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PSP Not A Sellout Hit
MilenCent writes "We're starting to see our first mainstream media reports on the PSP's (lack of) sales performance, from the Seattle Times: "But while Sony is touting the rollout as a success -- and many retailers did sell their entire stock -- the event might not have been the complete blockbuster that was expected." In summary, the article says that more systems were sold than not, that dedicated gaming stores were more likely to sell out than department stores like Target, and that the biggest reason gamers didn't pick it up is likely its price -- which wasn't helped by some retailers' sale condition that customers also purchase games, which could raise the price to nearly $350. Will demand pick up once the unit is out there and seen by people, or will it take a price cut before the system sells satisfactorily?"
They bundles a ~$180 piece of equipment with a crappy carying case and a tiny memory stick and added $70 to the price. There's at least 30 of them in the case at the local WalMart here, but most people I know are waiting for the non "Value" Pack version to come out.
I think the PSP is very cool, but damn is it expensive! Think about it: $250 for the thing, $50 for a game. That's how much a PS2 costs! I can't see paying prices on par consoles even if it is the greatest handheld gaming platform ever.
"Physics is to math what sex is to masturbation." - Richard Feynman
.. you could buy a regular console and still have plenty left over.
Having good games other than Lumines might help. Also, having games that don't cost $40. The DS at least had backwards compatibility on it's side, which is probably why it did so well despite also having a weak launch lineup.
--The universe will not be altered by forum threads, even those which are very wry. --Tycho Brahe (Penny Arcade)
1. Max price of $150.
2. No more ninja star discs.
3. No more nubs falling off.
4. Square button no longer sticking.
5. Square button sensor under Square button and not to the right of the Square button. It's only one of the most used buttons.
6. No more dead pixels.
7. More games that I'd actually want. So far - none.
Think that about sums it up. If all those get cleared up, then I'll think about getting a PSP. Until then, I'll stick with my GBA SP, which already has games I enjoy for it.
(It's worth noting that I'm also not getting a DS, either.)
I like the PSP. If they released one that was just the unit and a memory stick, I'd get that in a heartbeat. I don't intend on using the included Sony accesories (Logitech has much nicer ones)so I'd rather not pay for them.
On the bright side, lower than expected sales usually leads to price cuts so I'm glad the big hype machine failed.
Height: 38U, Weight: 0 Newtons, Eyes: #0000FF, OS: Gray Matter 1.0 (Alpha)
I find it funny that there are complaints about supply when they sell out and worries about systems failing when they don't sell out. How does a gaming system manufacturer win?
I'll save another $50 and buy an Xbox 3 this Christmas.
$249 is a lot of money to some people.
With a price point like that, you really have to wonder what one has to do to gauge a portable's sex appeal. I mean, did they put a few on street corners and see how many men(or ladies) picked one up and took her home for an hour or two?
In order of biggest problem to least, IMO:
1) LCD quality control & dead pixel policy. Horrid.
2) Only selling the 'value' pack. Worst. Idea. EVER. There is already a great selection of third-party add-ons which make the 'value' pack absurd.
3) High price of games. $40-50 per game. Ouch.
4) No demo units in stores. You want to sell a $250 machine? Have demo units.
5) Some stores selling only bundles. Out of the 5 stores I went to opening day, only 1 was doing that in the Seattle area (KB Toys).
6) High price of UMD movies (when they arrive). Silly; they shouldn't try selling UMD movies to the public; this should really be targeted at rental places, especially airport locations.
All these problems aside, most of this can get better, if not much better. Quality control will increase over time, and they're already addressing the dead pixel policy. Hopefully they'll come out with the base edition, sans 'value' soon. $50 in third-party add-ons goes a long way.
The biggest hope I have is that they'll either change their business model, or make a PSP-like PDA platform with a modular bay where the UMD drive is. I live in breathless anticipation.
I completely agree with this. I was surprised when i went around town doing my normal errands the day after release and saw 15 at best buy, 50 at walmart, etc etc etc. I mean, i'm in a pretty hefty geek town.
