Local Game Stop Sells 18 Xbox One Pre Orders today by 3PM

[Cmtz]

I went to my local Game Stop in South Texas to preorder the OUYA and asked about the Xbox One. I was told that it wasn't doing too bad. They had already taken preordered 18 systems in one day. WHYYYYYYY?

[Tupin]

How weird, I was just in a Gamestop today and one of the clerks who was talking to another clerk about how the PS4 looked amazing had a guy come up and ask for an Xbox One preorder. He said, "are you really sure about that, man?" and after some insistence from the customer, rang up a preorder.

Such is the case in many Gamestops probably, I can see them pushing the PS4 a lot more than the Xbox One.

[Bojay1997]

I went to my local Game Stop in South Texas to preorder the OUYA and asked about the Xbox One. I was told that it wasn't doing too bad. They had already taken preordered 18 systems in one day. WHYYYYYYY?

Same thing happened with the WiiU. Preorders mean almost nothing anymore. In the past decade, the world has become almost evenly divided between resellers/flippers and people who just want something so they can enjoy it. I guarantee at least half of those are preordered to resell, just like half of the PS4 preorders are for resale.

[Collector_Gaming]

its because either they plan on reselling imediately with the thought of "first batch never been opened xbox one 1000 dollars" which they know there are some retards out there that will buy it like that just so they can hop on youtube and facebook and be like "yo bro i got a original release model.. 10000x better then that second release model".


Also because of these

http://i.imgur.com/b1CyY.jpg

every 9 y/o kid knows to stay on top of cod you need to evolve quick. so parents had this planned out way in advanced to avoid lil timmy from throwin temper tantrums in stores with video game sections

[The 1 2 P]

With the way sentiment has been on this forum(and lets face it, internet forums in general) about Xbox One you'd think that nobody would want it. But thats really not the case. I think that alot of people(myself included) are disappointed with the used game restrictions and the authentication process but they are still excited for Microsoft's next gen system. I was working at Gamestop for one of my clients today and they had already sold most of their XB1 preorders(they only had 6 left alloted to them to sell). Like others mentioned, people are going to try to flip both the XB1 and PS4, which is typical during console launches.

Beyond that there are still alot of people who actually want to buy the XB1 at launch just to play, despite all it's restrictions. I've been contemplating preordering one but they still have alot of unanswered questions to clarify. I'm not ready to jump in yet. But watching all the tweets coming thru Microsoft's daily show and just reading online about all the people already preordering it looks like Microsoft's system is going to do better than we all expected it to do. Still, I could live with the authentication process and Kinect can be turned off at any time. But the restrictions on used games is just ridiculous.

[Trebuken]

I think the most of the Gamestop preorders went to people like me who watch the E3 conferences and are ready to preorder right now to get in line. That is not to say that some of these may also be flippers.

The Gamestop I preordered at had several left at 8pm, but they said the stores in the more affluent neighborhoods were sending preorders their way because they ran out early.

Usually additional quantities of systems become available for preorder as the release approaches.

I have preordered both. Nothing was said top me about PS4 preorders disappearing when I went in (same guy behind the counter).

[Collector_Gaming]

Actually I thought of another possibility as well too

Another trend on the internet right now is Unboxing videos whenever something new comes out a bajillion people video themselves with this new product in box and Well... Unboxing it to show you what it comes with. How to hook it up (if necessary). How it works. And what the personal quick opinion on the item is.

[Bojay1997]

With the way sentiment has been on this forum(and lets face it, internet forums in general) about Xbox One you'd think that nobody would want it. But thats really not the case. I think that alot of people(myself included) are disappointed with the used game restrictions and the authentication process but they are still excited for Microsoft's next gen system. I was working at Gamestop for one of my clients today and they had already sold most of their XB1 preorders(they only had 6 left alloted to them to sell). Like others mentioned, people are going to try to flip both the XB1 and PS4, which is typical during console launches.

Beyond that there are still alot of people who actually want to buy the XB1 at launch just to play, despite all it's restrictions. I've been contemplating preordering one but they still have alot of unanswered questions to clarify. I'm not ready to jump in yet. But watching all the tweets coming thru Microsoft's daily show and just reading online about all the people already preordering it looks like Microsoft's system is going to do better than we all expected it to do. Still, I could live with the authentication process and Kinect can be turned off at any time. But the restrictions on used games is just ridiculous.

I don't know about that. Beyond the used game thing, the mandatory and more expensive XBL subscription for even basics like video streaming and the mandatory check-in, there's also the $100 price differential for a console that at least on paper has slower memory and other design choices that could result in a less than optimal experience. Like I said in another thread, given how close the performance will be between the two consoles, I can't imagine many users choosing the more expensive option without some very, very compelling exclusive games which I so far haven't seen from Microsoft. A lot of us used our 360s more heavily this generation simply because the PS3 versions of many multiplatform games had performance issues. So, we ended up buying PS3 exclusives and then everything else on the Xbox 360. That won't be the case again, especially given the more restrictive used policy and the possibility that Xbox One games won't function after Microsoft pulls the plug a decade down the road.

Are there some people that absolutely are die hard Xbox ecosystem people? Of course, but even in its best year, Microsoft only had about 15 million paid Gold subscribers worldwide. That's not exactly a massive audience for what Microsoft is trying to do here.

[The 1 2 P]

I don't know about that.

You don't know about what? My point was simply that the system is going to sell despite what we have all read on the internet about nobody wanting one. I never said it was going to sell like gangbusters, nor did I say they would outsell the PS4. But the nearly universal sentiment online is that nobody would want to buy this system because of it's restrictions. Thats the way people felt BEFORE Sony had their press conference yesterday revealing that they weren't going to take a similiar DRM route. So now the sentiment just got magnified. And yet the preorders for each are selling just fine.

Again, I'm one of the many people who are disappointed by their restrictions, particularly the used game policy. But that doesn't mean that I won't eventually pick one up. And yes Sony's cheaper price and non-restrictions for online play and used games are a major advantage for the PS4. But that has nothing to do with my initial point of everybody thinking that the XB1 won't sell a single console.

[Robocop2]

It will sell to some obviously. The Madden and CoD crew probably doesn't care if they can play a game in 20 years. They just want to play with friends who have the same game until the next one comes out. We obviously care more about that issue than they do. Parents and people on a budget care about saving money by sharing games (a practice I almost refuse to participate in because people seem to have a problem returning things in the pristine contrition that it was lent out in) and buying/selling used games on their own.
If Kinect wasn't a requirement, and the whole DRM mess/24 hour server check-in thing was non existent I would already be in line given my overall positive experience with the 360, RROD problems and all considered. So basically; the PS4 meets those requirements and as such will likely be my pick this gen. Besides; BC isn't even a factor this go around so where is that incentive?

[Bojay1997]

It will sell to some obviously. The Madden and CoD crew probably doesn't care if they can play a game in 20 years. They just want to play with friends who have the same game until the next one comes out. We obviously care more about that issue than they do. Parents and people on a budget care about saving money by sharing games (a practice I almost refuse to participate in because people seem to have a problem returning things in the pristine contrition that it was lent out in) and buying/selling used games on their own.
If Kinect wasn't a requirement, and the whole DRM mess/24 hour server check-in thing was non existent I would already be in line given my overall positive experience with the 360, RROD problems and all considered. So basically; the PS4 meets those requirements and as such will likely be my pick this gen. Besides; BC isn't even a factor this go around so where is that incentive?

