PS2 and Xbox shortages across the US?

[Kejoriv]

I couldnt believe this. I thought these were everywhere...

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=5759

[shai hulud]

the store i work at has had trouble keeping both systems in stock for a long time now.


i cant believe that this long after the systems launch the PS2 is still such a hot gift

[Kejoriv]

i cant believe that this long after the systems launch the PS2 is still such a hot gift

Thats what I was thinking. Where the hell have these people been where they just are buying ps2? haha. Actually with all the lasers breaking, they are probably buying their 2nd or 3rd one.

[Emily]

Ooooh. Looks like this could have detrimental effects on the PSPs lauch....

Go DS!GO! Crush the PSP...mabey

[SoulBlazer]

It's the new model, the PStwo, that people want.

And yeah, this is due to Sony's bad policy of witholding stick in order to bleed out the original model and then not producing enough of the new model to meet demand. Microsoft is no doubt in a position to benift but they don't seem to be producing a ton of XBoxs either.

[Algol]

My store doesn't seem to have much of either of those.

[goatdan]

I went to three gaming stores today. None had the PStwo. They all had a bunch of used PS2's. Oddly enough, people kept coming in and asking how much they would get in a trade for a PS2 to a PStwo. The stores told them, but everyone said that it would be past Christmas before they had any PStwos back in stock.

Do people think they are a new console or something?

Similarly, I haven't seen an Xbox in a while. I also saw only *one* Mario Kart: DD package in all visits today. Other than that, there were a bunch of "no specials" GameCube packages. It seems there is a shortage of everything this season.

I wonder why? Are people purchasing their second system (or getting them as gifts) or what?

[lendelin]

A Q a bit off topic: does the new PStwo have progressive scan abilities like the second model of the "old" one?

[LiquidX01]

At work we sold out of the new PS2's in like 2 days.

The Xbox Holiday Bundle was also completly gone soon after we put them out.

We had 10 GameCubes with the Mario Kart Bundle at the start of Black Friday and by the end of the weekend we still had 8 left....Strange.... :/

[The Manimal]

A Q a bit off topic: does the new PStwo have progressive scan abilities like the second model of the "old" one?


Yes.

[Jasoco]

We sold out of PS2's a month ago.

We sold out of Xboxes the other day.

We got two PS2's in the other day.. dead.

80% of the phone calls and game buying customers ask "Do you have any PS2's?" I have to keep telling them we don't have any, and probably won't get any until after the holiday because I can't be sure. When will they show up? Tomorrow? Next week? January? Who knows?

As for Xboxes, we got a paper from Microsoft with an explanation; "Q: Why the shortage of Xboxes? A: Quite simply, demand is just so high, we can't make them fast enough!" It literally said that.

Haven't heard from Sony yet though. Neither of course care about their Kiosks. Both are dead. The Xbox has been dead for almost a year, the PS2 gets replaced every few months. Well, it DIES after a few weeks, then takes months to be replaced. The GameCube however hasn't been replaced since 2001 and is still working since day 1. Xbox been replaced twice, PS2 about 6-10 times. These things run 24/7 of course.

I wish I had a real answer to give customers when they ask about PS2's.

[zmweasel]

It's the new model, the PStwo, that people want.

And yeah, this is due to Sony's bad policy of witholding stick in order to bleed out the original model and then not producing enough of the new model to meet demand. Microsoft is no doubt in a position to benift but they don't seem to be producing a ton of XBoxs either.

This is nothing new. Nintendo pissed off retailers back in 1990 when it didn't ship enough NESes to meet consumer demand.

-- Z.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Well Microsoft dug their own grave as they ceased production of the Black versions when the relaunched the Crystal ones. Now there is a shortage of Xbox's in general.

I can see Sony's point of view though - It does make sense to weed out the old style before switching.

I can't see why Sony don't just run both versions alongside each other though - There will always be people who want th larger one for putting a hard drive into amongst other things...


I just went to town to get a new style PS2 today, but sold out everywhere. Gutted. Not like I need another one - I have 3 PS2's already, but I fancied a smaller one just for the hell of it! And typical - The day I have spare cash burning a hole in my pocket, they're sold out everywhere.

They're topping £130 on eBay at the moment too!

[zmweasel]

I can't see why Sony don't just run both versions alongside each other though - There will always be people who want th larger one for putting a hard drive into amongst other things...

Because the new slimline PS2 is cheaper to manufacture and ship, meaning Sony makes more money on each PS2 sold.

-- Z.

[Cobra Commander]

I went by the ole Wal-Mart yesterday on my off day to check on the PS2's. We recieved over 50. We also got a "big" holiday 20% discount coupon things. It wasn't good until today's date. So I came back at midnight, to buy a PS2. The big glass case was empty, and the pile on the counter was gone.
I asked where the hell all the PS2's went. They were all sold except 1. It was being held for someone. I explained that that was against company policy, and to give me my PS2. Now I'm playing Katanri Damacy and life is good.

[Daria]

Eeeep. My dad actually requested an XboX for Christmas, I guess I'd better tell mom to start shopping for it now.

