There is an individual out there. They do not need to be named. Who they are isn’t important. What is important is what they want, and they want $20,000 so they can acquire a 20th anniversary PS4. They want to buy one on eBay, and then smash it to bits.
You are reading this correctly. There is an active Kickstarter right now that pledges to purchase one of those slick, rare PS4s with the sole purpose of destroying it. Not to play it. Not to donate it. Just to destroy it.
Now, it’s entirely plausible that the acquisition of such a PS4 isn’t possible. It’s also entirely plausible that this is a joke. A quick check on eBay at the time of writing indicates that there are quite a few of the devices for sale, so getting one isn’t out of the question. What truly reeks about this whole shenanigan is the lack of sense behind it.
For one, 20K is a gross exaggeration of the funds required. Without knowing the personal financial situation of the person running this ill-conceived show, it’s not difficult at all to get one of those devices right now with a credit card. So why ask for so much money? According to the Kickstarter, the price was chosen solely because, “Someone paid 20,000 dollars on eBay to buy one. I am asking $20,300 to break one.”
Brilliant. With that kind of scratch, one could get undergrad college tuition for a year, maybe two if you hit up a community college. That kind of money would make for a great donation to the United Way or another charity. Even better, that kind of money would be ideal for buying a 20th anniversary PS4 from eBay right now for $1,330 and then having a cash bath.
The other major problem with this is the complete lack of details in the Kickstarter itself. You know this person is planning on pocketing 90% of the dough when all that is promised is a YouTube video of the thing being smashed. Events like this, aside from wasting money and rare consoles, only give Kickstarter a bad name. They remind us all that any platform open to the general public will attract all sorts of characters.
What’s worse is that the drive already has some funding. $121 bucks as of writing. And another wonderfully brilliant individual has already proclaimed, “It’s for a good cause.”
Why anyone would think this is a good idea is clear evidence of the importance of education and knowing the value of a dollar. If you’ve ever been in debt before, you probably shake your head and sigh at the inanity of raising thousands of dollars for the sole purpose of wiping one’s butt with it.
Entitlement. A plea for attention. Free money. There are a number of reasons why someone thought this was a good idea. A good idea that warranted putting their name and face on it (assuming they’re real). Whatever the cause, the truth is clear: someone wants your money, $20,300 of it, to buy a PS4 that normally costs 400 bucks, and then destroy it.
It would be no shame to see this pledge removed from Kickstarter. Greedy destruction has no place in the gaming community, and needs no support.
Published: Jan 1, 2015 05:28 pm