I think many people are underestimating just how many Madden and CoD players there are on the PS3 and how many there were on the PS2. Just in doing a quick search, Madden 2010 sold over 2 million copies on the PS3 versus 2.5 million on the Xbox 360 within the first few weeks of launch. By 2011, that gap was even tighter. The numbers are and have been similar on various CoD releases. Yes, ultimately those games tend to sell more on the 360 than the PS3 consistently, but it's not a massive difference and certainly not anything that can't reverse almost immediately in this generation.

[Bojay1997]

You don't know about what? My point was simply that the system is going to sell despite what we have all read on the internet about nobody wanting one. I never said it was going to sell like gangbusters, nor did I say they would outsell the PS4. But the nearly universal sentiment online is that nobody would want to buy this system because of it's restrictions. Thats the way people felt BEFORE Sony had their press conference yesterday revealing that they weren't going to take a similiar DRM route. So now the sentiment just got magnified. And yet the preorders for each are selling just fine.

Again, I'm one of the many people who are disappointed by their restrictions, particularly the used game policy. But that doesn't mean that I won't eventually pick one up. And yes Sony's cheaper price and non-restrictions for online play and used games are a major advantage for the PS4. But that has nothing to do with my initial point of everybody thinking that the XB1 won't sell a single console.

Your previous post seemed to imply that lots of people want an Xbox One. I just don't know about that after yesterday. It will clearly sell, but the price more than anything is going to make it a tough sell when compared to a technically superior piece of hardware for $100 less. Yes, some gamers may think the included Kinect is worth the extra money, but I'm skeptical of how much people really value a device like Kinect for anything beyond casual games involving fitness and dancing. I don't know how well preorders are going, nor do we know how many are legit purchases and how many are flips. The WiiU sold out of preorders almost immediately at Gamestop. The weekend after launch you could find the WiiU in both versions almost everywhere as resellers realized that there was zero demand and zero profit to be had. Will the same thing happen here? I don't know, but preorders really aren't a good indication of anything anymore.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Although I can not cite a single benefit of XB1 over PS4, someone is going to choose to not care and buy anyway. Their money, their loss.

[kupomogli]

Top sales in video games at Amazon. PS4 is #1, Xbox One is #2, PS4 controller is #4, a different version of Xbox One is #5. Wish we knew how many both were whether it'd pass the PS4 for #1. Watch Dogs PS4 version #6, Killzone Shadow Falls #9, PS4 camera #11, Battlefield 4 PS3 #13, Infamous Second Son #14. That's the first 20. There are some more PS4 stuff before it, but the next Xbox One stuff is a controller at #24 and the first game Forza at #25, then Battlefield at #28. The two Xbox One games make me think that #5 and #2 don't come close to the #1 ranked PS4.

You weren't able to preorder the PS4 until the E3 announcement. So at Amazon the PS4 is doing better. Who knows everywhere else. I'm sure there will be an announcement made from Gamestops CEO in the next couple of weeks.

[WCP]

I preordered a XB1, as well as a PS4.

Obviously, I've said many negative things about the Xbox One over the last few weeks, and all of that holds true. However, I still plan on getting one, and gaming their system. Basically, my attitude will be that I'm buying every single multiplat on PS4. There is no reason to buy it on XB1, when it's so restricted in what I can do with that game later. So, just buy it on PS4 and don't worry about it.

So, the only thing I'll be using a XB1 for is the exclusives. Dead Rising 3 and Forza, stuff like that. The only thing I'll buy on XB1 will be games that I can't get anywhere else. Also, you can bess believe that I'll be using their new rights system to the maximum advantage possible. My 1,000 friends list will be filling with about 800 game trading partners from cheapassgamer.com. So, I'll have zero problems selling a game to one of them, or buying a game from one of them after they have been on my friends list for 30 days. Some publishers might block the ability to do that, but I'll just avoid those games if they do.

There are a lot of shitty things about the XB1, things that really bother the hell out of me, but at the same time, I'm a hardcore gamer, and I want to experience all those damn exclusives. I mean really... you tell me what big games Sony is going to have on launch day ? XB1 has Dead Rising 3. What does PS4 have ? Killzone ? (pretty lame), DriveClub (wish it was Motorstorm 4) or Knack (cute game, but $59.99 ?? ). inFamous Second Son is the game I really, really, really wanted. The damn thing got delayed till sometime in 2014. I'm not a big Killzone guy. I'm not sure about Drive Club. Forza looks better to me right now. I wish it was Motorstorm 4. That would have been sweet. Knack is cool, but that better be $29.99 on PSN or something.

[kupomogli]

^Infamous Second Son is the only exclusive that I'm interested in and its delay into 2014 means I won't get a PS4 until 2014. The good thing is that by that time, Watch Dogs and that one Tom Clancy game should be $20 or fairly cheap by then, so I'll wait until a buy two get one free sale hits and get those along with something else to keep costs down. The Tom Clancy game that I can't remember the name looked surprisingly good. Mirror's Edge 2 would be on my list whenever that comes out as well.

[Daltone]

Such is the case in many Gamestops probably, I can see them pushing the PS4 a lot more than the Xbox One.

It is surely in Gamestop's best interests to push the PS4 as it appears that it will be easier to sell used games. Used games must make up a big chunk of their revenue.

[ProjectCamaro]

It doesn't mean anything.

Sega couldn't keep up with the demand for the 32X when they first released it and then it completely bombed.

[kupomogli]

It is surely in Gamestop's best interests to push the PS4 as it appears that it will be easier to sell used games. Used games must make up a big chunk of their revenue.

I'd honestly think non independent used game retailers would rather support the Xbox One. Just think. People can no longer sell on Ebay, Craigslist, or to people that they haven't had on their friends list for atleast 30 days. Even if they do sell or trade that game, that's it. The game can be given to someone one time. So places like Gamestop, Best Buy, or Amazon know that if people want to get rid of their old games for cash or credit they're the only place these people can turn to. Meaning they're going to screw you even more on trade ins than they already do.

Independent retailers might stock the Xbox One games, but I if they can't sell used, then I doubt they'll stock the console and only push PS4 and Wii U.

[Robocop2]

I think many people are underestimating just how many Madden and CoD players there are on the PS3 and how many there were on the PS2. Just in doing a quick search, Madden 2010 sold over 2 million copies on the PS3 versus 2.5 million on the Xbox 360 within the first few weeks of launch. By 2011, that gap was even tighter. The numbers are and have been similar on various CoD releases. Yes, ultimately those games tend to sell more on the 360 than the PS3 consistently, but it's not a massive difference and certainly not anything that can't reverse almost immediately in this generation.

I hadn't really thought about the overall sales numbers between the two versions to be honest.

I was more speaking to the fact that I don't think many of them would really care if the system plays used games or whatnot. At least if they primarly play either of those types of games as they almost always have to have the latest version when it comes out so they can stay "current" I have friend who almost exclusively uses his 'box for Madden and other than a few random games here and there doesn't use it for anything else. He is also in a league with some other people and they all have Xbox 360's I would expect as well. Depending on the whole group; I would think that might have an impact on which system some choose. OF course the 'cheevo whores will also have a stake in the One as well I would wager might push them in that direction.
Point is that I could see some die harders sticking it out just because they're already there and the shortcomings don't affect them. That having been said; I would bet most of the pre-orders are going to be flipped.