GameStop and EBGames both told me "Pre-order, or you're not getting one until the 22nd century." If that was the case, then I must still be dreaming.
Truth be told, I think the DS sold out for the reason everyone thought it would. It was different. It came froma company that traditionally gets things right the first time.
The PSP is nothing "new" and comes from a company with a bad track record of first releases. I'm pretty sure most people, myself included, said they'll wait for the bugs to get run out of the first run before investing.
I know you're probably not serious, but really, what good would a mod chip do you? The games aren't region locked like PS2 games are, so you don't need a mod chip to play imports. And there is no way to write a UMD disc so you can't play pirate copies. Maybe you could net boot or load off a memory stick, but with no way to get the data off a UMD disc and onto a PC (currently), that wouldn't work either.
When the PSP first hit, I was inches away from buying one. The launch lineup was pretty damn nice, and I felt like this thing had some serious developer support. Then I looked at the list of upcoming releases and gasped - what a barren wasteland! I didn't see a single upcoming game with any buzz around it that didn't have the word "PORT" written all over its face. Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo are probably the only interesting titles, and they're basic ports, and they aren't coming out for monnnnnths. I see no reason to pay $350 for only two exciting games right now (WipeOut and Lumines). I figure, if I'm gonna pay that kind of cash for two games with no guarantee for future quality, I'll buy a fricking DDR setup for the house. For now, I'm waiting to see if other quality titles come out of the woodwork, and judging by sales, enough other hardcore gamers are in agreement.
A main reason why I think the PSP hasn't done as well as expected is that it's the wrong timing. Summer is _the_ season for portable game machines, because parents buy them for kids when they go on trips. At the EB where I worked, we would have to put the gameboy section at the front of the store come every May.
But the PSP doesn't really hit that crowd. The target audience, 18-40 males, doesn't have a summer off (or is driving when they do). The PSP might perform better come winter and Christmas, particularly if they drop the price $50.
I like Sony. Have for years. I even got to see and play with an import one back in November. However, I don't have the time for the PSP. Sony talks about opportunity gaming, where you play something because you have time in between things to stop and play with {X}.
But you know what? I don't have that kind of time. I can't play my PSP when I'm stuck in traffic (I tried to with my new cell phone, but that was rather risky). I can't play my PSP at work (well, I could try). I can't play my PSP playing basketball, or golf or whatever. And I suspect that other 18-39 year olds that have jobs may not either. And by putting it at a price point so high that you really have to have a lot of 'opportunity' times to play. Unless they market this to kids, but somehow those commercials don't look kiddy to me.
I do have time when I get home however. But then, why would I pay money to look at a small little screen when I can just watch DVD's on any of my TVs. Or play my PS2.
They should really try to market to kids. Hell, when you have no job and people are driving you to places you don't really want to go to, there's opportunity-time galore.
0- Eamonman Proud member of DNRC
I picked one up after all. The price was kind of high, but I dig the value pack. I wouldn't want to carry around the PSP without something to protect the screen, and really a 32MB card is perfect for good starter memory card. I haven't decided if I will buy any bigger ones for media. Spider-man 2 was the perfect price, included. I won't be buying any UMD movies, I'll pay $15-25 for the movie on DVD that I can watch with other people on the TV. Maybe if I could get a bundle of the movie on DVD and pay a few bucks more for the UMD perhaps. As it is I am much more likely to lay down money for memory card(s) convert my DVDs for portable viewing (probably only when going on vacation).
When I decided to buy I was at Circuit City, they would only sell it with Twisted Metal. I just wasn't that interested in it, so I went next door to Target where they had probably two dozen units. I ended up back over at CC since Target had sold all their copies of Lumines though.
3) High price of games. $40-50 per game. Ouch.
Personally, I think that is going to be Sony's biggest problem down the road.
If you think about, $40-50 isn't really that much money for a game you'll get countless hours of enjoyment out of. Well, at least if you're a working adult, it isn't. That's especially true if you compare it to a night out a the movies or a decent meal for two. Both of those will cost you around, or upwards of $50. That is not how it works in the real world though.
