PS3 Survey

Professor S · 11-17-2006, 12:24 PM

I've been hearing rumblings and bumblings about possible PS3 defects and let-downs (http://www.penny-arcade.com/), but I wanted to know what you all thought about it who got one.

Anything to report?

Perfect Stu · 11-17-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

I've been hearing rumblings and bumblings about possible PS3 defects and let-downs (http://www.penny-arcade.com/), but I wanted to know what you all thought about it who got one.

Anything to report?

the people here who got one have no intention of keeping it...they bought it just to sell it on eBay, preventing people who actually want to keep the system from paying suggested retail price.

Null · 11-17-2006, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfect Stu

the people here who got one have no intention of keeping it...they bought it just to sell it on eBay, preventing people who actually want to keep the system from paying suggested retail price.

as long as there are people dumb enough to spend that much extra. theres always going to be people doing that.

if people honestly cannot stand to wait untill they find one at a store, and need one THAT badly, then they deserve to spend double the price or more on it.

Perfect Stu · 11-17-2006, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Null

as long as there are people dumb enough to spend that much extra. theres always going to be people doing that.

if people honestly cannot stand to wait untill they find one at a store, and need one THAT badly, then they deserve to spend double the price or more on it.

Yes, I understand how supply and demand works. Easy to make a quick buck, why not. Just tell that to the people who waited just as long in line who wanted to keep one for themselves, or give to someone they know as a gift, who now are faced to pay $3000 to the jerkoff two spots ahead of them in line if they want to be able to do just that.

Believe me, the people who are driving up the price deserve to pay just that. But not the people who tried damn hard to buy one at launch but got beat out marginally by a scalper. There's a reason scalping sports tickets is illegal...

Null · 11-17-2006, 01:41 PM

the people who waited to get one, didnt and now will wait like normal people to get one at its real price. yes. they deserve one.

but im sorry, as long as theres morons out there buying em for this much on ebay. you'd be a fool not to sell it.

i just watched one on ebay, during its final minutes. over 100 bits on it, final price $5000.

many of the people selling im i bet were probably planning on keeping it untill they saw these goofs on ebay paying these prices. right now, getting over 2000 is almost guaranteed. who would keep it when you get get that for it?

plus, its as much sonys fault as it is the people buying and selling em.

Dylflon · 11-17-2006, 05:12 PM

I might get one in the summer when I'm working full time.

But until then, I'm content with my PS2 and DS.

DeathsHand · 11-17-2006, 07:18 PM

I doubt this is a widespread issue... But one of the units a local store had as a demo broke 4 hours after they set it up...

Another issue I guess would be that a majority of people who ran out to buy the system are probably going to sell them on eBay...

I dislike it when people do that... My quest to own the Collector's Edition of Burning Blade (to sit it next to my pretty CE of WoW) seems to hit a wall due to the fact that people saw WoW CE's selling for $300+ on eBay when it first came out, and decided they'd pre-order as many Burning Blade CEs as they possibly could so they can keep one and sell the rest (or sell them all)...

And that's not an item you can just "wait to come back in stock like a normal person" for...

Supply and demand, etc... Doesn't mean people who wanted one (but aren't going to spend the insane amount on eBay) will walk away with a big smile on their face thinking "There's always next shipment" (especially when there is no next shipment)...

People are jackasses... Both the ones who sell such items on eBay, and the ones that will pay that much for them...

manasecret · 11-17-2006, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathsHand

People are jackasses... Both the ones who sell such items on eBay, and the ones that will pay that much for them...

I don't get why people still feel this way, though I don't have an unbiased view as I am one of the jackass eBayers.

Okay, you didn't mention PS3 specifically. But even for collector's items, these aren't items you need. Their collector's items for a reason -- i.e. they're worth a lot of money specifically because they are collector's items. You can still play the game.

As for PS3 (Perfect Stu, you're the only one that has made a post against eBayers), can you make a clear statement of why you think eBayers are in the wrong?

The way I see it, all of these eBayers (including myself) are merely providing a nearly identical service as all the Best Buys and Gamestops and Walmarts out there. No one complains that a cold, soulless thing known as a company makes a profit on the PS3, but for some reason it's a horrendous crime when a regular ol' human spends three nights of his own time and life out in the cold to do the exact same.

If you sell on eBay, you're providing a service and that's that.

And say you waited in line for a PS3 just to keep it for yourself while the people behind you in line weren't able to get it; that's selfish as well. If one were truly unselfish you would give up your place in line to the next person.

Yes I know this is armchair economics and morals here. Nevertheless, I am curious as to people's (clear) opinions and arguments on this.

Perfect Stu · 11-17-2006, 08:33 PM

Providing a service that Wal Mart or Best Buy is? Give me a break.

