PlayStation 3 Manufacturing Not Started Yet? 210
aapold writes "Despite reports to the contrary, Sony Computer Entertainment American president Kaz Hirai states in an interview on Gamespot last week that 'We haven't started manufacturing yet. Some of our ops guys were actually just in China, and also in Japan just reviewing the [production] lines and everything else. But they are, again, preparing as we speak to get the manufacturing going. We've not announced and we haven't set really a specific date to say, 'As of this day we're going to start manufacturing.'"
But you can get a pink (as in ponies) PS2 (Score:4, Funny)
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on topic: manufacturing of the ps3 hasnt started yet. they have the component manufacturers completing and stockpiling components for the time being.
it doesnt make sense to have millions of completed ps3s sitting in a warehouse waiting to be stolen. besides, sony doesnt have to worry about paying to store the ps3s until they are completed. right now its each component manufacturers responsibility to store the components. its a standard manufacturing pro
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It makes PERFECT sense to have them sitting in a warehouse. Remember the PS2? This is going to be worse. They need stock to sell. If they had any brains and had the ability, they would be cranking them out so they could sell them. Remember that when they got for $2000 on eBay, Sony only gets the origonal $500 or $600. They want more to sell, and making them now would allow that.
Despite all the (sometimes tremendous) screw ups around the PS3, I don't think they are THAT stupid. They aren't making them becua
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given that sony has been manufacturing consumer electronics for decades and have seen their fair share of shortages, i dont think that their plan itself is the cause for any shortage. they know what they are capable of, if everything works according to plan
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On the other hand, they probably have the ability to assemble the machines pretty fast. The problem is that the manufacturing of s
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Yeah, let's get rid of warehouses altogether. Nothing but dark cesspits of crime. I say the right time to start production on any item is the moment someone actually purchases it. Otherwise it's just going to sit around someplace and get stolen.
Re:But you can get a pink (as in ponies) PS2 (Score:4, Interesting)
http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,si
I'm not saying that I think this is what's going on with Sony, but going away from massive warehousing has been a "revelation" in modern mass production .
Warehousing is *bad*, you're paying for storage for stuff to just sit there, and when you're talking about millions of units the amount of money wasted can be huge. Of course, what you want to do is to have the manufacturing set up to meet demand with the minimum amount of storage possible. The concern isn't theft (maybe it's then 100th concern), but cost.
Here's a summary (copied from the above link) that summarizes Toyota Production Methods (now, of course, widely emulated with varying degrees of success by other companies, industries, around the world):
1. Eliminate waste
2. Minimize inventory
3. Maximize flow
4. Pull production from customer demand
5. Meet customer requirements
6. Do it right the first time
7. Empower workers
8. Design for rapid changeover
9. Partner with suppliers
10. Create a culture of continuous improvement
Vast warehousing is so 1980s! (and a sign of inneficient manufacturing).
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there is absolutely no way Sony can meet initial demand by waiting until the ship date to start making consoles! Just-in-time means having enough product in the pipeline to meet expected demand.
Dude, you need a Dell (Score:2)
You call it "a little too late". Dell [wikipedia.org] calls it "made to order".
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We've found step 2, guys (Score:4, Funny)
2) Look at every decision Sony has made for the Playstation 3, and do the opposite
3) Profit
Re:We've found the Idiot of The Day, guys (Score:4, Insightful)
Worked for the DS. Enjoy playing all those FPS's with your analog stick.
"And with Sony selling 100+ million Playstation consoles on their first foray into the console market."
So?
"And with Sony selling 106+ million Playstation 2 consoles in their second entry in the console market."
So...?
Sony sold a bunch of systems. Yahoo. So did Nintendo. They lost the roost pretty quick. Heck, the N64 lost to a graphically inferior machine. Times change. For example, some systems are launching for $600 now.
"And now with the PS3 Sony is about to put out.. "
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At least the people I know and hang out with (30ish with no children, tech jobs) have the disposable income to buy one of these things no sweat. Personally, I'm waiting to see what the games play like before I choose between a 360 and a PS3.
Also, the Euro marke
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Yeah, 20 year olds might have enough money to one - but how many teenagers do you know who can manage their money effectively? How many 600 bucks "laying" around?