Few people think rationally about a product's price tag. And people perceive $50 to be a lot of money (and rightfully so). Dropping fifty bucks on an item you need is okay, wasting fifty bucks on an item you know you or somebody else will enjoy (say a Christmas present or - to stay on topic - even a video game that allows you and your buddies to kick back, watch a football game and play before and after) - sure. Selling the idea of spending $50 on an item you're only using to amuse yourself for a short period of time is a whole lot harder because it doesn't quite feel right.
If games were, say, $30 a piece, it would feel more like picking up a CD on your way home after work. Something most people wouldn't feel guilty about at all - after all, you're rewarding yourself and it's "just $15". And whilst $30 is certainly more than most people would pay for a CD, it doesn't feel wrong for a portable video game because most average middle-class Americans still perceive $30 is "inexpensive", whereas $50 is still an investment of sorts (think about it: don't think twice before you hand someone a $50 bill whereas handing someone a $10 just feels natural).
Add financial constraints to the mix ("gotta pay the bills"), and $50 just doesn't like your getting your money's worth. Sure, a lot of hardcore gamers won't mind plucking down $50 for a game. But that's not necessarily Sony's target audience -- if they want to be profitable, they need to target a broader demographic. And a $50 a pop, people will think twice about buying your product. These days, very few people make $50 impulse buy decisions...
Personally I will consider getting a PSP when they sell for $149 and the 1st release has been tested out. Also, the games would need to drop to at least $25. I'm sure this will happen sooner or later, right now I will let the "early adopters" empty their wallets and do all of the bug testing. I'm sure these will sell very well at Christmas.
http://www.kubuntu.org/
As a Nintendo DS owner AND a PSP owner, I find it ridiculous that people are complaining about the PSP only having ports and that being the specific reason that it sucks.
Has anyone really noticed the majority of the DS library? Super Mario 64, Warioware (pretty much a port), Ridge Racer, Tiger Woods, Madden. I mean aside from Yoshi Touch N Go and Ping Pals, Nintendo doesn't exactly have a ton of original non-port stuff either.
While everyone complains about ports, I wonder how many people will run to stores and pick up DS when Ocarina of Time ends up hitting it, or when GTA hits a PSP. Face it people, sure we love original games like Lumines, but really the majority of games you purchase for handhelds are portable versions of your favorite home games. Slightly tweaked, but still great games.
This will be the latest incarnation I will have to dole out money for. If they do not make next generation platforms interoperable with last generation games I am going to build a mame/emu cabinet in my home and in my car for roadtrips and city camping and never buy a game again.
An Education is the Font of All Liberty
Here is the link: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?b
So not one of those stores sold out according to this guy. More detailed information can be found at the link above (although he didn't format it worth a damn)
My Xbox Live Gamer Card
Seriously guys, you are taking this too far. It seems slashdot is in a holly crusade to make the psp look like second to dirt. First the dead pixels issue (heres a hint: 80% of the people wont even notice the dead pixels and YES sony is fixing them) , that article about "retracting new users" because someone disassembled one. (big deal!) the other "lukewarm welcome" what are you talking about? the system sold out in several stores. (the DS didnt sold out in any store here or in Japan that I know of) there were people freezing in the cold to get one, there is a strong following for the psp. Weither you like it or not.
The only real "crime" the PSP has commited is to become a BEATING competitor for the Nintendo handhelds (yes the PSP has more sales than the DS) so what? the DS still has enough sales to keep Nintendo not worried and working on DS games (And even GBA) besides (and Ive saying this all year) the PSP is not meant for kids, so thats a huge target that N is still strong for.
Besides why the heck are you worried about the DS? Nintendo for better or worse is releasing a new handheld by the end of this year. So the "handheld king tittle" remains to be disputed.
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Me: 40 something would never buy one, don't play games, love tech so I know all about the PSP. Nephew: 16, has game boy, xbox, Halo addict, has rich parents. We were watching NCAA basketball game and PSP comercial comes on. He turns to me and asks what the comercial is about. I am shocked that he hasn't heard of it. Give it some time and it will be flying off the shelves.
