Wal-Mart Talks Next-Gen Console Onslaught

simoniker writes "Wal-Mart game buyer Steve Perry discusses the U.S retail giant's approach to stocking both current-gen and next-gen consoles, including pricing, launch supply flow, and the availability of demo units for Wii and PlayStation 3. Perry also updates on what's been hot in Wal-Mart stores this summer: 'We've been really successful with Madden, that's been really good. NCAA has been great. Guitar Hero's been on fire. The new DS Lite, the colors came out a few weeks ago, those have done really well.'"

Comments

Agghh

[The Living Fractal]

This Q&A felt like a Wal-Mart commerical for some reason.

- No real information about the PS3 launch, basically just "I think we'll have it this fall"
- Plenty of plugging for The Apprentice, but why? Who cares? I sure don't.
- Basically just said everything everyone already knows about the console wars.
- Stop the press!! This just in: Wal-Mart is a business. Amazingly, they'll stock products if those products will sell.

I read all three pages and was left with a sense that I just wasted a piece of my life. Sometimes I wonder how these stories get through the submission process (ok, a lot of times).

Meh, maybe someone got something useful out of it.. somewhere...

TLF

Re:Agghh

[Hennell]

Yeah, I felt almost every question was answered with "We don't know" "We'll see what happens" "We're currently doing what we always do". The whole article could easily be summed up with "I don't want to commit myself to anything specific yet thats not already well known."

The only thing of any use in there was pretty much "Wal-Mart will stock game consoles this Christmas". Which if you didn't already know, you don't deserve to be here.

Steeeeeeeve Perry!

[Mayhem178]

Dude, I thought we said no more Journey psyche-outs!

I Won't Buy A Console At Wal-Mart

[kmhebert]

How much money will you save buying them at Wal-Mart? I'll admit, I buy shave cream and razors there but I prefer almost any other store to Wal-Mart.

Re:I Won't Buy A Console At Wal-Mart

[hal2814]

I buy all my new electronics hardware at Wal-Mart and for very good reason: return policy. I personally prefer Target but even their return policy leaves something to be desired when compared to Wal-Mart. PSP has a dead pixel? Not a problem. Just not happy with that new console? Not a problem. $1000 TV acting funny on you and don't want to deal with the warranty process? Not a problem. Full refund. I'm not the biggest fan of Wal-Mart but they really stick up for you when it comes to big ticket items being returned for refund/exchange. I would actually pay a little bit more to buy most electronics hardware from Wal-Mart (except for computers and laptops which I buy from Costco or Sams Club who each have massive 6 month return policies on those items).

Re:I Won't Buy A Console At Wal-Mart

[porcupine8]

Heck, as flexible as Wal-Mart's return policy is, you don't really need to buy it there to return it when you have a problem. You might not get back the exact amount you spent, but I doubt the difference would be more than a dollar or two.

For Christmas last year, an aunt bought me a DVD set that I already had. Unfortunately, the wrapping on it was torn, so most places wouldn't take it as a return because it had been "opened." My family all told me Wal-Mart would take it - and sure enough, they did. No receipt, torn wrapper.

He didn't say much, except this

[Animats]

Regarding the PS3 price drop, the Wal-Mart buyer says "We'd certainly like to see parity on pricing, but we have not had that conversation with them yet."

That should be read as "Sony will drop the price to Wal-Mart, or else."

Bear in mind that this is one of the very few people whose position on price really matters. The PS3 is crucial to Sony. Wal-Mart doesn't really need to carry it at all, let alone give it much shelf space. In fact, the PS3 is a rather high-priced product for Wal-Mart. They can move PS2s at $129 (and that's the new slim-line PS2) in volume. The PS3 will be a niche product to Wal-Mart until the price comes down.

That slim-line PS2 is worth watching. That's a mid-life kicker for the PS2, and the first time that's really happened in the videogame console market. That could be the killer product for this holiday season. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 get all the press attention, but the downsized PS2 will generate the profits this season.

Re:He didn't say much, except this

[fo0bar]

That slim-line PS2 is worth watching. That's a mid-life kicker for the PS2, and the first time that's really happened in the videogame console market.

PSone? Back in 2000, while the PS2 was struggling with launch stock, the PSones were flying off the shelves.

(There were similar, but not as successful slim redesigns of the NES and SNES toward the end of their runs.)

Re:He didn't say much, except this

[Breakfast Pants]

I think he means he has only been following the video game market for the last 7 or 8 years, but he feels qualified to make statements about the entire history of the 'videogame console market'. Personally, I'm just glad people like this play the stock market.

Is it just me or...

[antifood]

Did the interview come off extremly steril? Wal-Mart has the best supply chain in the business, and they are obviously taking that route with their game devision. I just have a feeling that this putting into focus everything that is going wrong with the gaming industry. Less focus on passion, more on lean manufacturing.

Wal-Mart v. E3

[Veetox]

When Steve Perry was asked about E3, he said: "Well, for us it was a big event, it was crowded, it was noisy, and you really couldn't accomplish anything. It was just more of a show in terms of accomplishing anything other than seeing the new game systems." ...And I say, "Hm, just like your stores during Christmas..."

Games are doing pretty well..

[n3m6]

In the beginning of this year, analysts were saying that this year would be a slump. It seems the total opposite has been happening so far. Games are in fact doing pretty well. Major titles and consoles seem to be flying off the shelves.

Re:Interactives

[Rydia]

They have a "tethered" version, after a fashion... there's a version with a power cord that people have been using at events which link the remote to the Wii/TV.

Re:Interactives

[revlayle]

Also, even more of an issue of tetherig, is how Wal-Mart (at least around here.... and I live near the birth place of Wal-Mart) arrang their controllers and screen. Generally, the controllers are "tethered" to a divider between two glass door section where they keep the games and consoles. The monitor/tv-screen are above you at the top of the isle. One woul dhave to step back and point the controll at whereever the sensor bar was located (which is another issue) and hope people don't wack passerbys upside the heads accidentally in the aisles. That and the number of of unattended small children that could potentially destroy the controllers. Wal-Mart "could" set up a special kiosk area, but, honestly, I have never seen any special kiosks set up at Wal-Marts to showcase game consoles.

Re:Interactives

[protektor]

If you think Wal-Mart is going to get left out of the console launchs this fall and not demo any of the new systems at all this fall you are sadly mistaken. Wal-Mart is all about making money and they know that for new consoles, demo systems help sell new console launches. I don't know where you heard this but I suspect someone has led you astray. I know people who work at Wal-Mart who have been talking about the Wii and PS3 launches.

Re:Interactives

[IpalindromeI]

Even if they don't get Wii demo units, I'll let you in on how you can demo one. Buy one. Wal-Mart has got to have the most customer friendly return policy ever. They'll take anything back, even without receipts usually. So if you end up not liking it, just return it the next day. Plus, you get to try it out in your own home, without a hundred other people trying to squeeze past you in the aisle, or bugging you to let them try.