Sony Math (ps3 availability at launch)

[Csonicgo]

Before I start this Thread, I want to just say that I've had a bad experience with SONY. I've had a computer from them that can't run certain programs, Two SONY home Entertainment systems that fried on me due to a defect ( which they refused to fix), and a broken Playstation. whee!

Now, with the PS3, I thought I'd spare Sony the wrath of my past experiences and let Math do the talking.

Now, You've probably heard the News that Sony plans to release 400,000 or 500,000 Playstation 3 Units to north america (I've seen both figures, so I don't know which is which, but I'll go with the lower number since that was the most recent). I Decided to do some simple yet scary math.

I set out to determine the number of PS3 units per store in the entire Continent.

Walmart has around 3256 stores.
Gamestop has 3600 stores.
90 Rhino Video Games.
786 Best Buys (US and Canada)
118 Future Shops (Canada)
32 Fry's Electronics (US)
635 Circuit Cities (US)
1447 Targets (US)
700 Toys 'r' Us (US stats only)

10664 stores total! Wow!

now, let's do simple division!

400000 / 10664 = 37.50937734
It comes out at about 37 or 38 per store listed, if we were to only include those chains. Of course, there will not be 38 available at your local chain but, if distribution were uniform, every major store chain would have ..37 of them.

when combined with preorders, which gamespot has sold out of, let's see the results:
(DISCLAIMER: I have no clue if Gamespot sold ALL their PS3s via preorders. for the sake of simplicity I assumed this.)

7064 stores. uhoh.

400000 - 133200 = 266800

266800 / 10664 = 25.01875469

25 PS3's!

This isn't counting any other stores, so 25 would be... optimistic, At best.

(If there is anything wrong with the math, please feel free to correct anything. I'm just trying to see what the odds of nabbing one of these babies are.)

Maybe 400000 units won't be the exact number. Maybe it has increased since the last report. If so the odds of getting one would be much greater.

Comments and lolsony stories are welcome. :)

[Gokuma]

Sony operates on faith based mathematics.

The kids will soon learn about them since a law has been passed requiring it to be taught along side normal mathematics in public schools.

[Sharessa]

They're just doing the exact same thing they did with the PS2. They fabricate a limited supply so they can make it seem like they're so popular that they're getting sold out everywhere, and to generate more hype. It also helps to justify the insanely high price.

Funny, there was a discussion over how evil Sony was in another forum I visit just yesterday. Apparently they ran an import company out of business for sueing them into oblivion over bullshit charges. In a fair courst sytem, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on, but it was a small company so they couldn't afford all the legal fees. The weird thing is that ther's nothign illegal about importing games and systems and I have no idea what Sony's stick up their ass is all about over that one.

[Coopersville]

EB/Gamestop stores are expecting 6 or 7 units during launch; I just assumed that for any major retailer, though places like Wal-Mart and Best Buy may be better stocked. If they do a first come, first serve deal, then I'm getting one; if they don't, then I guess I'll have to run to electronics.

[Use]

Wasn't there an article out a while ago about yet another manufacturing flaw in the PS3 and they're shipping it anyway, just in limited units?

[Bungleist]

Danarchy said:

Funny, there was a discussion over how evil Sony was in another forum I visit just yesterday. Apparently they ran an import company out of business for sueing them into oblivion over bullshit charges. In a fair courst sytem, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on, but it was a small company so they couldn't afford all the legal fees.

That's not quite how it happened. The company in question, Lik-Sang, incurred no legal fees because they didn't turn up in court. Sony also didn't sue for money, they sued simply to stop Lik-Sang from importing any more PSP into the UK.

Lik-Sang haven't had to pay a penny to either the courts or to Sony. I suspect the real reason they shut down is simply because they're worried other companies will follow Sony's lead.

The weird thing is that ther's nothign illegal about importing games and systems and I have no idea what Sony's stick up their ass is all about over that one.

If that were true, the case would have never gotten to court. Don't me wrong; companies as rich and powerful as Sony are certainly willing and able to bribe lawyers, judges and other officials, but they can't just invent laws that don't exist. I'm not saying Sony were right in what they did, but the situation definitely isn't as black and white as most places are making out. Lik-Sang's line of business was a definite legal grey area.