At a bestbuy near me they had bundles ranging up to $480! I mean... who really needs a napster gift card thing with it. When they lower the price, get more games, lower the price of the games, solve the problems I've been hearing about it. THEN maybe I'll buy it.
It sounds like I'm waiting for the ideal communism.
You have been warned.
Yes the price point is a bit high.
Yes the bundle pack makes it more expensive.
I think that the game prices are right along the prices for other platforms. I don't see why people would complain about that.
The problem I have with it is that there is no compatibility with anything. If you get one of these, you can't play games from other platforms.
My PS2 plays PS1 and PS2 games, and has the eyeToy accessory. My Gamecube plays GC, GBA and GBC games. The Gameboy Advance SP plays GBA, GBC, GB, and e-reader games. Heck even the DS plays GBA games too.
I'm not saying that I don't want one, just pointing out it is a system that does not really have any compatibility with anything else. Kind of like the xBox. It's hard to justify purchasing a system that only does one thing, especially at that price.
You can lose something that is loose, so tighten the loose item so you don't lose it.
Sony isn't trying to produce a decent "portable gaming device" they're trying to produce the "walkman of the 21st century"
Personally I buy gaming devices to play games on; not to watch movies on or to listen to music. I want to feel safe that even if I loose it I can replace it (at $450 canadian I can't), and I want to be able to [after an hour and a half commute to work in the morning] play games on it on my commute home at night (which you can't with the poor batery performance).
When sony understands the "portable gaming market" it may stand a chance of releasing a successful device for it.
Maybe you could net boot or load off a memory stick, but with no way to get the data off a UMD disc and onto a PC (currently), that wouldn't work either.
And it didn't occur to you that this is where modchips come in handy?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
After > 20 years in gaming, I've learned a few lessons:
a) Early adoption is just a hip factor. Other than being first and hip the oportunity cost is negative. As you grow older it's easier to have a console accumulating dust. I'd rather have a $99 idle console than a $399 one.
b) Optical media based-consoles actually improve in quality as iterations of the hardware are released.
c) Maturity of the Software Lineup. Why? Well.. when a console reaches $99 it's probably in the last year of its lifetime and all the greatest hits are out around $20. Not only that, there's no complains about weak 1st gen lineup or lack of knowledge from the developers (ahem.. PS2, GC, DS...)
I'm actually waiting for the PS2 and Xbox to hit $99. On each instance I'll go with $300 and pick up the 10 best games of each console (good games are timeless). I might actually save some money with the XBox (other than Halo/Halo2 they might not reach 10 must have timeless titles).
I'm pretty sure when they said, "Opportunity Time" they meant "Loading Time," because based on the games I've seen, once the thing is done loading everything, your "opportunity time" is all but spent.
The screen on the PSP is really really good. When watching a movie you can't even see any pixels. Everyone I showed mine too was very impressed with the screen. The ability to: 1) Watch movies 2) Play games 3) Surf the web / read email (with DNS hack) means you have 3 big functions in a very small package for $250. I have a Nintendo DS as well, and the DS seems like a cheap toy while the PSP seems like some high end electronics. Mostly just from the screen. I think the PSP is a very good deal and will sell well as word of mouth starts to work and people get to try it out. Also, once there are more games and movies it will make more sense too. So far I can only find a few movies for it.
There could be a significant urban audience that you are missing. In an urban setting, people will have plenty of time to play the PSP, either walking destination to desination, riding the bus or taxi, or just sitting outside in a park rather than in the home. Also, the PSP would be attractive to the young professionals who do a lot of airplane travel.
There is a psychological barrier that transcends economic conditions, a point at which something simply feels too expensive for the majority of consumers. For handheld videogames, that number is $100. And for game consoles, it is $200. Below these price points, there is mass market appeal.
The DS, thanks to years of Gameboy momentum, has surprised many of us by having an impressive launch despite the $150 price tag. People could look at recently $100 GBA-SP, then at a DS, and see a lot of hardware added to a system that keeps on delivering great entertainment. It made the price point acceptable, if still a bit high.
