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azzman
Posts: 4056
Location: Australiiiaaa , maate
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 Posted: Tue, 14th Nov 2006 03:31 Post subject: [PS3] PlayStation 3 hits 'grey market' |
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They are being sold for up to four times the retail price of the console, which went on sale in Japan last Saturday for about £270.
There are also reports that homeless people were paid to queue for the console on behalf of people now selling them on at a higher price.
The product launch is one of the most crucial in Sony's history.
Thousands of people queued for many hours in cities across Japan on Saturday and many people went home empty-handed.
Sony has had difficulties in mass producing the console because of problems with a specific part of the console's Blu-ray DVD player. The firm put the European launch of the console on hold until March next year due to the shortages.
One PS3 with a 60GB hard drive, which would have cost about $500 (£270) in Japanese stores, was on sale on Monday on the auction site eBay for an asking price of $2,300 (£1,200).
Other PS3s were attracting bids starting from $600 (£313) up to $1,475 (£771).
Brian Ashcraft, an editor for gaming website Kotaku in Japan, said: "I witnessed homeless people waiting in line as well as a high number of Chinese customers."
He said he had heard similar stories from other shops around Tokyo and in Osaka.
A Kotaku reader, Dirk Benedict, contacted the website about the launch day at flagship Tokyo store, Bic Camera.
"The first buyers of PS3 were largely elderly Chinese men and young Chinese women with shaky Japanese language skills," he wrote.
"Opportunistic Japanese businessmen have the largest presence, hiring poor Chinese men and women to wait in line for a PS3."
Ps3 launch
Many Japanese customers went home happy
Mr Benedict said the Chinese men and women were then delivering the consoles to Japanese men, who were paying them up to £90 for queuing.
He wrote: "Sony should be scolded for staging a national launch event with 80,000 units.
"An extreme lack of supply ignited an extreme surge of demand - that of which poor Chinese and opportunistic Japanese took full advantage of."
Kotaku reports that PS3 consoles advertised as used are now being sold for 144,900 yen (£645) in some Japanese shops.
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is being sold in two configurations.
The more expensive version has a 60GB hard drive and wi-fi on board and its official cost in Japan is 60,000 yen (£270).
The cheaper version has a 20GB hard drive, lacks the wi-fi and will cost 49,980 yen (£222).
European prices are expected to be higher than direct comparisons suggest.
Both versions include a wireless controller, a Blu-ray high-quality video player and a port so they can work with a high-definition display.
Buying a PS3 also gives owners free access to the online PlayStation Network where they can meet and take on other gamers.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6142576.stm
piss poor sony 
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Cheez-It
Posts: 1106
Location: Rochester, NY
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| Posted: Tue, 14th Nov 2006 05:55 Post subject: |
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Extreme shortage != Extreme demand.
It is incredibly foolish to look at this launch with anything but disgust in Sony.
Although hey, fuck the customer over and make them wait, so when you DO produce more, they're cheaper to make.
I really hope Sony gets screwed this time around. Not "Lose a little marketshare" screwed, but "lose all your money and die of AIDS" screwed.
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| Posted: Wed, 15th Nov 2006 02:00 Post subject: |
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I respect Nintendo's desire to go for the "gameplay" with their Wii product and not race down the ridiculous road of continually-upgrading-your-kit as per PC's & the high-end consoles (water-coolers for the 360 - give me a break!)
I get more fun playing GBA & XBoX titles than the new PC games. And now with the DS Lite we are getting Castlevania Portrait of Ruin - my precioussssssss :loL:
You wanted a Miracle, I give you the F. B. Eye !!
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