PS3 consoles stolen in Japan

Mainichi Daily News reports a theft of 9.5 million yen's worth of the next-gen systems from a Tokyo-bound shipment.

A total of 180 PlayStation 3 consoles have been stolen from a freight forwarder's local office in Japan, reports the Mainichi Daily News.

Was it desperate gamers...or Yakuza?

Meitetsu Golden Aircargo called police at approximately 6:50 p.m. on the evening of December 5 to report that the consoles had been stolen. The PS3s were part of a shipment of 1,560 due to be distributed to retailers in the Kanto region of Japan, including the Greater Tokyo Area, Gunma, and Chiba. At around 1:30 p.m., an employee checked the consoles and found that 180--valued at 9.5 million yen (around $82,500)--had "disappeared."

Sony's PS3 launched in Japan on November 11, with an initial shipment estimated at approximately 80,000 units. A string of crimes has dogged the console's release in the US, including a robbery in California, muggings in Oregon, and the shooting of a man waiting in line in Connecticut.

225 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Dec 17, 2006 3:43 pm PT

    So I guess they got away then?

  • Morhavoc_IRL

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 3:36 am PT

    why didnt i think of that......too late? probably...ill just have to wait in line goddammit

  • Rhubarb9

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 3:07 am PT

    Cloud737
    At least the Japanese are less desperate and more patient than US people, as less ps3 thefts have happened in Japan.

    the overall crimerate in japan is much lower than the US.

  • chazzx21

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 12:09 am PT

    Someone needs to check their math. $82,000 worth... that's like 5 PS3's.

  • frogman666

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 10:24 pm PT

    lol people sure are risking alot to get these consoles but I wonder just how easy it was to pull it off

  • Fauij

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 6:08 pm PT

    some 1 had a merry chirstmas or hannahkah or eid or whatever they celebrate............

  • deaethsymbolic

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 2:35 pm PT

    sounds like 360

  • Dante565

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 12:10 pm PT

    TWOC2689-Sony the Official company of Evil!! ROFLMAO

  • SnowFarmer

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:50 am PT

    If they noticed the consoles were missing at 1:30 why did they wait until 6:50 to call the police?

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:26 am PT

    PS3s are stolen everywhere. Maybe Sony should have waited with their launch.

  • TWOC2689

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 8:57 am PT

    Sony, Your official company of EVIL!

  • sasuke55

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 7:16 am PT

    wow that is a lot of units. OMG!!!!!! People need to stop.

  • Cloud737

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 6:50 am PT

    At least the Japanese are less desperate and more patient than US people, as less ps3 thefts have happened in Japan.

  • Mobius007

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 5:06 am PT

    OMG not PS3s.. less PS3s coming really bad news for us >

  • Simsyas

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 4:24 am PT

    Well, at least no one got hurt.

  • faizali86

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 3:11 am PT

    wow, ps3s are like gold or diamonds!

  • Doolum

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 3:02 am PT

    Well i guess even the japanese are desperate for the PS3.Tell them to go and steal Wii instead ( there seem to be an abundance of them already ).

  • Dolacide

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 1:11 am PT

    So does any press equals good press apply here.

  • ewjim

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 1:01 am PT

    Stupid mother******* ! They can't get away with this!

  • dholmes19

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 10:30 pm PT

    maybe armored guards would help??

  • SecretWasianMan

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 8:22 pm PT

    I wonder if the 360 thefts and last year's DS thefts have anything to do with this. I sense a connection. *grabs pipe and magnifying glass*

  • Daffy101

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 8:21 pm PT

    Sony should start selling the rest of their PS3's this year on EBAY to help with their debt.

  • Daffy101

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 8:18 pm PT

    Dante565
    "Yea all i need is Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker and I sense Rush Hour 3 will be in the making soon. LOL "

    it already is

  • paranoiasurviva

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 7:02 pm PT

    lol, owned

  • PuffstaJones

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:43 pm PT

    this (probably these) guy(s) is(are) gonna make big bucks.

  • Dualmask

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:38 pm PT

    Is anyone really surprised about this? The console's worth $600 bucks retail and nigh-impossible to obtain now. Many less expensive electronics have been stolen in the past. It has nothing to do with Sony or Nintendo, it's simply jackasses committing crime so they can flip the units for cash.

    What sucks is that this is a minor, but noteworthy blow to the fact that Sony is having trouble producing enough units to satisfy demand. Bad enough they don't have enough, but some of the few they do have are getting stolen? It sucks.

  • tr00pa_26

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    everyone wants them

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:07 pm PT

    probably Ebayers wanting to scalp some more idiots

  • ChaosSpaceTroop

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:02 pm PT

    Not gonna lie, only reason I clicked this link is because of Bunta Sugawara. YAKUZA PAPERS ROCKS!

    Oh, and boo, consoles were stolen...

  • slayer1090

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:44 pm PT

    has any nintendo consoles end up in shootings or muggings before?

  • dhmy2kgto

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:43 pm PT

    Goes to show how much in demand people want the PS3, haha....

  • ZabuzaR

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:41 pm PT

    Wow... These crimes are going way to far.

  • gforce007_basic

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:41 pm PT

    Yea, with all this ps3 related crime, you'd think that the only people who play PlayStation are.......criminals.

  • Outlawlaw

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:36 pm PT

    jerks exist all over the world. imagine that.

  • tigerfan1993

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:25 pm PT

    dragg0n, how is this a low blow to sony, it is just desperate gamers (or yakuza... lol) wanting to get there PS3 which is MADE by Sony, it is not directly tied to Sony.

  • dragg0n

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:19 pm PT

    Oooooh, another low blow to Sony that will not help them get more units to the public. Go Wii (and Xbox to a much lesser degree)!

  • Hell-Fire21

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:14 pm PT

    Flippin' yahoos. Can't find a good hobby like KNITTING or somethin'. Lmao

  • jazilla

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 5:09 pm PT

    lol Lou....lowjack PS3 FTW!

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:56 pm PT

    i gues nobody likes stealing teh wii...all the people stealing the consoles are targeting ps3s

  • Bathyj

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:41 pm PT

    Man, when I finally get mine I'm going to brown paper bag it. You dont want to be seen on the street with a PS3, people will run you down in broad daylight.

  • lou2106

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:34 pm PT

    For $500 and $600, the PS3's should be equipped with some LowJack type system lol

  • LexLas

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:32 pm PT

    I wonder the same ? I think they can be tracked and they should get caught. Let see if they get gunned down like that guy here, but in their case it will be sword down like Lord of the Rings.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:11 pm PT

    wouldnt these console be able to be tracked once these go online?

  • djenhancr

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:53 pm PT

    Ha...and to think they're already planning Playstation 4.

    .....wow.

  • synapticflow

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:41 pm PT

    Whoa! Theft in Japan? What about the honor system that their society is based on? This is kind of surprising, but then again, there's always a jerk somewhere. It was probably some young Yakz.

  • Yomigaeru

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:35 pm PT

    Dirrty deeds, and they're done dirt cheap...

  • dennis8

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:29 pm PT

    lol first the 360, then the ps3. wats next? the wii? People are getting a bit too desperate...... or greedy

  • umbrae

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    This just says something bad about people interested in the PS3. It is treated more like a drug than a game console.

  • GeminiEntity

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    PS3 is definitely in demand, that's for sure.

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