GameStop pulls out creative stops to move PS3s

by Blake Snow { Jan 7th 2007 at 3:01AM }

You've heard the consumer reports: PS3s are in stock (despite short supply)! Tipster Tejan sent in the above camera phone image allegedly taken at a Long Island GameStop on January 5. Notice the retailer spares no expense in promoting the available supply. "Get 'em while they're hot, expensive, and short on games!!!"

[Thanks, Tejan]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

Knoxximus @ Jan 7th 2007 3:04AM

I just LOL'd!

Knoxximus @ Jan 7th 2007 3:06AM

Actually, slide me one of those HDMI-less 360's for $9.99! Hellz yeah.

Anticrawl @ Jan 7th 2007 3:10AM

Every Walmart, Target, Best Buy etc from Baton Rouge to New Orleans has had ps3's in stock since like a week after stock. They just aren't flying off the shelves like the Wii did. I considered picking one up but I need the money for rent right now. Supply may have been really low but demand was pretty much on par with that where I live. Haven't really been a hit here with the average spendable income being borderline poverty.

Anticrawl

Anticrawl @ Jan 7th 2007 3:12AM

Week after lauch that is.

Nick @ Jan 7th 2007 3:13AM

I work for eb and we have had them for a week now, people keep returning them cause they can't sell them on ebay. Which sucks for our store cause we can't freaking get rid of them.

joe @ Jan 7th 2007 3:17AM

I'm sorry... I'm calling BS on this one... that screams of a set up right there

Tejan Arora @ Jan 7th 2007 3:17AM

funny thing is, the clerks at that EB were talking trash about PS3 and telling a woman to pick up a 360.

ReTRO CLUTCH @ Jan 7th 2007 3:18AM

Good Stuff. A friend of mine took that picture, I was standing right there. Pretty cool. In case anyone wants a PS3 thats the EBGames in Broadway Mall in Nassau County.

Greg (Best Buy) @ Jan 7th 2007 3:18AM

Yeah... We have tons of PS3s in at Best Buy now, got 80 in today, and have 150 coming in within the next week or so. The wait is definitely over.

What's up with something being out of stock being a good indication of success?

What The @ Jan 7th 2007 3:23AM

Is anyone really stupid enough to believe the photo? And joystiq, classless is what i'd call you for actually posting up garbage like this. Maybe i should go and write something on a piece of paper, put it in front of a bunch of 360s, with the sign reading: "360s in stock! Plenty of them! Get these inferior systems as the new hdmi ones are coming and get stuck with it! Help anyone! We need the floor room!" then mention that the store employees are talking crap about the 360 and pushing ps3s.

Give me
a
friggin
break.

-What The...

rc @ Jan 7th 2007 3:26AM

Ive seen ps3s at every walmart, target, best buy, ect ive been to in the past several days, while looking for a wii, which i still havent found!!!!

ch0rx @ Jan 7th 2007 3:27AM

There was a man about to pick up a ps3 + RFOM and the the guy at my local best buy talked him out of that, and talked him into buying a 360 (premium) with GoW, R6 Vegas, a year of xbox live, a wireless headset and a Logitech harmony remote. I found it humorous

ReTRO CLUTCH @ Jan 7th 2007 3:28AM

For What The
It is the EBGames in Broadway Mall in Hicksville, NY. Go check it out. The sign was up there yesterday.

Tejan Arora @ Jan 7th 2007 3:30AM

"What The" go there and look at it for yourself. And then get on your knees for me... you know the rest.

Shogan @ Jan 7th 2007 3:30AM

Our local Gamestop had a sign just like that in the door last weekend. They said nobody was buying them. Then today, another Gamestop said they had 9 in the back collecting dust. It's sad.

Eric @ Jan 7th 2007 3:31AM

That photo seriously look photoshopped. The sign is like completely out of place and look as if someone just dropped that in using MS Paint.

lowallyn @ Jan 7th 2007 3:35AM

cant find a god damn wii, i see ps3s a plenty at bestbuy. calgary,ab. anyone else able to find a wii in canada? and the rest of the comments seem to confirm the same crap has been happening all over north america. sighhhhh i want zelda T_T.

Shadow @ Jan 7th 2007 3:39AM

Yeah everyone knows theres PS3 in stock its just that no one really wants one.

Next-Gen-Gamer @ Jan 7th 2007 3:40AM

"That photo seriously look photoshopped. The sign is like completely out of place and look as if someone just dropped that in using MS Paint."

