Many saw the PS3 as pure eBay gold. Reality has set in, however. Suddenly PS3 speculators can’t unload their units on eBay for a profit. Gaming blogs have started joking that the PS3 excels at collecting dust on shelves. Has demand really died down that quickly? We decided to find out by checking stores in the Cincinnati and Boston metropolitan regions.
The results are unambiguous: the PlayStation 3 is in stock, almost everywhere.
The Wii, on the other hand, has been sold out everywhere, with vague rumors of another shipment in the next few days.
One retailer spoke to me on condition of anonymity, and broke down his version of the situation. “It’s not that we’ve gotten more PS3s than Wiis, it’s just that no one wants them.
I think Nintendo’s secret Wii weapon is moms. First, moms love bargains and Wiis are cheaper than PS3s. Second, moms are generally technically ignorant and simply don’t care about power and technical capabilities. Third, moms love that kids are moving while they are playing. Fourth, moms make most family buying decisions and purchases.
Nintendo was right to pick a cute name like “Wii” versus a masculine name like “Revolution.” The company knew that its real market was not solely the gamer, but occasionally the gamer’s mom!
I agree fully with Higghawker. The wii is just fun and for 1/2 the price.
The only way I could see the PS3 having some what of a chance was if the 360 and PS3 where released at the same time. As we all know MS had a whole year to get it’s act together. Maybe by next Holiday season, people will want a PS3….then again if we get combo disks..oh wait, Sony just throw in the towel now.
I’d actually feel bad if I it wasn’t for all the sony proprietary BS I’ve had to deal with over the years..cell phones, camcorders, mp3 players…..
It is not only as citizens of democracies that we get to vote. We also vote with out wallets and, boy, am I glad to see Sony loosing this election. I’ll add the rootkit fiasco to the BS rudedog already mentioned. They deserve all the punishment they can get.
As for the Wii… the name says it all. Wiiiiiiiii!!! 😀
I think there are at least 3 nails in the coffin of the PS 3, Wii is a console, PS 3 is a computer, and we all know how small a niche that is.
Wow. No PS3 Fanboys bitchin yet? Still sleeping?
6. You described my situation perfectly. My wife really wants to get a Wii for our kids. I think this is the first time she’s ever wanted me to buy a piece of technology.
And I totally agree with your comments relating to graphics. My kids currently play an N64 and a Dreamcast! Games should be fun in and of themselves. Would poker be more fun with prettier cards?!
7. “Wow. No PS3 Fanboys bitchin yet? Still sleeping?”
Probably working a second job to pay for their PS3 and 1080p television!
#4 – I couldn’t agree more…
The biggest Gamecube fan I knew _is_ a mom. She’s a total hardcore gamer-dudette who grew up with NES and Sega, and rediscovered her passion by getting a ‘Cube for her kids. Never had any interest in PS1 or PS2 but found the ‘Cube accessible and enticing.
I was in a Fry’s last week, and there was a big display of about 30 PS3’s in the middle of the aisle. And no one was in a hurry to get one. On the other side of that, I’ve been looking for a Wii since before Xmas, and I still can’t get a hold of one.
Would this be an issue if the PS3 cost $299 (or even $399)?
I saw a PS3 in a best buy the other day. A kid was playing a 4WD racing game. The graphics were the best I’d ever seen. Would I pay $659 (canadian price) for it? Absolutely not.
Sony has screwed up. Even in a year when they’ve cut the price, and in 2 years when its half the current price – it’s still too much.
Maybe that’s their “strategy” – They keep the price high to begin with, so when the price cust come it’s still high priced.
Meanwhile I can buy an Wii. Or an XBOX360 for $399 (with 4 games).
As for Blu-Ray (vs HD-DVD) – Right now you can buy a regular DVD for less than $50. You can get a pretty good upconverting DVD (to 1080p) for $150. If Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players aren’t selling for less than $300 by the end of this year, then neither format stands a chance of acceptance.
Don’t have a PS3. Don’t have a WII.
Can I see myself ever buying either? Yes, but only if they have the games that *I* want to play. There’s no point otherwise.
That also brings up an important caveat for the PS3: backwards compatiblity.
IF I wear out my PS2
AND replacements are not available
AND I can use a PS3 instead
THEN I will buy a PS3
I just want to know where they get the data from. Its impossible to find PS3 anywhere in the Tri-State area (CT/NJ/NY).
Amazon is still out of stock.
If a store does have it, they only sell it in $900+ bundles. Which most people are not going to buy. They rather wait until the storm has calmed and they can buy the unit at the retail price.
The only reason I want to get a PS3 is so I can run Folding@Home on it 24/7. But the F@H client for the PS3 seems to have been delayed indefinitely, so never mind! I’ll wait for the price drop.
For games and fun I’ll definitely go with the Wii.
All the PS3 fanboys are either killing themselves or now waiting on the PS4.
Either way, they lost.
I came back from break to find that my roommate had purchased a PS3 for Christmas. The first words out of his mouth were “I would have gotten a Wii, but I couldn’t find one”.
Sony is screwed.
heh I love it. Sony has continued to kill itself (overpriced and overhyped gaming system, cd rootkits) and consumers are saying no more.
I love to see the sony fanboys say ‘just wait till gran turismo 4 comes out!’ or whatever other game they think is going to save their sinking ship.
To anyone seriously considering a ps3, do yourself a favor and buy a Wii60.
PS3 will be decent in 2 or 3 yrs when the games catch up to the technology of the console itself – sony really screwed it up by going w/ blueray though – should have gone w/ solidstate cartridges
PS3 fans aren’t firing back b/c they don’t care. If you think about the type of people who are buying PS3s, you realize that they are on average definitely older than the majority of those that have Wiis and definitely richer. This makes the PS3 an expensive toy to them, of which they have plenty already. In fact, most of those that could afford to buy one will probably buy a Wii also, when they are available, just too have the hot, new toy. Therefore, they could care less if it becomes non-existent like the dreamcast or if sweet games eventually come and the system ends up doing well. The majority of americans are middle class, which I consider poor, and therefore anal about making great buys. Also, they love it when something cheap they can afford does better than something they can’t afford, so they feel the need to rub it in. Its just a way to make themselves feel better about their mediocre job, wife, and lifestyle. It justifies their mundane existence to say, see, were winning. The fact is that Armani and Zegna make expensive clothes that most shlubs can’t buy, and poor people make fun of those fancy clothes, yet all of them wish they could afford them.
24. “Therefore, they could care less…”
The fact that they do care means so much to me!
Fah-Q:
You’re an idiot if you think that the general PS3 buyer is too rich to care about the PS3’s failures? That they are above talking about and trying to defend it?
hah I’d suggest pulling your head out and smelling that fresh air known as reality: the ps3 fanboys know they are a defeated lot, and they have accepted that their console of choise is doomed to fail.
@ 27
shut up, bitch. I hate you. ^_^