Surplus? I hardly call that a virtue…
I have been patrolling my local gaming outlets in ever optimistic, but ultimately unsuccessful efforts, to procure a Wii. I, like many others have walked away empty handed.
The PS3 has been widely regarded as a superior system to both the Wii the 360. It’s a natural assumption that the subsequent demand for the system is logically higher. I believe this is all true, taking into consideration the larger fan base of the Sony Playstation, and the fact that Sony had a nearly year to finalize a console that could be described on paper as “more powerful”. I completely expected for the Sony shortages to have lasted well into the months of spring, if not as late as summer.
Yet in more places than not, I have seen ample numbers of PS3’s for sale. Not the diminutive versions, but the premium 60gb models (along with the premium price.). I find this curious. When the 360 came out, it was months after it’s release before anyone was able to obtain it in stores. Due to a stroke of luck, I was able to buy on in March, a full four months after its initial release.
Has every person who sought a PS3 already managed to purchase one? I can hardly believe that this is true, so when I see these boxes of PS3’s in the stores, I cannot help but be slightly puzzled.
In each place where I have seen them there has been a notable absence of people even interested in actually buying one. The majority of the people are like myself, looking for a Wii or possibly a NintendoDS. In one particular place I visited, there was nothing but Sony hardware (read: no xbox360, no Nintendo of any kind, etc), which consisted of half a dozen PS3’s, a few of the stale PS2’s and the now creaking PSP’s.
At this point I have to speculate if this should be taken as a kind of sign regarding a shift in consumer perception of Sony. It is not a secret that Sony has had a few trials to contend with over the last 12 months, and that they are hastily trying to get their dealings back on the rails. It’s been alleged that Sony is pinning a large number of their collective hopes on the success of the PS3, and subsequently the blu-ray disc format. If my observation regarding the current situation of ‘more PS3’s than apparent buyers’ is correct, then it would suggest that the next 12 months might hold more uncertainty Sony than the last.
I agree with Penny Arcade’s opinion. There is no “winner” of the console war yet, and thus there is no “loser” yet either. Neither Microsoft nor Nintendo has enough testicular fortitude to take their flags to the top of the gaming console hill. Whether or not that ever happens is immaterial. What I would like to see is this serve as a kind of “wake up call” to Sony. A friendly smack in the head to remind them that hubris will burn you every time. In the end, it would serve to benefit gamers, regardless of console affiliation.
Comments
Leave a Reply
