Early indications on eBay (UK) suggest that the UK launch of the PS3 is already producing some pretty sorry looking scalpers. Either a bunch of PS3s have fallen off the back of a lorry, or people have just given up the ghost and are cutting their losses on unwanted pre-orders. Will they ever learn?
At the time of going to press (well, screen) the number of PS3 pre-orders up on eBay is a modest 223. Not a single console is going for more than its retail price of £425.
A small handful are going for £400 or so plus postage of around £30. The majority, however, with around 10 hours to go, are floating on or below the £350 mark. It would seem that UK gamers are prepared to pay an extra fiver for the convenience of home delivery, but no more.
SPOnG also took a moment to check in with second-hand games retailer CeX and discovered it is willing to take a PS3 off your hands tomorrow for a cool £325: cash. So, if you fancy chucking away £100 tomorrow, CeX is the place to go.
It will be interesting to see what occurs post the official midnight (GMT) launch. The situation in America and Japan last year saw US eBay flooded with upwards of 5,000 PS3s within hours of launch. Thanks to stock shortages the console was selling for around $2,500 (£1,326), or four times the retail price.
Fortunately for UK-based Sony fans the supply situation is much better for our launch than it was for Americans. As SCE's UK managing director, Ray Maguire, told SPOnG, we're getting 220,000 units spread across the country, with many retailers reporting that they will have units on free sale.
A contact in retail told SPOnG that their shop will receive 96 PS3s, and 50 of these will be available for punters to buy without pre-order. In comparison, the same retailer received 33 Wiis upon launch and had around 100 pre-orders. Such abundance of PS3 supply will make turning a profit on the console tricky for scalpers.
For SPOnG's coverage of Virgin Megastores pre-launch campout click here.
At the time of going to press (well, screen) the number of PS3 pre-orders up on eBay is a modest 223. Not a single console is going for more than its retail price of £425.
A small handful are going for £400 or so plus postage of around £30. The majority, however, with around 10 hours to go, are floating on or below the £350 mark. It would seem that UK gamers are prepared to pay an extra fiver for the convenience of home delivery, but no more.
SPOnG also took a moment to check in with second-hand games retailer CeX and discovered it is willing to take a PS3 off your hands tomorrow for a cool £325: cash. So, if you fancy chucking away £100 tomorrow, CeX is the place to go.
It will be interesting to see what occurs post the official midnight (GMT) launch. The situation in America and Japan last year saw US eBay flooded with upwards of 5,000 PS3s within hours of launch. Thanks to stock shortages the console was selling for around $2,500 (£1,326), or four times the retail price.
Fortunately for UK-based Sony fans the supply situation is much better for our launch than it was for Americans. As SCE's UK managing director, Ray Maguire, told SPOnG, we're getting 220,000 units spread across the country, with many retailers reporting that they will have units on free sale.
A contact in retail told SPOnG that their shop will receive 96 PS3s, and 50 of these will be available for punters to buy without pre-order. In comparison, the same retailer received 33 Wiis upon launch and had around 100 pre-orders. Such abundance of PS3 supply will make turning a profit on the console tricky for scalpers.
For SPOnG's coverage of Virgin Megastores pre-launch campout click here.
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Comments
Dreadknux 22 Mar 2007 12:02
1/1
I've just spotted a good few that offer a 60GB PS3 plus a game of your choice, free delivery for ~£200. It's a sorry state of affairs in terms of profit for Sony (even more so outside the $200-odd they already lose per console sold through proper channels), but at least people will be able to get their hands on one for a 'more reasonable price'
(I quote-marked that because technically, the technology you're getting is worth more than £200, but for a games console - which the PS3 primarily is - you're not really looking at many gamers with such open wallets).
(I quote-marked that because technically, the technology you're getting is worth more than £200, but for a games console - which the PS3 primarily is - you're not really looking at many gamers with such open wallets).