Sony shortages show signs of slowing?

My local target has 6 in stock just sitting there. No one wants it. I almost picked one up but I think I'll wait a couple months for Virtua Fighter 5

Can someone answer a question for me?

How many units of the PS3 has Sony shipped and had returned to them?

To give a comparison point, do the same for the Wii.

Compare these numbers and then find out the income for each of these systems. This gives you total income figures for the systems, giving a comparison point for each company on the basis of systems themselves.

Next, find the income from each of the systems' games.

Add these incomes together and you have the current financial condition of the operating condition each system is in.

If you can figure out these figures, you have your best console.

We'll leave the XBox360 out of this for simplicity's sake. You can try it if you like, but it's rather complex if you do. I recommend doing this in Excel if you do.

Can you answer the question?

I live in Puerto Rico. Bought my Wii on EBgames on a saturday, Dec. 27th I think. They had received five on that morning, only two left by 4:00 pm. They had three PS3's available.

We also have Three Kings Day on January 6th (like Christmas in the Latin community) and many kids get better presents on that date than on Christmas. I convinced a friend of mine with three kids to buy a Wii instead of a PS3. He hasn't found any, but called me today to say he has seen a lot of PS3's.

The problem is not regional.

"91. "There was also an article today about how PS3s are available in quantity in Japan too, and aren't flying off the shelves there either."

they sold 70,000 just last week, so i'd love to know where you're getting your information from."

Here you go: http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/top/those-ps3s-sales-look-sluggish-in-japan-225907.php

On Kotaku. I even thought the PS3 would probably fly off the Japan's shelf.

I still think $600 is too much for a gaming console. Even $400 for the 360 is too much to play games. $300 is the most I will spend on a console.

This generation I own Wii first, 360 will be next (when premium pack costs $300), then the PS3 when the wireless $600 one hits $300 (probably a few years).

Oh and the premium pack is necessary. You will need to save (HDD for games and all the Live goodness). Although it sucks BALLS that the wireless adapter costs $100. Seriously? I can buy a new router with that! That is not worth $100. My cell phone and the Wii even have that built in!

HD-DVD is optional for all you Blu-ray pushers! I don't give a damn about hi-def movies right now (yes I have a HDTV). I just have TOO many movies on DVD to start plunking $$ down on new format movies already. I will wait a couple years to let this format tussle (not war, it's not that serious) work itself out.

No I a not cheap, or poor. I just don't go wasting my money on over priced stuff. I have patience and plenty of XBox, PS2, GCN, DS and Wii games to keep me busy for a few years. Hopefully, soon to be 360 games (please drop the price and add internal Wi-Fi!!)

Sony: you release a BRD free PS3, drop it a few hundred $$ and I will be first in line to buy it!

I live in Winnipeg, Canada. As of this writing, the PS3 is available at just bout every brick and mortar store. Best Buy has a pyramid of about 40. Every EB Games I called has an average of 7 60 gig units.

I was one of the "lucky" few to get one before Xmas. I returned it the next day - I think I got a dud: controller lag/spin/non-response issues, stuttery dvd playback, non recognition of connected media types (MP4s, MP3s etc) and so on. Given that the thing costs close to a grand, including a game and 3 year warranty, those things better work as promised..

So now Sony has to not only win people over with the PS3, but it also has to win people back - and their friends, who heard nothing but bad things about the new expensive dud system. Also, the PS3relies on the next gen HD viewing experience as a selling point... so the majority of consumers out there think to themselves that they not only need to spend 1K on the machine, but also another $2k on a HD TV set to actually be able to distinguish the resolution increase of the games - otherwise the next gen titles look the same as ps2/xbox titles on the 480p CRT sets.

For me there's no motivator to go out and get that HDTV and PS3 - one FPS game that offers nothing new to the genre and a plastic cheap-ass controller is not gonna make me part with the hard-earned cash. Most will go for the Wii, as it is a fun new novelty, and looks fine on an existing 480p. (PLUS IT's CHEAP).

Too much and too soon, Sony.


2cents.

i have seen ps3's in stock at my local walmart 3 times since its release, 2 days ago they had 3 (1 20gb and 2 60gb) with no one showing much interest. i have not seen a wii in stock any where, which isnt good for me since i want one lol

The BB I work in advertised they had about 40 PS3s available on the 31st. The next morning, they only had sold a handful. The rest of them just sat around the entire day. On the other hand, the Wiis sell out in 30 mins, and I am always seeing people walking out with 360s.

