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PS3 sales no longer hotcake-like?
Is there a PlayStation 3 supply glut? That's the provocative question posed by the headline of a NotifyWire press release which asserts customers are already tired of paying a premium for PS3 bundles online.In the release, Ian Drake, head of the hot-product-tracking web site, cited a recent $1,000 PS3 bundle at eToys that remained available for over 12 hours. "This sort of thing didn't happen with the Xbox 360 until well after Christmas," Drake added for some historical perspective.A quick look at NotifyWire's recent tracking history, though, shows the PS3 is far from dead in the water. Despite a slight increase in the amount of time the system has been available at a few major online retailers over the past few weeks, premium bundles from the likes of eToys were selling out in less than an hour as recently as Dec. 18.This data is also a bit hard to interpret without supply numbers for each individual sale -- perhaps retailers have been getting larger shipments since Sony announced it had fixed its production problems. NotifyWire's system also seems to neglect major sites like Amazon.com, which recently showed intense interest in the PS3 through a lottery system.Still, the longer-than-expected online offerings are a little worrying for Sony when paired with the PS3's rapidly declining eBay price and reports of consistent high demand for the Wii. But let's not dwell on such unhappy things. Let us instead think of pancakes -- moist delicious pancakes dripping with syrup and hot butter. Oh yeah...[Via GameDaily]
EBayer reselling free GameFAQs guides [update 1]
Via the SomethingAwful forums comes the story of a GameFAQs guide writer who found digital copies of his Kingdom Hearts guides being resold on by a third party eBay seller without permission. The seller, who also sells guides for dozens of other games, claims to hold the copyright for the guides, which are apparently exact duplicates of the GameFAQs versions, only with the true author's information removed.The seller has reportedly brushed off requests by the author to stop selling the guide, leading many SA forum-goers to recommend legal action. We couldn't agree more -- this guy deserves to pay for profiting off of the work of others -- but we can't help but be impressed by his ability to fool gullible buyers into spending almost $10 for the type of digital guide that is freely available online. Caveat emptor![Update: Fixed typo.][Thanks Sanchez]
Switched On: The $100 laptop challenge, eBay-style
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: This was a big year for the $100 notebook computer, a concept popularized by the One Laptop Per Child organization for developing economies. However, not all $100 PCs are targeted toward the needy. During Black Friday, one retailer offered a $100 Compaq laptop after rebates and a Vonage VoIP phone subscription. But what can Benny get you in a portable computer if you're not buying educational aids in the millions or lining up at storefronts mere hours after polishing off the pumpkin pie? Finding the answer would require acute knowledge of the technology market, keen insight into seller psychology, and about seven solid minutes of online research at the internet's garage sale, eBay. Here were the demanding ground rules. To keep the experience as close as possible to a retail purchase, the notebook had to have a "Buy It Now" price of $100 or less. It had to be functional upon delivery (no "parts" PCs), including a hard drive and AC adapter, and had to be able to run a "modern" consumer operating system (Winodws XP or Mac OS X) with, at most, a RAM upgrade. For PCs, I used a Pentium III or Celeron as a rough proxy for this capability. Let's see how I did.
eBay features PSP devkit for sale
PS3s aren't the only thing ending up on eBay. It appears that someone posted a PSP devkit on eBay (pictured above). These plain looking gray boxes are used to develop and test PSP games, and in the wrong hands, could possibly compromise PSP security quite swimmingly. The bids got up to $329 before the auction was closed, most likely by an angered Sony lawyer. According to PSP3D, these kits are contractually licensed to developers, meaning some developer somewhere is probably going to be in a whole world of legal pain very soon.[Via digg]
New UMD demo fails to excite
Usually, we get excited about new demos hitting our system. However, there's absolutely no reason to cheer for this one: Ape Escape Academy. For those of you that have played the downloadable demo, you'll know how uninspired and boring the game might be. Sure, the UMD demo most likely features more levels, but I certainly don't want to play that banana catching game ever again.I'd feel bad for the sucker that ends up buying this for the $7 eBay asking price, but maybe if they read a little bit more PSP Fanboy, they wouldn't fall for this![Via PlayStation]
The numbers are in
It's been over a week, folks, and Nintendo has issued the first of many self-congratulatory press releases concerning the Wii. Eight days after launch, the Wii has sold more than 600,000 units in North America. Furthermore, their flagship title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has sold 454,000 copies, achieving a rather ridiculous 75.67% attach rate to the console itself. Nintendo seems to be holding fast to their claim to ship four million units worldwide by year's end, and many expect the company to deliver close to 200,000 units weekly to North American outlets. Not quite enough, though, is it?On the eBay front, 27,000 Wii units have been sold in auction at an average price of $412.53. For comparison, only 15,000 PS3 units were sold (at an average price of $1186.39). Take that, PS3 eBay people! Well, we suppose an average profit of around $500.00 after shipping and tax isn't too bad. The Wii is still very much one of the hottest items of the holiday season, and sell-outs should be expected at least through the end of the holiday season. Good luck, Wii-goers!
