While analysts and pundits (rightfully) debate the honesty and reasoning behind the whole PS3 pricing debacle, it's clear that consumers have just been focused on one thing: the price tag. Sony mentioned during their conference that sales at all their major resalers had doubled already and it looks like they weren't kidding -- Amazon just ran out of their entire stock of PlayStation 3s and aren't getting anything until next week. Normally, stocking issues is more of a Wii phenomenon but it looks like a lot of people were either waiting in baited anticipation for the price cut, or a lot of people are scared Sony is going to jack the price of the PS3 back up to 600 dollars later this year. Interestingly, sales of the PlayStation 3 have been so strong that its pushed the Amazon special pack-in movie Resident Evil into the top 5 movie sellers across all formats, including DVDs. That's something that even top tier Blu-ray releases can rarely do for even a couple days, and Resident Evil has been holding there all week. Since it's pretty unlikely that an older Blu-ray disc would undergo such a resurrection in sales by itself, that alone indicates that the PS3 sales have been extremely good at Amazon. With great games finally coming out and a decent library starting to form, this is a good time to be a new PS3 owner -- but how long will the sales spike last? Until the only option is a $599 80GB PS3?
*UPDATE*
Looks like they got an early new shipment of PS3s and they're back in stock at Amazon. Go get your buy on!
*UPDATE 2*
Holy crap, they just ran out of stock again. People REALLY want their PS3s, don't they?
[Via N4G]













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
7-17-2007 @ 8:19AM
Thomas said...
But how well is it selling at Best Buy.
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7-17-2007 @ 8:38AM
Gorvi said...
Yeah, it's still showing in stock as of 8:30 AM EST. When was it out of stock?
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7-17-2007 @ 9:06AM
Naaiif said...
Yeh it's in stock now.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:09AM
James said...
Yeah this looks pretty bogus.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:35AM
Stef Geiger said...
That IS really impressive, especially considering how AWFUL that movie is.
Oh, and the xbots saying that this is bogus are just plain wrong. I actually checked amazon on FRIDAY and they were sold out then.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:36AM
borland502 said...
Well, it was out of stock at the majority of Circuit City stores in the DC metro area Friday. I'll have to see hard figures before declaring this "firesale" a win, but it looks good so far.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:37AM
James said...
First I'm not an Xbot - I own a PS3 and a PSP.
Second - check the link above, you can plainly see that the PS3 is in stock. And third, the DVD stats update hourly so it's possible that for a fleeting hour Resident Evil was in the top 5 but now it's not.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:42AM
borland502 said...
@TheSh0wstopper: "Come on guys get your facts straight."
RTFA...Read the farking ad m'boy. "The most popular items in Video Games. Updated hourly."
You should check out that last sentence fragment again. The rankings change every hour, so for all we know that awful movie went down three ranks in the brief time Amazon was out of stock. I know your bitterness is strong, but try a dose of logic from time to time.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:50AM
upz said...
What this sales spurt shows is that Sony have sold people on the idea that the PS3 is not cheap. Sell the thing at an unaffordable price for a year, then drop it to a slightly less unaffordable price and listen to the cash registers ring. Anyone who thinks Sony has no idea what they are doing is blatantly lying to themselves. And when a low end SKU debuts later this year, the war will really begin.
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7-17-2007 @ 9:55AM
Travis said...
Isn't it pretty obvious by now that the 80gb won't be $599 when the 60gb runs out?
1.) The 80gb is currently a bundle, why? If they were just going to sell an 80gb version at $599, then they would have just came out with it and not bothered doing a bundle.
2.) Sony keeps saying they have no pricing announcements until the 60gb supply is exhausted. Why would they say that? Because they want to sell off the 60gb version before lowering the price of the 80gb. If they were going to keep the 80gb at $599, there would be no problem announcing that now.
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7-17-2007 @ 10:00AM
atmhockey said...
Tried getting one in Dallas this weekend. 4 seperate CC stores were sold out since the price drop. Each store told me that they had "over a dozen" before the price drop. I understand this is a small step, but at least it is forward for this machine. Keep a $499 and offer some type of $399 for the Holiday season and they could make up some ground.
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7-17-2007 @ 10:21AM
The Truth said...
@ upz
"Anyone who thinks Sony has no idea what they are doing is blatantly lying to themselves. And when a low end SKU debuts later this year, the war will really begin."
Um... Sony doesn't know what it's doing. When a low end SKU appears later this year (later later later... Sony's new catch phrase among it's fanboys) a revised and cheaper (65 nanometer chip)360 SKU will appear... then it will be over.
Not to mention.. a cheaper SKU will not appear until they've sold out of their 60GB models. Again.. PS3 isn't targeted for the mainstream. Where is the marketing or strategy for family and casual gamers? Something sounds fabricated about this story. They are abundantly in stock at every retailer I've been to recently. I myself would probably buy one if it came under $300. $249 would be the sweet spot for me.. so maybe I'll wait a few years and see the outcome of their uphill battle. $500? I would rather buy a new computer.
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7-17-2007 @ 10:25AM
James said...
I'm sorry, but a $500 computer gets you nothing like what you get with the PS3. Hi-Def gaming and Hi-Def movies are not possible with a $500 Walmart special. You possibly could argue that you can surf the web and download music, but you still wouldn't have the computing power backing you up like what you get with the Cell. Plus you'd have to replace your computer within a year or two. The PS3 will be around for quite a while.
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7-17-2007 @ 10:34AM
Twelve said...
Uh, yes...Sony DOES know what they're doing...Xbots. They've known what they're doing for the past two generations, and don't just now start to get dumb when it comes to the gaming market.