[Drexel923]

I've only seen two of the slim PStwos since they came out. Everywhere else has been sold out. Maybe I should have bought them and sold them on ebay.

[kevincure]

I put both my Halo Xbox and Slim PS2 on ebay. People are paying ridiculous prices for this stuff now, and I can go a month or two without the games.

And Zach is right about the reasons for no more big PS2s. Even on the original PSX, Kutaragi knew that building hardware in such a way that technology advances would allow you to reduce the number of chips and parts was essential to making a profit and getting system prices down quickly.

[izret101]

They have been hard to find for the last few months actually. Unless you know when the next shipment is coming in.

Hey Kevincure what did your Halo XBox fetch you? I was thinking about doing it the day i got mine and saw they were selling for 300+ on Ebay.

[gamegirl79]

I was at EB last night and they had a few used Xboxes for sale, one of which was being sold while I waiting to pay for my stuff.

I'm not sure about PS2's though, since I haven't been paying much attention to their availability.

[SoulBlazer]

You can still find the systems if you call around and look at the smaller stores (like KB Toys, Target, KMart). It's not going to be easy, though.

What I don't understand is why Sony did'nt increase production of the PStwo? We KNOW they can make a lot of systems fast. If there were not enough of the new slim models to meet demand, then withold the launch until you have enough in stock! Even Nintendo did a PRETTY good job with launching the DS to meet demand this time around, and they ALWAYS have messed up their past launches. ;)

I believe Microsoft when they say they are producing XBoxs as fast as they can, though.

[DigitalSpace]

Haven't heard from Sony yet though. Neither of course care about their Kiosks. Both are dead. The Xbox has been dead for almost a year, the PS2 gets replaced every few months. Well, it DIES after a few weeks, then takes months to be replaced. The GameCube however hasn't been replaced since 2001 and is still working since day 1. Xbox been replaced twice, PS2 about 6-10 times. These things run 24/7 of course.

Heh, good ol' durable Nintendo. I've seen a good share of DRE PS2 kiosks out there. I've seen one Xbox kiosk with an "out of order" sign (must have been a Thompson drive), and if anything is ever wrong with a Gamecube kiosk, it's that the controller has a broken control stick due to kids abusing the damn thing.

[LiquidX01]

What I don't understand is why Sony did'nt increase production of the PStwo? We KNOW they can make a lot of systems fast.

Could have something to do with the production of PSP's. Im sure there is more production for that than a PStwo at the moment...

[Simply Dave]

At my local Wal-Mart today they had signs on all the game cases saying that they were all out of PS2 and XBOX hardware and were not sure when new shipments would be in.

[kai123]

Ooooh. Looks like this could have detrimental effects on the PSPs lauch....

Go DS!GO! Crush the PSP...mabey


How will this have negative effects on the PSP launch? Even if there is a shortage it didn't hurt the PS2 at all.

[wberdan]

almost no one has new xbox's around here, and noone has ps2's.
i saw ONE ps2 last weekend in a video store for sale.... that was when no one had one... i should have bought it.
DUH.

a word to the wise- check independent record stores and stores that MAY sell video games that people may not have thought of yet.
at my local indie record store there were a couple xbox bundles and several DS's in stock- at that same time no one else anywhere around here had either.


willie

[vincewy]

I've started exactly the same thread about 3 months ago, I guess both Sony and MS are in pretty comfortable position with their consoles with 3rd party support, and it makes sense for them to emphasize YIELDS (software sales), rather than install base and market share. The most active users (those who buy games on regular basis) who've bought the system long ago, and they don't need to worry about losing casual gamers at this point.

[Nez]

Heh I saw some one returning a Slim PS2 at Bestbuy today, I should have jumped on it. I think it was the only PS2 in the store.

[jdc]

This is all due to a strange occurence called....Christmas.

Why are some of you surprised?

[Dangerboy]

Round here in the windy city, PS2s are gone. We've had desperate people pick up pre-played/refurbs just to have something. Sony has literally shipped like, 4 systems in each shipment, and that's it.

Microsoft has been a LOT Better. We only go about 3 days in between shipments, maybe a week, but they always send a healthy restock.

Game Cubes can't be given away. =(

Also, about the "it's christmas" comment: Last year, and *especially* the year before, we were swimming in hardware. We had so many ps2s at my maryland store that we couldn't fit in the back room.

It seems like this year no one figured out that, you know, people may want a system.

[LiquidX01]

This is all due to a strange occurence called....Christmas.

Why are some of you surprised?

Um.....Because its not because of Christmas. They have been really short for months now on all systems.

I can speak for the Best Buy I work at and say that we havent kept a PS2 and an Xbox in stock for more than a few days since back in July.

[SoulBlazer]

I bet Microsoft wishes they had a hundred thousand more systems ready that they could sell. There is demand for both systems, and Microsoft at least by getting more product out then Sony right now is in a position to be Number One for console sales this holiday season.

[EricRyan34]

A while ago I was searching online for a PS2, and Gamestop.com was even out of stock!

[izret101]

All you gotta do is have connections :P
Just called one number and the guy told me he could get one before the end of the week. Xmas will be filled with the sound of another Xbox after all.
This one is my little bro's present.