While Europe certainly does drive killer sales, it helps - and you have to remember, the margins for "extra" money are slimming - 600 bucks used to be relatively easy, but it isnt
Initial price not all that important (Score:2)
Been guilty of that thinking myself. But lately I have been pondering thus: Nobody has been able to manufacture enough units to satisfy initial demand on a new console. That being the case for the PS3 I suspect it won't matter what price they sell it for, there will probably be enough fanbois, California (where the cost of living is such that $500-$600 isn't much) IT geeks, spoiled
Re:Initial price not all that important (Score:4, Interesting)
Not if history is any guide. The PS2 was out for about 18 months before the first price drop of $100 (33%). Then, after 12 months it dropped 10%, the following year 16%, and finally 13% this year to its current price of $130.
If they could follow the same pattern in terms of percentages (and these numbers are rounded a bit), the PS3 price would drop to $335 in 2008, $300 in 2009, $250 in 2010 and $220 in 2011. If the Xbox 360 followed the same guide, we would see (premium - the core prices would be more like the PS2) $270 in 2007, $240 in 2008, $200 in 2009, $170 in 2010.
Of course, Sony could end up being a lot more aggressive if things start working out better in terms of Cell production, and if Blu-Ray manages to knock HD-DVD out of the movie market (I'm sure MS could hang with them easily, staying lower priced no matter what Sony does). If not, we could be looking at PS3 consoles costing a minimum $300 up to 3 years from now - that would seem to be something that would put a dent in PS3 sales compared to those Sony enjoyed with the much less expensive PS2.
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Look at how many 16yr olds get a brand spanking new car when they turn 16. Look how many of them get a Lexus or Acura.
Sure, it doesn't happen everywhere, but there are a lot of places where kids are growing up in smaller families and having parents willing to dump bigtime $$$ on their kids. And there are even more parents that would be willing to dump $600+ on a PS3, plus $50 or so on a game, as an electr
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Also, 100+ million wasn't accomplished at release. Thats over a lifespan. I am willing to bet that there are more than enough Japanese and American fanboys, spoiled kids, and high income/low responsibility adults out there who can allow Sony to at least match the sales for the 360 release.
While I agree that price may be a factor, it's really all speculation until the PS3 is released. Sony has won this battle two gens in a row, a feat only matched by Nintendo. And when Nin
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This is actually a bad sign for the PS3. If a console has robust initial sales, then these late-buyers will supplement its success. But if everyone, or most people, plans to "buy it later", the sales won't pick up, developers abandon it, and the would-be late buyers just don't buy because, "hey, there aren't many good games for it". Network effects are very strong for consoles.
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Let me guess: you prefer to say "price point" where "price" would convey no less meaning?
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I also understand the difference between a price point and a price. Go be an asshole somewhere else.
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People usually say "PS3 drops" in terms of the "price dropping". It's great if it is used to mean "released", but you need to be careful when it usually has the opposite meaning of what you intended.
I also understand the difference between a price point and a price.
Yet you don't understand context. You think you're more educated because you know that a "price point" is a place on the demand curve where the slope
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If you had used context clues instead of reading flat like a good government educated idiot, you would have understood what I was saying. Don't throw your inability to comprehend onto me because you gave the post a half assed read.
Second, you can dislike someone using the term price point and price interchangably all you want. It doesn't mean shit. So you can stop with the weak ass straw man too.
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You had to go and ruin a nice pointless flame war with rational thought and a well placed e-peen reference. Jeez. I miss the old days where flames we're just read.
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Whose the stupid fucker that thought the above was flamebait?
No, flamebait is what gets typed when I go after the stupid punk who is obviously another Sony fan-boy who got his rocks off moderating someone's opinion as flame-bait.
Grow up, learn a little and forget trying to moderate, whoever the hell you were. You obviously don't have a brain, nor a clue.
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Maybe you wouldn't, but outside of
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Dropping $300 or more for a video game system that is obsolete before it's released is not only just a bad idea, it constitutes in my opinion, bad parenting.
It just fuels the "I want" mentality.
Until they can switch from "I want" to "I need, because of these logical reasons", it's not going to happen.
Parents who give their child everything they want, desensitize their children to the value of what they receiv
Re:We've found the Idiot of The Day, guys (Score:4, Insightful)
As far as you and your parenting goes, you read slashdot so that kinda takes you out of the general population pool: you're informed new technology.