Also, it's interesting that most sites which have reported on this news have "neglected" to mention one important fact entirely, and conveniently missed out an important element of another.

The "neglected" fact is that back in 2002, the very same company were sued by all three major console companies (i.e. Nintendo and Microsoft as well as Sony) for selling modchips and devices to allow users to upload ROMs. Definitely not the actions of a company which is legally and morally "pure".

The missing part of one of the main facts is that the court case in question wasn't just about Lik-Sang importing PSPs into the UK; it was about Lik-Sang importing PSPs into the UK before the official UK release date.

Sony bashing is only to be encouraged (as is Microsoft bashing, Electronics Arts bashing, etc), but people who distort the truth and use outright lies in order to do so are hypocrites. After all, aren't such things (as well as their arrogance and greed) one of the main reasons so many people hate Sony?

BTW a few years ago Nintendo managed to shut down a company very similar to Lik-Sang, not once but twice. But Ninty are making the Wii at the moment, so they're cool for now.

[Technician]

I dislike Sony.

[Scuba Steve]

Ahhh but there was nothing illegal about lik sang selling PSPs to Europe before the European Launch. Are you saying it would be illegal for me to sell my US PSP to a European friend just because the system hasn't been officialy released there? Lik Sang was in the same position, they had every legal right to sell PSPs to Europe, they weren't a store that recieved them and sold them prematurely, they were a store located in a country that had the PSP already released, and they then sold those units to someone looking to buy one. They were simply a middleman, doing legitimate business.

As for being sued by all 3 previous large console manufacturers, it was because they were selling mod chips, which is also legal, but I'm sure they just stopped selling them because they couldn't afford the legal costs.

Also SONY sucks and the PS3 is a piece of shit, and I hope to snag one on release day to sell it on ebay.

[kristus]

Sony sucks and I don't care about consols

[Kelzam]

Scuba Steve said:Also SONY sucks and the PS3 is a piece of shit, and I hope to snag one on release day to sell it on ebay. [/B]

In a shocking turn of events, I completely agree with you.

[Scuba Steve]

I'll bet it has more to do with my charming demeanor and devilishly good looks ;)

[myk]

Bungleist said:
Don't me wrong; companies as rich and powerful as Sony are certainly willing and able to bribe lawyers, judges and other officials, but they can't just invent laws that don't exist.

You mean something stops them from bribing congressmen and senators?

[SyntherAugustus]

I'll wait for FF13 then buy it. :)

[Amaster]

Csonicgo said:

(DISCLAIMER: I have no clue if Gamespot sold ALL their PS3s via preorders. for the sake of simplicity I assumed this.)

No, they didnt. Each store preordered around 16-20 units at most. They always leave a few behind the counter for walk-in customers. Also if Im not mistaken, Best Buy and Walmart dont do preorders.

[Csonicgo]

Amaster said:

No, they didnt. Each store preordered around 16-20 units at most. They always leave a few behind the counter for walk-in customers. Also if Im not mistaken, Best Buy and Walmart dont do preorders.

OK I think that's much more fair, but it wouldn't help that much if you didn't preorder one as the "leftovers" would be swiped up as fast as they come off the delivery truck.

[redmage125]

I'll wait awhile to buy one. God knows how many problems it will have when it comes out.

[Bucket]

Amaster said:

No, they didnt. Each store preordered around 16-20 units at most. They always leave a few behind the counter for walk-in customers. Also if Im not mistaken, Best Buy and Walmart dont do preorders.

Well, I know Toys R' Us keeps extra. That's where I'll be at 9AM.

My PS2 has lasted 5 years and Sony's 1st-party and exclusive offerings happen to be games I want. So fuck everybody.

[Bungleist]

myk said:

You mean something stops them from bribing congressmen and senators?

Well, the fact congressman and senators almost universally loathe video games, and many would like to see them all banned if they could seems a fairly large hindrance.

Besides, this particular case is to do with a British court. Britain doesn't have congressmen and senators, it has MPs... and MPS individual influence doesn't really amount to much, especially since Blair came to power.

[caco_killer]

Bungleist said:

That's not quite how it happened. The company in question, Lik-Sang, incurred no legal fees because they didn't turn up in court. Sony also didn't sue for money, they sued simply to stop Lik-Sang from importing any more PSP into the UK.