My local BestBuy had about 6 60 gig and 2 20 gig models on the floor, but no one believed that they were real...

Sales guy: "Can I help you?"
Group of gamers: "yeah, do you have any PS3's?"

Sales guy: "Yes. Look down."
Group of gamers: "Wooaah..."
they look at each other. One picks a 60 gig up to see if it's real.
Gamer1: "DUDE, they're real! Dude, you have to buy it!"
Gamer2: "I can't, my girl would kill me. But dude you should."
Gamer3: "Dude, my Mom would kick me out."
Gamer1 to Gamer3: "DUuuudde..."
Gamer3 to Gamer1: "...duuude...."
Gamer2 to Gamer3: "duuUuude..."
Gamer3 scratches head...begins to get pale...
Gamer3: "ugghh...ok."
All three jump up and down and quickly cell phone friends...

Gamer1: "Man, guess what? Johnny just got a PS3! Yeah, Doug and I squeezed him into it. Yeah, I know."

Small family walk buy...husband picks up one and shows his wife.
Wife: "Is that the new one?"
Husband: "Yep. But it's like 6large, babe."
Wife, looking at son..
"Jake, do you like?"
Father looks at boy, hoping to hear a "yeah"
Boy: "--blank stare--"
Mother: "ok, let's go."
Father: "but...but...aaarghhhh"
Puts down the PS3, but calls someone on his cell...
"yeah...there here. Hurry man, there are alot of people around and everyone just noticed."

While I was standing there, 5 were sold within about 3 minutes.

In the main aisle of the store were 2 stacked piles of 360's - 1 premium and 1 core.

Say what you want about sales over the last few days, but I think the recent batch be gone by this weekend - the general public is still excited about the thing and will probably be for awhile. It's just not the feeding-frenzy it was before Christmas. Sony is still the master of the "Slow-burn Sell".

Amazon is taking orders for 60GB and 20GB models right now.

Over here, PS3's sold out everywhere, BB got 80 on Christmas Eve and sold em all in 4 hours. Meanwhile, Wiis are everywhere...if you people truly do have such bad shortages, which I highly doubt, come over here, we got tons.

In fact, I'm not sure if they're even selling. Why? Who knows...it could be attributed to the high income of people around here, or just the general high level of intelligence that, according to most posters, isn't present in other places in our country...big surprise.

SONY4ever, why don't you suck a dick

FINALLY got my PS3 Sunday the 31st at the Best Buy in Burbank, Ca. There were 40 consoles available and all 40 were sold. Guess the only place they're not selling well is in the red-neck parts of the country.

Well Put
"SONY4ever, why don't you suck a dick
Posted at 4:18PM on Jan 4th 2007 by SONY4ever is a Homo"

In little old Wichita Falls, TX (we have 2 Gamestops, 1 Target, 1 Best Buy, 1 Circuit City, 2 Walmarts) there are no Wii's however all those places have PS3's in stock (except Walmart). I have unsuccessively been trying to get a wii since launch.

Could not have said it better myself, fuck you sony4ever.

I'm starting to think that everything Sony4ever writes is total satire.

NO fanboy is that stupid. The Kid, however, is a total fanboy tool.

Looks like PS fans are ready to defend Sony to the hilt. I wonder what happened to Lik-Sang ... You know, the place where us people who are EARNING a living went to, to order a Japanese PS/XB/Nintendo items, as well as cool gizmos and figures and so on (despite UPS being scum). Heard of them? No?

Oh yeah, I forgot that a $600 system - the next gen system, shoved to the brim with goodies - can't play PS2 or PS1 games properly. Wow. Brilliant machine made by Sony. Whats that? The Xbox 360 can be snyc'd with a computer? AND its HD-DVD drive can be used with the computer? Can a PS3 do that?

Mind you, Sony did do a decent job supplying the demand of all those people who are willing to pay the price for next gen gaming and experience. I swear someone from Sony said that. Hmmm, and yet there are some still on the shelves ... maybe a price drop would help? Oh no, wait. MS did that with the Xbox (in the UK at least) to boost sales a few years back, and got a lot of complaints as a result.

Sure, I'm a fanboy of Nintendo. Yes, they've got a kiddy image. No, the Wii's not as powerful as the Xbox 360 or the all-conquering PS3, and the Wii isn't a stupid name. At least the faith I have in one company won't let me down. Especially when i play SSBM with refined edges around Kirby. With three other people by my side.

When is the next Wii batch ready?

I was at some game stores today. Gamestop had 2 PS3's and they told me they were selling poorly. EB games had 7 PS3's and told me nobody wanted them.