This just in... nerds hate everything. (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe the reason the video game industry is seeing a slow down is that no matter what any company does we bitch about it. The small publishers are too small, the big publisers are to big, the inovative games are too inovative and everything else is not inovative enough... We need to grow up and quit this fanboyism and infighting, we all may have diffrent taste but we all want one thing, qualtiy entertanment.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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You fogot to mention that it lacks the backwards compatibility it was originally supposed to have. That makes its library of games rather small. It may have somewhat better graphics than the PS2, but the PS2 has a ton more games.
And the PS3? Yeah, lots of people are going to be really excited about it up until they see t
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I find it hilarious that the "budget" PS3 model is still at LEAST twice as expensive as Nintendo's next console is expected to be. That's still not cheap, guys. It's still not, for many people, "affordable".
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I doubt anyone's forgotten that the crippled tard-box is STILL $100 more expensive than the full 360, and, as sibling mentioned, at least 2x what the wii will cost.
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The big question is how well Sony will market the PS3 in the next few months leading up to its pre-Christmas release. I have a feeling they'll do an amazing job (as before) and the average Joes
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Re:This just in... nerds hate everything. (Score:5, Informative)
The PSP isn't being marketed enough and that pisses off EA [slashdot.org]. I know this is outdated, but it still counts as criticism: first weekend sales were slow [slashdot.org]. Back in December, no one cared about the PSP [slashdot.org]. More recently, people do not seem to know what to do with the PSP [slashdot.org].
Wii is a stupid [rockymountainnews.com] and weird [games.net] name that is just a marketing gimmick [slashdot.org] and really is stupid in case you missed the first article [slashdot.org]. Developers aren't 'getting' the Wii [slashdot.org].
On the flipside of your reasoning, let's take a look at the systems that you highlight as receiving bad press:
The XBox360 will have the most market share past the presidential election [slashdot.org]. The XBox360 is being sold for much less money than it costs to make it [slashdot.org] so I don't see how you can complain about the price. The XBox360 is also mostly backwards-compatible [slashdot.org]. The 360 has also redefined the market and what it means to be a console [slashdot.org].
The PS3 will dominate market share through the midterm elections after the presidential election [slashdot.org] (I'm a poli-sci major, I think in terms of U.S. elections). The PS3 is region free for gaming [slashdot.org]. The PS3 might max out the FPS available on even nice TVs [slashdot.org] and has amazing NVIDIA graphics [slashdot.org] and is going to be upgradable [slashdot.org]. The PS3 is backwards compatible for games and [slashdot.org]memory cards.
For any innovation there will be geeks who praise it and insult it. I will be insulted if I praise Linux or Microsoft, /. or Digg. Granted there are things that are constant sources of criticism (/. mod system, RIAA, SCO, RIAA, BSA, RIAA, RIAA, etc.) but they are the exception rather than the rule.
This concludes the most time and research intesive post I have ever written. If I weren't at work right now I would feel like I had wasted my time.
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You don't? Like this: "Three to four hundred dollars is more than I'm willing to pay for a videogame console, regardless of how much it cost them to manufacture it."
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The XBox360 is being sold for much less money than it costs to make it so I don't see how you can complain about the price.
The PS3 will sell for $600, but some analysts have placed it's costs at $900-$1000 per unit. That means they are selling it at a $300-$400 discount.
That doesn't make $600 cost any less.
XBox 360 + Wii + games Good luck Sony, you're gonna need it.
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XBox 360 + Wii + games Good luck Sony, you're gonna need it.
Sorry, I forgot I can't use greater than or less than signs without escaping them. That should have read:
XBox 360 + Wii + games <= $600
Good luck Sony, you're gonna need it.
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Dude, you are my hero... (Score:2)
Re:This just in... nerds hate everything. (Score:4, Insightful)
I agree with you - despite not seeing anyone complain about innovative games, or companies being too small. And I'm totally against fanboyism, but then I'm also against Root-kits and the complete arrogance Sony has been showing towards their customers rights. I'm very excited about the PS3 only Assassins Creed, but games are a secondary consideration when it comes to supporting companies with which you have ethical troubles with.
