Gamestop To Be Resupplied With PS3, Wii 126
GameSpot reports that GameStop will be resupplied with Wii and PS3 units within the next few weeks. They have some details on how the two console did in comparison (more games bought with the Wii than the PS3), and point out the best sellers for both systems. From the article: "The executives also recapped the launch performances of the two systems. For the PS3, Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man and Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 07 were the biggest sellers, while Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Ubisoft's Red Steel stood out from the pack of Wii launch titles ... While GameStop and its EB Games brand collectively account for about 25 percent of the US gaming market, the company believes it didn't receive that much of either system's day-one shipments. Executives said that they've never been satisfied with their launch day allocation of any new machine, but added their main concern now is the flow of follow-up shipments — which both Sony and Nintendo have promised will come at a steady pace."
O RLY? (Score:5, Funny)
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Stores restock when they run out of something.
I'm surprised this isn't on the CNN crawl.
Re:O RLY? (Score:4, Funny)
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Resellers (Score:4, Funny)
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Nah. The shipments will likely be very small, on the order of 10 or fewer consoles per store (more likely around 2-5 consoles). Given the demand and Sony's inability to satisfy, I think the ebayers will be fine at least through the holiday season an
Re: Oh Really? (Score:2)
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Just wait. There's an ebb and flow to these things. We're past the big launch weekend so supplies are high (in the hands of ebayers). As those supplies start to thin out, and with Sony unable to adequately restock retailers, and with breeders getting crazy as the holidays draw closer and closer and they still haven't gotten little Johnny his PS
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Of course. Remember, this is eBay, would you place a bid on "Only $599.99 ($120 shipping and handling)?"
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Whew - almost an hour passed w/o a Wii article! (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:Whew - almost an hour passed w/o a Wii article! (Score:4, Funny)
The surprises keep coming fast and furious here boy-howdy.
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Just Today... (Score:5, Insightful)
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From that point of view, the $120 premium I paid to have it delivered to my apartment tomorrow suddenly seemed far more reasonable.
Re:Just Today... (Score:5, Insightful)
For running free software (Score:5, Informative)
Earlier versions of closed video game consoles generally have more easily accessible holes in their protection, allowing the use of free software or other freeware. Compare an early Xbox console to an Xbox version 1.6 [xbox-linux.org], or compare a PSP with firmware 1.50 to a PSP with firmware 2.81 [wikipedia.org]. Even when the manufacturer supports the use of free software, as was the case with some PlayStation 2 consoles, the capability is often discontinued: Sony stopped making Linux kits for the PS2 and stopped making the full-size PS2 that was compatible with the hard drive. It remains to be seen how long Sony will maintain the "Other OS" installer for the PLAYSTATION 3 console.
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There is a bright side, however. If various governments (perhaps EU- or Nordic-types) get annoyed at these shenanigans, it could spur legislation that defines a computer as a computing
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Really? Because the PS2 ran Linux and Sony tried to push the idea that it was a computer and it was found not to be in a court ruling, resulting in Sony bei
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Remember the current big-size PS2 problems where the drive stops recognizing DVDs and well as PS2 games?
I rather wait for 3rd rev hardware, or something later, that's not going to quit on me for these early adopter prices than pin hopes they're n
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I get them from Gametraders [gametraders.com.au]
They sell both new and used and have quite a selection. It is very difficult to find them at places like KMart and EB.
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Or is it possible that someone would rather pay $50 to play a game now rather than wait a year or two?
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Playing Video games is more then just sitting in a dark room playing by yourself. Much of today's games, and more specifically today's consoles are based around multiplayer and beyond that a gaming community. Even if you only play single player adventure games the new c
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Exactly. Those games suck, and the only thing interesting about them is the fact that they're new. Once the novelty wears off, nobody cares about them. Anything actually worth your time will last lon
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For fuck's sake, this is why I make money - so I can spend it on stuff I want.
