Sony goes PS3 kiosk crazy
by Ed Stasick 
{ Sep 27th 2006 at 8:30PM }
If you are wondering why Sony is only going to have 500,000 PS3s available at launch (400k in North America and 100k in Japan), you can blame part of the shortage on the number of demo kiosks that Sony plans to have up and running at retailers as the new console debuts. Am I being overly dramatic? Just read this little blurb regarding the demo kiosk allotment situation via our good friends at Gamespot:"Speaking with Bloomberg, Sony Computer Entertainment America Jack Tretton said that 15,000 PlayStation 3 demonstration kiosks will be deployed to American and Canadian retailers over the holiday season. By contrast, only 3,000 demo kiosks were used for the PlayStation 2 launch."
That kiosk number represents 15% of what Sony plans to ship to Japan. It is not an insignificant number. The question then is: "why is Sony dedicating so many units to demo a system that no one is going to be able to easily buy due to shortages?"
[Via Gamespot]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
the_pwnerer @ Sep 27th 2006 11:34PM
To make people drool at how they'll never get a chance to see anything PS3 related on their Xbox 360 or Wii unless they upgrade to next-gen. :)
This isn't that bad. Considering the launch will have too few consoles, at least many people will have the pleasure to mouth-water until it is widely available (or until they can afford it). What better publicity for Blu-ray, PS3 and videogames in general?
kwijibo @ Sep 27th 2006 9:17PM
Because they are confident that the experience people will have with the demo will be astounding enough for them to want one.
alienclay @ Sep 27th 2006 9:18PM
to show people that if you can't get one, an xbox360 is not the same thing.
mindshare awreness so the consumer knows it's worth saving/waiting for.
the ps2 went up against the dreamcast. not exactly the same competition as 360.
it's not just a games system demo to count. they will walk alongside the sony BDP-S1 to showcase blu-ray.
Nik @ Sep 27th 2006 9:34PM
Ya no kidding. Sony could easily sell those PS3s to their fanboy army. They don't need demo kiosks at launch. This is another really stupid move. Thats 15,000 less people buying software, you know, that stuff that Sony will actually make money off of. Thousands of people are going to go into EB, play it and then leave because every single unit shipped was snapped up by campers and pre-orders.
brockmajaro @ Sep 27th 2006 10:15PM
That seems ridiculous. For the first few months you won't be able to get your hands on one simply by walking into a store, playing a demo, and grabbing one. Does anyone who is going to get one for the first three months or so need to play a demo kiosk before they purchase it? They should be selling at least 10,000 of those instead of using them as kiosks. Most 360 demo kiosks that I've seen arent even plugged in, would be a shame to see 15,000 PS3s meet the same fate.
Tom @ Sep 27th 2006 10:58PM
Maybe Sony can figure out which machines are defective and have THOSE set up in kiosks.
the_pwnerer @ Sep 27th 2006 11:37PM
Oh fuck. The time I wrote this there were no comments from dipshits that apparently have more business sense (in their own view) than individuals working at Sony. Hey Sony, you can stop doing your Job and come listen to random Microsoft or Sony fanboys for an advice on how your employees should run you.
Ritchie Nolasco @ Sep 28th 2006 2:48AM
Sony's being pushed by its competitors very hard. Look at what happened recently:
1. Back-to-back bad news about PS3 hurt them (Euro delay for example).
2. Nintendo Wii is competitively priced and its potential is very strong
3. Microsoft unveiled a salvo of big news and games if you combine what happened at TGS and at X06.
4. Only 500,000 PS3s will launch covering Japan and America. This is down 1.5 million from its promised launch supply.
5. While Xbox Live grows rapidly, there is still no real online network for PS3.
6. PS3 is still much more expensive than Xbox 360 or Wii.
7. Games for Wii and Xbox 360 are very hot this holiday and at the same time most PS3 games are underwhelming in terms of quality and potential. The giant hits for PS3 are just so far away!
The dramatic increase of those kiosks is simple: to keep PS3 in every person's mind for as much and as long as possible.
