DeKALB | A line of some 30 freezing gaming enthusiasts are calling the sidewalk in front of Best Buy home, setting up tents in anticipation for the release of the new PlayStation 3. Some have even been there since Monday night.

“I think it’s cool,” said Mike Butler, Best Buy’s service manager. “When I came up two days ago and the first people were starting to line up, I was really excited.”

PlayStation 3 promises to push the edge of video gaming technology with, among other features, a full Web browser, wi-fi capability, a Blu-ray disc drive and motion-sensing controllers.

Many of those in line are not there for the console’s gaming capabilities, however.

A quick poll of those in line revealed that of the 32 waiting several days for the arrival of PlayStation 3, only four planned on keeping them.

“I plan on selling it on eBay so I can buy gifts for my family,” said Patrick McConville, a freshman political science major.

According to eBay.com listings, the systems are selling anywhere from $800 to $2500. Many of those waiting in line plan to take advantage of the potential profit.

Wal-Mart reported receiving six of the 10 systems it ordered; the remaining four will be available by rain check. Best Buy has 26 systems, 20 of the 60-gigabyte model and six of the 20-gigabyte model. The 60-gigabyte model has a retail price of $599 and the 20-gigabyte model’s retail price is $499.

Butler said he enjoys the console premiere atmosphere, and Best Buy is making accommodations for those waiting outside in freezing temperatures.

“We’re one of the leaders in technology and when we got a new technology that comes out, we’re just as excited as everyone else,” he said.

Butler and the rest of the managerial staff have tried accommodating the customers by allowing them to use their restrooms, attempting to get them a portable restroom of their own and buying them pizza the night before.

Not all business owners are as excited as Butler.

Several enthusiasts were removed from Wal-Mart stemming from an incident involving DeKalb Police. The police were called once by the enthusiasts and once by store management.

“Basically, we told them what they could and couldn’t do,” said Monty Hayes, a Wal-Mart manager. “They could sit there and be quiet, but at any interruption to business, they would be asked to leave. With past experience with merchandise like this, we’ve had altercations and when you tell them what they can and can’t do, it seems to go better.”

Ulonda Carver, a DeKalb resident who was first in line, said Hayes did everything possible to remove them from the store.

Carver said Hayes acted aggressively and threatened to kick them out if she called the Wal-Mart hotline.

Hayes denies the allegations and said Carver was removed because of customer and employee complaints and based on instruction from Wal-Mart’s home office.

“I got a notification from home office that they couldn’t stay in the building and they had to leave,” Hayes said.