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$600 for the console, and $120 for two games, that's $720. If $720 is 0.001% of your annual household income, that means your annual household income is $72,000,000. You really think most of those who've been camping out earn seventy
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B: You're right, my bad, and I'm blushing. It's
More math:
I'm also talking about the premium to buy on eBay, not the total cost of the console - I'd pay $250 anyway for the console in a few weeks. So it's the $120 that's in question, not the $420 I'm paying total for console + Zelda + shipping (and certainly not $720 for a console that isn't wh
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Riiiight (Score:2, Interesting)
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Wait, no, that doesn't sound right at all. A very slow flow I'll believe, but none for months just isn't plausible. Unless their manufacturing facilities blew up it can't possibly be true.
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I could believe it'll be Feb. before all the pre-orders are filled. But then I got a Wii on launch day, so I don't care :).
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Yes.
Thanks for the reference that confirms my objective commentary was correct though.
Resupply may be meager (Score:1)
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If you're in Redmond, you should make friends with an NOA employee or DigiPen student (DigiPen students need an NOA employee for access to the store, but if they attend DigiPen then it's a safe bet that they know at least one NOA employee). The store discount isn't much, but Nintendo is good about having stock on hand for employees and friends/fa
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Redmond folks = lucky? (Score:2)
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And then there's the fact that the two company stores are within a block of each other, and surrounded by both Nintendo and Microsoft buildings.
Whoa (Score:5, Funny)
news? (Score:2, Informative)
Gamestop is dead... It's only a matter of time. (Score:5, Interesting)
They won't get more than 25% of the ongoing shipments either. They used to be a specialty retailer that added excellent customer service to the product you could get elsewhere. Recently, the bent over backwards to please the game publishers under the mistaken impression that if they didn't give in to their demands the publishers would give preferential treatment to the big guys (Wal-Mart, Target, etc...). Now that they don't offer any additional value, the publishers not only don't need them, but they actually have incentive to push them out of the market to reduce used game sales. Now, they get crappy allotments, they have to take pre-orders on everything because they can't return unsold merchandise to the distributor, they can't take returns from their customers for the same reason, and instead of being helpful the employees are reduced to bullying their customers in order to meet the quotas that keep the company in the black. It's only a matter of time. In the meantime, you may as well shop for your gaming gear at Wal-Mart, because you'll get equivalent service, and Wal-Mart has better stock levels.
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GameStop Sales Nearly Double [gamespot.com]
I've had no problem returning anything, EVER. Even with no receipt.
Any time I go in to a GameStop or EB Games, I stay about 20 minutes longer than I intended because I end up chatting with the employees about what's out/fun/sucks.
And I'm pretty sure preorders exist so people like me reserve Gears of War there rather than try my luck getting it at Fry's or Best Buy, where I still have not seen a copy. Not to mention I walked in to EB Games at 10:00 on Sunday to
Re:Gamestop is dead... It's only a matter of time. (Score:5, Interesting)
Is that English?
I've had no problem returning anything, EVER. Even with no receipt.
Either you've never opened the package, or you've never tried to return anything.
I used to shop at EB frequently. I'd spend thousands of dollars per year in my local store, and had friendly conversations with the employees. Then it changed. The return policy changed to exchanges for the same title only if the package was opened. The PC game selection dwindled. The manager admitted they sometimes had to turn away customers on release days if they didn't have a pre-order even if they had enough copies in stock in order to help convince the customer that they should pre-order next time.
And I'm pretty sure preorders exist so people like me reserve Gears of War there rather than try my luck getting it at Fry's or Best Buy
I'm 100% sure that you're wrong. Pre-orders exist because, unlike with every other form of media, the store cannot return unsold copies. If they could, they'd order more than enough and send back the rest (probably just the discs, and trash the packaging. Similar to how bookstores just send back the covers). Since it costs between $2 and $3 to print, press, and package a game and the associated materials, there is no reason not to make extras and allow returns minus the $3 cost.... But they don't and thus you have to pre-order because a small retailer like Gamestop can't take the hit if a $60 title doesn't sell.
Pre-orders for consoles are different than pre-orders for games. The only reason they sell pre-orders for hardware is to get you in the store twice. You're very likely to buy something each time, and since they make almost no margin on the hardware itself they need the extra boost. Otherwise it doesn't matter to them if you line up for the release, or if you line up for the pre-order. Both would have sold out in minutes anyway. As an added benefit, if they don't get enough units to cover your pre-order, they've still got you locked in as a customer and prevent the sale (with the profitable associated add-ons) from going to a competitor.