Yeah, because the tape that's pressed exactly how it would be in reality doesn't say otherwise [/sarcasm]. Or how about the fact that people are willing to give out the name of the place the store is in, city name, etc.

tack @ Jan 7th 2007 3:40AM

Smart people wanted a ps3 to sell on ebay to make a profit. Dumb people buy it to play. Horrible features, poor online, expensive price. The reasons not to get a ps3 add up. Especially when 360 keeps releasing more and more reasons to get a better system for less money. The wii? Well, I hope zelda takes a year to beat, because its going to have to last. :(

zer06ame @ Jan 7th 2007 3:40AM

Don't doubt this pic; just go into a gamestop near you. I stopped into one when I was at my local mall 3 days ago when I was there picking up some new clothes and I wanted to try out the demos on ps3 since I haven't bothered and I saw a sign. It said "6 PS3'S IN-STOCK! 60GB!" I asked the guy at the counter if he had any wii's in just out of curiosity and he said no everyone has been asking about them but they've had the 6 ps3's for two days. They can't get rid of them apparently. Sucks to be Sony right now.

AlexH @ Jan 7th 2007 3:43AM

Why does everyone keep saying it's an EBgames when "Gamestop" is clearly in the upper right part of the pictures?

Splinter @ Jan 7th 2007 3:43AM

Lol, i remember last year at my town's gamecrazy they also had a hand written sign outside saying they had dses available after that drought.

Lol, BluRay FTL!

ReTRO CLUTCH @ Jan 7th 2007 3:45AM

At AlexH. The sign outside of the store still says EBGames and not Gamestop.

Agent MOO @ Jan 7th 2007 3:45AM

PS3 supply is exceeding demand currently. http://ps3finder.com/

vs.

http://wiitracker.com/

TickedOffEb @ Jan 7th 2007 3:46AM

Tis true.

The EB I manage has 8 PS3's(60 gig, that's all we get now) collecting dust in the back room right now, since Wed. We tell people that we have them...but they just want the Wii. They just don't care anymore. It's mainly too expensive or they just dont want it because they dont have a HD TV and see no point till they do.

Believe it, or not, its your choice. But stores have PS3's and no Wii's.

Vasco @ Jan 7th 2007 3:48AM

I believe it. I live in Ocala and my best buy had about 35 stacked up and the sales started about a week ago. I then went over too EB where they had five or six behind the counter. I was fortunate enough to get the one. Wii that UPS dropped off 5 minutes before I walked. The guy said they can't keep Wii in stock but no one is buying the Playstation. It's too bad I loved my Playstation and Playstation 2, but Sony made a lot of mistakes this time. Xbox gave me a great online gaming experience and Nintendo just gave a intriguing new way to play games. All Sony gave me was an overpriced system with spectacular graphics that I could only enjoy on a TV I can't afford. The fanboy's can say what they will but in reality Sony doesn't care about gamers anymore all they care about is getting their Blueray format out there so they can cash in. They did the same thing with the PSP they designed a powerhouse system to push there UMD format and when the movie business on UMD tanked so did any real interest in the PSP. Two years later and the only good game is Lumines. Think about it.

Turo @ Jan 7th 2007 3:58AM

@19 and 21:
i couldnt have said it better myself.

and to those saying this isnt the truth: face the music. i have an eb buddy i used to work with and we took a pic last night so ill try and have him post it asap.

john M for CA @ Jan 7th 2007 4:01AM

The ps3 will get good games someday, i bought a ps3 4 days ago just because i won some money and was gonna blow on something else anyway, i asked if they had a wii first and then i asked if they had a ps3 and i bought the last one. I ordered 6 dollar HDMI cables off of monoprice.com, now all im waiting for is trying to find a wii so my current gen trifecta is complete(im a 16 year old with lots of disposable income)

xgambetx @ Jan 7th 2007 4:03AM

lol ill take the 360 for $9.99 :P

neilbert @ Jan 7th 2007 4:11AM

The 360 was out of stock pretty much from Nov. 05 to April 06. Now there is stockpiles of 360's everywhere.
The trick is that the PS3's demand has tapered off almost instantaneously. The PS2 was still very HOT until demand caught up, almost a 18 months after launch. The PS3 is now ice cold.

The system that is going to be the real winner is the Wii. With 3.5 million sold and demand through the roof, it's going to take a lot from Microsoft to be able to stop Nintendo from taking the crown this time.

Sony is fudged. If the general public ain't buying the 360 right now, even though it has some pretty good games, the pubic is not going to pay $300 more to play relatively the same exact games on the PS3, with apparently (possibly) inferior graphics, since Sony has lost most of it's exclusive games. Oh, and even if Sony sold 10 million systems right now, they would be post a loss of TWO BILLION dollars, a number that is impossible to recoup via profits from games.