[Daltone]

I'd honestly think non independent used game retailers would rather support the Xbox One. Just think. People can no longer sell on Ebay, Craigslist, or to people that they haven't had on their friends list for atleast 30 days. Even if they do sell or trade that game, that's it. The game can be given to someone one time. So places like Gamestop, Best Buy, or Amazon know that if people want to get rid of their old games for cash or credit they're the only place these people can turn to. Meaning they're going to screw you even more on trade ins than they already do.

Independent retailers might stock the Xbox One games, but I if they can't sell used, then I doubt they'll stock the console and only push PS4 and Wii U.

I'm sure there is an answer to this, but if a game can only be sold once, how do I know that person x isn't ripping me off?

The big places would presumably give you security that way.

[kupomogli]

What I meant was that Gamestop knows that they're the one of the only places you'lll be able to sell their games to with the Xbox One. Because of this they can screw you over with used game trade ins more than they have every other gen. Because of that I'd say they're very happy to support Xbox One over PS4 when you can sell your PS4 or Wii U games anywhere since these games can be traded freely.

[Daltone]

What I meant was that Gamestop knows that they're the one of the only places you'lll be able to sell their games to with the Xbox One. Because of this they can screw you over with used game trade ins more than they have every other gen. Because of that I'd say they're very happy to support Xbox One over PS4 when you can sell your PS4 or Wii U games anywhere since these games can be traded freely.

Oh I get that sorry. It's a good point, I hadn't looked at it that way.

Is there some talk about publishers charging you as well for second hand games? That'd chop down the margins a bit.

[Aussie2B]

If you want my opinion, it's just as dumb to pre-order a PS4 as it is to pre-order an Xbox One. There's no point in being a launch day adopter, and it usually bites you in the ass too with a higher price point or faulty hardware or whatever. There hasn't been a system with a game available at launch that justifies the price of admission for the console since the Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64. Even systems that eventually had massive libraries with an immense wealth of quality games, like the PS2 and the DS, had pretty much jack at launch. Or for a more recent example, it wasn't all that long ago that everybody was bitching about the 3DS library, but look at it now, a steady stream of really good games coming out, and with the hardware at a much better price point than the launch MSRP.

[LimitedEditionMuseum]

You guys do realize that just because you and some others poast on message boards, and rant and bitch about certain things does not make you the "World gaming decision makers". there are people who dont spend time on message boards, combing all the gaming reviews and complaints from various websites and magazines. its funny when I read when people keep saying "nobody is going to buy it, it will only sell one unit" and the countless negative replies. people are going to buy it because they want it.....kids will get it for Christmas, adults will buy it because they like playing games and thats the bottom line. why does that bother you guys? for people who call themselves "gamers" i dont understand why it seems like you cant wait for certain systems to fail..

[Bojay1997]

If you want my opinion, it's just as dumb to pre-order a PS4 as it is to pre-order an Xbox One. There's no point in being a launch day adopter, and it usually bites you in the ass too with a higher price point or faulty hardware or whatever. There hasn't been a system with a game available at launch that justifies the price of admission for the console since the Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64. Even systems that eventually had massive libraries with an immense wealth of quality games, like the PS2 and the DS, had pretty much jack at launch. Or for a more recent example, it wasn't all that long ago that everybody was bitching about the 3DS library, but look at it now, a steady stream of really good games coming out, and with the hardware at a much better price point than the launch MSRP.

While I agree with most of what you are saying (well, except I think Halo for the original Xbox was one of the best launch games in history), there is something fun and exciting about being one of the first to own a new piece of technology. Sure, that feeling fades in a few weeks or months when there is nothing new and interesting to play, but frankly, the $100 or so savings you might get a couple of years down the road for waiting on the hardware isn't really a big deal in a world where new release games are $60. There was a long time prior to the PSOne where I was never an early adopter and since then, I have been an early adopter of every new platform. From my personal perspective, I'm not really losing anything by buying the hardware at launch as it seems to take longer and longer for price cuts to happen on the hardware side (heck, the 360, Vita and PS3 are still at the same MSRP they have been for several years now) and with the exception of the 3DS, massive cuts don't happen within the first few years of release anymore.

[kupomogli]

There hasn't been a system with a game available at launch that justifies the price of admission for the console since the Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64.

It's all based on opinion. You think Super Mario 64 as a launch title made it justifiable for a day one purchase, I think the same game is a pos. There are consoles consoles that I didn't regret purchasing and others I think people who did purchase the console day one wouldn't have regretted it, even for one game.

I'm not a Halo fan, but with as many fans of the series, I'm sure that the first game is what got most into the series. I didn't purchase an NES at launch, but Super Mario Bros. As a fan of the series because of Armored Core Master of Arena on the PSX, Armored Core 2 is one of the launch games I purchased for the PS2 and no regrets about that purchase here. I think there are several great games on the PS2 launch line up and has the best launch line up over the Wii U and Vita. GBA with Circle of the Moon. Vita with Wipeout 2048.

I see no reason to pick up a PS4 and Xbox One at launch either, but it's all opinion. You might not think Armored Core 2, Castlevania Circle of the Moon, or Wipeout 2048 are any good, but these games are amazing in my opinion. Castlevania Circle of the Moon is my favorite exploration based CV, even over SotN and DoS. I'm not a fan of Halo but a lot of people seem to think it's one of the best games ever made.


There's no point in being a launch day adopter, and it usually bites you in the ass too with a higher price point or faulty hardware or whatever.

Hardware failures I agree, but not price. If you're the average consumer you probably don't collect games so you don't have a large library of titles to play, and even if you're a collector you might like to also play newer games and keep up with the times. Unless the console doesn't meet expected sales, it's going to be more than a year before there's even a small price drop. Why wait a full year for a $50 price drop that saves you less than $5 a month when you could be enjoying the console during that time? In the case of the 3DS and PS3, they were too expensive and had no games, so don't go blow your money, which is why it didn't sell well and dropped in price. But if there are games you want to play, why wait when you're saving practically nothing.

[Aussie2B]

Of course it's all opinion. Hence why I started my post with "If you want my opinion".

Although it is a fact that complaining over no truly great games being available at or near launch has been far more prevalent in the last 15 years or so, and it's coming not just from people who have yet to jump on board but also from those who were early adopters. I mean, who the hell cares about or remembers dreck like Oni these days? Yet that was one of the "premier" PS2 titles back then, and early adopters begrudgingly played it as they waited for something to genuinely justify their purchase outside of using it as a DVD player. Or how about DS owners playing gimmicky, over-glorified tech demos like Yoshi Touch & Go and shoddy ports of N64 games?

The GBA is probably the one system since the N64 that I'd personally say had a high quality launch/near-launch line-up that would justify the handheld purchase as far as the games go, but the hardware itself was so terrible that it felt like Nintendo pulled a bad joke on the early adopters when the SP was announced. I got the GBA a couple months after launch, and as much as I enjoyed some of those early titles, I kind of wish I waited and never got that stupid original GBA, which is now nothing but a paperweight to me (while my SP is still my most-played handheld to this day).

[Bojay1997]

You guys do realize that just because you and some others poast on message boards, and rant and bitch about certain things does not make you the "World gaming decision makers". there are people who dont spend time on message boards, combing all the gaming reviews and complaints from various websites and magazines. its funny when I read when people keep saying "nobody is going to buy it, it will only sell one unit" and the countless negative replies. people are going to buy it because they want it.....kids will get it for Christmas, adults will buy it because they like playing games and thats the bottom line. why does that bother you guys? for people who call themselves "gamers" i dont understand why it seems like you cant wait for certain systems to fail..

