MastrCake

@gooniegoogoo2 said "The average was between 0 and 5.......and these are among some of the highest volume moving Gamestop locations in the country (according to the managers)."

Are you sure?

I live in Boise, ID. There are approx. 8 Gamestops within a 15 mile radius of my house. 2 of them are in the mall, the others are scattered around the many suburbs of Boise. Anyways, the one I pre-ordered my Vita Launch edition bundle at was the one in Meridian, ID, which is not a large town. I'm the 30th person to pre-order one from this location. I've been in several times since, and found out that I wasn't the last one to pre-order one. 5-10 more people have done so since my pre-order in late January.

I might also mention that the store manager said he was "disappointed" with the pre-order rate. Other launches (like the Wii, 360, and even the PS3) did MUCH better. He was a bit worried about the system's future, but he pre-ordered one just days after they got a demo unit. I think being able to play with it converted a lot of people into believers.

So, if I'm number 30, and there have been at least 5 more First Edition pre-orders since I did mine, that means at least 35 First Edition Pre-orders at just one location. Factor in the Wifi and 3g models, and all of the higher volume stores around the area, and apparently we have a lot of Sony fanboys here. I wouldn't call it a flop, but apparently it's not a raging success either.

@BluEShad3 Now they're playing Ghost Recon.

Amber-accented lights will most likely be added to the US version. This is the international version, which is to be unveiled in Shanghai. I'm assuming the US version will have a few very minor tweaks.

...Really?

This isn't a mere rebadging... it shares almost nothing appearance-wise with the Regal/Insignia. Interior is definitely different, engines may be different, and isn't this wider than the Regal?

This can go one of three ways:

a) People buy it because it drives well, doesn't cost a ton, and has Scion's good reliability history behind it, thus saving the Scion brand.

b) People don't buy it because it doesn't handle well, it isn't quick, and/or it's spendy, thus killing the Scion brand.

c) People don't buy it because it's a Scion, not a Toyota, thus killing the Scion brand.

Option "a" would be the preferred outcome. This can only happen if the whole package is compelling. It needs to drive well, and it needs to do it cheap. But at the same time, fit and finish needs to be up to snuff, and it can't be ugly or boring appearance-wise.

Option "b" is entirely possible, especially considering Toyota's newfound "build them cheap, sell them high, slap a Toyota badge on it, make maximum profit" ideology. It's even filtering down to Scion, but instead of a Toyota badge, they slap the skinny "S" on the hood, and hope it sells. It hasn't been working very well lately, so it'll be interesting to see if they can fix that problem.

Option "c" is only avoidable if the package is compelling. You can't sell a sporty Scion unless it's good, especially considering Scion's Gen Y marketing. I'm actually a Gen Y'er, but if I had to choose between a Focus and an xB, or a Fiesta and an xD, I'd pick the Fords any day of the week. I will, however, buy a rear wheel drive Scion in a heartbeat if it ends up being good.

Yes, I've always been critical of Toyota, but they won't appeal to me if they don't have something fun to drive and inexpensive. But that's the problem: themasses like their cars cushy, wide, and boring. To quote a Hyundai ad: "Maybe car companies keep making boring cars because we keep buying them".

Stop buying them, people!

And for a second, I thought that picture was real... could've FOOLed me!

@BoozeRob I wouldn't call them shitty, they did beat the Saints in the playoffs...

That said, the Seahawks don't have any one partiularly good player. (Unless you count Marcus Trufant. He's a beast.) However, Seattle's fans are some of the greatest on the planet. No matter how many times the Seahawks (or even the Mariners, for that matter) screw up their chances at winning it all, the fans always stand behind their teams.

They're loud as hell, too.

My grandma drives an Acadia. Those chromed-out center vents will blind you if you're driving it when the sun is up high.

No, not a station wagon. Name a station wagon with 3 usable rows of seating. And no, volvo-style rear facing seats aren't usable for normal sized adults, so don't even try.

@Strollymonster

Actually, you need to cancel, then re-do the pre-order. It's in the fine print.

This rocks because, even though I am paying $2 more than I would before I re-did it, I get $20 to put toward a Sharp Shooter.