Xperia Play phones given away at GDC end up on eBay

by Mike Schramm on Mar 8th 2011 11:33PM

Sheesh. First the Xperia Play is obtained by the press even before its official announcement, and now the first units to reach the North American public, given away to developers at a GDC panel and raffles last week, are ... wait for it ... being sold on eBay.

That's right -- even weeks before the actual launch, you can't give these things away for free. eBay seller "mejones73-1" doesn't hide the fact that he's one of the developers who won a free phone (and neither does this guy), though the Sony writeup says that a winner named "Mike Jones" just happens to work across the street from their office in Redwood City, CA. Jones might want to be careful in the parking lot this week -- even if he plans to buy another phone with the $730 and rising that his auction is earning, Sony can't be too happy about this one.

[Thanks, Benny!]

Via: eBay
Source: Sony Ericsson

Tags: comedy, ebay, gdc2011, humor, mobile, playstation, playstation-phone, psp, sony, xperia-play

Reader Comments (51)

L
O
L

Would whoever buys this phone even be able to use it? I doubt sony really has anything to be mad about...

@liquidsoap89
They probably gave them away in hopes that the winners would want to develop something for it.

@liquidsoap89

If they're GSM, easy to unlock.

@Ballistic H
Yeah, it's a GSM model, so it could be used with AT&T or T-Mobile in the States.

@Premature ejaculation man I would have. I've been itching to get into android development

The amount of money people will pay to have something early.

@Sherlock Homey It is a bit mind boggling.

@Sherlock Homey

People over here waited in line for over 12 hours just to be the first to have the first Krispy Kreme donuts in Thailand. They then paraded around the shopping center to show off their boxes of sugarfilled goodness.

@Sherlock Homey
They will buy anything early. When I got my 3D TV It came with avatar 3D put it on ebay and somebody bought it for around $300 people are dumb.

@ManaBurnX
Well thats kirspy kream thats understandable.

yeah but that's for doughnuts, who would wait for another phone?

First Sony can't keep their secrets. Now they can't keep their products...

@Ospov

This is all free press for Sony. I seriously doubt they are worried that the giveaways are being sold for a small fortune on ebay and getting press as a result... heck, that's a -good- thing for them.

@ferret

Unless people hate them or something.

@Ospov : well if you hate a company you have some serious issues.

@GenGrievous

That's a bit of a broad statement. I think most people have serious issues for not hating Haliburton.

@Ospov

also sony and sony ericsson are two completely different companies

@GenGrievous

I was talking about hating the phone. Not the company. If nobody likes the phone, why would people buy it?

Geonerd is gonna buy this one with all his donated money.

These new android 2.3 phones really aren't wowing myself as no real improvement over then tethering features n CPU bump, eagerly awaiting June for Iphone5 for gaming.

"Yay! I got an Xperia Play, and I'm going to, uh, play games for it. Damn."

The ability to say you had one of the first units released is better than saying you had a couple of hundred dollars, in my opinion.

@Drakkenfyre Are you saying the seller should keep it, or that we should buy it? I think after they're officially released, no one will care who had it first.

I don't see what's shocking about it. Everyone they gave them to probably already has a phone that they're sticking with.

May as well make some coin.

Oh come on now. Sony should've given me one. I at least would've developed for it.

Krispy kreme donuts>xperia play

Shocker.

I hope the winner either is or gives it to George Hotz.

Uh oh don't let geohotz get a hold of it!

Quick! Edit the terms and conditions!

Who?

Mike Jooooones.

Who?

Mike Jooooones.

@Acosta02

/2003

@Co
BACK DEN DEY DIDNT WANT ME NOW IM HOT DEY ALL ON ME.

Free press for Sony. I seriously doubt they care.

If he didn't keep the phone to develop for it he's probably a shit developer anyways so who cares.

Any decent developer would have kept the phone to actually develop stuff for it because it's a free chance to make additional income. Being one of the first developers to put an app out for that phone will guarantee your app high exposure since it will be one of the few. So like I said... he's obviously a shit developer and now that phone may have the chance of getting in the hands of a good one.

