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Did you camp out with your $600 dollars clutched tightly in your hot little hand? You weren't alone as others around the nation gathered their money, sleeping bag and warm clothing for their chance at the new PlayStation 3 made by Sony Corp. (SNE).

The video game console went on sale Thursday night at midnight and many die-hard video game players in  New York, San Francisco and elsewhere lined up days before to be among the first to own the new PlayStation.

Sony met them with pomp and circumstance, and a modicum of star power. About an hour before the consoles went on sale, the Sony chief executive Howard Stringer took to the stage in the lobby. He was followed by the rapper Ludacris, who carried a Playstation 3 and waved to the crowd, prompting wild cheering from the mostly male crowd of about 500. After buying the first console, Mr. Paredes held his sales bag over his head in triumph. “It was totally worth it. I’m going to go home, shower, and then play,” he said, as reported by this NYTimes.com article.