You fucking fool, Sony sued them because they weren't getting money from their sales, and Sony sued them multiple times by going to multiple courts. There was no way they could've afforded all the legal fees. You're just a Sony fanboy. People like you have popped up in every forum I go to that is discussing this.

[Csonicgo]

Bungleist said:

FANBOY

http://warehouse.nn45.com/data/media/3/Sony-thief.jpg

[Coopersville]

...And I'll be stealing all the fun in the world by owning a PS3.

[Bucket]

Except Nintendo invented neither rumble nor analog controllers; Sony simply adopted whatever was proven in the market, which wasn't a first. Plus Nintendo had been screwing 3rd-party developers by making it difficult for independent houses to afford their "Seal of Quality".

[Naked Snake]

I'm a cheap-ass, why get it at launch when about 5 months down the line, maybe longer, they make a newer, cheaper version and all the cool games are lower in price. MGS4 FTW though.

[TheDarkArchon]

My PS2 has fucked me over too many times for me to even consider getting a PS3 and that's before the horrendous price tag.

[Bungleist]

caco_killer said:

You fucking fool, Sony sued them because they weren't getting money from their sales, and Sony sued them multiple times by going to multiple courts. There was no way they could've afforded all the legal fees. You're just a Sony fanboy. People like you have popped up in every forum I go to that is discussing this.

1) I never claimed Sony weren't suing them because they weren't getting money. What I said was that *this specific case* came about because Sony were losing revenue before they could even start gaining it.

2) We were not talking about *all* the current Sony vs. Lik-Sang court cases, we were discussing *one* of those cases, i.e. the only recent one Sony have won against the company. Presumably the others are still ongoing.

3) Check your facts. Sony are hardly the only company pursuing legal grievances against this copany.

4) As I already said, Lik-Sang have incurred *no* legal fees in this particular case, because their lawyers didn't turn up in court.

5) Speaking the truth about a situation does not make one a "fanboy". Distorting and ommiting the facts, outright lies are some of the very things people hate about big companies, making people such as yourself utter hypocrites.

6) If I were a "Sony fanboy", why would I say that Sony deserved to be bashed, and that Nintendo are cool?

7) If "people like me" (i.e. people who check their facts, don't let themselves be blinded by bias and prejudice, and don't throw childish tantrums (such as your post)) didn't get involved in on-line discussions, then message boards and forums wouldn't contain anything other than lies and flames. I for one would much rather take part in an intelligent, mature, and civilized discussion of the situation than an outright Sony bashing flame fest.

8) It is in fact "people like you" (i.e. people who can only see one side of an argument, think the world is black and white, believe that anyone who disagrees with them is a "fucking fool", and refuse to adjust their opinion in the slightest way) who are causing all the problems. This is exactly the kind of mentality many of the top brass at companies like Sony seem to have... meaning you are very much like the people you hate so much.

9) It seems pretty obvious from all of the above that you skipped over large portions of my post. I would suggest that in future, if you are going to reply to a post you should try reading all of it.

[caco_killer]

Bungleist said:

BULLSHIT

Just shut-up man, you're not special. Stop acting like you are.

[Bungleist]

I suggest you take your own advice. People like you are what gives the internet a bad name.

I mean, internet message boards were intended as places where people could come along and discuss things like rational individuals, not express their opinion and declare everyone who disagrees with it a "fucking fool", and that anything that disproves what they're saying is "bullshit".

If all you consider the internet to be useful for is to talk about how much you hate something, how anyone who you don't like is a retard, how you can never be wrong, etc, then what is the point? You could achieve exactly the same thing by hanging out with a bunch of ten year olds.

[caco_killer]

I give the internet a bad name? Hahaha, that's a good one.

[myk]

Bungleist said:
Well, the fact congressman and senators almost universally loathe video games, and many would like to see them all banned if they could seems a fairly large hindrance.

Current particular discussion aside, some of then are wont to ban certain violent or sexual content. That doesn't stop them from possibly doing business with the larger companies, especially the ones that generally comply with their standards. It could actually encourage it through association and compromise.

[Belial]

caco_killer: I suggest you notice that you got owned.

As for the thread, the last console I cared about was the SNES.