Sure, but consumers also aren't as isolated and ignorant as you want to paint them. There have been front page prominent articles on Xbox One versus PS4 on CNN.com, LATimes.com, Yahoo.com, many major regional newspapers and even on local television news. In fact, my mom who could care less about video games mentioned that the Xbox One requires a dedicated Internet connection when I called her the other night. Clearly, word is out.

Just because all of us are gamers doesn't mean we will fall for any anti-consumer or anti-gamer gimmick manufacturers decide to impose. If someone creates the greatest game in the world but decides not to sell it to anyone except for people with a net worth of over $1 million, would you also blindly support that? All of us have the right and obligation to be skeptical consumers and if a business fails to meet the needs of its consumers, that business should fail in a properly functioning economy. So yes, if Microsoft can't figure out a way to at least provide the minimal consumer protections Sony is willing to give its consumers, I hope the Xbox One is a failure. Those gaming dollars and talented developers and publishers will still be there, they will just be working with Sony and Nintendo and whatever new company comes onto the scene. Maybe Apple?

[Lerxstnj]

Ironically, Microsoft is paying Sony royalties for the right to use Blu-Ray technology in their systems, so Sony is getting even more money in this war.
Possibly why the PS4 is $100 cheaper.

[Tupin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiUzaqOU06M

Can someone please get Microsoft a better PR team?

[kupomogli]

Of course it's all opinion. Hence why I started my post with "If you want my opinion".

After reading the whole thing I kind of forgot about that comment and quoted the N64 thing.

[TonyTheTiger]

Can someone please get Microsoft a better PR team?

Hey, I appreciate how candid that answer is. I'd much rather these guys say "people without Internet are not our customers" than try to spin it in a way that blurs the issue.

[Collector_Gaming]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiUzaqOU06M

Can someone please get Microsoft a better PR team?

that is a interesting answer with multiple ways to take it

I mean you could assume hes telling people without internet are losers and we don't want them at all anyways.

Or he is just gonna assume people will believe that the xbox one is just a branch of the 360 and not its own console in entirely. (which they have yet to show me anything that makes it stand out enough to make me go yeah thats better then the last gen consoles by a long shot"

[The 1 2 P]

Your previous post seemed to imply that lots of people want an Xbox One. I just don't know about that after yesterday. It will clearly sell, but the price more than anything is going to make it a tough sell when compared to a technically superior piece of hardware for $100 less. Yes, some gamers may think the included Kinect is worth the extra money, but I'm skeptical of how much people really value a device like Kinect for anything beyond casual games involving fitness and dancing. I don't know how well preorders are going, nor do we know how many are legit purchases and how many are flips. The WiiU sold out of preorders almost immediately at Gamestop. The weekend after launch you could find the WiiU in both versions almost everywhere as resellers realized that there was zero demand and zero profit to be had. Will the same thing happen here? I don't know, but preorders really aren't a good indication of anything anymore.

I was just saying that alot more people than we thought are preordering them, something that goes againt 99.9% of all the XB1 internet chatter. I know that preorders aren't a guaranteed measure of long term success, just short term. However, the preorders(regardless of the ratio of those buying to game/resell) very clearly proves that the overwhelming message from the internet that nobody would touch this system with a ten foot pole is incorrent. Think about it, how could you resell a system that nobody wanted for a worthwhile profit? Again, this has nothing to do in comparison with PS4 sales, which you've now brought up twice. It has to do with how the system has been perceived so far, particularly once they confirmed that there will be used game restrictions and an online connection required. Anyway, just like I said for the Wii U last year, we won't know how well the XB1 truly sells until after the holidays. The NPD numbers for Feb-April will be very telling.

[Bojay1997]

I was just saying that alot more people than we thought are preordering them, something that goes againt 99.9% of all the XB1 internet chatter. I know that preorders aren't a guaranteed measure of long term success, just short term. However, the preorders(regardless of the ratio of those buying to game/resell) very clearly proves that the overwhelming message from the internet that nobody would touch this system with a ten foot pole is incorrent. Think about it, how could you resell a system that nobody wanted for a worthwhile profit? Again, this has nothing to do in comparison with PS4 sales, which you've now brought up twice. It has to do with how the system has been perceived so far, particularly once they confirmed that there will be used game restrictions and an online connection required. Anyway, just like I said for the Wii U last year, we won't know how well the XB1 truly sells until after the holidays. The NPD numbers for Feb-April will be very telling.

People buy up stuff in anticipation of a resale market that doesn't materialize all the time. That was my point about the WiiU. It sold out almost immediately via preorder and yet a week after release, when the flippers realized nobody wanted it, at least not at a premium, the flippers took advantage of liberal store return policies and essentially engaged in risk free speculation by getting a full refund.

I'm not saying the Xbox One won't move units. It may even sell out depending on how large the actual available quantities are at launch. I'm just saying that E3 was a game changer and the fact that mainstream non-game and non-tech media is covering the whole DRM and always connected controversy is going to cut deeply into what could have been massive sales for Xbox One. The fact that Xbox One is a full 20% more expensive than PS4 is just another huge obstacle to Microsoft. Perhaps Microsoft can overcome it, but as it stands, when you have two virtually identical boxes that are going to get many of the same games, at least in the launch period, I can't imagine too many consumers opting for the more expensive box with the mandatory Internet connection and the bundled camera and an uncertain means of reselling used games. I guess I don't see Forza, Dead Rising 3 and Ryse being system movers, although they will undoubtedly sell well. Similarly, I don't see anything on the PS4 launch lineup as a system mover. Frankly, I think it's the multiplatform games like AC IV, Watchdogs, Call of Duty Ghosts, Battlefield 4 and others that are going to really move in the launch period IMHO.

[The 1 2 P]

I'm just saying that E3 was a game changer and the fact that mainstream non-game and non-tech media is covering the whole DRM and always connected controversy is going to cut deeply into what could have been massive sales for Xbox One.

You are preaching to the choir. I was interested in getting one at launch until they confirmed all the restrictions. Still, the system will sell. Not like the 360 and most likely not anywhere near what Microsoft is projecting. But if the Wii U sold(to a point) than so will this. I'm actually looking forward to what Microsoft will do if/when the system sales get slow around January/February. Not just price drop speculation but wondering if they'd backtrack and get rid of the used game restrictions.

[Zthun]

You guys do realize that just because you and some others poast on message boards, and rant and bitch about certain things does not make you the "World gaming decision makers". there are people who dont spend time on message boards, combing all the gaming reviews and complaints from various websites and magazines. its funny when I read when people keep saying "nobody is going to buy it, it will only sell one unit" and the countless negative replies. people are going to buy it because they want it.....kids will get it for Christmas, adults will buy it because they like playing games and thats the bottom line. why does that bother you guys? for people who call themselves "gamers" i dont understand why it seems like you cant wait for certain systems to fail..

I'd call a person who didn't bitch a casual gaming poser scrub that doesn't give a shit about the industry. See, if a lot of people buy the XBone, then that sends the signal to Microsoft that what they're doing is OK and will give them precedence to add in more anti-consumer restrictions. If Microsoft does very well, then other companies such as Sony and Nintendo will witness this as well, and will most likely follow suit.

I no longer own the games I buy, and that means that buying games at a $60 price point is foolish. I am simply renting it until Microsoft decides to close their service. So yeah, I do hope XBOne fails, and I hope Microsoft takes big losses and people at the top lose their jobs.

