Playstation Craze Not Felt in Torrington

TORRINGTON - Local shoppers were spared the mayhem Friday's release of the Sony Playstation 3 wrought on many communities in the state and throughout the country.
"We didn't have any incidents," Torrington police Sgt. Kerwin Anders said Friday. "There wasn't anyone camping in front of the stores."
The state of the art gaming system that costs between $500-$600 made its debut throughout the country early Friday with much demand and only a limited supply that led to violence in several locations, including a shooting in Putnam.
Michael Penkala, 21, of Webster, Mass. was shot in the chest and shoulder early Friday morning when two gunmen tried to hold up a line of 15-20 people standing outside the Putnam Wal-Mart waiting to buy the consoles at a around 3 a.m. in the morning. Penkala, who was listed in stable condition at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worchester, Mass., was shot when he refused to give the gunmen money, state police Lt. Paul Vance said. Another shopper in nearby Manchester was beaten and robbed of his PS3 just minutes after buying it at a store.
There were several other reports of unruly crowds and violence throughout the nation, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Indiana. The release was more peaceful in the city.
Employees at the Wal-Mart on Torringford Street referred questions about the release of the game system to the national headquarters. Wal-Mart corporate spokesman Jami Arms issued a statement from the corporation Friday night.
"It would be an understatement to say the PS3 has thus far been a very popular item at the Wal-Mart store in Torrington," Arms said. "The launch went very well and we are looking forward to offering our customers the Nintendo Wii on Nov. 19."
Some shoppers spent days camping out in front of the stores so they could be first to buy the new system. A Best Buy store in Boston, Mass. handed out 140 tickets to the first 140 people in line so everyone could go home until the store opened for business.
Charles W. Kim can be reached by e-mail at torrington@registercitizen.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.