This pricing "debacle" is from internet geeks complaining over pennies and writers trying to make a story.
Despite people trying their best to find flies in the ointment, the fact remains that the PS3 is the best selling system right now and beginning with the release of LAIR, won't look back again this generation.
-----12
P.S.---The PS3 has been sold out on Amazon.com TWICE thus far, and gets re-stocked. Resident Evil made it to number 5 due to the bundle, but Memento, the movie that came with the bundle before this one before it was sold out, made it to number 2. No Blu-Ray disc ever made it that high before.
These PS3 sales are also slaying the HD-DVD market like nothing else.
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7-17-2007 @ 10:45AM
Mpalm said...
@ The Truth
500 dollar computer? You do realize graphics cards are about 400+ right? Unless you want your computer to simply run 10 year old games or something. 250$ for a ps3? Do you have an xbox? I'm guessing you do, and you paid 400 for that? Why not just pay 400 for an even crappier computer than your 500$ one. You sir, are an idiot.
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7-17-2007 @ 11:07AM
The Truth said...
"Uh, yes...Sony DOES know what they're doing...Xbots.
Despite people trying their best to find flies in the ointment, the fact remains that the PS3 is the best selling system right now and beginning with the release of LAIR, won't look back again this generation."
Ha ha ha. What kind of weed are you smoking? Must be some good S$#@. The best selling system??? Is that why they are dominating 3rd place?? Blu-ray and Lair aren't going to hold it's own against the line up of GAMES (yes, that's why most of us buy consoles, not for movies) being released this fall on the 360. Dominating 2 past generations is exactly why the arrogance of Sony is killing it. They have lost touch with what the GENERAL PUBLIC wants.. "affordable entertainment" not "high tech gadgets". Again, let me reiterate... PS3 appeals to hardcore gamers, and lacks a strong library of games at that. And not enough hardcore gamers (myself included) are going to spend $500 on a console with no games. 360 is cheaper with a bigger library and plenty of developers on board to keep gamers more that satisfied. You can argue hardware til your blue in the face. Doesn't change the fact that it obviously doesn't matter to most because wii60 is still dominating. Hardware didn't matter in the last generation with xbox being the most superior. Face the facts, Microsoft and Sony have switched places this gen.
And some of you like to take things word for word. $500 won't buy you a great computer, but you could still most definitely finance one for that. Honestly, other than blu-ray.. what is the appeal to PS3 for $500-600. You can't argue 360 is all shooters anymore, if you do then you obviously aren't in tuned to what's being developed. And I have yet to see a roleplaying game outside of Final Fantasy for PS3. 360 has a beautiful handful of them coming in addition to RTS and Live Arcade titles.
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7-17-2007 @ 11:17AM
GodisaMyth said...
"I myself would probably buy one if it came under $300. $249 would be the sweet spot for me.. so maybe I'll wait a few years and see the outcome of their uphill battle. $500? I would rather buy a new computer."
Using that logic...I bet you would buy a brand new Porsche for under $10,000. This is the way it works, you get what you pay for.
PS3 sales would go thru the roof if they sold it for 299 or 249.
At $499 even without killer games for now, the PS3 at that price is a steal. If you think you can get a computer at that price that has the same functions as a PS3, then go ahead.
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7-17-2007 @ 11:23AM
The Truth said...
@ Mpalm
Wow, didn't take long for someone's opinion to get your panties in a knot. I suppose if someone said they were so hungry they could eat a horse.. you would take that literally too. Are you one that can generalize with a point... or are you the idiot?? To those of you who can't generalize... let me break it down for you. $500 may as well be put down on a computer. I never said $500 will get you a great computer!! $400 is still too expensive. But at least 360 justifies its purchase with games... and more to come. PS3 is always "wait and see" or "we'll dominate in 2009". And you fans buy into everytime. Yeah Sony had a great run, but so did Nintendo before PS1. The truth must really hurt some of you!! =)
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7-17-2007 @ 11:36AM
GodisaMyth said...
"But at least 360 justifies its purchase with games... and more to come. PS3 is always "wait and see" or "we'll dominate in 2009". And you fans buy into everytime. Yeah Sony had a great run, but so did Nintendo before PS1. The truth must really hurt some of you!! =)"
It's funny, I get chastised for posting on Joystiq and I am told I am trolling. Yet, here you are on PS3FANBOY. No matter, go right ahead, I do not care if you post here, unlike the fracking whiners (Jody, Fernando) on Joystiq.
2009? Try 4th quarter 2007 and ALL of 2008. By 2009, the PS3's games will put the RROD 60 games to bed like little Timmy 8 o'clock bedtime. It's about a quarter after 7 Timmy, you're bedtime is coming up.
Even for the games that will not see a release in 2007 we will still get demos of...GT5, FF 13, MGS4 (not announced yet but very likely) Killzone2.
Yes the 360 has some good games now, it should, it has been out over a year longer. The PS3 will rapidly catch up in the worthwhile games department this Mythmass and by Mythmass 2008, the PS3 will be in the same spot as it's predecessors, NUMERO UNO BITCHES!!!
Is $399 a good investment in a product that has a 33%+ defect rate? My answer......NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Fracking WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY.....
Call me crazy, but yes, I DO prefer a system that will actually work when I want it too.
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7-17-2007 @ 11:40AM
Popfrogs said...
@19: Truer words were never spoken. That's what I keep telling people...if you want a cheap Ford that breaks down all the time, go ahead and get a 360. You'll need that extended 3 year warranty. Meanwhile, those that paid extra for the Porsche of consoles have a less than 1% failure rate and an incredible system (which is still in its first generation of games, while the other is in its second). When the AAA titles drop, the tides will change, and like Obi Wan Kenobi said, "I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced."
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