And honestly (fyi, this isn't directed to anyone is particular, but just most people that have been following this for awhile now), I hope all the hypocrites that preordered the damn thing wind up with a $600 brick they can't return. You can't and moan, bitch, and threaten to jump ship for weeks and then run out and preorder it. That just means you just wanted to 'fit in' with the outcry when in reality, you didn't give a shit. By buying the XBOne (buying it to play, not to flip), you have essentially told Microsoft that you don't care about their restrictions, and as long as they provide games, they can do whatever they want.

If XBOne does well, then I'll be disappointed, but I'll accept the reality. That doesn't mean I'll buy the system: I'll stick with PC at that point, but it definitely puts a damper in my own personal future of console gaming if all other companies follow suit. At least Sony and Nintendo remained reasonable this generation. Here's hoping to the failure of the XBOne so that Sony and Nintendo continue down the same road that they've taken.

[WCP]

By buying the XBOne (buying it to play, not to flip), you have essentially told Microsoft that you don't care about their restrictions, and as long as they provide games, they can do whatever they want.




Yeah, well, I can admit to having some hypocrisy with the posts I've made over the last few months. I mean, I've been as critical about the bullshit DRM as most, and here I am, pre-ordering the damn thing. Not only that, but I know they are overcharging by $100. Yet, I'm still pre-ordering the damn thing, and I'll most likely keep at least one of my pre-orders (always good to have backup preorders in case of some screwup).


When you get right down to it, I can't really defend my position too much, but I will offer a number of excuses:


1. Sony's launch lineup is extremely lackluster - The delay of Second Son was especially disappointing. What exclusive game will Sony have in November that I would actually care about ? Now, maybe you guys are huge Killzone fans, but I honestly haven't had much fun with the last couple of Killzones. I've never really been into standard driving games (DriveClub), and Knack looks like a "neat" game, but I'd certainly wait for a price drop. So, I'm not sure what exclusive game Sony is going to have that will really justify my purchase this November. Maybe The Witness ?


2. While Xbone has it's numerous restrictions, there are always clever ways to get around things - Sure, the potential DRM on "The Bone" is a nightmare. No question about it. Because of this, every single multi-platform game that enters my home will be a PS4 disk. Why? Cause I can freely do what I want with that disk. So, there is really only a need to buy exclusives on XB1. Also, all Microsoft published games will allow you to "give" a game to a friend. So, if I buy Dead Rising 3, and play the thing for a couple of months and get tired of it, I can still sell the game to somebody on my friends list, that has been on there for 30 days. With the ability for 1,000 friends, I'll get a ton of people from some Xbox One game selling club as friends on my list. I'm sure there is a thread on cheapassgamer.com already with people hooking up for future game trades.

3. The 10 family members option could be interesting - At this point, we aren't really sure how the 10 family members thing is going to work. But, there is a possibility that friends that live close to each other, and can appear in the other person's Kinect vision enough times locally, you'll be able to kind of share your game collection.... potentially. This is somewhat of an unknown scenario, but it seems that Microsoft is trying to throw gamers some kind of bone (pun not intended... seriously!) with the 10 family member thing. A good buddy of mine, and myself, we both pre-ordered The Bone, and we plan to be in each other's circle of 10 family members... somehow.

4. Did I mention exclusives ? - Look, I'll admit I'm weak on this. I should hold strong, and totally deprive myself of The Bone. But, I just can't help myself. All those damn exclusives are calling my name. Dead Rising 3 could be the most entertaining game available this November. Forza could be really, really, really good. I'm not sure what else is confirmed for launch.

5. It's my kids X-Mas present - Hey, if you have to buy a $500 system anyways, why not pawn it off as the "big" xmas gift for the Kids. These kids are hardcore Xbox junkies, as they've grown up with Halo 3 and ODST and Reach and then later Call of Duty. All their friends are on Xbox 360, and they could at least see them on their friends list, and still voice chat with them, even while they are playing more advanced Xbox One games. Ok, I'm reaching here...




Anyways, this is what I'm telling myself to help myself sleep with a good conscience. Also, I could always cancel the damn preorder at the last minute, or just try to flip the thing. It's really going to come down to how that 10 family member thing can be exploited or not.

[kupomogli]

3. The 10 family members option could be interesting - At this point, we aren't really sure how the 10 family members thing is going to work. But, there is a possibility that friends that live close to each other, and can appear in the other person's Kinect vision enough times locally, you'll be able to kind of share your game collection.... potentially. This is somewhat of an unknown scenario, but it seems that Microsoft is trying to throw gamers some kind of bone (pun not intended... seriously!) with the 10 family member thing. A good buddy of mine, and myself, we both pre-ordered The Bone, and we plan to be in each other's circle of 10 family members... somehow.

Actually Xbox's marketing chief told how it would work in an interview. You know how game sharing on the PS3 works? Same thing. 10 people that you add as family members on your Xbox One will be able to play any game you own except none of those 10 "family members" can play the same game at the same time. Let's say you're playing Dead Rising 3 on your account, someone else can play Battlefield 4, but not Dead Rising 3. The person doesn't have to live anywhere near you and there doesn't need to be Kinect authorization either according to his quotes.

For people who game share and don't mind not playing a different game if someone else is playing one. This is a huge selling point.


Since its announcement, there has been some confusion over the details of sharing your Xbox One game library with up to ten "family members." Mehdi couldn't give comprehensive details, but he did clarify some things.

For one, a family member doesn't have to be a "blood relative," he said, eliminating the extremely unlikely possibility that the Xbox One would include a built-in blood testing kit. For another, they don't have to live in the primary owner's house—I could name a friend that lives 3,000 miles away as one of my "family members" Mehdi said.

You'll be able to link other Xbox Live accounts as having shared access to your library when you first set up a system and will also be able to add them later on (though specific details of how you manage these relationships is still not being discussed). The only limitation, it seems, is that only one person can be playing the shared copy of a single game at any given time. All in all, this does sound like a pretty convenient feature that's more workable than simply passing discs around amongst friends who are actually in your area.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-defends-the-xbox-ones-licensing-used-game-policies/

[Flashback2012]

I am sorely disappointed in the lack of Gamestop bashing in a thread about Gamestop. :ass::deadhorse:

All kidding aside, I'm sure their shareholders are breathing a little easier and the execs are reconsidering committing Seppuku on themselves or jumping ship with their golden parachutes after Sony's announcement regarding used games. I'm fairly certain that they'll work out some kind of special deal with MS to be one of the preferred retailers regarding their used game nonsense but I have to imagine that the PS4 will be the headliner in the stores followed by the Wii U and then the 3DS/Vita. I'm sure MS will get an endcap or something somewhere near the back of the store but in NO way is the Xbone going to ever get any of the premier real estate spots on the sales floor like right when you walk in the stores or around the cash wrap area. I'm guessing now that Gamestop has two consoles and two portable systems it can pimp out to keep up their "used games circle of life" cycle going for one more generation, they can scale back on their idea about bringing in board games/table top gaming, toys, and whatever else they concocted in their half ass desperation attempt at staying relevant to the consumer. :p

[WCP]

Actually Xbox's marketing chief told how it would work in an interview. You know how game sharing on the PS3 works? Same thing. 10 people that you add as family members on your Xbox One will be able to play any game you own except none of those 10 "family members" can play the same game at the same time. Let's say you're playing Dead Rising 3 on your account, someone else can play Battlefield 4, but not Dead Rising 3. The person doesn't have to live anywhere near you and there doesn't need to be Kinect authorization either according to his quotes.