Neither had Wiis...

I just picked up a PS3, the Circuit City down the street from my office has TWENTY TWO 60gig systems. Good lord.

My wife works at Target and has been badly wanting a Wii since I told her about it and she watched the videos on the kiosk at her store. On Tuesday, she called me and said that they just got two cases (3 per case) in and she wanted me to drop what I was doing and rush to the store to pick one up. So, that left 5 in the cabinet and about 5 PS3s in the display as well. I went back a few hours later and every single Wii was gone but every single PS3 was still there.

BTW, Wii60 is the best thing to happen to my house in a long time. I have a wife and two girls in the house and I have to fight them for 360 time now because they're always on the Wii playing. They like it because they can kick my ass at most of the Wii Sports games.

@SONY4ever

nice man ;) we get it. hehehe

@the kid - should we laugh WITH you or AT you?!

Stop saying the PS3 is 200$ more expensive than the Xbox 360, last time I checked the 360 didn't have Wi-Fi, 60GB hard drive, or a chrome trim! So the PS3 is only 100$ more expensive + price of HDMI cables.

Compare the 360 to the 20GB version, not the 60GB

I'm leaning toward a poor distribution strategy. The PS3 is not in the same product class as the PS2, yet retailers most likely distributed the PS3 in the same manner as the PS2. My guess is they used a pure population metric. Places that have more people get more PS3s. Bad move.

An anectodal example is Central Florida, my backyard. Impossible to find a PS3 of either gender anywhere. My guess is because CF has a large population of highly paid engineers, people that have both the money to burn and the appreciation for the technology in the PS3. Other locations may lack the appreciation or the financial means to justify the purchase, thus the large stocks not going anywhere. Retailers just havve to re-evaluate their distribution strategy for the PS3 and target them at tech-appreciative locations that have greater disposable income. My guesses would be Seattle, Silicone Valley and Central Florida (among others I've probably forgotten/don't know about).

"Satire - is humour and exaggeration that is used to show how foolish or wrong something is."

"Irony - is a way of speaking in which you say something which is inappropriate, as a joke or insult."

When you guys learn this, you'll see it's kind of fun :) And for the people that know this, it's very amusing to hear people that don't get it.

the smart guy here is SONY4ever

I live in México, and each retailer in my zone, has at least 5 PS3 60GB, SAM's Club yesterday had 18 PS3 60GB... so here in México City there must be like 1000 PS3 60GB sitting in the shelves, nobody is buying it... is too expensive, like $1,200.00 USD. What a waste of money... I can buy 10 games for my 360 and 10 games for my Wii, with the same amount of money. By the way... not a single Wii in México City; it was the best christmas gift.

I saw atleast 3 PS3s at my Bestbuy in Topeka, KS when I got my Xbox 360 HD DVD drive for 100$ (Priced matched with that game zone add)

A couple weeks before Christmas, I walked into a Future Shop and saw stacks of Wiis! Upon closer inspection, I discovered they were all empty display boxes. They had over 30 Wii display boxes on display! WTF?!? What is the point of stacking up 30 display boxes? That was as close as I've come to seeing Wiis in stock.

I find these threads interesting to read. One thing that doesn't seem to be brought up much is profitability. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are three very different companies, and all the focus on raw market share and units sold misses the point.

Microsoft has deep pockets and can afford to lose money on XBox while building their market share and consumer
base.

Nintendo is making money on the Wii right out of the gate, which is actually good business and, as always, they'll be around because they make a profit, no matter how much their competitors outdistance them in units sold.

Sony seems to be the only company who needs for PS3 to be hugely dominant to save their bottom line. The whole risk of losing so much money per console is the assumption that future profitability on software and eventual decrease in costs will outweigh the money lost now. With the reality of few exclusives and a relatively cheap competitor delivering the same software, they're not going to be able to dominate like they did the last two cycles. Publishers can't afford to give big exclusives anymore, when no console has a large enough install base to generate huge returns in software sales.

Actually, they may give many exclusives to the Wii, since it's cheap to develop and the Wii demographic (which includes me) are more about having a fresh experience than photo-realistic graphics. Cheap to develop for means quicker path to profit, and greater room for creativity. And for adults like myself, who work full-time and just like videogames as a way to stimulate or relax the mind - whatever we need that day - games like Wii Sports (still can't believe I love it), Rayman and Trauma Center have been doing just that for me.