Then along comes the PSP, priced much higher than a full blown PS2 and yet clearly not as powerful as one, and the mass market chokes. Clearly it is a beautiful, even elegant machine, but $250?!? Holy crap!
But we shouldn't ignore timing. Nintendo rolled out there new baby in time for the Christmas holidays. When many people are not only running about in a frantic orgy of consumer spending, but are also contemplating the long winter months of indoor confinement. Sony, on the other hand, launched the PSP when many people are preoccupied with their tax bills, and those with extra cash are looking forward to fun in the sun during the impending spring and summer months ahead. If anything, I'd say the Easter launch window was just as bad an idea as the $250 price point.
Must... think up... something... clever!
As the price decreases, and more hacks are found in the software, the PSP will gradually spread. It currently has the teething problems of any new console - not enough games, price too high, competition from other consoles (in this case the DS)
I'd say give it time to grow.
Business Voyeur
You know, it is possible for them to both be a bad purchase right now. IMO, there just aren't enough good games for either system right now. I own both a PS2 and a GBA, so I should be the target market for both of these systems, but I'm going to hold off on both the PSP and the DS until I see a) compelling games and b)lower prices.
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
Those with lots of time to play something like this will likely skip over the thing that doesn't give them much time to play with it.
DUH? Guys the whole article is pointless. Of course you are not going to sell a psp out of the blue! is a $250 machine! have you ever walked to a store, looked at a computer and say, "hey nice desktop computer! Im taking one home!" (if you have then I feel nothing but envy for you)
There are several stores reporting than the initial batch were sold out. that means those who wanted one bough it and those who still want one are buying them as we speak. (even at bloated prices)
Evidence: I just talked to a friend of mine he has a ds, I casually told him "hey I saw a PSP on a store and they offered it me a psp at $300." Friend Reaction : "WHY DIDNT YOU BOUGHT IT!?" as If I had commited a serious crime against nature. I responded almost timidly " er.. because I didnt had $300 and I wasnt planning to buy one at the time?" Friend calming himself down "where was the store?" (as a side note: I dont live in the US)
Anyway people do want PSP's maybe those who havent bought one yet are those who dont have the $250 at the time?
I agree that maybe is about the locations they interviewed? I mean if they start selling cluster racks half price at k-mart they probably wouldnt sell as well as if they do it on a computer store?
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"I can't play my PSP when I'm stuck in traffic"
Take transit. Stop polluting the air I breathe, please.
Don't you all hate that whole "sigh... mod me up" BS? Every troll does it nowadays. And yes, he is a troll. The truth is, MANY people are bothered by dead pixels, only the meek fanboys would stand by a screen with more than 2, most people wouldn't put up with 1 on a 250$ peice of new hardware. And the psp is in no way "BEATING" as he puts it. The DS has more sales, period. Sure the psp has more sales in japan since january, but those are ridiculous terms for determining dominance, the DS has more sales total than psp in japan, and worldwide. So to recap; DS has more total sales, regardless of region specified, than psp. Dead pixels ARE noticeable on such a small screen. And finally, to further condemn the parent as a troll, observe thier comment about nintendo being kiddy, hmm, is that there to inflame maybe? sigh...
True genius is grasping a situation like a peice of fruit, and peircing it just right so that it drains dry.
You could buy a DVD Player for $100 that plays MP3 CDs instead of an iPod and still have plenty left over.
Different markets.
Take transit.
Damn trains. Took my DS with Yoshi Touch and Go on the train this morning. Tried to play it, but because the train makes so much noise the DS reacted as if I was constantly blowing into the mic (therefore making the game unplayable on the train). Sob...
In Canada, the PSP lauch not being a "homerun" doesn't really surprise me, and as far as I'm concerned, so far practice or trade laws are also being broken. :)
Some points.
1) The price point in theory should fine. The base unit would've retailed for $250 CDN. The nintendo DS launched at $200 and sold well. The PSP offer an entire generational leap in graphics (think n64 to PS2) & added functionality that more than justifies the extra $50.