Look, I understand business. I respect the concept of an open market...it's fantastic. But I think it's morally wrong to step in and be a completely unnecessary middle man that (contrary to what you might think) provides no service whatsoever. If nobody sold PS3's on eBay, people would be able to buy those same systems the same way (online order), or to pick one up in store. So just to step in and drive up the price for the sake of driving up the price is not something I can agree with.

manasecret · 11-17-2006, 08:59 PM

Hmmm the "unnecessary middleman" is the best way I've heard it put.

However, I disagree that we don't provide a service (despite what you may think).

Start with the facts: the supply of PS3s far and away outweighs the demand from gamers/parents. So continuing from that, the fact is that any gamer/parent that wants a PS3 is going to have to camp out for a day or two or even more. Even if you cut out all of the eBayers, maybe you're cutting off a day of waiting. So no matter what, if a gamer/parent wants a PS3, he/she will have to wait in line for one day at least and possibly several more. Those are the facts (let me know if you disagree).

Some people can't wait those one or two days or more in line for whatever reason, such as they can't miss work, they don't want to wait in the cold, they simply would rather pay more money than waste their time camping -- whatever. However, they still want a PS3.

So instead of waiting in line (which assuming the facts are true, they would have to do even if there were zero eBayers) essentially they are paying me (or another eBayer) to wait in line for them. That's the service.

And from my armchair economics combined with econ 101, a service is a perfectly viable product to sell.

Certainly, some gamers who were willing and/or able to wait in line are then unable to get a PS3 at face value because of eBayers (or at least, as early as they desired). But what makes their desires any more important than the desires of someone who can't or is unwilling to wait so long in line, but who is able to pay more?

To digress, I guess the fact is I'm going to eBay as many PS3s as I can no matter what. I need money, and personally I say boohoo to any gamer that can't get a PS3 on day one. I guess that makes me a selfish bastard.

DeathsHand · 11-17-2006, 09:31 PM

This reminds me of the theater cleanliness debate... There's no wiggle room, it all just has to do with people's personal moral... morals... Moralically speaking...

Some people say they're not comfortable waiting in line just to get a PS3 to sell to some dumbass on eBay...
Others would call those who wouldn't take advantage of such a profitable opportunity the true dumbasses...

But eh... When it comes to this debate, Stu is doing a better job than I ever could so I'll just shut up...
"There's a reason scalping sports tickets is illegal..."
"unnecessary middle man"
Good show...
I just want my Burning Blade CE :<

manasecret · 11-17-2006, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathsHand

This reminds me of the theater cleanliness debate... There's no wiggle room, it all just has to do with people's personal moral... morals... Moralically speaking...

Some people say they're not comfortable waiting in line just to get a PS3 to sell to some dumbass on eBay...
Others would call those who wouldn't take advantage of such a profitable opportunity the true dumbasses...

But eh... When it comes to this debate, Stu is doing a better job than I ever could so I'll just shut up...
"There's a reason scalping sports tickets is illegal..."
"unnecessary middle man"
Good show...
I just want my Burning Blade CE :<

I was going to say before, but didn't because it's kinda beside my point. Ticket scalping isn't illegal everywhere (in the U.S. scalping laws vary state by state), and in fact many businesses are ticket brokers, which are essentially scalpers.

And I think you're right, I'm not going to change my opinion and I doubt I'll change anyone else's. But I am curious of others' opinions and whether I can refute them, for myself anyway.

BTW, DeathsHand, I was on "your" side of the theater cleanliness, and I thought the other side (led mainly by you there, Professor S) was completely way off base and being complete dicks about leaving their trash around. Now that you say this argument is similar to that one, and now that I'm on the opposite side of the argument, I guess that makes me a complete dick. :wheresthescratchestchinsmilie:

Professor S · 11-17-2006, 11:23 PM

Our tech department at work spent most of today bidding on PS3's under false identities. They told me they had pushed a bunch of auctions over $10,000 just to jerk around with people that wait in line only to sell them.

Crash · 11-17-2006, 11:50 PM

heh, now that's wrong. Professor S.

That's being an @$$hole for the sake of being an @$$hole.

Perfect Stu · 11-18-2006, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manasecret

To digress, I guess the fact is I'm going to eBay as many PS3s as I can no matter what. I need money, and personally I say boohoo to any gamer that can't get a PS3 on day one. I guess that makes me a selfish bastard.

It's not like that, man. I dont judge people for doing something like this...that's their business. But I don't respect it, and I think of it as more exploitation than capitalizing on an opportunity. Tom-ay-to, Tom-ah-to. To be perfectly honest, I don't think anyone should be allowed to camp outside of a store. If the demand is huge, sell preorders far in advance and just meet the preorder requests until they run out and you can begin stocking shelves.

I won't accuse you of doing something you shouldn't...what I'm saying is, I don't agree with it. I think it's wrong. You're just as entitled to say its not.