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Microsoft engineers artificial shortage, Sony laughs sagely

Something tells me you won't see a Best Buy employee telling a customer at midnight they have to buy 2 games or else.
 
DenogginizerOS said:
Something tells me you won't see a Best Buy employee telling a customer at midnight they have to buy 2 games or else.
Click to expand...
My local BB is doing a bundle for pre-orders.They only have 50 set for pre-orders, I have a feeling they'll have an incredibly small amount for the poor guys who plan on waiting outside.

Bundle:
System (not the Core pack)
Wireless Controller
1 Game
2 year Warranty
Warranty on Controller (can be removed if you haggle)
 
TekunoRobby said:
My local BB is doing a bundle for pre-orders.They only have 50 set for pre-orders, I have a feeling they'll have an incredibly small amount for the poor guys who plan on waiting outside.

Bundle:
System (not the Core pack)
Wireless Controller
1 Game
2 year Warranty
Warranty on Controller (can be removed if you haggle)
Click to expand...

Interesting. My BB told me just to show up (I don't need to) around midnight. No preorders were being taken.
 
TekunoRobby said:
My local BB is doing a bundle for pre-orders.They only have 50 set for pre-orders, I have a feeling they'll have an incredibly small amount for the poor guys who plan on waiting outside.

Bundle:
System (not the Core pack)
Wireless Controller
1 Game
2 year Warranty
Warranty on Controller (can be removed if you haggle)
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's why buying at launch sucks. Retailers know you're "hard core" enough to take anything they throw at you just so you can get home and play right away. It's fucking disgusting, but at least now there's written proof that the edict is coming from Microsoft themselves just for the sake of the marketing department.

Screw 'em.
 
DenogginizerOS said:
Interesting. My BB told me just to show up (I don't need to) around midnight. No preorders were being taken.
Click to expand...
I think only about 12 stores are doing it in the nation. It's not an official company plan, individual managers are deciding how to handle it.
 
EBCanada is doing something a little different...

Basically if you've preordered, we're opening at 6:30am (why not midnight goddamnit) to do 'focus groups' for hte first 20 preorders, every 10 minutes a differnt customer gets a chance to pick out accessories and games they want to buy with their 360... we're sending out mailed invitations too.

Anyways, it's not REQUIRED you buy a game or accesory but the point of this whole thing is to drive up attachment rates... And to help this, if you get the standard one year 40$ warrnaty with the xbox 360, EVERYTHING on that receipt will be guaranteed for a year. games, controllers, headsets, everything; this is I believe nov 22nd to 24th only.

So it saves on gpgs and all that other stuff, and is generally a cool idea, but man, it's gonna be an expensive day -- all I know is i'm glad I am working that 6:30 shift, my ESA spiff is gonna be through the roof :)

-d
 
aoi tsuki said:
Read the article at the link. i wonder if my Walmart will have a cache of systems.
Click to expand...

MicrosoftÂ’s Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said there wouldnÂ’t be a big initial spike and promised that the software giant would be able to ship between 4.5 and 5.5 million Xbox 360 consoles by the end of the business year to June 2006.


For the actual launch on November 22, expect between 1.5 million and 2 million consoles on the market. Those will get snapped up by pre-orders, so you may as well set your eBay search bot right now. Or you could just wait: It looks like Xbox 360 games arenÂ’t due in large capacities until at least the second quarter of 2006 anyhow.
Click to expand...

This it? Cause not seeing an artificial shortage still.
 
krypt0nian said:
This it? Cause not seeing an artificial shortage still.
Click to expand...

No.

Gizmodo’s new Norwegian correspondent SilverSnake sends shocking—shocking!—news about Microsoft’s Xbox 360 retail marketing demands. Retailers in the land of King Herald V are each being alloted a supply of 20 consoles, 6 core editions and 14 premium versions. But there is a catch: In order to get all of them, each shop or chain has to sign an agreement saying that they will sell out of all 20 consoles on the release date (which is December 2 over there). On top of that, the retailers must agree to sell a minimum of 2 games per console.

“Microsoft Norway even said them selves that they’re gonna use the ‘Sold Out’ as a marketing strategy to hype the console.”
Click to expand...
 
According to a GameStop employ that I know, there's 150 preorders at his shop. They're getting alotted 30.

fuckin' typoes
 
Looks like I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands.

0015-0501-2015-0214_SM.jpg
 
Error Macro said:
Looks like I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands.

0015-0501-2015-0214_SM.jpg
Click to expand...

:lol

The whole GameSpot taking in more orders than they are alloted is really bad. I wonder how practices like this can still go on.
 
So generally for console launches in these recent years, in addition to questionable software rushed for launch, questionable hardware rushed for launch and the premium pricing (yeah right) and the propensity for bundles, they pull this shit too? That's just awesome. Good luck early adopters. I am jealous of your bravery, but only that. Go get'em tiger. You can do it. Take it to the hole. And a couple more rousing sentences I'm too lazy to type out.
 
