Are Microsoft and Sony Fibbing About Shortages?

[sneakypenguin]

Lie to me all you want, I won't buy into shitty gimmicks. Motion controls and 3D are worthless, in my mind.

I thought the same thing until I played the fighting game in Sports Champions for the PS3 and then NBA 2K11 in 3D.

Now, after playing Tumble, I welcome both with open arms.

Oh Wow a someone who isn't a Luddite nice! It fills be with glee that the next gen consoles will be both motion based+traditional controller and 3D. I welcome both with open arms.

OT Microsoft might not be, in my job with carries me through 3-4 retail outlets a day both target and walmart are both usually out of stock on kinect.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

They are, but if people are stupid enough to fall it, they deserve to panic like little rabbits.

 

[Suskie]

This concept isn't exactly news. Why do you think diamonds are so expensive?

And you're surprised that the Escapist will reported something Pachter said as news?

As is said every single time this clown makes Escapist headlines, everything he says is either wrong or common sense. This falls into the latter category.

 

[TheHawkeye]

I have been noticing the shortage. The one thing I saw without fail was right before a big sale or add the Best Buys I work in are magically pulling huge shipments off their trucks. I worked in retail (for Best Buy) when the Wii was new and that was not the case we were just out. Shipments showed up randomly via Fed Ex instead of regular trucks. There is nothing illegal about these ploys but they are unfortunate, for both the people who are unable to get the gift they wanted for someone and the sales associate who has to disappoint 30 or 40 people on a weekly basis.

 

[Shale_Dirk]

Microsoft has outright told the North American public how popular they want Kinect to be, and they've lapped it up like the nice zombies they are. They pumped up hype before the release, blacked out reviews, and bought as much publicity and as many free giveaways as they could. They want 5 million sold before 2011, so the only way left for them to get that number is through supply and demand. People underestimate how determined Microsoft is to herd the populace around.

I wouldn't doubt that Sony is also playing up their numbers. Despite Move being well-received critically, it didn't sell as well as they were hoping, so they're going to pull the same tactic to inflate the sales.

If one company inflated their 'shortages' and the other didn't, it would make the other product look very weak going into the holidays. Whichever one decided to pull this trick first necessitated the other to doing it as well.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

I'm impressed. They're making their rip-off of the Wii even more transparent. I didn't think that was possible.

 

[Chamale]

Microsoft has outright told the North American public how popular they want Kinect to be, and they've lapped it up like the nice zombies they are. They pumped up hype before the release, blacked out reviews, and bought as much publicity and as many free giveaways as they could. They want 5 million sold before 2011, so the only way left for them to get that number is through supply and demand. People underestimate how determined Microsoft is to herd the populace around.

There's a Cory Doctorow book, Little Brother, where he predicts that Microsoft will outright give away Xbox 360's in 2010 to increase their game sales. They haven't quite reached that level, but there was that Burger King thing where they gave away a 360 and Kinect every 15 minutes. I read a SomethingAwful thread where dozens of goons were winning them, because the competition was so light.

Giving away as much as they reasonably can, then claiming to be short? Sounds like a hell of a way to increase demand.

 

[Jumplion]

snip

I thought the same thing until I played the fighting game in Sports Champions for the PS3 and then NBA 2K11 in 3D.

Now, after playing Tumble, I welcome both with open arms.

snip

snip

Oh Wow a someone who isn't a Luddite nice! It fills be with glee that the next gen consoles will be both motion based+traditional controller and 3D. I welcome both with open arms.

OT Microsoft might not be, in my job with carries me through 3-4 retail outlets a day both target and walmart are both usually out of stock on kinect.

You mean...someone who doesn't just brush off two semi-interesting ideas as "gimmicks" and "shit" and actually see the potential that the respective mechanics have?

Preposterous, perish the thought!

OT: As someone above me said, lieing? Probably not. Bending the truth? Probably.

 

[putowtin]

no interest and telling me it's elling out won't make me rush out and buy one!
some people will though!

 

[Tom Phoenix]

Pachter is right about Sony and Microsoft trying to artificially crank up demand (although, as is his usual form, he is just stating the obvious here), but he somehow managed to reach this conclusion based on false assumptions. It's not that Nintendo did not want to match Wii demand; it is that they couldn't really afford to try.

While having a product that is in high demand is naturally a good thing in many ways, it also presents the company with a difficult conundrum which lies precisely in that demand. If the company attempts to match the demand and that demand suddenly takes a downward turn, the company would end up seriously overstocking, resulting in many wasted manhours and resources and causing massive financial losses. As a result, a company is forced to be somewhat conservative in it's supply rate. Of course, that in itself has the result that the product is constantly out of supply, resulting in dissatisfied customers that might end up buying it used or not end up buying it altogether.

This was probably one of the reasons for the 3DS's steep price point. By raising the price, it makes it easier for them to keep the demand in check.

 

[Suzanne Allison]

I don't find it shocking that MS and Sony would want to create the impression that demand exceeds supply ... then again, investing so heavily in motion gaming is a big risk, so I can see why it would make good business sense for them not to overproduce.

I wasn't planning to buy a Kinect but decided on a whim that I wanted one for my family. The day after it launched, I simply walked into my local retailer and bought one, no fuss, no rabid hunting required, and I do not know anyone who has had any trouble getting their hands on either Move or Kinect, if they so chose.

 

[Fursnake]

This is the same old shit that Nintendo pulled with the Wii early on and it is the same shit they will all pull with the next batch of new consoles/gimmicky periphials. It doesn't matter if they get caught on it or not because there is no real sense of accountibility today for corportations and big business.

 

[Fumbleumble]

This concept isn't exactly news. Why do you think diamonds are so expensive?

No idea.. they pull them out of the ground by the bucket full 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year.. they have done so for the past 140 years and there doesn't look to be an end of them.

Oh wait.. women like them. Oo

 

[Atmos Duality]

If it's legal, it's legit. Legit doesn't mean clean. Ethics only get in the way of business. Most illegal operations are run better than legal ones. Corporations could do with taking some cues from them.

Well. With that kind of an attitude, it's small wonder we're speeding towards self-destruction.
I'm not saying the law is always right, but we self-regulate for a reason. Many good reasons at that.

 

[Lillowh]

omega_peaches:

Lillowh:
Thanks for depriving my brothers of a Kinect M$!

You made it sound like your brothers needed Kinect.

The post was meant to be sarcastic. I forgot that sarcasm doesn't translate well on the internet XD.

 

[The Rockerfly]

*Cough* Remember the Wii first year it was out? *End Cough*

Exactly what they are trying to do

Ladies and gentle I introduce to you supply and demand. In a casual gaming demographic where most of the gamers don't know about this concept it shifts them from "maybe going down to pick one up" to "OMG I MUST BUY ONE". Also allows them to justify the price which is why kinect is getting away with its ridiculous price tag

 

[Solon5694]

Plausable, but it would be more convincing if you sited your claims.