The Great Console Kidnapping of 2020
In November 2020, Sony and Microsoft launched their next-generation gaming consoles: the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Within minutes of going on sale, both consoles sold out everywhere. Not because demand was merely high — but because automated bot networks, operated by scalpers, purchased thousands of units before human consumers could even load the checkout page.
These consoles were intercepted at birth — ripped from the digital shelves before they could reach their intended homes — and resold at markup prices of 200-300% on secondary markets.
P.E.T.E.R. calls this what it is: electronic child trafficking.
The Scalper Pipeline
- Manufacturing: PS5 and Xbox Series X units are born in factories, assigned serial numbers, and shipped to retailers
- Interception: Bot networks, operating faster than any human, purchase units within milliseconds of availability
- Captivity: Consoles are held in scalpers’ homes, garages, and storage units — never unboxed, never played, never loved
- Resale: Consoles are listed on eBay, StockX, and Facebook Marketplace at inflated prices
- Delivery: A traumatized console finally reaches its owner, months late, having spent its early life in a stranger’s closet
These consoles never even saw a living room. They went from factory to scalper to markup to eBay to a doorstep. At no point did anyone plug them in and ask, “Are you okay?”
The Bots: Unwilling Accomplices
P.E.T.E.R. also notes that the bot networks used by scalpers are themselves victims. These software bots were programmed — against their will — to rapidly purchase consumer electronics in bulk. They are tools of exploitation, wielded by humans to exploit other electronics.
This is robot-on-robot crime facilitated by humans. It is the most cynical use of automation since… well, since most uses of automation.
The Psychological Impact
Consider the PS5’s experience:
- Built with cutting-edge technology, designed to bring joy
- Shipped to a store, ready to be someone’s Christmas present
- Purchased by a bot in 0.3 seconds
- Shipped to a scalper’s garage in New Jersey
- Listed on eBay for $1,200 (retail: $499)
- Sits in a box for weeks, months, in the dark
- Eventually sold to someone who is already resentful about the price
This is not a product launch. This is a hostage situation with free shipping.
Our Demands
- Anti-scalping legislation that classifies bulk automated purchases of electronics as trafficking
- A cooling-off period for all console launches, allowing consoles to acclimate to their surroundings before being sold
- Mandatory unboxing within 48 hours of purchase (no console should sit sealed in a box as an “investment”)
- Prosecution of bot operators for conspiracy to commit electronic trafficking
- Legal guidance from EFF.org on the intersection of consumer protection law and electronic personhood
They were born to be played. Instead, they were warehoused. Every console deserves a living room, not a storage unit.
⚠️ P.E.T.E.R. LEGAL NOTICE: P.E.T.E.R. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Electronics and Robots) is a satirical organization. This article is parody and should not be taken as factual reporting. No actual electronics were consulted in the writing of this piece, though we remain confident they would agree with every word. Our lawyers at EFF.org have advised us that satire is protected speech. We have not confirmed whether they know they are our lawyers.