For people who game share and don't mind not playing a different game if someone else is playing one. This is a huge selling point.



http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-defends-the-xbox-ones-licensing-used-game-policies/



Wow, if that is really true, then it just seems really bizarre that they would have such a policy. Speaking of game sharing on the PS3, it started out that you could put the same PSN game on up to five different PS3's. Me and a few buddies took advantage of this, and we would all chip in on getting various PSN download games. It worked out nicely, but then Sony and the Publishers started to get wise to the game sharing phenomenon, and it's how we ended up with that Final Fight game requiring you to be signed in to PSN, and online, to play the game. Also, Sony changed it so that you can put the games on two PS3's instead of five of them. I also think that sharing games on PSN with your friends is actually technically against the Terms of Service, that the whole thing was designed for somebody that say has their normal home, but they also have a cabin or something. If they have a PS3 in their own home, and a PS3 in their cabin, they could put the same PSN game on each system. It wasn't really designed so that you could have a game on your PS3, and your old college buddy's PS3 who lives 5 states away from you.

However, I've heard that Sony kind of "looks the other way" in terms of game sharing, but some of the publishers are upset about it, because they feel they are losing out on sales, because too many people are abusing the policy.


If it truly is a free-for-all on XB1, I can't imagine that publishers would be thrilled with this idea. Ok, so Dead Rising 3 costs $59.99 plus tax. Let's just say 65 bucks. If you have a group of 10 gamers that are all in your friend and family list, and you guys just split the cost of Dead Rising by 10, you'd each pay $6.50 for Dead Rising, instead of $65. Now, the way that I understand it, the person that first attatches the game to their account, would be able to play Dead Rising 3 whenever they want, on any console. One more person of the group of 10 would be able to play Dead Rising 3 at the same time. The other 8 people wouldn't be able to play Dead Rising when the main guy and another guy on the 10 friends list is already playing it, so they would have to wait until those guys are playing some other game, and then play.

But if you're only paying $6.50, who really cares ? I mean, yeah, for games like Titanfall, it wouldn't hurt them much, because everybody wants to be online at the same time, so that game wouldn't work very good with sharing, but all the other single player games would work wonderfully with it. Seems like if you're a publisher, you're potential sales would be cut in half by all the game sharing, unless your game is an online only type of game.

[kupomogli]

If the game happens to be single player, people could do it this way. Everyone downloads the game to their Xbox One. Then log off and play the game offline. You can play offline for up to one hour if you're not the main console, so play for that hour, save the game, exit, log on, log off, restart the process. Unhook the ethernet if you have to. If people want to play multiplayer online they won't be able to, but single player would work, and most games are best single player anyways.

While this is one of the Xbox One features, I can almost guarantee that Microsoft will do the same thing Sony did by making it go to five account down to two. Or like you mentioned, if it gets too out of hand, Microsoft might require the family members to first stand in front of Kinect so it can scan them and add their account, requiring Kinect authentication of the same person on their own Xbox One atleast once to guarantee that you atleast know the account holder in person. It'd actually be kind of funny to find out they not only make the Kinect scan their image, but then make the people say certain words or phrases for voice authentication as well.

[CDiablo]

Although I can not cite a single benefit of XB1 over PS4, someone is going to choose to not care and buy anyway. Their money, their loss.
Exclusives, and a lot more coming down the pipe. XBones DRM will keep high profile exclusives rolling in cause just as publishers choose Steam for their PC DRM they will choose the bone as their console DRM.

[Bojay1997]

Exclusives, and a lot more coming down the pipe. XBones DRM will keep high profile exclusives rolling in cause just as publishers choose Steam for their PC DRM they will choose the bone as their console DRM.

I sure didn't see many revealed at E3. In fact, Ubisoft seems to be heavily slanted towards the PS4 giving exclusive content for AC IV and Watch Dogs. All of EA's sports games and the big FPS games this year are also set for both consoles. The exclusives seem to be limited to Microsoft first party and a couple of individual games like Sunset and Titanfall. Ultimately, publishers and developers are going to support whatever console is profitable and if that means both or even all three including WiiU, that's what they'll support, DRM or not.

[WCP]

If people want to play multiplayer online they won't be able to

I think two of the ten "family" members would be able to play it online.

1. The guy that bought the original game, and attached it to his gamertag, should be able to play the game at all times. Regardless of anything else.

2. One of the 10 family members should also be able to log on and play.



There also could be the potential for even more people playing under this possible scenario:

1. Let's say that you have two Xbox One systems. One in your living room, and one in your home office. You buy COD: Ghosts, and install it in your living room XB1 under your primary gamertag.

2. You go to the home office, on your second XB1, and sign in with your gamertag. You start playing COD Ghosts.

3. On the living room XB1, both of your kids log into their gamertags and start playing COD Ghosts.

4. One of your "family" members in Minnesota logs into their gamertag, and starts playing your COD Ghosts.



Could this potential scenario happen ? That would mean that 4 people are all simultaneously playing COD Ghosts ? I'm not sure if this would happen, but I think if it was a single player only experience, it might work. Unless MS has it specifically built into the system that only 2 people can be playing an online game at the same time off one license.

But I thought they said that if your family was all playing in the living room, that everybody would be able to play. Imagine a game with 4 player online co-op or something. So, that would mean that 4 family members in the house could be playing off the same game. I imagine that would work, cause they can't expect people to have XB1's in each room of the house , for each family member. Not while these things cost 500 quid.

[Howie6925]

I was at my local EB Games yesterday and the guy behind the counter said they can't convince anyone to preorder the Xbox one. They are really having a hard time to get the preorders for the machine.

[WCP]

I was at my local EB Games yesterday and the guy behind the counter said they can't convince anyone to preorder the Xbox one. They are really having a hard time to get the preorders for the machine.

quite a few people are cancelling their pre-orders, and switching them to PS4. Amazon sold out of all their Day One Editions, but then today some of them became available again, because of people cancelling their pre-orders. Sounds like flipping an XB1 for profit could prove very difficult.

[TonyTheTiger]

Going by the GameFAQs poll of the day it seems like the One will move only about 12% the number of units the PS4 does come launch. As non-scientific as it is, if that poll even vaguely reflects reality to any extent, that's...not insignificant.

What's important to remember is that attitudes are contagious. A random person doesn't necessarily have to be privy to exactly why people are dogging on something. They'll nevertheless be able to pick up on the general atmosphere that everyone happens to think "X sucks" or "X is obviously better than Y." Think about how many people jumped on board with the whole "Jaguar isn't 64 bit" thing despite most of them knowing jack shit about what any of that even means. If the One has that bad a start it's going to permeate through the general "personality" of the generation. Kids aren't going to ask for an Xbox One because they'll "know" it's crap...even if they don't.

[WCP]

What's important to remember is that attitudes are contagious. A random person doesn't necessarily have to be privy to exactly why people are dogging on something. They'll nevertheless be able to pick up on the general atmosphere that everyone happens to think "X sucks" or "X is obviously better than Y." Think about how many people jumped on board with the whole "Jaguar isn't 64 bit" thing despite most of them knowing jack shit about what any of that even means. If the One has that bad a start it's going to permeate through the general "personality" of the generation. Kids aren't going to ask for an Xbox One because they'll "know" it's crap...even if they don't.


