PlayStation 3 U.S. Launch Numbers Cut

[Dr. Horrible]

Retailer GameStop will be unable to fulfill pre-orders

With all the rabid anticipation surrounding the PlayStation 3, it may sadden many of you to hear that Japan will not be the only territory that will face a cut in its launch numbers.

According to a GameSpot report, North American retailer GameStop (who also runs EB Games) has received a launch allocation that is less than its number of pre-orders.

On October 10, GameStop took PlayStation 3 pre-orders, which sold out nationwide within minutes. Most stores limited pre-orders to eight units, which was based on original Sony estimates on availability.

Now, it appears that many GameStop stores will be unable to honor its "launch day" pre-orders. A GameStop representative confirmed this news, but had no idea as to the extent of the supply shortfall.

"We are beginning to notify our customers that our initial shipment of PS3 systems will not be what we expected," the representative said. "As this is not an ideal situation, we are asking employees to wait to purchase systems until the second shipment. We are anticipating having systems to cover reservations before Christmas."

Customers with PS3 pre-orders from GameStop can expect to be contacted by phone shortly to confirm the status of their reservation. Those who will be left out of the initial round on launch day will be given a consolation item of a free used game or DVD of choice valued at $19.99 or less.

This development will have a ripple effect on those who have sold their pre-orders on eBay with the condition that the item will ship on launch day. Many eBay bidders will be very unhappy to learn that the thousands of dollars they spent on a launch-day PS3 will be facing delays.

DailyTech - PlayStation 3 U.S. Launch Numbers Cut

[MasaFACE]

Saw this coming.

[wariovswario]

this happened with the psp and the ps2. They do this on purpose to build up hype. Surprisingly, this marketing scheme is very successful for Sony.

[Mikhail Gorbachev]

^