Playstation 3 Sells Out At Japanese Launch

s31523 writes "With its high price tag and stiff competition the PS3 was a gamble. Based on the reaction in Japan to the game console's release, there might be a new hot toy on everyone's Christmas list here in the states. According to the article there were 100,000 units [Z: actually, only 80,000 units] available and all were sold out in record time. There are 2 configurations currently offered, a 60GB WiFi enabled box and a 20GB non-WiFi box. The Japanese price for the lower end system is considerably discounted vs. the system to be released in the States." For a look at launch day, Kotaku has photos taken by Sony's Phil Harrison on the streets of Tokyo.

Too Bad You Can't Get It

[heli0]

"there might be a new hot toy on everyone's Christmas list here in the states."

Is there anyone who ever doubted that the PS3 would be sold out until Spring? I assumed that with all of the stories about people planning to sell it for $3,000 on eBay that this was common knowledge by now.

Re:The end of Sony bashing?

[shoptroll]

Does anyone remember how many units they originally said they were planning on having for launch? Selling 80k units in your home territory isn't exactly "news". Hell the PS2 managed to sell 900,000 units in its first weekend in Japan. Somehow a 92% reduction in the number of units you managed to push is "newsworthy"? Give me a break.

Re:The very definition of "hardcore"

[Anonymous Coward]

You obviously didn't remember them very well then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of _needs [wikipedia.org]

Re:The very definition of "hardcore"

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a reference to Abraham Maslow, I suspect, who was a prominent proponent of Third Force psychology if memory serves. I've read some of his works, and they're fascinating. WTF he has to do with the Sony launch is utterly beyond me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow [wikipedia.org]

Re:Yeah, Hot new Xmas Item...

[Pluvius]

Lowered supply (whether through deliberate withholding of goods or through production problems) shifts the supply curve to the left and does absolutely nothing to the demand curve. Look at your textbook again.

Rob

Re:Yeah, Hot new Xmas Item...

[KDR_11k]

No, those reports would be there. Remember how Sony released a probably pre-written press release that all PSPs sold out in record time on the US launch and later had to retract that because people kept wondering about those huge stocks of PSPs many retailers still had at that point?

Re:The very definition of "hardcore"

[BJH]

Actually, it's true - a UK travel agent set up a tour for a bunch of people to fly to Tokyo specifically to buy a PS3.

Re:Yeah, Hot new Xmas Item...

[advocate_one]

diamonds are not scare... DeBeers hoard them and create an artificial scarcity in order to keep the price high.