It's not called fanboyism to abandon Yahoo because of the way they have behaved in China, and it's not called fanboyism to abandon Sony because of their stance on DRM and Piracy.
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-Erwos
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But what I take issue with is that people don't stop at not buying the PS3 they are doing there best to paint it in as negative a light as possible... it's as if Nintendo is paying for this negative press campain.
I would like to be able to look at some of the potental drawbacks of the Wii without getting into an argument on how bad the PS3 is going to suck (I have actualy had this conversa
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Pros:
Inexspensive
Inovative game play potental.
Cons:
May have weak 3rd party support.
Huh? I don't have the link right now, but IIRC, Nintendo said there's a number of 3rd parties interested, including EA.
Games may not make use of the Wiimote.
So? The Wiimote is cool, but look at the DS. The touchscreen isn't overly utilized in most games.
Bacwards compatability looks like it requires rebuying your old games.
OK, have to agree here, except on the Gamecube ones. Those play directly off the disc. Plus, if y
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Games for the PS3 may not make use of the tilt features in their controller either. Or may have used rumble if Sony hadn't dropped that feature.
Bacwards compatability looks like it requires rebuying your old games.
There should be 100% backwards compatibility to the Gamecube, so this only applies to the earlier cartridge based systems and games for other consoles.
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Are Sony and Microsoft any better at getting "input from the consumer"? I don't think Joe Playstation who plays mostly GTA and Madden was clamoring for a Blu-Ray drive.
Guess what happens when you base your strategy on what the consumer thinks he wants. You get an Atari Lynx that's so large that it barely fits the definition of "portable"--because some dumbass focus group indicated
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I only speak for myself... and I am not interested in many of the ga
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Last I checked, the Wii is supposed to let you put a GC disc right in and play. That's backward compatibility (if it works), and I don't see how it would cost me "only a couple dollars"
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I haven't forgoten... but having there mascot charecter in a brawler is not the same as Konami putting a MGS4 port on the console. It isn't about playing as snake... it's about playing a Metal Gear game for me.
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I won't decide what (if any) console to buy untill I can compare the games and games I want to play are on the market.
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It's a tradition in
Of course, maybe we have some weight in other peoples choices. But I don't think Sony executives care about
And I don't thin
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this argument comes up EVERY TIME Blu-Ray is mentioned, it is NOT a Sony Proprietary media format, unless Sony secretly bought 136 companies without anyone knowning, Sony is NOT the only company that can make Blu-Ray discs, Sony is NOT the only company that can make blu-ray drives, Sony is NOT the only company you can buy Blu-Ray discs from, so how is it a Sony Proprietary Media Form
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News flash: people take extreme positions on the Internet, and argue them into the ground. However, I don't think there's any real evidence that arguing on the Internet actually c
Didn't they learn from the PSP? (Score:5, Insightful)
If there are no products that compete with it. If people can't get a console, they'll possibly look to another console such as the cheaper 360 or (potentially) bargain Wii. Sony have received enough bad press over the PS3 in regards to price (especially in the UK where we get especially ripped off), copycat features and lowered tech specs.
The PSP shortages hurt Sony as lots of people bought the cheaper DS instead and as a result the PSP didn't get that vital early userbase.
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Me thinks the shortage of non-ports-of-PS2-games didn't help either...
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Translation (Score:5, Funny)
KH: Correct. Yes. - translated to : shut up, so we screwed up a few times, leave me alone!
GS: How are things looking there? - translated to : so is there any chance Sony can still profit from ps3?
KH: Everything's pretty much on track. - translated to : if I owned Sony i'd just scrap the whole project right now and begin working on PS4.
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Hey, it worked so well when Atari scrapped the Panther project to focus on Jaguar, and when Sega abandoned 32X to focus on Saturn...
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The 32X never should have been released. In fact, that comparison works. There's a semi-reasonable argument that Sony should scrap the PS3 and ride the PS2 for a few years. Just like Sega should have scrapped the 32X and coasted on the Sega CD/Genesis combo for a year until the Saturn came out.