That said, I'm a teacher and all I'm hearing the kids talk about is what's better - Wii or 360. When someone mentions PS3, they all say it's a rip-off. I think that's more a result of parents refusing to spend $600 on their kid for a video game system - really, does a grade school or middle-schooler have the specs in their room needed to enjoy PS3 - and the kids rejecting it as a result. But lose the kids and the casual gamers, and what's left? The hardcore base with two systems to choose from, and one of them's cheaper and has more games.

I don't really care who wins the console race, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that Wii will continue to be huge with casual gamers - who are shaping up to be more important to the industry's bottom lines than the hardcore ones - and that the 360 is absorbing all but the most devoted to the PS brand.

If anyone cares. . . . you DONT HAVE TO BUY THE $100 WIRELESS ADAPTER FOR THE 360. Most any USB adapters will work. Even the one from the original XBOX will work, but GOD forbid any of us read up on something like that.

Isn't it absolutely obvious SONY4Ever is just joking? Wouldn't surprise me if he was a 360 fanboy or Ninty fanboy in reality. At least it was obvious to me, so either I'm really smart, or y'all are braindead + retarded.

The kid though, that's a piece of trash fanboy not even Nintendo fanboys can match, please get the hell out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/BPMdotEXE/Random/FrysPS3.jpg

I took this photo at the Fry's Electronics on Thunderbird Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. I took it two days ago (Tuesday). I went in yesterday to check on the status of Wii availability (I'm helping a friend find one), and the sales associate in the software department told me that they had sold four PS3s all day (I went in about 4pm).

By the way, there's 47 PS3s in that stack.

I work there, and I had checked the inventory system on Tuesday, and it said we had 86 PS3 60GBs to begin with the day. Four were sold, and two were returned. Making a total of 84 PS3 60GBs to start with on Wednesday.
There would then be around 80 systems to have on Thursday, depending if any more were sold, or if any were returned.

I work at a Best Buy in Wisconsin. The previous post by joystiq concerning the PS3 save up for after christmas didn't really happen where I am--no one lined up outside the store (i know because i was working) and we still have plenty of PS3's in stock. From what I can see, people are very hesitant to drop that kind of change on a gaming system--blu-ray disk or not. Instead, they simply ask when are wii's will be back in stock.

I saw three ps3's on the shelf at Best Buy in Little Rock on Tuesday.
As of today (Thursday) they had 2 left. I consider myself an early adapter, but damn if I couldn't bring myself to drop six bones on it. Maybe when some good games come out...

"Stop saying the PS3 is 200$ more expensive than the Xbox 360, last time I checked the 360 didn't have Wi-Fi, 60GB hard drive, or a chrome trim! So the PS3 is only 100$ more expensive + price of HDMI cables."

Actually, the PS3 20GB is $300 more than I paid for my XBox 360 Premium. Micro Center had one hell of a deal! :-D $200 is cheaper than the Wii for heaven's sake.

I live in LA and I've seen about 50-60 of them in Frys.

In a local store (near Toronto, Canada) I asked for a Wii and they didn't have any. Then I thought I'd ask about a PS3 (didn't want one, just curious) and they had one left.

125. My local target has 6 in stock just sitting there. No one wants it. I almost picked one up but I think I'll wait a couple months for Virtua Fighter 5. -Chase

Chase, VF5 is coming to 360 this summer.

Fuck you eagle. suck sony4ever's dick, while you recieve it in the but from the kid. smart move, insulting everyone on a board with 100+ comments. And beingbthe only one to say the exact opposite of everyone else. You're a bullshiter.

There were ten PS3's in a tower at Bestbuy in central Wisconsin yesterday, and of course no Wiis or controllers or nunchucks...

Damn, some of you guys need to chill out. Good play your videogames and cool out.

Anyway, Best Buy in Bonita Springs, FL had 5 PS3 in stock and no Wii.

I don't understand how some of you can say that since you couldn't get a 360 at your local store last January and you can get a PS3 this January that the PS3 has less demand. Unless you had total sales data from across the nation to compare the two systems, making such a claim is just ignorant. It would be just as ignorant if you switched the 2 systems.

BTW, I think the Wii will lose steam soon, the system has like 2 games (Wii Sports, Zelda) that people want to play. It will beat expectations but it's not going to be monumental.

There's one reason why I haven't picked up a PS3...I'm trying to get a HDTV! I think the 360 (with HD, Wireless) and the 60GB PS3 are a wash. I just like the fact that the PS3 packages it better.

I will probably buy a Wii also.

Our Best Buy in South Bend IN is the district's best store.

