Gamers lined up by the thousands early on Friday, aiming to be one of the first in the United States to buy Sony Corp.’s (6758.T) PlayStation 3, the multimedia and video game machine that is key to the future of the beleaguered electronics and media conglomerate.
Several of the weary shoppers had queued for more than two days outside Sony’s midtown Manhattan store and had improvised creature comforts from street junk. They turned discarded bags of shredded office paper into billowy chairs and a lamp shade sheltered one man from the rain.
The celebratory tone overshadowed what has so far been a tough year for Japan’s Sony, which has suffered through a recall of nearly 10 million of its computer batteries, delays in the PS3 and a growing price war in the flat screen TV market.
Shrugging off his company’s woes, Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer made light of himself before the crowd of gamers, most of whom were dressed in sweatshirts, jeans and T-shirts.
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