Mountain @ Jan 7th 2007 4:15AM

@WhatThe

Brainless is what I'd call you for actually posting garbage like that. Why is it so hard to believe? Another fanboy who can't accept the simple facts. I know this may be difficult but I'll try to put this as simply as possible: Consumer demand for the PS3 is much lower than expected. Joystiq is not classless for reporting it. This is what you call video game industry news. Also I know for sure the guys at my local Gamestop would recommend a 360 over a PS3 if you want a machine to play games on. I own both machines and like them both. The PS3 has tons of potential but it's going to be at least six months before very much of that potential is realized. If you want to play games right now the 360 is a much smarter purchase.

Matt @ Jan 7th 2007 4:28AM

#7

We did that ALL THE TIME (pre-launch, of course) at the EB I used to run. :)

SSpectre @ Jan 7th 2007 4:44AM

Are those $9.99 Xbox 360s in the background? I'll take 6!

driven2sin @ Jan 7th 2007 5:05AM

@ 13 fake.. all that and no service plan at best buy???

anyway.. when can we get a $400 PS3 on Ebay from all those listings that still $1,500 etc?

not that anyone would pay $400.. maybe $40

potato @ Jan 7th 2007 5:17AM

neilbert: I wouldn't call the 360 "screwed" just yet. The Wii's had a very successful launch, but if Nintendo can't dig themselves out of the "Mario... Mario... Zelda... Mario" lineup that plagued the GameCube, then eventually the buzz will die down.

I see the Wii like the GC on crack. It's got an innovative control scheme, but in the end you're driving sales based on novelty factor. The ultimate winner will be the platform with the best games, which Nintendo has historically had trouble with. Sony has always dominated in the "OMG MUST PLAY" segment, but the winds are changing somewhat with the (not-so-recent) loss of so many exclusives.

In this sense we can't count the PS3 out of the fight just yet.

Note: I am a 360 owner.

fa7kon @ Jan 7th 2007 5:22AM

I personally want all 3 next-gen consoles to succeed! Even though personally I love my 360 (Xbox Live = awesome), I REALLY want Sony to do well and maybe be very competitive with the 360 this generation (and longer if possible). All the fanboys that always comment "PS3 RUELZZZ, 360 DIE" or "PS3 is dead" (well, not just fanboys are saying that lol) - you don't get it - if Sony falls out of the console market, any future Microsoft console WILL NOT BE VERY INNOVATIVE. On the flip side, if the PS3 dominates and Microsoft falls out, then future Playstations will suck! As for Nintendo, I love the Wii and think Nintendo products will continue to innovate regardless, but I can't see a Nintendo product having bleeding-edge graphics ever again, and I really love that kind of stuff (think Gears of War!) so Nintendo will always be my "second system" to my primary, powerful system. Anyways, basically to summarize, we should all not be saying "360/PS3 FTW" but rather (even tho it seems boring..) "Corporate Competition FTW"

M1710 @ Jan 7th 2007 5:23AM

"Horrible features, poor online, expensive price. The reasons not to get a ps3 add up."

There is nothing very wrong with the PS3 except for the price and few games, everyone should know that so there is no reason to flame PS3 for other things if you are only angry about the price.

I remember when joystiq said they were angry of PS3 short stock but when they do get stock joystiq still sort of make fun on PS3, (i know it has been there for 8 weeks though)

I am not a fanboy for any system but I prefer PS3 because I am lucky enough to be rich to buy it and the potential for it could be huge.

CMOS @ Jan 7th 2007 5:24AM

Stopped by an EB Games in Milwaukee, WI (on Bluemound Road) this week, overheard the EB Manager talking to another branch nearby about changing the PS3 marketing strategy to get the units sold. Talked about putting up massive signage to show they have them in stock, and for all employees to push it hard. Also mentioned his particular store had many new units for sale, and was 'swimming' in return units and had no problem sending them over to meet any demand the other store could generate. Didn't get an exact number, but he said he was in the double digits in stock. He was also complaining that if they can't sell the units, Sony would take them back and take them off the "preferred list" in the future. This was after seeing them in stock at a nearby Gamestop, Best Buy and Circuit City. I would pick one up, once games start rollin in, and the price drops in half at least, but it seems no one can even give them away. Sad really.

Gavin @ Jan 7th 2007 5:51AM

Anticrawl is lying through his teeth about the BR area. I live outside the Baton Rouge area, and we have yet to see a PS3 on a shelf. Tonight my g'f went to eat at Hello Sushi tonight, which is right off the LSU campus.

http://www.hellosushi.com/

A plug because the place deserves it so much.

