Early PS3 shortages hurting more than just sales?
Chances are if you're a gamer or eBayer vying to make a quick buck, you already know about PS3 launch shortages due to production problems. That constraint obviously curbs early sales of the console. But what if you aren't one of those two types? Wouldn't you assume as an average consumer that a company would have enough supply to meet the demand of a major electronics launch, especially during the holidays? Probably.
Case in point: Just read this mainstream headline from Yahoo! News that makes no mention of PS3 shortages: "Wii trounces PlayStation 3 in US sales in November." I've also noticed the absence of a shortage understanding in speaking with non-gamer friends of mine. One colleague, just today, asked while offering his comprehension of the situation: "Tell me about this Nintendo Wii? All I know is that Sony's machine is not doing well and Nintendo's is doing great." He had no idea of the PS3 shortage, only that it wasn't selling well. Granted, this is just one isolated instance, but telling perchance.
But this post isn't about a lack of shortage mentions in the unfavorable PS3 grapevine; it's about public perception. The mojo that either makes or breaks a product's potential for success. So perhaps early PS3 shortages are hurting more than just initial sales.
