QUOTE(throwingks @ Mar 23 2007, 12:05 PM)
People don't buy new consoles on ebay cause its easy. They buy from there cause it is the only way for them to get one. Since they don't have to rely on ebay cause supply is far greater than demand, people are willing to just buy one when they get around to it. There is no sense of urgency.
The people who are in line on midnight events, want a console then because they either
A) Sell on ebay
B) Buy cause they don't "feel" like any will be left later. Getting 1 now makes me special. And I don't have to spend extra money on ebay to get one now.
Sony took away the sense of urgency by delaying the launch so long and getting the supply so high. With 940 units left out of 1,000, I don't think anybody feels like they need to get 1 now.
So both categories of people don't need to stand in the cold at midnight. There are better things to do.
I don't think you can generalise on the buying habits of ebayers without seeing a demographic. Sure, people buy things on ebay because they are hard to find elsewhere. This doesn't mean it's the only reason.
This was supposed to be a massive event - as you read it, the press were better turned out than the customers. Paris is huge and to only sell 60 at a major launch is disappointing. I don't buy the excuses with 'weather', since plenty of launches have been successful with people standing in the pouring rain.
You missed the third option to the above:
C) They want the console now!
If you've been desperately waiting for something to be released (and it's small enough to be carried home) and you have an opportunity to pick it up at midnight, you'd take it. It shows a lack of urgency to just sit and think "I'll pick one up later". In contrast, the midnight launches of the Harry Potter novels have been excellent with hundreds of people attending. This is for a £10 book which you could have in fact purchased the next day with cash in your wallet. It is nothing like a £430 games console which has probably been saved up for, or at least money put to one side. If you had been waiting four months (and been sitting on the money), wouldn't you want to go get it?
Let's put it another way:
People don't attend midnight launches because:
a) They have no interest in the product
B) They already have the item (imported)
c) There is no profit to be made for online sales
d) They want one, but not enough to stand in cold/wet weather.
If we are to assume that d) is going to be for the majority of PS3 owners, I'd be really disappointed if I were Sony. This was supposed to be an exciting launch, which they could broadcast how good/popular this console is (remember, it's really only a PR stunt after all). If people are happy to wait until the next day (or the weekend), how desirable an item is it? When Gears of War was released, I went out and bought it on the Friday. I didn't wait until the weekend. Not because I thought that stocks would be low, but because I wanted it and had been waiting for it, plain and simple.
This post has been edited by Martinchris23: Mar 23 2007, 01:41 PM
Big PS3 Midnight Launch in Paris: 60 PS3s Sold
Mar 23 2007, 06:07 AM