So, the product is ready to ship, so why aren't we seeing it on the market? This is the problem of the likes of Sony. They announced a product, and then took their sweet time in actually shipping them. Meanwhile, companies like Apple are announcing products and shipping them by days/few weeks later.

Oh, and SE won't even release the Xperia Neo nor the Arc in the US. Just this stupid Xperia Play.

@pika2000
Different companies market things differently. Apple likes to make their announcements after they've manufactured a few shipments, so they can say "YOU CAN GO BUY THIS NOW!!!" Others like to make the announcement well in advance of the planned launch, giving them time to manufacture the product, and the consumer time to save up for it.

I'm not saying one is better than the other... just different, that's all.

@pika2000

There's a difference between giving out a small number of them to developers and having thousands ready to be sold in stores nationwide. They're probably still manufacturing them and getting them ready to ship to retailers. This was probably just a handful of the first ones made that they could easily ship to GDC.

As one of the other winners of this phone I can tell you it is fully unlocked GSM phone.

Kinda funny that he selling it on ebay but it is actually a really nice phone. I am keeping mine to actually develop applications for launch so thats his loss

Why is this surprising?

If I was given an expensive new phone as a freebie and didn't want to replace my existing one I'd probably stick it on ebay too.

Edge only? Boo-urns!

I'd really like one of those phones but I can't support it without proper PSN integration.

I'll probably end up getting an iPhone 4 when the next one comes out and lowers the price.

Wow, the auction price is already a hair over $900...man I hope thar Sony doesnt point to this auction when they sheepishly anounce NGP (over)pricing.

It's a horribly ugly phone and people are wondering why it's being sold on?

@VeeDeeVee

I'm more surprised at how much people are willing to pay to get it early. I guess if you can't earn your 15 minutes of internet fame, you can always buy it.

@baby sea tuna
yup same goes for Nba Live 11. lol

@echerringtonYAHOOCOM

*Nba Elite 11
lol

Can I downgrade this post? Or can a post be considered an invitation to troll...or a troll itself?

I believe that is what happens with most everything people get from these types of events. I see it alllll the time. They sell the gifts and "swag" on Ebay and if they are a part of a website they give it away in some contest. And yeah, as many people have brought up here, its a phone, you still have to get a contract/card to use it. I'm sure many iPhones have been sold the same way.

These things always sell for alot if you have them early. Maybe the winners will buy another, it's just business.

I'd be pissed if I were sony, though

They're being sold because everyone who received one likely already has an iPhone. Why downgrade?

Wow dick move guys. I wouldn't want one either but selling it right away is a tad rude lol.

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Xperia Play phones given away at GDC end up on eBay

Reader Comments (51)

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:36PM Nolan North said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:45PM liquidsoap89 said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:51PM Premature ejaculation man said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:57AM Ballistic H said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 2:37AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Mar 19th 2011 9:46PM Extinction said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:48PM Sherlock Homey said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:52PM baddates77 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:11AM ManaBurnX said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:24AM Mika101 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 1:22AM Special Agent Bob said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 11:37AM monkeypants said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:52PM Ospov said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:39AM ferret said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 2:24AM Ospov said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 5:48AM GenGrievous said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 9:20AM eat it said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 9:23AM eat it said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:04PM Ospov said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:53PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:53PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:59PM Drakkenfyre said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 4:04PM Tommy Gun said

Posted: Mar 8th 2011 11:59PM Ezio Auditore da Firenze said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:03AM Extinction said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 11:11AM Adhesive said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:12AM eNriqeu said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:14AM Alexisonfire said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:17AM Mika101 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:35AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 12:39AM Acosta02 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:26AM Co said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 10:00AM Julian Whitehouse said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 1:35AM Lassik said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 1:58AM pika2000 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 2:51AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 4:50AM sonicspike41 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 2:14AM Hunterprime said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 4:31AM abigsmurf said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 5:48AM graison said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 6:52AM koehler83 said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:19AM Sylvrfonic said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:23AM VeeDeeVee said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:43AM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 9:50AM echerringtonYAHOOCOM said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 9:52AM echerringtonYAHOOCOM said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:40AM jasoncourt said

Posted: Mar 9th 2011 8:45AM ND92 said

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Posted: Mar 9th 2011 3:47PM AFATALERR0R said

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