2) However, Sony screwed North America by only offering us a "Value Pack" model, forcing us to buy $50 extras with it, that by all accounts were viewed as junk from the original Japanese launch. That raised the price to $300 CDN.
Not only is that more expensive, but its rather alienating to the consumer when they're being -forced- to buy things that japanese consumers weren't.
3) The forced additional awful bundles on us. At large electronics retailers like Electronics Boutique, Future Shop & Best Buy were FORCED to not only by the valueless Value Pack, but also two additional games;Wayne Gretzky's Hockey and Twisted Metal: Head-On. This raised the cost to $400 CDN!!!
Now instead of buying a PSP for $250 and picking up a game of my choice, I'm forced to buy the value pack and two games that I'd never ever buy... for the bargain price of $400!!!
I -really- wanted this system, but I'm not picking one up on principle alone. I'm not going to have Sony tell me how I'm going to spend my money.
Sony screwed themselves by taking away one of the basic rights we have as consumers, CHOICE!
And for those who bitch about the launch lineup- come on, no console in the history of console gaming has ever launched with more than 1 or 2 good games. If there's nothing you like yet, don't buy until there is.
See, you haven't played Metroid Prime Hunters First Hunt on a Nintendo DS using that control scheme, either, and it shows.
I have played various PC FPS on a laptop trackpad and I have played MPH First Hunt on the DS, and there is no comparison. You aren't using your thumb in anywhere near the same way for both methods (that is, if you're using your thumb on a trackpad at all instead of an index finger, like some laptop gamers without mice do). D-pad subs for WASD, right thumb does headlook/aim, index fingers fire, weapon selection is on-screen, double-tap jumps. It works well, because the dimensions of the DS touchscreen are a known constant, unlike the various laptop trackpads. I have never had to do a thumb lift in using the touch screen on the DS, for example, and it is head and shoulders above analog stick control in terms of speed and accuracy. That's a promise from a long-time PC FPS player who's been playing console FPS since the SNES days.
2. No, Sony isn't fixing them straight out. Theres a Walkthrough/FAQ on GameFAQs explaining step-by-step on how to bypass Sony's wall of BS. Not exactly a shining example of customer support.
3. If people have to disassemble their non-PC gaming systems to get it to work the way it should, something's wrong.
4. Considering there are stores in the U.S. that recieved less than 10 units and others recieved over 100, I have two words for you. Bad logistics.
5. In Japan, pre-orders were forbidden because they didn't want people pre-ordering them just to resell them at inflated prices online. Which happened anyway. Just like with the PS2.
6. The PSP sales are pale compared to the DS's. Sony didn't launch a Halo 2-like marketing blitz so unless the Japanese are buying them as fast and they can manufacture them, theres no way the PSP is outselling the DS.
I don't think I've ever heard a publisher talk in terms of individual purchasers. Whether an average consumer would want to buy something at X amount of money, to them, is beside the point.
The equation that the publishers are optimizing for, is "starting at 50 dollars and lowering the price every month, how can I maximize revenue." Games always start at 50. You always get a crowd of early adopters who really want the game, no matter how bad the game is, and so you always start at that high price to sell to them. At some point, sales start declining as the early adopters leave... but because your price started out so high, you've earned 1/2 of your expected income already. Now you start incrementally lowering the price, smoothing along a curve in an attempt to get the maximum number of people buying at any given price point along the curve until the game hits a stable price point or dies. Unfortunately because you're game is already "going down" and is therefore less glamorous, it quickly becomes abandoned by the publisher in terms of sales and promotion.
Equally unfortunately, nowhere in that description did the words "Launch at 20" come out, a strategy that worked wonders for Katamari and a few other games.
I still remember the price drop in Playstation days... Back then all games sold for 50 dollars by Sony mandate, period. However one Christmas Crash Bandicoot 2 came out while Crash Bandicoot 1 was still on the shelves. Because of this, Sony authorized a lower price on Crash 1... 45 dollars instead of 50. Crash Bandicoot 1 that Christmas sold as well as Crash 2, proving that the market wanted lower price games.