Sony's push for more kiosks is NOT a bad decision. In fact it's a BOLD move. It's a move to the right direction in terms of marketing.
It is questionable however especially considering the low launch supply of PS3s and their hampered manufacturing of them.
Why can't Sony just sell those PS3s directly to the consumers instead of using them as in-store previews?
the_pwnerer @ Sep 28th 2006 11:26PM
Ritchie:
The expected Rate of Return from that huge marketing move is probably bigger than the Rate of Return of sacrificing 15,000 individual sales. I thought it would be simple.
No console at launch has needed good games. And PS3 is no exception. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the Wii *needs* the good games at launch to counter the fact that it is old technology being sold more expensive than any other Nintendo console before it.
By the time a PS3 is available, there will be plenty of games. And by the way, prove us that launch titles such as Resistance are crap, since you probably have played it.
alienclay @ Sep 28th 2006 8:52AM
...what cut are these 15k comming from? the japanese 100k or the US 400k or a proprotionate sampling of both? or is sony really making 520k+ at launch with 15k going to kiosks and 5k to devs?
about keeping those demo units out of the hands of gamers, common people. if holding back 1-3 out of 100 gamers for the space of 3 monthes means sony sells 2-10 extra over the corse of 4-6 is a good investment, makes a larger installed base over the long run and is better for everybody.
besides, sony still plans to have another 2mil by the end of the year, and in the US the most christmas shopping happens on the weekend before the 25th. put ps3 awareness out before the thanksgiving shopping weekend, create demand away from 360 (the consumer knows they can get a 360 anytime, but the ps3 is the hot item thats out of stock!), have people comming back to the store later over the next couple of weeks in the hopes of finding one and if all goes according to plan BAM! sales.
the only thing that sucks is that retailers like toy'r'us are not hyping the ps3 so as not to encite the mob.
Freeze @ Sep 28th 2006 9:00AM
I think that Sony's decision to have demo kiosks is one of the best they could've made. Yes it does hamper the ability to get one this holiday season, and yes it sucks that they wont be going into the market for sales and such. However it won't hurt them in the long run. The more exposure they can get to the people who are somewhat less educated on next-gen consoles and disc technology this will be a huge selling tool for them. If they can get more people to want the PS3 and more people to realize the potential, then more people will buy it. These demo kiosks arent for us fanboys, or people who might want one eventually, theyre for the people on the edge of buying a 360 or a PS3 or the Nintendo. If sony is trying to sell the PS3 as an experience, then it needs to be shown off as such. If you were buying speakers for something, would you buy them without knowing how they sound? Whether you knew enough about them or not, you'd still want to hear them. So for Sony its a push to get more people exposed to the PS3 and show off some of its power, which most retailers are taking down their kiosks of the 360. Also to some other commenters, I still dont think theres one of those "HAVE TO HAVE" games for the 360. There are some good ones, and some not so good ones. Just nothing thats made me really want to buy one. I think that PS3 might have some better games for launch in terms of wow factor and just different types of games. And regarding an Online Service, I use my computer for online gaming. I play consoles to have fun with friends when theyre over and to play games that I can play for 20, 30 minutes at a time, and be done with. Im really not in a big rush to get all my stuff online, it just isnt that big of a deal to me, and alot of other people.
kwijibo @ Sep 28th 2006 10:13AM
I think they're riding on the hope that if they have more kiosks than usual, more people will be inclined to pick up a SIXAXIS, and relax in front of a 46" 1080p Bravia. I think its part of their plan to attract new customers(as they stated at E3).
SuicideNinja @ Sep 29th 2006 5:45PM
15,000 is pocket change in the overall scheme of things. It wouldn't help any of us get one notably faster.
While I'm not looking forward to cringing at the ugliness of the PS3's design, I know my eyes will be locked on the TV screen it's attached to...so it won't matter.
What will be interesting is that the PS2 demo boxes next to the PS3 ones in Wal-mart will have essentially the same looking controller. I doubt confusion will ensue, but we'll see.
No need to complain in the end, we can play before we buy. Or while we're waiting to buy. Hopefully March, eh?