Wow... (Score:4, Funny)
Jack says something stupid: write a comment
Jack says something else stupid: ignore him
Jack kills a baby: write a comment
Congratulations Sony! You've gotten me to once again comment on your amazing incompetance.
don't fret (Score:5, Funny)
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At that point you're talking about s
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Liberal compared to what? With a new crippling "feature" with every patch? With people desprately downgrading their software at every turn? With UMD proving to be BetaMax2005?
Oh wait, we're dealing with Sony, the company that has shipped BluRay drives which won't play BluRay disks:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/ 11/1815258 [slashdot.org]
Yeah, in comparison the PSP is relatively liberal with it's DRM.
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Liberal compared to what Sony had every right to make it. It could have been far worse. As it stands it plays ripped movies & music in a variety of formats, including WMA & AAC. From Sony that's very liberal. The only people desperately trying to downgrade are pirates and homebrewers. Now I'm the first to support homebrew, bu
Are you hinting .... (Score:4, Funny)
It's real dammit. I believe in the blue ray!
69 days before the 360 shipped... (Score:3, Informative)
I think Nintendo might steal significant thunder from Sony if PS3 shortages are a drastic as I expect by offering the Wii in quantity with the quality and quantity of launch titles that are anticipated. If a parent walks into a store around Christmas asks for a PS3 only to hear that it's out of stock looks at the Wii, the breadth of launch titles, the comparitive price, the innovative control style, the name Nintendo and the fact that it's in stock, well then maybe Nintendo can clean the floor with Sony. I hope NIntendo realizes this. Anyone who doubts that it might happen need only look at the success of the DS versus the PSP.
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Exactly where they intend to be. (Score:2)
Blown out of proportion? (Score:2)
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Re:Another Non-Story - Zonk FUD Story (Score:5, Insightful)
Are you suffering from the misapprehension that Zonk is somehow making these stories up out of wholecloth? A lot of negative Sony articles are getting posted, but i suspect that's because a lot of negative Sony articles are being submitted. Zonk also posted the article about the marketing study saying "PS3 Predicted to Lead Market Through 2011." [slashdot.org] Note that no one congratulated Zonk for overcoming his anti-sony "bias," or argued how this study proved that all the other articles Zonk posted were wrong. Instead everyone criticized the study as being unrealistic and uninformed. Right or wrong the majority of the vocal slashdot crowd seems to have it in for Sony, and these are probably the same people sending in articles.
I think the ones constantly railing against Zonk's "tirades" and "favortisim" are the ones who are looking more and more ridiculous at this point.
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I expect there are plenty of negative stories out there but this isn't a story at all.
Zonk contrasts a genuine statement from Sony that they haven't started producing PS3s yet with a statement by Zonk himself in a previous Slashdot summary where he referred to "Phil Harri [slashdot.org]
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Yeah, why wouldn't we congratulate Zonk for posting a stupid, unrealistic, pro-Microsoft article just so he could say "see, I'm not always anti-Sony"? Duh.
Rob
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In Sony's defense, they probably don't have the resources to produce as many units as they'd ideally like to. Economies of scale only apply up to a certain point and over a certain time frame. They probably can't s
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Hehe (Score:2)
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Re:Sounds like "NIT" to me (Score:2)
"Just in Time" requires precision calculation as to how much inventory is required to BUILD a product, not deliver a product. For example, if Sony Stockpiled too many Cell processors, that is bad, and wastes warehouse space (although cell chips wouldn't take up appreciable space). If there are too few, demand goes unmet.
"JIT" does not refer to completed product. That calculation is different, and is based on market demand, not manufacturing capacity (which is only indirectly based
Depends on a lot of factors (Score:2)
Off the back of a napkin, you need to know:
Forecasted sales, by region
Distribution network capabilities
lead time of product manufacture, and an analysis of any potential long-lead parts. Long lead parts are any electronics product that potentially take 5-6 months or longer to acquire. I don't know what the allocation picture is on electronics right now (if there even is one) as I've been out of high tech for
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No doubt, the PS3 will probably be very difficult to produce and will be in very short supply.
Fact 2 - Everyone that has a PS2 and loves it (and also uses it as their primary game machine) wants a PS3. (Just as PS1 owners wanted a PS2.)
That's not a fact, being that I own and love my PS2 and have no desire to purchase a PS3 I am a example which negates your everyon
Re:Real PS3 facts pulled from experience and thin (Score:4, Informative)