Anyway, there haven't been any PS3 systems at the Best Buy in BR, or the Wal-Marts, or the Target. I've seen 360's, DS Lites, and plenty of PSP's though. No Wii or PS3 systems though.

I have seen several Wii Classic controllers at Wal-Mart and PLENTY of copies of Zelda.

Shane @ Jan 7th 2007 5:51AM

I don't get why this is still news. I can see it being posted once maybe twice but this is getting ridiculous. Everyone already knows that there are PS3s sitting on the shelves. If it is as bad as you make it seem by your constant postings, maybe you should just start posting articles when PS3s are sold.

PurpleSfinx @ Jan 7th 2007 6:03AM

I don't want PS3 to die, for one simple reason: If there is no competition, Microsoft and the other 360 developers will get lazy.

And I seriously don't consider Wii much competition to 360. I have both of them, and they are both fun, but Wii has 'kiddy' games, and probably always will, and I really think people choose 360 and Wii independently of each other, they are too different for most people to choose between the two.

Yes I realize Zelda is out, but whether or not Zelda is good aside, alot of people won't buy a Wii based on only Zelda. Myself included; I have a Wii but don't want Zelda.

Anyway... Dreamcast 2.0 on the way? Eh...I doubt it.

WoW Addict @ Jan 7th 2007 6:06AM

lowallyn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

North Hill mall you must go! Wii there is at EB! Right across from the food court.

Tim @ Jan 7th 2007 6:19AM

somewhat related to this story is the fact that PS3 systems are available on the BestBuy website, talk about supply being higher then demand!!

CitizenGeek @ Jan 7th 2007 6:34AM

Ugh, it;s getting so boring now. Does Joystq have to put a negatiuve spin on everything PS3-related and a positive spin on everything Wii-related. Wii wouldn;t have good games if it wasn;t for Twillight Princess - which waa a PORT with tacked on motion controls.

syco @ Jan 7th 2007 6:38AM

I'll be honest, I don't want the PS3 to do too well. I don't want to have to buy one. I don't want to spend $300 on it in 4 years because there's 10 awesome games I can only play on it, and 20 I could play on it, or on a $200 Xbox360. I'd rather the good games be split between the console I have (a Wii) and the console I can imagine being able to afford someday (the 360). Does this make me anti-Sony? No. This makes me anti-expensive.

Hell, the 360 is almost a waste of money for me because a signifigant fraction of the costs goes to making the console capable of playing in HD. I can't afford, and do not forsee being able to afford for 5 years at least, an HDTV. I'll probably end up getting one for the games anyway, but I'll be sad.

syco @ Jan 7th 2007 6:39AM

...an Xbox360, not a HDTV, obviously.

Alfarif @ Jan 7th 2007 6:42AM

Headed to my normal weekly Gamestop (first name basis with the cats inside and of course I'm rockin' my discount card) and a guy came in to buy a SixAxis. They didn't have anymore BUT they had 10 PS3s they'd been trying to unload for a week. He was actually considering opening the box and selling the controller separately just to move some stock but he went the route of just trying to sell the PS3 to the guy. Everyone in the store had a laugh.

BPM? @ Jan 7th 2007 6:50AM

In response to the constant posts about "First Joystiq is mad about PS3 short supply, now mad about ample supply? WTF"... It's quite simple:

Think about it. Sony was the clear winner of the last two generations of gaming. Even as a Nintendo fan, I know the hottest system was something with "PlayStation" in the name for the last ten years.

So, going by that logic, a third "PlayStation" should be equally as hot, if not moreso, than the previous two PlayStations. It should be very difficult to find one until, say, April 2007, if not later.

But it's not. Many, many brick-and-mortar stores have them in ample supply.
I work at Fry's Electronics in Phoenix, AZ, and we have over 50 60GB PS3s still in stock, this is even after we stopped forcing people to buy ridiculously expensive bundles!
And quite a few online retailers have them in stock, and the average price on eBay isn't as high as it used to be (for system alone, no bundles).

Why isn't PS3 enjoying the same sellout rate Xbox 360 did the same time last year? Despite the fact that the Sony "camp" is far larger than the Microsoft "camp"?

And why is the Wii, the "repackaged GameCube" (head's up Nintendo haters: using the same architecture does NOT mean Wii uses the same exact chips GCN did; Wii's chips are faster, smaller, and run cooler), constantly hard to find? Why is this "gimmick box" (which Nintendo spent a lot of R&D on creating this new interface) doing so much better than Sony's bleeding-edge tech box?

