Statement Gone Awry?

First off, despite striking similarities in attire, facial hair, and stride, the man buying the PS3 in this clip is NOT Harrogate. Though it may be a sibling.

Basically, as you can see from the clip, these guys buy a new PS3 on opening day and proceed to destroy it right in front of the "fanboys" lined up to overpay for their own. For those of you not up on the most recent gaming consoles, the Playstation 3 which released last week. There are two versions Basic (for $499) and Premium (for $599). Further, since the recent trend is to undersupply, there is a big demand. The average launch-day price of the systems on Ebay was an eye-popping $2600.

Now to the clip and their accompanying website...

When I first saw the news item, I admired the moxy and the statement I thought they were making (despite also giving Sony their 500-600 bucks). The Marxist in me revelled not only at the destruction but the resistance to the corporate teat of entertainment. That video games, freaking video games are approaching $1000 bucks retail and that people still line up and pay through the nose for it.

However, the website suggests something else. At best, they seem to want to irritate the fanboys with "senseless destruction." While I appreciate their willingness to poke sharp sticks at idiots, there is no message other than "Look! We are destroying what you covet! There is now one fewer console to buy and that means...well...it doesn't mean anything since my purchase takes it out of circulation whether I destroy it and let is slowly suck my brain power for hours on end." Now, if they smashed other peoples, now there's a statement. (My sense from the website and clip is that they are trying to get others to also commit PS3-icide and they do refer to updated videos but honestly I don't see them getting many takers.)

In the FAQ to their website, they ask for donations to commit their act (again watering the statement) AND ensure their potential donors that they will just not steal the money and take the PS3 by pointing out that they will make WAY more money off the video and advertising. In the immortal words of Scooby-Doo: "Scraggy!?!" They're not lashing out against the corporate baker, they are standing at the back entrance begging for a slice of the pie.

So close...and yet...actually not close at all.

At the very least, perhaps we can all take some voyeuristic pleasure in the act of destruction itself.

Southpaw

P.S. If anyone has $600, I could really go for a PS3.