The Dark Side of the PlayStation 3 Launch 505
An anonymous reader writes "Kotaku is running an article prompted by an email from a foreign student in Japan. The reader unveils the sad reality of the modern gaming industry. Japanese businessmen made ample use of homeless people and Chinese nationals to obtain PS3s for re-sale. There was also a large amount of pushing and shoving, some fights, and almost no police presence at the most crowded stores." From the article: "Based on my observations of the first twenty PS3s sold at Bic Camera, they were all purchased by Chinese nationals, none of whom bought any software. After making their purchase, television crews asked for interviews but all were declined. These temporary owners of PS3s would then make their way down the street where their bosses waited. After several minutes, a dozen PS3s were rounded up, as their Japanese business manager paid out cash to those who waited in line for them. I witnessed a homeless-looking Chinese man, in his sixties or seventies get paid 20,000 yen for his services and was then sent away." Update: 11/12 05:40 GMT by Z : You're right. Sony only shares a portion of the blame here. Offsides on my part.
20,000 yen (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Sony is supposed to do what? (Score:1, Informative)
But I agree, its very disconcerting that there is such a demand for this type of system. They must think: "If the world ends tomorrow and I don't get to play ps3 I will die!" !!!!! - I gave up a long time ago expecting people to think/act rationally.
Re:Communism (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Sony is supposed to do what? (Score:5, Informative)
Not always. They (evidenced by paying $1500+ as other /.ers cited), have very high reservation prices (that is the max price they are willing to pay). If you make the rough equivalent of $500/hour (ask about rates at your local corporate law firm if you don't believe that number), then standing in line for 4 hours would be worth $2000 of opportunity cost to you. Paying $1500 for the scalped version is a savings of about $1100 for this hypothetical person ($2000 opportunity cost + $600 console price) - $1500. Or they could wait for demand to settle down and buy it later, but then there is an opportunity cost of waiting (in lost gaming time / bragging rights), which they price at over $900 ($1500 scalper price - $600 retail price).
Not saying this applies to most people, just people with insane amounts of either money or utility derived from gaming. Still, it is perfectly possible for a rational person to buy a scalped console, and really have that be the best value for them.
And yes IAAES (I am an economics student)
Re:Communism (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Communism (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah. There'd only be Tetris.
I think you need to go back to FUD school. People in Cuba aren't exactly starving, and Chavez was elected president (twice, in fact) in a democratic election. There was an attempted coup d'etat against Chavez - which was prevented by the people of Venezuela! Meanwhile, lots of people in the USA still don't have health care. But at least they aren't working in "state run farms," right? God damned communists (by which I mean people who don't agree with my political view).
Re:Sony is supposed to do what? (Score:1, Informative)
I'm in Indonesia (Jakarta) - spent the day walking around an electronics mall, and was surprised to see a few stores with PS3's sitting on the shelves (JAP models).
Guess what - the average price here is IDR 14,000,000 - that's USD1,500!! I don't even have to stand in line, and I still can't get one!!! MSRPs my foot...
Re:Where did everybody go? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Communism (Score:3, Informative)
Well, the way the GP wrote, I'm quite sure he meant it as a joke.
The scaty stuff it that the mods don't agree with me.