i didn't read this whole thread so i'm not sure if it's been mentioned. can someone tell me why there would be a "shortage" or point me to a link? if you want your company to make money, why would you deliberately not manufacture enough of the product? doesnt' make any economical sense. then again, i never really excelled in the economics classes. you have all these people who want your product. let them buy as many as they can.
From what I understand, video game companies make little to no money on the consoles themselves; All the money is made from the sale of games and peripherals. When you look at it, they're basically selling a brand new computer for less than half of what brand new computers normally sell. So, I'm thinking the production costs of making a ton of systems at launch would be too high. I'm pretty sure, though, that video game companies purposefully limit the initial production of systems to create extra buzz around the system, causing everybody to go out and try to get a system as soon as possible and be the "first on their block" to have one. It's the whole, "It must be cool if it's so hard to get one" mentality. Also, the people that get to stores and aren't able to buy the new system might just get a game for the previous system to tide them over until they can get the new system, so there's more sales right there.
Easy, the demand far exceeds the ability to manufacture and ship them. The completed product didn't begin production until August and millions have been shipped out already. MS also went with a World-Wide launch rather then just the US, so our friends across the pond can get them the same day as us. Meanwhile the PS3 will be out in Japan months before we get it.
While creating a shortage can help in some cases, I don't really think MS is purposely trying to do it here, or at least I hope they aren't. In the situation they're in, it would be better to sell as many as possible. Maybe if it launched during a dead part of the year, maybe if it wasn't going to receive major competition in 6-12 months, and maybe if it didn't really need to prove itself to some developers with sales, then it could try to use shortages to hype of the console. But as it stands now, doing so wouldn't really be that effective, IMO, especially in the long run. If people were sold on the system because there are shortages and not because it is a great system (the first next-gen system at that), then there might be some problems. Or will it? *just hanging onto some hope*
Sony has never released a console or handheld in the US at the same time of Japan... which is one reason I despise them
RC - since i know you'll be the first person in the world to pre-order a ps3, let us know when gamestop or whoever starts taking those. that'll probably be insane if it's anything like the ps2 launch. any idea on when that thing is coming out?
True. And as I alluded to, I don't really expect that to happen. That said, I could see why Sony might want to change that (and some evidence may point to that). After all, Sony's mostly always had to go against Japanese-based competitors as well; against MS, they could release MUCH later in Japan and at a ridiculous price, yet still sell more systems that the 360. Different story in the US/NA, the largest of all 3 markets. Again, nothing but pure speculation combined with blind hope. I'll try, although at this point, I'm starting to have my worries about EB and GS. May try something like a bundle from Wal-mart or some other big store. As for the release date, Spring 2006. I don't even know anything more about the RSX, let alone a launch date. Stupid Sony and their secrecy.
Well... I made it back into Houston from work and pulled in to the house at about 11:15. My cell phone was dead but my home phone was ringing as I came in the door. One of my friends wanted me to help him find a place to buy a 360. The Target near my place? 10 systems total (2 premiums) and they're all spoken for. CompUSA? Same. Circuit City? Same. Fry's? Same. Finally, about 12:30, my friend calls me and says that CostCo is selling some package deals of an unknown quantity. We get there and are 1st and 4th in line. We wait all night unable to sleep and unable to go to the bathroom (couldn't leave the rapidly growing line for fear of losing our spot, no one was saving places). We finally get in just before the official opening at 10 and find out it's a pretty sweet deal, especially considering there were only 23 of them: premium system, extra wireless controller, charge and play kit, and Kameo all bundled together for $479. I figure the system I'm getting from Walmart.com will go up on Ebay to help defray the costs of the one I got today. All in all, I'm fairly incoherent, exhausted, and rapidly developing a sniffle, but I'm also quite happy with the results.
Hmm... http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-Xbox-...QcategoryZ62054QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/Microsoft-Xbox-...235999391QQcategoryZ62054QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Good job! I considered waiting in line a w-mart last night, but decided it wasn't worth it. I'll try to get one later or will just wait for the PS3 and try to pre-order one.
Yeah I think I'd wait for either the money order to arrive or the check to clear before I sent that 360 out on either one of those.
Yeah, those are probably jokes...or really, really, really desperate people...that are really, really, really rich. They might even be able to buy 2 PS3 systems at the retail price when it comes out. I did see several other auctions where the highest bid was at least around $800. In fact, I think some of the latest ones are more like $1000+.
yeah I saw some platinum ones that had a buy it now of around $1200, the rest were going for around $800 with a few minutes left in the auction, not too bad I guess.
The going rate for the platinum seem to be in the $1000 to $1400 range - pretty consistantly at the moment. Sad fact is that if these people would look for buy-it-nows, they could get the same system cheaper and without the hassle. Makes me wish I'd ordered one.
I just got my Premium bundled with an extra wireless, PGR 3, and NFS. I haven't hooked it up yet but will soon to give it a run-through to ensure it works. Then, I'm off to buy COD: 2 if there are no problems. I hope I got a good one.
You really wanted two racing games right off the bat? you might try taking one of the games to wal-mart and get store credit for CoD2.
If any of you people are intending to resell on ebay, you should probably wait until mid-December. I bet they're gonna go for more than $5000. I wanted to buy one to resell it. Wife didn't want me to. She won. Coulda made a few thousand dollars off it. <*sigh*> Oh well...
