PS3 Scalpers Get Loaded
The PlayStation 3 has hit US stores and already the scalping is shooting for the stratosphere.
We probably don't need to tell you there's a lot of anger in the gaming community about scalpers potentially making a fortune on PS3's. Well, the speculation is over. We can now happily confirm that eBay is chock-full of highly over-priced PS3's.
At last check, there were 5021 consoles listed with the numbers climbing every minute. As the console only went on sale at midnight EST in the US (5AM GMT) we're expecting that number to skyrocket over the course of the day.
The average 60 GB console within its last few hours of bidding is going for around the $2500 mark (£1326.03, if you were wondering). When we did the maths based on the British RRP, we weren't overly alarmed; it works out at about three times the UK retail price. Then we tried again based on what our American pals are paying and got a little bit of sick in our mouths; a $599 retail price means that, on average, US eBayers are paying around 4.2 times the retail cost for the console. (We'll save our rant about how that compares to what us Brits are going to pay for later.)
We've also seen some rather unscrupulous bidders (or defenders of the gaming community, if you prefer) employing the same guerrilla bidding tactics used by Japanese scalping objectors. If you didn't catch our earlier piece about them, it basically involves the setting up of dummy auction site accounts followed by the placing of outrageous bids to prevent a sale. The most profitable looking console so far is going for a cosy $66,666,765.00 (£35,366,045.99) at last check.
US eBay sellers have gotten wise to this savvy breed of auction sabotage, however. Pick a listing at random and you'll probably find a string of cancelled bids ranging in amounts from a modest few thousand dollars to just short of $1 billion. SPOnG thinks these champions of gaming democracy are going to have to up their game a bit if they really want to sock it to the scalpers.
So, what's the moral here? Next March, either get out your tent and get ready for a week's camping outside GameStation, or be prepared to wait for your sexy new PS3. Or be a chump and buy one on eBay. Your call...
But if you're going for the camping option, you should probably read about American PS3 shortages here. You have been warned.
At last check, there were 5021 consoles listed with the numbers climbing every minute. As the console only went on sale at midnight EST in the US (5AM GMT) we're expecting that number to skyrocket over the course of the day.
The average 60 GB console within its last few hours of bidding is going for around the $2500 mark (£1326.03, if you were wondering). When we did the maths based on the British RRP, we weren't overly alarmed; it works out at about three times the UK retail price. Then we tried again based on what our American pals are paying and got a little bit of sick in our mouths; a $599 retail price means that, on average, US eBayers are paying around 4.2 times the retail cost for the console. (We'll save our rant about how that compares to what us Brits are going to pay for later.)
We've also seen some rather unscrupulous bidders (or defenders of the gaming community, if you prefer) employing the same guerrilla bidding tactics used by Japanese scalping objectors. If you didn't catch our earlier piece about them, it basically involves the setting up of dummy auction site accounts followed by the placing of outrageous bids to prevent a sale. The most profitable looking console so far is going for a cosy $66,666,765.00 (£35,366,045.99) at last check.
US eBay sellers have gotten wise to this savvy breed of auction sabotage, however. Pick a listing at random and you'll probably find a string of cancelled bids ranging in amounts from a modest few thousand dollars to just short of $1 billion. SPOnG thinks these champions of gaming democracy are going to have to up their game a bit if they really want to sock it to the scalpers.
So, what's the moral here? Next March, either get out your tent and get ready for a week's camping outside GameStation, or be prepared to wait for your sexy new PS3. Or be a chump and buy one on eBay. Your call...
But if you're going for the camping option, you should probably read about American PS3 shortages here. You have been warned.
Companies:
Sony
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Comments
Spanky2090 17 Nov 2006 17:29
1/4
I think this is ridiculous, how can people seriously pay millions or billions of dollars for this console. I'm not saying i don't like it, its just, i don't think these people have any sense, all they have to do is wait a few months and they can get one at ooh about $600 or whatever they cost. Silly monkeys. If they have that much money to waste then give it to me please, i wouldn't mind.
realvictory 17 Nov 2006 21:37
2/4
I should have preordered one!
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SPInGSPOnG 18 Nov 2006 07:41
3/4
What's funny about this is that the people who willl make most money from this launch are not Sony, or Best Buy or EB... but a set of low life, no mark exploitational dickwads.
Maybe Sony should have only sold the first allocation to registered PS2 owners. And maybe Best Buy (et al) should refused to sell the first shipment without at least two games... Scalp the scalpers a bit.
Maybe Sony should have only sold the first allocation to registered PS2 owners. And maybe Best Buy (et al) should refused to sell the first shipment without at least two games... Scalp the scalpers a bit.
tyrion 18 Nov 2006 12:54
4/4
Rod Todd wrote:
Maybe Sony should have only sold the first allocation to registered PS2 owners. And maybe Best Buy (et al) should refused to sell the first shipment without at least two games... Scalp the scalpers a bit.
When bundles were enforced for the 360 launch, people complained. Probably because it was a fixed bundle deal and not a "choose your two games" arrangement, but still it was unpopular.
Personally I'm hoping for a centralised registration scheme like the PS2's when the PS3 eventually launches in the UK. That worked quite well last time.
Besides with games as well, surely yhy can just up the buy it now price and make more moeny? Ah well, at least Sony and the retailer would make something.