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EU Gamers Reassured by PS3 Preparations
European gamers have been feeling a might edgy of late; rumors have been circulating that the PS3 will be pushed even further out into 2007 ... possible to September. People put off by those comments were reassured this past weekend, when Sony sent around an email letting everyone know they could register for their online IDs with the PlayStation Network. The Guardian post that describes this development also links to a post on the Three Speech site, a Sony marketing blog. The site has posted more tidbits about the European launch, and assures eager gamers that they'll see the console launch in the early weeks of March 2007. From that post: "In terms of the European online store, while still being extremely vague, a spokesman for SCE Europe was able to explain that Sony would have no defense if they were to charge the European consumer more than in other regions as there are no extra costs on digital distribution as apposed to a product with packaging etc. So expect a $15.00 download to cost people in the UK around £6.50."
In terms of the European online store, while still being extremely vague, a spokesman for SCE Europe was able to explain that Sony would have no defense if they were to charge the European consumer more than in other regions as there are no extra costs on digital distribution as apposed to a product with packaging etc.
:(
That's quite naive. There can always be reasons. I'm only purchasing serial numbers (licenses...) from Adobe/Macromedia, but they've always charged me almost double since I'm in EU. I always envied my US colleagues which get to buy the same software so much cheaper
The excuses: exchange rates, VAT taxes, other electronic taxes, [insert other vague reasons], [insert lock of shopping region per your credit card country origin]
The PS3 may launch in Europe but unless they get the supply issues resolved it is unlikely that any europeans will be able to get their hands on one.
On a side note, I noticed a store near work had several PS3 systems for sale and (after the initial surprise wore off) asked the clerk about them; he said that he expected the systems to stay there for awhile because no one has inquired about the PS3 for a couple of weeks. I wonder whether people who want a PS3 have simply "given-up" looking for one until they know supplies are more abundant.
Speaking with some EB games guys last night (as I traded in my Red Steel Wii game and miraculously found 1 of 2 nunchuk attachments I still need) it seems the PS3's price tag is keeping the PS3 from 'flying' off store shelves (though, my city is slightly lower income than the average, I would bet). From the the EB manager said... "The PS3 has been selling slower than expected, but we've been getting in shipments constantly. It takes take a day or two to sell out our shipment.".
My next question naturally moved into how the Wii shipments where going and he replied... "We just cannot keep those in the store. We have people calling constantly to check for more shipments."
I also asked about the Xbox360 which the manager explained that he did not see any drastic change in sales due to PS3/Wii shortages, but added that he would definitely buy a 360 over a PS3 given the price points and multi-platform launches for the PS3/360.
It won't be long and soon the US will have a surplus of PS3's which we'll just ship over to the EU. hehe I admit, I was a little surprised to here the PS3's taking a couple days to sell out, but with a lower income community, it might explain things better. That and the proximity to the Xmas holiday probably slows down such big-ticket premium items as most shoppings have already started maxing out their credit.
Cheers,
Fozzy
"The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." ~1984 George Orwell
People put off by those comments were reassured this past weekend, when Sony sent around an email letting everyone know they could register for their online IDs with the PlayStation Network.
So people are reassured that they will receive PS3's soon, because they can register their gametags? Who are these people? The only thing that would "reassure" me would be the physical presence of the system in front of me with my receipt in hand.
It's a "mite", not a "might". A mite is small - it means you're feeling a little bit better. Other words like this that slashdotters frequently fuck up include the reins of power - as if you are in control, e.g. of a horse - I haven't seen anyone use "rain" for either of these yet but it's only a matter of time; An allusion is a reference while elusion is an escape; You worship at an altar but you alter things you change... and now I'm bored but I've seen all of these used and abused here on slashdot. (See more here.)
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Now, I dont have (or want) a Mac, an ipod, or DRM'd music, so I may well be talking out of my arse, in which case please correct me politely. But, I have the vague idea that we pay £1 per track, and you guys in the States pay $1 per track. I always wondered how on earth they:
- a) justified that, morally
- b) got away with it, legally
- c) enforced it, technologically
Seems to me a classic case of corporations enjoying globalisation (eg. Apple shopping out their building-the-ipods labour to cheaper Asian locations) but refusing to let consumers enjoy globalisation the same way (eg. shopping out the cheapest price for the same product, and paying £0.65 (or whatever the exchange rate is) to download the track from the US iTMS instead of £1 in the UK store).Where am I wrong?
PS. Not flaming on Apple particularly here, they're just a very high profile example of this same syndrome, electronic "goods" in a worldwide marketplace. Any gripe I have is with the system as a whole, not with one example of it.
Exactly, but they could then say they launched. I'm not sure why launching with a pathetic number of units is better than a delay, but Microsoft did it, and now Sony did it, so I must be missing something. Sony's "World Wide Launch" consisted of about 90,000 units in Japan and about 200,000 units in the United States. I have no doubt they will "Launch" in Europe in March 2007, but whether that means they will have over 100,000 units day 1 for the whole continent nobody knows yet.
Considering Sony keeps reducing promised shipped quantities, I suspect the launch will be light something like half a million units or less.
I wonder whether people who want a PS3 have simply "given-up" looking for one until they know supplies are more abundant.
I would guess it's more that the review scores came in and people are playing the waiting game. $600 for a PS3 + $60 for a HDMI cable + $60 for a game = $720 to play Resistance (The only exclusive game that scored well). If you are doing the waiting game for a console the less it costs, the easier it is to buy early. You need compelling exclusive content to drive sales, and currently the PS3 doesn't have $600 worth of it.
The question is, will PS3 still be a viable platform by September 2007?
What about those of us in NA who don't have a PS3? Is there any way for us to preregister a UID? I'm not planning on getting a PS3 anytime real soon, but it'd be cool to reserve a user name now. :)
"This thing does science so hard, you say, 'I've never seen that much science.'" -Sam
a) justified that, morally
b) got away with it, legally
Part of the issue is that each country has different laws, currency, and Vat. So given the fact that they aren't going to adust their prices constantly due to fluctuations in currency they need to adjust it so that their price after VAT is somewhere close to our price before tax.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the VAT tax in the UK is somewhere around 17.5%, and your shops are required by law to display all prices including VAT. The US does not, we pay sales tax depending on the state we live in. So iTunes would be $1 per song + (0% - 10% Sales tax depending on the State)
France has a VAT of nearly 20%, and Sweden is pushing 25%. I'm not saying that's all of it, but that does change the numbers a bit, and part of the reason you pay more in Europe is they (your governments) are taking you over the coals in taxes.
Why do you need excuses for what you're charging a consumer? In this case, they charge whatever the market will bear. This is especially true in an entertainment medium that has low or no media cost... you can get VHS tapes for much LESS than DVD's, even though the material and shipping costs are much higher.
Since when does price justification come into the equation?
The ______ Agenda
I guess very few would buy a Playstation 3, in March, in northern Europe at least. People have their focus on SUMMER then!
In other words, September is fine.
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