I was out of the country during the US PS2 launch, so I had buddies sitting out overnight for that one.

This time, luckily, I happened to win on the everytenminutes giveaway, so I'm safe from the fiasco that is bound to take place. I doubt I'll have any trouble finding any of the launch games, so this launch is pretty stress free for me.

It's all about being at Wal-Mart at midnight though. If you don't have one preordered, don't bother dropping by EB, Gamestop, GameCrazy, Best Buy, Circuit City, or any other specialty stores. Department stores are your friend. Believe it.
 
BlueTsunami said:
:lol

The whole GameSpot taking in more orders than they are alloted is really bad. I wonder how practices like this can still go on.
Click to expand...

"Hey we're taking preorders"
"AWESOME"
"Wow, 150 preorders!"
"Hey, this is Microsoft. We can only get you 30."
"...fuck."
 
"We'd like to thank all of you for preordering here at Gamstop. If you could enter orderly, we have enough Xbox 360s for the first twenty of you provided you each buy two games and some silly accessories you'll probably eBay."

large.crowd.and.rabbi.jpg




"WHAT?!???!@?!/11/?!??!?!"

20010406-flame.jpg




"Let's march boys. X Riot am here!"

riot%20police%20prisoner.jpg
 
Ive never even heard of that website before, plus are we takeing every website that posts about it with its super secret agent silver snake for the gods truth. Just because he said he got his info from ms norway lmfao. :lol
 
supermackem said:
Ive never even heard of that website before, plus are we takeing every website that posts about it with its super secret agent silver snake for the gods truth. Just because he said he got his info from ms norway lmfao. :lol
Click to expand...

Gizmodo and Kotaku are both part of Gawker Media, which, while blog-powered, are pretty popular. The former's gotten interviews with Bill Gates, it's not just some jackass and his free version of Movable Type.
 
so what happens if a retailer doesnt sell out of consoles, and/or doesnt sell two games per console? what is MS going to do? are they going to sue them for breach of contract? personally, i think its pretty messed up that MS is forcing this on retailers.
 
Yeah I think everyone can laugh at me now. I'm one of those idiots who thought they didn't need to pre-order.

Damn.
 
I pre-ordered a bundle with 6 fucking games and a shitload of accessories, and I was assured it was "a launch bundle" on gamestops website. If I dont get it, and they try and charge me and ship it a month later, I will kill someone.

Im planning on camping out at Target to try and pick one up.. I figure if I get two I can allways ebay one or return it with recipt if that doesnt work out.
 
The EB near me has 60 pre-orders. They are getting 10 units. It is going to be an unhappy Christmas for some kids.
 
Fight for Freeform said:
Yeah I think everyone can laugh at me now. I'm one of those idiots who thought they didn't need to pre-order.

Damn.
Click to expand...

I didn't preorder either, but I'm not too worried. Thereis no way this is going to be as crazy as the PS2 launch and I got one of those on launch day without a preorder.
 
Glad I won it, as I can't be bothered to camp out for a console anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be..
 
Here in Spain we don't have those problems...

I was the number 21 in the premium list in a small Game center (kind of EB here), with confirmation I would get mine on Dec 2nd, as I received the crappy reservation DVD.

Anyway, Spain is "comanche" territory, with Sonyers in a 100:1 proportion... maybe MS is giving priority to the most difficult countries :)
 
DarkRage said:
Here in Spain we don't have those problems...

I was the number 21 in the premium list in a small Game center (kind of EB here), with confirmation I would get mine on Dec 2nd, as I received the crappy reservation DVD.

Anyway, Spain is "comanche" territory, with Sonyers in a 100:1 proportion... maybe MS is giving priority to the most difficult countries :)
Click to expand...


If MS was smart, they would focus their numbers on the US market first. They should try to get as big a lead in the States as possible, since it is their most important market. After a strong US launch, they can hit Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world. They would still get a good headstart on Sony anyway.
 
LOL @ an artificial shortage.

MS can keep their 360s, and ideally, no one will give a fuck.

That'll make them look smart.
 
Jeff-DSA said:
If MS was smart, they would focus their numbers on the US market first. They should try to get as big a lead in the States as possible, since it is their most important market. After a strong US launch, they can hit Europe, Japan, and the rest of the world. They would still get a good headstart on Sony anyway.
Click to expand...

I think MS has alot of faith in their position in the US that they don't have to focus solely on that market for the launch.
 
I don't see the console flying off the shelves regardless. Once the early adopters get theirs, I see sales of the console stagnating for quite some time.

Mainly because of the impending PS3 launch, the 360's price and the fact that it won't offer much over the current XBOX.

This post may seem like I don't like the XBOX, but that's far from the truth. I have two.
 
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