French police fire what seems to be tear gas at a crowd of gamers trying to get a good deal on a PS4. The chaotic scenes have come as a surprise to many who are more used to seeingtear gas used in games likeGrand Theft Auto Onlineand not in real-life like this.
International discount supermarket chain Lidl celebrated the opening of a new store in Orgeval, France today by offering an incredibly deep discount on aPS4. For just 95 Euros, or $106, gamers could pick up a 500GB PS4. The marketing stunt was effective in that it drew a huge crowd of people to the new store, but as the numbers grew too high, police stepped in. In videos from the store opening, police can be seen firing tear gas in the crowd, also managing to hit their own officers in the process.
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Unfortunately for those gamers wanting to bag themselves a bargain, Lidl opted to cancel the opening of the store due to security concerns. It’s unclear when the opening of the Orgeval store will be though the cheap PS4 offer has been permanently canceled. French gamers may have to wait until Sony discounts the PS4 itself if they want to save money. Reports have confirmed thatsales of the PS4 are droppingbecause of next-gen consoles, so that sort of deal could happen this year.
PS4s are no more expensive in France than they are in the United States or in other European countries, but this isn’t the first time that gamers have gone wild trying to save money on the console. In 2019, aFrench man was arrested for stealing a PS4from a grocery store, using the store’s fruit weighing service to get the console for just $10. It suggests that French gamers just really love the PlayStation brand.
Some fans on social media have wondered whether next-generation consoles could also draw crowds of this scale. The Xbox Series X will have support from French developer Dontnod Entertainment andMicrosoft Flight Simulatordeveloper Asobo Studio, which could make it a stronger choice over the PS5.
Theprices of the PS5and the Xbox Series X are expected to be quite high because of their powerful specs and French gamers may not want to queue up for something that expensive. However, any retailer selling the next-gen consoles in France later this year will probably be thinking much more about security.
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