PlayStation 2 Pre-Order
10 September 2000
Trum-pa-pa-ruppa-pum-pum! It's me - Phoning Honey, the master of the telephone prank transcripts!
Once again I've been calling game shops to give them a piece of my pranking and, with the controversial PlayStation 2 pre-order scheme going live this week, it seemed like a good time to "roll out the pranks".
Hey now - the call words are for real, but the names of the people involved have been changed. Why? I don't know!
"INDEPENDENT GAMES LTD", BIRMINGHAM
IG: Independent Games.
US: Hello, mate. Are you doing this PlayStation 2 pre-ordering thing?
IG: Well we are, but, well, I don't know if we're still taking orders.
US: But you only started taking orders yesterday.
IG: We didn't. Because we're independent we started at the beginning of the week, but we're talking about refunding the deposits so far.
US: Refunding... deposits? Will you refund me a deposit?
IG: Did you pre-order a PlayStation 2 with us?
US: No.
IG: Then we're not going to refund you anything, are we?
US: I don't know.
IG: Well we won't. If you want to pre-order you can come in, but we can't guarantee you a machine this year.
US: You're a very brusque man.
IG: What's that supposed to mean?
US: You're very sharp. Abrasive.
IG: I don't know about that.
US: So, anyway, you want me to place a deposit for the PlayStation 2, but you can't guarantee that I'll get one?
IG: Oh no. We'll make sure you'll get one. But we can't guarantee you'll get one this year. There are only 70,000 coming into the country this year.
US: Look, I don't get it. You want me to put a deposit down for PlayStation 2 and can only tell me that I'll get one... "eventually"?
IG: It's entirely up to you. At least we're doing it the honest way. At least we're saying you may not get a machine, unlike a lot of other shops. And our deposit is a lot smaller.
US: Oo-er!
IG: Yeah.
US: So what's the point?
IG: What's the point in what?
US: Me pre-ordering a PlayStation 2. Didn't I read that the price is going to drop in the New Year?
IG: Yeah, apparently.
US: So why don't I just wait? It'd be like going to buy a round of drinks when I know the price of booze is going to be slashed in six months time, and asking the barman not to give me the drinks until then.
IG: Well it's up to you, mate.
US: And what do you think of the PS2?
IG: It's alright. We've got a Japanese machine set up in here. It's alright.
US: Is it better than the Dreamcast?
IG: Dunno.
US: Are you busy?
IG: Yes.
US: Really?
IG: Yes.
PHONECALL ENDS
Do you know of any important moments from the annals of Digi history that have been omitted? If so, then mail me (superpage58@gmail.com) right now, man. Credit will be duly given for anything that gets put up.
