GameStop/EB Games not getting as many PS3's as thought
by Nick Doerr 
{ Nov 14th 2006 at 4:30PM }
Egads! The numbers just keep crunching into smaller and smaller amounts! If numbers were air, we'd probably be suffocating under the pressure of all these crunched, decreasing numbers. That really made more sense in my head. But the underlying message is the same -- GameStop isn't getting as many PS3's in to match the preorders they took. Not that we expected them to, honestly. Wal*Mart has bought up so darn many (approximately 10 for every single store, which brings the total to about 412 million... joking, joking...) that it isn't surprising the electronic entertainment store won't get their initial allocation.Some of you who did preorder your system may have gotten a call from your friendly neighborhood gaming store saying that your PS3 will be available and waiting for you. You get excited, pumped, whatever. A few hours roll past and just as you break out that special bottle of champagne, you get another call. "Oh, nevermind," the GameStop employee says matter-of-factly, "you're going to have to wait until the next shipment. We're not getting as many as we thought." Then, you drink the champagne. Not out of celebration, but out of the biting realization that not only will you not get your system, but the champagne will go bad unless you drink it. As Lucille Bluth says about wine, "It only becomes alcohol if you let it sit." Go ahead, fellow readers, now is the time to sit in a hypothetical circle and crack a hypothetical brew... give us your sob story, or your celebratory story. Cheers!
[thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andy Gilleand @ Nov 14th 2006 5:07PM
I got the call that says my ps3 will be there, I was pretty sure it would be, as I am #1 on the list, but you never know if they might do a lottery.
Jeremy @ Nov 14th 2006 5:26PM
is it true that gamestop employees are no longer guaranteed their 2 consoles per store?
Trevor @ Nov 14th 2006 5:28PM
Well I paided off my PS3 the first day I could pre-order it and EBgames called me saying I could pick it up on midnight on Thursday...this better be worth the money I spent..Don't let me down Sony...!!!!
Jose @ Nov 14th 2006 5:41PM
I'm further down on the list, but I was told I was still guaranteed to get mine. Officially, the manager told me the shipments were cut by 40%. Thought I'd pass that along.
Blake @ Nov 14th 2006 5:57PM
I am freaking out!!! I still haven't gotten a call, but I can gaurantee that I am going to be cut off the list. I called EBGames, but they refused to tell me whether or not I was cut or not. They said that they would call soon. I was the last one in line to get one, so it's pretty much gauranteed. There is some good in this though. This cancellation means I'll have more money to pay for my Wii games. Sony let us down BIG.
Billy @ Nov 14th 2006 5:59PM
Dear Sony
I love you thats why I waited at Gamestop to get my preorder in. But I've tollorated this abusive relationship long enough and we need to talk.
I’ll never forget the hours we spent with each other playing Oddworld and bragging about you to all my friends who didn’t even know how amazing you were. I know you remember when I failed out of my Fall term of college as I played Final Fantasy 7 all day, all night, and on through morning. I wouldn’t trade those times for anything.
But things have changed. I’m so tired of your lies! You never are there when you say you will. You’ve cleaned out the bank account spending my hard earned money on God knows what!
So I leave you with an ultimatum. If you don’t come home with me Friday night I’m leaving you for good. There are other consoles out there that have promised to treat me better. I know they’re not as strong as you or look as beautiful as your 1080p but they still have a soul.
I still love you Sony, I hope you make the right choice.
Love,
Billy
kayzai @ Nov 14th 2006 6:12PM
Sony should have just delayed the launch until March 07. This is just turning into a debacle :(
As with every product, A SOLID launch is always better than crippled one.
This launch is even worse than a crippled one at the moment.
The ones I really pity in all this has to be the software houses who's games will be old before they get the chance to mass market access.
Really sad :(
Zack @ Nov 14th 2006 7:18PM
You ALL know what this means. The lower amount of ps3s that come in...the MORE they are going to go for on eBay. Its hard to think that these Sony punks can't come up with a few measeley systems...at least to meet the preorders. I assume this is why walmart isn't bothering with preorders. I called my local one and they are getting some and doing the midnight release. (sorry San Fran, I'm getting mine first...all 4 to be precise.)