Well, there's a number of factors, but the most obvious is the price. Yes, the games are important (and I'll touch on that next), but not everyone views spending $500/600 (plus tax, where applicable) on a box to just sit there and do nothing a worthwhile "investment."

I also feel this is the reason why 360 is selling below expectations (if that is true). $100 more for the GOOD 360 than the single SKU Xbox. $40 controllers ($10 for wireless). $60 games. And so on. 360 is pricey compared to Xbox.

And that's the same problem with PS3. It's launch price (for the 60GB SKU) is double the price of the launch price of PS2. And now, you can get PS2 for the same price of DS/DS Lite ($130). And with a well-established library of top-notch games, the PS2 is the wisest investment for any gamer.

Games are important, too, of course. But money is the most important factor. Most people don't have limitless amounts of spending cash, and whether or not someone has the ability to save for one (or "work more hours") doesn't change how they view the value of PS3.

Now, let me talk about the games.

What has the PS3 going for it RIGHT NOW (let's forget what's down the line, because they don't explain why you should own the system NOW). The only decent game on PS3 right now (that you can't get on the cheaper 360) is Resistance (and that's only if you like shooters, which I don't). Aside from that, the other exclusives are mediocre at best (Genji and Gundam).

What does 360 have going on for it right now? Plenty, having been around a year longer than PS3 or Wii, it has a pretty entensive library of games (even if a lot of them are shooters and sports sims... blech). Though, I'm hoping for a price drop, there is at least one game for 360 I'd really like to play: Dead Rising.

What does Wii have going on for it right now? For one, a free game with the system: Wii Sports. Definitely makes a great party game (particularly Tennis, Bowling, and Boxing), and is still fun alone (but best with friends). For single players, there's Zelda. While I can't say it's my favorite (that honor still belongs to ALttP for overall favorite Zelda, and MM for favorite 3D Zelda), it is still a great entry in the series. And I enjoy both Metal Slug Anthology and Super Swing Golf a lot. And I've hear other good games can be found under the names of "Rayman Raving Rabbids" and "Trauma Center: Second Opinion." But, I haven't played those yet (well, I played a bit of TC:SO, and it was fun), so I really can't say. And if what I've read is correct, Wii even managed to make Dragon Ball Z a fun game! That's quite an accomplishment there!
Then, Wii still has Virtual Console. Old gems can become new favorites (if only they'd stop wasting time with stuff like Baseball, and brought on Mario Kart 64...) for those who missed out. Or could be a way to relive old favorites alongside new ones, all in one box.
But, man, it'd be great if they added online play to VC. I mean, just about any NES emulator for the PC has netplay, why not Wii?

Fanboys who are so blind as to not see past their favorite company's blunders really annoy me. Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony fanboys all annoy me.

I consider myself a Nintendo fan, yes, as I've always liked their games the best. However, that's never stopped from liking other systems (I own almost all of Sega's consoles, and I have some misc. stuff like NeoGeo Pocket Color and WonderSwan Color!) or seeing where Nintendo screwed up. I see a lot of wasted potential with Wii (mostly in how Virtual Console is being done), but nothing that can't be ironed out with firmware upgrades and the like.

Which is why it really bugs me how Sony fanboys (or maybe psuedo-fanboys, imitating to mock the real fanboys) take an anti-Sony spin on every positive piece about Nintendo or Microsoft, and anytime something negative about Sony is said, they play the "Joystiq/Xstiq/Nitenstiq is biased" card in super defensive mode.

Noone is biased but you. You fail to acknowledge Sony's shortcomings, and choose to live in (final) fantasy land, where Sony can do no wrong.

I think all Sony needs to do to stay in the ball game is drop the price for each SKU by $200. That puts it on par with both 360 SKUs, and would make it seem like a far better value than 360 (sans games). Until that happens, it's going to be too pricey for most gamer's bank accounts.
But, that's highly unlikely to happen, as Sony is already taking a loss on each PS3 sold.

It could be just that Sony dug themselves too deep of a hole to get out of. Yeah, it's nice how powerful PS3 is, and how much storage Blu-ray Discs can hold, but aside from the technophile, who's really gonna care about clock speeds, storage space, and so on? Noone.
The most important thing about the video game console market is the system should be cheap enough so that it's accessable to the mass market. Because, as we all know, firms make profits off of software, not hardware. And if you can't sell enough software to cover losses, you're in a worse position than before.
Appealing to the Average Joe's wallet. That's how you move systems.

I'd type more, but I'm tied. G'night, 'Stiqers!