Sadly, publishers don't "get" that there is something fundamentally different about launching a 50 dollar game and abandoning it when sales slack and they start dumping it at 30, and launching a title at 30 with the full backing of their advertising. In one case you're blowing your chance to reach people at a price they're willing to accept, and in the other you're missing your chance to milk the early adopters, but you can sell a product at a price people will pay without the mar of being a bargain-bin game.
The ______ Agenda
...probably bought everything they could get their hands on, then ran out of cash to actually buy the thing.
I had much fun killing my buddy when i got the game the other day. I looked at him and said this would suck on a windy march day outdoors. Hours later when he left and I finally got to play my game I discovered you can turn up/down the mic sensitivity under options.
Can we have the leftovers, please?
Never mind Spamassassin. When's Spammerassassin coming out?
I have a PSP and I have no issues with bad pixels, no issue with the Square button, and like the games that've come out for it at release. It has great potentional as well. Homebrew is right around the corner, as well as a keyboard.
Flat Screen TV for F
Im not completely sure (because it was a long time ago) but I remember the PS1 (Psx) had pretty much the same reception when it was released. It was initially expensive ($300!) there were almost no games for it. So just a few hardcores bought it, six months (or a year?) later Tekken 3, RE2 and FF 7 were released and the unit dropped the price to almost a half... you know the rest.
Go ahead MOD my day!
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EBCanada was 80% sold out by 10 am March 24
EB was given more units than any other store
EB was given enough units to cover every pre-order and have some left over
13 seperate robbery attempts (on the PSP) were foiled on the spot
They have been taking massive DS returns in exchange for credit towards PSPs
Sony is ecstatic.
You want to sell me a PSP, then sell me a UMD-RW drive for my PC first. You would crush the competition in a variety of markets if I had the UMD's capacity with my own MP3s and videos on them.
The article doesn't cite a single sales number, making it of dubious credibility. First off, Sony did sell out. The retails didn't. Second, was the original shipment 1 million? Or did they release 1.2 million, 1.5 million? Also, nobody expected more than 800,000 sold. DS sold 800,000 in one week. At higher price, the PSP should only sell 400,000 to 500,000 in its first week.
PSP was released during a rather weak gift-giving holiday. Most older generation folk, 30's and up, didn't give gifts at Easter, just candy. The real test will be Christmas. I doubt you have to do anything with the price of the system until 2006. The hype at Christmas will sell them all at a premium. The best move for Sony would be to check sales records on the PSP for the first 10 days after Thanksgiving. If sales aren't strong, drop the price $50.
As for cost, each DS was a minimum of $200. You had to buy a game to even operate it. Same with PSP, you can only watch Spiderman 2 so many times. You must spend a minimum of $300 to even play a game. I personally don't think you should sell bundles. A la carte will sell itself. It increases the demand for games. Bundles seem obscene.
Unfortunately, the Memory Sticks are expensive, and yet cheap (Sandisk, not Sony) considering the memory sizes. You have to truly appreciate the music, photo, and movie capabilities to really justify another memory stick.
For the record, my initial system (EB didn't require a bundle in the stores) was $420: Value Pack, two games, and a 512 MB stick.
It takes no time at all comparing the DS with the PSP that the PSP is superior in every aspect, except for the touchscreen.
One thing that would defiantly help the PSP right now would be in-store displays. Seeing is believing, and I know from personal experience that one of this system's major selling points is the system itself. If they would just put the thing next to the DS in stores, people could see the difference in quality. If they could see how beautiful Ridge Racer and Wipeout look on that screen, they would be sold. I say give it some time. Word of mouth will help this system a lot. Lowering the price just a smidge would help too, though I will be gladly slapping down the money when I can afford it.
Well, a regular new game for a consile is 400-550 SEK, or higher if you walk into the wrong store. The american dollar is currently less than 7 SEK, it used to be 11. 40 bucks would be budget bin here.
The Chair Corp. comic(*00-12)
I geuss thats one way to sell a product, RAISE the price. Whos running marketing over there?
One day.
Cartridges are fast and battery-efficient. Discs are slow and inefficient. If they're going to use something proprietary, why use something slow and battery draining?