their troubles? A bug-ridden, overpriced, first-issue gaming system that doesn't have many games developed for it yet. This year we've seen a new kind of "bug" with the Nintendo Wii systems. The motion detection game controller allows people to step even further into the games than ever before. Playing baseball? Swing the remote like a bat to make the game respond. Fishing? Cast your line with the controller and the game mimics your movements. Drawbacks? If you become too engrossed into the game and a bit overzealous with your movements, the wrist strap can break, sending the remote sailing across the room. Several people have been left with broken household items, injuries, and even shattered their television sets. Although Nintendo has taken steps to correct the issue, it makes one wonder if it was really worth all that trouble. (See Wii Have a Problem for stories and photos of the damage.)
Those who didn't manage to get their new toys at the store, there's always eBay. But hot items generally sell for a ridiculously inflated price, which is a further testament to the idiocy prevalent in society today. And beware of sellers who like to take advantage of the hype or you may end up paying $500 for an empty box. (Side note: I have a low tolerance for stupidity. If you don't take your time and fully read the description of the item on the auction block, then you are a moron and you deserve an empty box. Whoever started that trend is brilliant, and I wish I'd thought of it.)
In this day of instant gratification, people don't want to wait for anything. A little bit of common sense will tell you that after the Christmas rush is over, the systems will be more widely available. A few months after that, the major bugs will have come to light and later releases won't have the issues seen in earlier versions. By the time summer rolls around and students on break have more time to spend playing games, the choice in available games will be greater. And by next Christmas, when people have focused on the next "must-have" toy or item, the price on these consoles will drop a considerable amount. Especially in these cases, there's a lot to be said for restraint and patience. Save your money, your trouble, your television, and possibly your life, and just buy a new game for last year's model instead. What have you got to lose by waiting?
Don't forget what happened to dear Veruca Salt and her "I want it NOW" mantra. It rarely pays off in the end.
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