Yesterday I stopped by the [overpicked] Wii section looking for a Nunchuck, and explained to a disheartened mom the best way to pick up a Wii. An employee chimed in, saying that people are still lining up as early as 4 am on Sundays. He also said that if she wanted he could sell her a PS3, since 5 were returned earlier in the day.

I don't know what is having more of an effect on the availability of the PS3. Increases in production or increases in returns :-)

Nintendo stop shipping Wiis over to the U.S. right up to launch. There is some in warehouses here that are being allocated for promotional sales. Most of it now going to Japan and some to Europe. Right now the Japanese market is the first big battle and the one that's decided early. As for Europe, Sony can get an earlier launch over there with the slow sales here. Investment wise and no brainer, 360 over the other two.

@MaxPL:

How clever. I was merely making the point that people were making comments about the PS3 I was carrying because they were shocked it was available after all of the PS3 hype, not because I was "special" for buying one, a point you obviously missed in your zeal to bash the PS3. Why don't you save the snarky crap for the real PS3 fanboys? Are you a 360 fanboy? Why? Do you have a personal stake in Microsoft winning the console race?

For the record, I'm platform agnostic. I have a 360 already and would have bought a Wii right along with a PS3 if they had one in stock. Oblivion's the best game I've played in years. I don't care who wins the "console war". I hope they all end up even so everyone stays in the game and keeps game prices from rising to $100. I bought a PS3 because I would have bought one anyway at some point, most likely before any price drop. No games? Sure, but there weren't many when I got my 360 last February, either. When a decent game comes out for it, I'll buy it. If I see a Blu-ray movie I like, I'll get it. If an HD-DVD movie comes out for 360, I'll get it. Same for Bioshock and Mass Effect for 360.

I gotta say, I fail to understand fanboy thinking in any sense. Who gives a crap? Yes, Sony is extremely annoying in their public comments and their unbridled arrogance. However, I'm not going to let Phil Harrison's idiocy keep me from buying FF13 when it comes out. I merely posted to state what the situation was in the cultural hellhole that is Eastern Iowa, not to get 360 fanboys' panties in a bunch.

I live in north Austin, Texas and Best Buy had PS3s available on New Year's Day, and a few were purchased, but I heard more people asking about a Wii, which were not stocked, and turning down the PS3. The next day I went to another nearby Best Buy for an exchange and they had at least a dozen stacked in the entryway, unmolested, near a similar stack of 360s. I saw similar quantities at Fry's Electronics just after Christmas. I don't know if Sony is restocking quickly or what, but it gave me the impression that the demand just isn't there. It could also mean that potential PS3 owners got impatient at the 11th hour on Christmas and opted for the abundant 360s.

To the Kid,

You are making me laugh dude. You need to pay more attention in math class.

Your top PS3 is $600. The top Xbox 360 is $400. If you had the HD-DVD drive for $200, that equals $600 which is the SAME price as the PS3. The only difference (based on your claimes) is that the PS3 has a bigger HD.

Xbox Live Silver is FREE with your Xbox. You only pay $4 a month if you want to have the great multiplayer aspects of Xbox Live Gold. Plus, Sony is spinning the "free" online play but in reality they bailed and left online multiplayer up to the game developers. What does that mean? You could end up paying different companies to play their games online and each game will be different in its online aspect.

Whats so great about Xbox Live is its integration with the system. Its seamless and that is awesome. I like the fact that Microsoft is putting the time, money, and effort into making their console seamless.

I am not going to knock you for owning or liking the PS3 over the Xbox 360, thats cool. Just get your facts straight when you start posting in the public. Otherwise, people will just ignore you or think you are an idiot.

Of course the box, in and of itself, seems expensive.

It's the titles that matter.

Pixar takes 4 years to make a film, and they don't have to figure out how to program YOU into the experience.

It's way too early to declare this system a non-starter.
"We aint seen nuthin, yet."

A PS3, a hot screen, a 7.1 Home Theater Kit means you have more virtual reality capability than NASA could muster in the 80s.

You wouldn't put in 10 8-hour days for that ?

It is obvious that Sony is so arrogant and "self-confident" about the PS3 retail missmanagement they just simply refuse to accept that some small, slow, white plastic box with a tv remote outsells them completely. Maybe instedad of spending valuable resources in the R&D department, they should pay attention to what the consumer wants? Basic market needs.

I owned a PS3 for two days and returned it for Wii and Zelda. Oh! Btw I went home with cash in my pocket! Isn't this a bad business practice... Sony?