Additionally, it is almost never the case that the bulk of a game's sales occur on release day. Only super-hyped games have front-loaded sales, and the super hyped games are exactly the titles that are in stock in large quantites at Wal-Mart and Target. (Why would you try Fry's or BestBuy? Pick a retailer with high volume, or in the case of BestBuy, one that doesn't suck.) To use your Gears of War example, my local Target had twenty copies in stock the day after release. Purchasing one was no big deal.
Not to mention I walked in to EB Games at 10:00 on Sunday to pick up my preordered Wii, rather than camp out at Best Buy.
How long did you camp out for the pre-order?
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Wal Mart never gets or puts stuff out on release day around here. Target is sold out by the time I'm off work. 20 copies of something ain't that many. So having the preorder is nice.
And you can get your preorder at GameStop/EBGames refunded, as I have done on several occasions. Have you never preordered anything?
I camped out for all of 10 minutes at EBGames in a mall. For some reason, not many people thought of the mall.
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Hell, there's an owl in the game named "O'reily"
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I arrived at the Gamestop near my work 4 minutes after they opened and got 7th in line for preorders. It made Saturday night much more relaxing I assure you.
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So YOU are the guy that monopolizes the time of the employees so that they ignore other customers or take several extra minutes to checkout customers!!! That's also assuming they aren't ignoring the rest of us by playing the video games, too. Gamestop/EB Games is always a last resort.
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Well, that certainly explains why the guys at the local EB Games near my house are such raving wankers. One of them actually yelled at me for buying a PS2 rather than an XBox, and continued doing so even after I patiently explained that I wasn't interested in spending my hard-earned money on a product from a convicted monopolist who seems to take pleasure in
Supply (Score:2)
Typically, in the November/December timeframe a system will sell 4 to 6 times as many units as it will sell in any other 2 months in a year ( http://www.vgcharts.org/usaconscomps.php?name1=PS2 &name2=&type=0 [vgcharts.org] ); not having enough u
Wii topic background (Score:2)
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25% are there really that many suckers out there (Score:2)
Wake up folks, EB and Gamestop are the video game equivalent of a pawn shop. Its there for the sole purpose of taking advantage of kids that dont know better, the poor or people with way more money than sense.
Re:25% are there really that many suckers out ther (Score:2)
While I'll agree some locally owned places offer better trade-in prices, there's a lot of areas where there's no other way to sell used games, except for selling them between friends. My friends from college & I usually trade our games amongst each other until we've all played what we want, and then the original buyer will trade them in for some 'new' games...
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Re:25% are there really that many suckers out ther (Score:2)
Holding Their Wiis? (Score:1)
I have to wonder whether they really have been resupplied, or if they're just putting it out there to draw in customers.
Even if they do have stock, I can't say I really understand the point of holding on to it. The only people who are likely to find out that GameStop has consol
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if they wait untill friday, they can just say NO, untill then.
And murphys law says that a customer will call on the phone from the other side of the mall, finds out that one Wii is in stock, and while the clerk on the phone has his back turned, clerk2 sells the Wii to a customer in the store. Customer one will come running in, and f
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The quanity is so little that it doesn't matter. However if they have some stock on Friday then "word of mouth" will help them, as other stores sell out more quickly. Their non-traditional customer may become repeat in the following days looking for thier "Wii".
As for pissing off traditional customers, the traditional customers already know they don't have any now, but there is a very good chance they can get
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News of the Obvious (Score:5, Funny)
PS3's already in stores (and gone again) (Score:2)
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Re:best strategy for getting one? (Score:5, Funny)
Unless you already know how to play the banjo, that is.
Re:best strategy for getting one? (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:best strategy for getting one? (Score:5, Funny)
My strategy (Score:2)
My plan is that I'm going to take the Japanese Wii back with
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I'd still want to hear from someone who was successful first, however. Not least because I'd want to know for sure that the Japanese service will accept a non-Japanese credit card to buy the games.
With XBox Live, you can just buy the points cards, so it's not a problem on that platform; I don't know how it works on the Wii yet.
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Ironically, we could see them, and I'm sure they could see us, so I wonder why none of them defected to our side of the street?
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