So, we got word on how many DS units we can expect through the end of the year at EB. 18K. We're getting only one shipment before Christmas, and 18,000 of them are going to be split between all the stores. We already have like 40, so I'm not sure how that will work out. Anyone with interest, I recommend you get your ass out and pre-order. If the numbers are this low everywhere... Yikes. Nightmare holiday shopping.
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EBGames DS supply information.
- Thread starter Soul4ger
- Start date
With supplies this low, the managers' DSs need to be put to better use by either making them demos or selling them to customers. Unless you're one of those managers with a wife and kids, $150 isn't going to break you, and a demo unit will hype people on its own. Managers and employees in general can play the unit before and after hours. i say this after working in game retail myself. i would've preordered one months before now if i was still in the business.Soul4ger said:
i remember the PS2 launch, when Sony reps who were promised units had to wait until around Christmas or so to insure that customers were able to get theirs. That's how it needs to be done.
Hold off on preordering? Unless you have bills to pay, i'd do it now if you expect to get it this year. You can always get your money back if you change your mind. It doesn't matter how many stores you have around you if they sell all their units to preorders or worse, people buy them in droves to resell.
aoi tsuki said:
I think that's a bit of a stretch. Between Amazon.com, kbtoys.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Wal-Mart*, one GameCrazy, and EBs and Gamestops too numerous to count, I'd imagine that if I just want one, I'll be able to get it.
(*I don't shop at Wal-Mart, but for the sake of the list it's there.)
Spiritreaver
Member
Hmm, I guess I'll get my buy out and reserve on within the next couple of weeks.
You can reserve one for $5 down at EB. Why would you put yourself through all that work and frustration, when you think there's a possibility you might want one? Just put the money down, and if you decide you don't want it, take it back.
*Edit* - Even if you don't want to wait in the maddening lines, they're supposed to hold them for 48 hours. You don't have to get it the day of launch, but you can get it soon after, when things've calmed down.
*Edit* - Even if you don't want to wait in the maddening lines, they're supposed to hold them for 48 hours. You don't have to get it the day of launch, but you can get it soon after, when things've calmed down.
Haddonfield
Banned
aoi tsuki said:
damn you'll have like an extra day of playing the nintendo DS... thats amazing.
clipunderground
Member
oh shit... pre ordering asap.
Haddonfield
Banned
Lost Weekend said:
no where near that level of craziness and sales, trust me.
kitchenmotors
Banned
Haddonfield said:
I think it's too early to tell to be honest. When was the time a Nintendo handheld (which normally sell like crazy during the holiday season) launched right before Thanksgiving? GBA and GBA SP both launched in the spring/summer time.
This holiday will be interesting to say the least.
I'm not going to preorder. I live in Iowa and I've never ever not been able to find something thanks to it selling out. Remember when PS2s were INSANELY hard to find? They were all over here. Same with N64s. We CERTAINLY never sold out of any games.
i don't have TME numbers, but i'm sure the DS will do quite well. It's gauranteed to be on all the morning shows as a, if not the, hot toy for Christmas. Nintendo just needs a good game to show off the capabilities of the system, specifically wireless, and i don't think Hunters is it.Haddonfield said:
i'm sure there'll be a lot of disappointed kids when they realize they can't battle their friends in Pokemon though.
Chibbi Brady
Member
I'll be waiting until October 7 before deciding to whether or not to pre-order. I got the impression from Nintendo that supply won't be a problem, didn't they say recently that they might up shipping numbers to 4 million?
FitzOfRage
Member
Well since it's not like Nintendo to purposefully ratchet down expectations on how much product will be available in order to spike demand (only to find an additional shipment later on), I guess I'll tell everyone I know to pre-order now and start sacrificing their first born to get one...
Haddonfield
Banned
FitzOfRage said:
exactly.. nintendo does this ALL the time, props up the image of demand by restricting supply even though they have warehouses filled with the damn things... if you want one, youll get one.. but it wont be "the thing" to have for kids this christmas, trust me. this is no game boy.
Alcibiades
Member
they might have done that for a couple of months after N64 launch in early fall '96, but other than that, they've made their hardware avaiable as much as possible (GBA, SP, GCN).Haddonfield said:
Of course during Christmas sometimes things sell out, if Nintendo could sell 4 million this Christmas alone and had the supply, they wouldn't miss the opportunity.
An old C-Net video interview with Perrin Kaplan had her say that she doesn't know of a hardware company that would miss out on increasing their hardware sales if they could get it.
sonycowboy
Member
Soul4ger said:
I'm sorry 18k in 2004 is pure bs. EB has about 10% market share, and that would mean only 180k units shipped in 2004. If they only had that many, they would have to stagger the launches to make sure at least one region was happy.
No system will launch with that few units. I do agree it will be hard to get during the holidays, but the number is fantasy.
Robert-GCA
Member
Ya, they are talking game names, launch titles, and pricing and lots of stuff on games themselves this week.