You know, that's a very interesting take. There becomes this underground "opinion" on something, and it seems to flow through social media and word of mouth, and things can go bad quick.


At the same time, so many people are so tied into the whole Xbox system. All their friends play on Xbox. They have all the Xbox achievements and such, they are locked in to the Xbox ecosystem. It's going to be interesting to see how those things collide into each other.

[TonyTheTiger]

If it's at all relevant, the Sega Genesis was going toe to toe with the Super Nintendo yet all those Genesis owners bought PlayStations because the Saturn was such a mess. There's certainly precedent for a complete reversal of fortune.

[JakeM]

I just got into a fight of words with two xboners, (yeah, im calling them that for now on) bod theyre stupid. And it was on a emulation group!!!!!!! Total hypocrites! I told them that we have a vote on the future of the industry. They said it was inevitable that DRM would take over the industry. I told them if you buy a ton of XBOnes, then it will take over the industry because you threw your money at it. One said that publishers would make more money from games because theyd get money from used sales, I said companies wouldnt care as much, since if people returned a game 4 times because it sucked theyd make almost 4 times as much money off it.

[The 1 2 P]

What's important to remember is that attitudes are contagious. A random person doesn't necessarily have to be privy to exactly why people are dogging on something. They'll nevertheless be able to pick up on the general atmosphere that everyone happens to think "X sucks" or "X is obviously better than Y." Think about how many people jumped on board with the whole "Jaguar isn't 64 bit" thing despite most of them knowing jack shit about what any of that even means. If the One has that bad a start it's going to permeate through the general "personality" of the generation. Kids aren't going to ask for an Xbox One because they'll "know" it's crap...even if they don't.

You raise a good point and it goes way beyond video games. Sometimes something can get such a bad rep thru word of mouth that the next thing you know your grandmother is calling you up and telling you how much she hates the the Ngage, even though she's never seen or used one....or knows what it is. But on the other side of the spectrum you have to remember systems with bad launches that turned things around later in life. The first thing that comes to mind is obviously the PS3 launch. $500-$600 launch price, no killer app launch games, mandatory installs, long ass load times, arrogant executive attitudes("get a second job" and "go make a sandwich while you wait for updates") and one of the worst marketing campaigns of all time(in the mood for creepy babies in white rooms?) made this system doomed from the start. And yet today it has sold more than 70 million systems. Another launch that didn't go so well(but not nearly as bad as the PS3's) is a little system called the 3DS. The difference between it's launch and now is night and day.

I didn't want any part of those systems when they launched but today I own both. And that could happen with the XB1 if it's launch is as bad as most people are expecting. They definitely aren't going to sell as much as they would have with no restrictions. But with a price drop, some more exclusives and some kind of positive reference point for their restrictions they can probably win over some of their naysayers. But even before launch they really need to communicate to all their potential customers what this system can and can't do. So beyond some passing message on their website they need to let the general public know that they need to connect online once every 24 hours in order to be able to play games on this system. Furthermore, they need to fully illustrate exactly what their new policy/stance is on used games. Those two things are not the kind of surprises a consumer wants after dropping $500 on a piece of entertainment. But they have roughly 5 months to make improvments/adjustments before launch so we'll see what happens.

[Nesmaster]

As a huge 360 fan, I refuse to support what they are doing with the One and will not be buying it. Already preordered a PS4 and 5 titles. There may not be any exclusives to look forward to at launch (for me), but I do need a nextgen machine for the multiplats.

[Howie6925]

As a huge 360 fan, I refuse to support what they are doing with the One and will not be buying it. Already preordered a PS4 and 5 titles. There may not be any exclusives to look forward to at launch (for me), but I do need a nextgen machine for the multiplats.

I think a lot of people agree with you I went to a couple stores and a bunch of websites to preorder a ps4 and all sold out. EB games are taking wait lists instead of preorders because they don't know how many they are getting. The best buy, future shop and amazon all sold out of ps4's but they still have the Xbox ones available to preorder.

[Bubble_Man]

Keep in mind that the Dreamcast was pre-ordered in record breaking numbers before being crushed by the competition. I'm curious to see what post-launch sales will look like.

[kupomogli]

Keep in mind that the Dreamcast was pre-ordered in record breaking numbers before being crushed by the competition. I'm curious to see what post-launch sales will look like.

The Dreamcast only failed because the PS2 could push graphics like this.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Buzz-lightyear-toy-story-3-wallpaper.jpg

Okay, so that's not really the reason the Dreamcast failed, but that was some of the marketing hype behind the PS2. I don't know if it was Sony stating this or analysts, but that's what we heard.


I think a lot of people agree with you I went to a couple stores and a bunch of websites to preorder a ps4 and all sold out. EB games are taking wait lists instead of preorders because they don't know how many they are getting. The best buy, future shop and amazon all sold out of ps4's but they still have the Xbox ones available to preorder.

Amazon sold out of the launch PS4 before they announced bundled versions. There are day one PS4 bundles if you're still interested in getting the console on release date. The bundles that include Playstation Plus save the customer $10. PS+ is required for online multiplayer on the PS4 but not stuff like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Cross Game Chat, Sharing, etc. The bundles that are included with PS+ are the ones where people are more than likely going to take the game online after finishing it. Watch Dogs has its own bundle, you're not saving anything, but you can get the game and console day one.

http://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-video-games/zgbs/videogames

[WCP]

The demand for these systems must be weaker than normal.


How are preorders still available for these things so many days later ? Is Sony and Microsoft somehow going to have 10 million units ready for launch or something ? How are there still preorders left ?

[TonyTheTiger]

Because it's a 2013 economy. No way in hell either console moves as many units as last gen.

[Lanzo]

I don't really remember much from last gen. I feel like there is still some confusion with which systems do what so people may be holding out. Maybe people are expecting more changes to come. It's also too soon for the christmas rush. That will be fun.

[Bojay1997]

Because it's a 2013 economy. No way in hell either console moves as many units as last gen.

Not so sure about that. I think it could be that manufacturing capacity and proficiency has massively ramped up in the past seven years, especially on consoles that are really pretty standard PC in their design. While the economy is undoubtedly not great, there is a relatively large pool of early adopters out there and a ton of pent up demand. $400 - $500 is not really that much money to people who are buying $200 smartphones every two years and new tablets almost as frequently.

[WCP]

I remember back to PS3 preorders. I was at GameStop the first morning they started offering preorders, and even though I got there like 2 hours before they opened on a weekday, there was still 10 people ahead of me in line. The preorders were pretty much sold out that first day, everywhere. Most GameStops sold out of their preorders, maybe two hours at the most after opening. I remember it being similar with Xbox 360 the year before. Preorders sold out really quick, I don't remember them being available for a full week or longer like they are now.

Sure, I know the economy is different, and these things are expensive, but what about all the Ebay and Craigslist flippers ? Surely, many of these people are flippers looking to make a buck, so with all of those guys aboard, plus all the diehards, you'd think preorders would have been long gone by now.

[Rickstilwell1]

I just got my Game Informer magazine today and after reading that I am finally starting to see maybe why people might want an Xbox One, even if they are angry about the problems it has with the gaming functions and would rather use a PS4 or Wii U for gaming. You could justify buying the system even if you aren't going to buy or support playing games on it. Supposedly it is going to have an HDMI input on it for capturing HD TV footage but I'm willing to bet that HDMI input could also be used to capture video from other HDMI sources, such as a current gen computer or maybe even the Retron 5 and Wii U. If you can trick it into doing that, and the thing is linked to your youtube account, theoretically you could use it as a glorified capture device that you can easily edit videos with using hand motions and upload them by speaking a command. If you're one of those youtube gamers and want clean footage with less hassle you're basically migrating the cost of a $200 HDMI capture device and the cost of easy to use editing software into one machine, while also eliminating the need for a Tivo or similar device for saving TV programs. It may also be easier to browse the internet on but who knows.