And another thing- this can quite possibly mean a bunch of refunds for all those people buying preorders on eBay, and more money for us *cough* people buying them the old fashioned way then selling them with the promise that "hey, I have it, don't get screwed on the pre-orders."
truthseeker @ Nov 14th 2006 8:14PM
My buddy delivered some bad news to me today. I was supposed to be getting a ps3 from his large retail chain but he told me that the product shipping is less than 60% of what they had expected. Sony is trying hard to keep this under wraps and telling retailers not to spill the beans on their major PS3 production issues. After the recent PR nightmares they did not want their manufacturing to come into question again. Apparently 150k units is a stretch .
Why even bother launching this year?
Why would I put myself through this pain?
I guess you could always line up at your retailer now - but I am hearing retailers may not even let you do that.
The Fifth @ Nov 14th 2006 10:05PM
You guys are right, Sony should have said "Enough is enough, EB games must get the same number of Ps3s as they sold preorders. We need to make sure that other retailers who are coming to us first or with more money don't get the systems because we can't let our eb games customers down." I'm outraged and because of this, I am no longer going to buy a PS3. It wasn't the delay from the spring of '06 to november, it wasn't the price tag, it wasn't the broken promises, IT WAS THIS! If Sony can't monitor how many preorders other companies sell, then they shouldnt even make a gaming console; end of story.
Andir2.0 @ Nov 15th 2006 7:03AM
Are you f-ing kidding me?
Sony should cater to the company that defied Sony? Sony precautioned retailers and told them not to accept pre-orders. So by your logic, if I owned a retailer that accepted 500,000 pre-orders, I should get all the units until my pre-orders are filled?
This is the the absolute stupidest thing I've heard yet.
Nash @ Nov 15th 2006 9:52AM
I'm number 10 on the list. I called Gamestop and they said that they were getting 8 60GB and 2 20GB. The guy told me I could get a 20GB if I want, but I lose my spot in line for the 60GB. If my math skills serve me, cancellation of the 2 employee sales makes me number 8 in line which gets me a 60GB, right? Well, I must be an idiot because I was told I have to wait for the next shipment. F Gamestop, and F Sony. F Microsoft too. If their stupid certifications made me more money I'd buy a 360 just to play GoW until I could get my PS3. F me.
Ryan @ Nov 15th 2006 10:36AM
Well I'm just glad that I didn't bother preordering a PS3. Don't get me wrong I buy every console, and I mean EVERY console that comes out (goddamned jaguar, 3DO ,and Virtual Boy). I went with the smarter option. Getting a Wii. Most people are going to be getting a PS3 meaning that in most cases people won't have the money to get a Wii two days later. So I'm playing it safe and going to meijer on day one and getting a Wii.
That and honestly the PS3 does not have a stellar launch lineup. There really aren't any games that make me want to buy it day one...where as Wii has a new Zelda game which is more than enough reason to buy the Wii on day one. That and it's something completely different from the PS3 and 360...(doesn't hurt that it's substantially cheaper).
Yes I'll be getting a PS3, I already own a 360, and in 5 days I will be the owner of a Wii. But I'll wait till there are more titles available for the PS3 to purchase it...maybe in the spring. Till then I'll have my Wii and 360 to keep me warm from the cold Michigan weather.
JJ @ Nov 15th 2006 11:27AM
What I found strange is that my local Gamestop already got their Wii shipment in but not their PS3 shipment. I actually saw the Wii boxes in the back room and picked up a box(almost walked out with it) but no PS3's in sight.
TheSh0wstopper @ Nov 15th 2006 11:46AM
yea, let me go to EB and preorder my PS3. Let me get the #8 reserve. Let me get sooo hyped with anticipation. Let me get excited about playing Resistance fall of man 40 players online. Let me go out and buy 10 blu ray movies. Let me go get my 1080p Westinghouse 37 inch monitor. THEN LET ME GET A CALL FROM MY GAMESTOP TELLING ME "WE ARE SORRY, WE WILL ONLY BE GETTING 6 SYSTEMS IN ON LAUNCH. YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR OUR NEXT SHIPMENT. BUT YOU CAN GET A FREE $19.99 GAME". this is crap. I cannot explain to you my ANGER at this moment. I am not a fanboy of any system as I own them all (well at least when the 2nd shipment comes in i will), BUT MICROSOFT I HOPE YOU KICK SONY'S JAPANESE @SSES. SOny this utter betrayal will not be forgiven. Well at least I have my Gears of War to console me.
TheSh0wstopper