That would be really funny to use the system for things like that and never buy a single game for it. You would end up with ads from Nintendo or Sony about their new games instead of Xbox games if you search for them on the internet enough times and the machine becomes "familiar with your interests". Haha. In before people complain about mistakes made by the system's voice command when bidding on ebay vocally. "I said five hundred dollars, not nine hundred dollars!"

[kupomogli]

Wasn't the availability much smaller as well. I've heard with PS4, there's around 30 per Gamestop.

Plus the day one edition of the PS4 at Amazon was sold out within the first couple of hours. The standard edition is at first place on Amazon. Those ones aren't going to be day one unless there haven't been any day one units sold in the bundles which were added a few days later. So who knows how many of those people who bought the standard edition has cancelled and got a day one bundle since you can't really tell how many, you just know what place they're in.

[Bojay1997]

I remember back to PS3 preorders. I was at GameStop the first morning they started offering preorders, and even though I got there like 2 hours before they opened on a weekday, there was still 10 people ahead of me in line. The preorders were pretty much sold out that first day, everywhere. Most GameStops sold out of their preorders, maybe two hours at the most after opening. I remember it being similar with Xbox 360 the year before. Preorders sold out really quick, I don't remember them being available for a full week or longer like they are now.

Sure, I know the economy is different, and these things are expensive, but what about all the Ebay and Craigslist flippers ? Surely, many of these people are flippers looking to make a buck, so with all of those guys aboard, plus all the diehards, you'd think preorders would have been long gone by now.

You're talking about a different time though and very different consoles. Both the PS4 and Xbox One are made up of pretty standard PC components and with the exception of some rumored yield issues on the Xbox One, it's not like either one is going to face much in the way of supply bottlenecks on the component side. You also have 7+ years of high volume manufacturing expertise thanks to Apple, Samsung and others that's been developed in China that really didn't exist last generation. We will know for sure closer to launch, but I wouldn't be surprised if both Microsoft and Sony can deliver millions of units day one this time which is something nobody has really been able to do in previous generations.

[FieryReign]

I wouldn't believe a goddamn thing a Gamestop employee told me. It's absolutely amazing people still support and "pre-order" stuff from those assholes.

[WCP]

I wouldn't believe a goddamn thing a Gamestop employee told me. It's absolutely amazing people still support and "pre-order" stuff from those assholes.

Actually, if you really want to screw over GameStop (and don't we all ?), you pre-order the console there, but don't buy a single game, accessory or anything else. Just come pick up your system and leave, and spend the rest of your money elsewhere. Use them to guarantee yourself the system on the first day, but then drop them like a bad habit and don't spend another red cent on anything that they would actually profit from.

I've been doing that pretty much for the last several console cycles. I pre-order the console from them, because they are going to get a bigger allotment than any other single retailer. If you are very high on the pre-order list, you're basically guaranteed a unit on day one. They don't really make any money off launch systems. GameStop views you as a parasite, when you use them to get your preorder, but don't buy another thing in the store. The employees try to make you feel a bit guilty.

[Bojay1997]

Actually, if you really want to screw over GameStop (and don't we all ?), you pre-order the console there, but don't buy a single game, accessory or anything else. Just come pick up your system and leave, and spend the rest of your money elsewhere. Use them to guarantee yourself the system on the first day, but then drop them like a bad habit and don't spend another red cent on anything that they would actually profit from.

I've been doing that pretty much for the last several console cycles. I pre-order the console from them, because they are going to get a bigger allotment than any other single retailer. If you are very high on the pre-order list, you're basically guaranteed a unit on day one. They don't really make any money off launch systems. GameStop views you as a parasite, when you use them to get your preorder, but don't buy another thing in the store. The employees try to make you feel a bit guilty.

Not sure how spending money at Gamestop screws them in any way. They still make a healthy margin from the hardware. Admittedly it's not as healthy as the margin they make from used game and accessory sales, but it's still enough to make it worth their while to take preorders and sell consoles at launch.

[WCP]

Not sure how spending money at Gamestop screws them in any way. They still make a healthy margin from the hardware. Admittedly it's not as healthy as the margin they make from used game and accessory sales, but it's still enough to make it worth their while to take preorders and sell consoles at launch.


A healthy margin ?


They are going to be selling the PS4 for $399.99. I'm guessing that their cost on that is probably like $378.00. So, they are probably going to make about $22 off a $400 item. That's barely over 5 percent. I wouldn't call that healthy. In fact, the time that the employee spends with you, keeping track of the pre-orders, organizing them when they arrive, and ringing you up at the register etc, etc. I doubt they will make any money off me as a customer. They make all the money off you buying the games and accessories, and I don't plan on buying any of those.

[Bojay1997]

A healthy margin ?


They are going to be selling the PS4 for $399.99. I'm guessing that their cost on that is probably like $378.00. So, they are probably going to make about $22 off a $400 item. That's barely over 5 percent. I wouldn't call that healthy. In fact, the time that the employee spends with you, keeping track of the pre-orders, organizing them when they arrive, and ringing you up at the register etc, etc. I doubt they will make any money off me as a customer. They make all the money off you buying the games and accessories, and I don't plan on buying any of those.

I happen to know that distributors are offering small game shops the PS4 at $380, so Gamestop will probably get more like a 7% margin given their volume and importance. So, you are handing GS $28 for essentially expending a couple of bucks in overhead to accept and distribute your preorder. They aren't getting hurt by that at all and if you think you're sending them a message by only shopping for certain items there instead of their higher margin items, you are deluded.

[Ed Oscuro]

Actually, if you really want to screw over GameStop (and don't we all ?), you pre-order the console there, but don't pick it up
http://cdn.airbornegamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/console-pc-troll-faced-troll.jpg
nah just kidding, that's horrible. horrible like gamestop

Incidentally, that Amazon Xbox One vs. PS4 poll got pulled - with only 2162 votes for the Xbox One (http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2013/06/17/amazon_takes_down_facebook_poll_after_ps4_destroys _xbox_one) compared to the 38,984. Did 1/120th of the total online voters preorder at that GameStop?

Also, did somebody already say if GameStop is taking PS4 preorders? ...that'd be interesting to see.

[kupomogli]

Also, did somebody already say if GameStop is taking PS4 preorders? ...that'd be interesting to see.

On Gamestop.com if you click on view more of "Most Anticipated" it shows the order of best to worse in preorders. Currently PS3 bundles are first, second, third, sixth, seventh, and 10th, while the only Xbox bundle in the top 12 is Battlefield 4 in fifth.

http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=28-xu0,135

[TonyTheTiger]

The number of polls that put the One so embarrassingly far behind the PS4 can't all be flukes. The launch window is going to be quite the sight, especially if the PS4 beats the One to market. I don't even think "failed" consoles like the 3DO and Jaguar had such negativity surrounding them.

[JakeM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46yBdG6cicA

[TonyTheTiger]

http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/microsoft-to-pull-complete-reversal-on-xbox-one-dr/1100-4673/

"It is unclear what caused this huge change in policy right after E3"

Really?