PS1 + PS2 = PS3 eBay scam FTW
Forget all those "PlayStation 3 box" or "PlayStations, 3 of them" scam artists, this "PS1 + PS2 = PS3" guy is the real deal, bringing true innovation to the realm of scamming hapless PS3 wannabes. Unfortunately, this PS3 system, held together by the mightiest of adhesives, might be a little too ahead of its time, since so far the auction is at a paltry C$152.50 (about $1.40 in real money). Oh well, there's always the next next-gen hysteria, right?[Via Digg]
Next-gen auction prices fall as supplies increase
An analysis of eBay auctions from the last week shows that the average selling prices for the Wii and PS3 have fallen precipitously from highs reached late last week, though the systems still auction for significantly more than their retail prices. At the same time, supplies of the systems on the popular auction site have skyrocketed since launch, with thousands of auctions closing for each system every day.Average auction prices for both systems reached a high last Friday, with the Wii going for an average of over $580 (roughly 233 percent of retail) and the PS3 averaging nearly $2,400 sale prices (an astounding 397 percent of the retail price). Since then, prices have come down to more reasonable but still inflated levels, with Tuesday's Wii auctions ending at an average of just over $400 and PS3 auctions averaging just under $1,200.Unsurprisingly, the number of completed auctions for each system peaked on the day after launch, with campers trying to turn their systems around for a quick profit in one day auctions. Over 6,000 PS3 auctions finished on the 18th and over 7,000 Wii auctions were completed on the 20th. PS3 auctions have slightly outpaced Wii auctions thus far, with nearly 15,000 Sony systems auctioned in the past week compared to just under 14,000 Wiis.Read on for a more detailed breakdown of the past week's next generation system auctions on eBay.
eBay hypes up game system auctions
Visitors to the eBay home page today were greeted with a bevy of quick links to auctions for next generation video game systems. EBay's list of the ten most popular items lists the Sony Playstation 3 at No. 1 with nearly 15,000 active auctions and the Xbox 360 at No. 5 with 1250 auctions. The PS3 also tops eBay's list of Top Tech Toys and ranks No. 2 on the gifts for kids list. The Wii doesn't make any of the lists, but is featured as eBay's promotional "it of the day," a position that had featured the PS3 as recently as last week.Interestingly, Atari systems rank No. 2 on the classic eBay list, proving that not everyone needs the latest and greatest this holiday season.
Bidder ends up with 3 PS1s, not 1 PS3
This proves that you need to read everything on every eBay auction before you hit that bid button, to the tune of $900. Obviously the buyer has only himself to blame, but check out how the seller tried to slant this, "HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED..HAVE IN HAND...All are American Systems. THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!" Why even mention the 20GB systems in the ad? He clearly wanted some PlayStation 3 attention, and got it in a big way. Imagine how the bidder felt when he realized he punked himself for three original PlayStations, probably not even the PSone consoles. These can easily be picked up for around $100 or less, so bye-bye PS3 money. He could've bought three PSones and a PS3 for that dough.Of course, seeing as how the winning bidder has zero feedback and is a new account, we're pretty sure he was the punkee and not the punker. As long as someone got punked here, we're good.[Via Digg]
Overzealous eBayer drops $900 for "Sony PlayStations, 3 of them"
In what's sure to be a frontrunner for the "oh snap" moment of the day (or year), a presumably frustrated, delusional, and impatient individual apparently forgot to read the fine print on his latest eBay win. While it's no secret that PlayStation 3 units have been selling for incredulous prices, snagging one for $900 probably seemed like quite the deal at the time; however, the poor sap failed to realize that he /she just committed almost one thousand dollars to purchasing three original PlayStation consoles. To make matters even worse, no games, controllers, or heartfelt sympathy was to be included, leaving the unsuspecting buyer in quite a bad predicament. No, we don't actually think (at least we hope not) that this fellow / lady went through with their purchase (although it was snatched up at the "Buy it Now" price), but if they did, we've got to look at the bright side -- that free shipping saved him / her a bundle.[Via Digg]
$100 million for a PS3? What a bargain!
OK, we were willing to believe that PS3 pre-orders were regularly going for over $2,000 on eBay. We even entertained the possibility that selling prices of over $30,000 might actually be legit. But someone willing to pay just short of $100 million for a PS3? That's nearly half the gross domestic product of Tonga!The sad part is that it's hard to tell from the bid history exactly when the auction went from serious pre-order offer to joke-bidding extravaganza. Our best guess is that by the time eBay user mrsophistication placed the first six-figure bid, all logic and good sense had gone out of the proceedings. We can't help but feel bad for jason_138, who bid Sony's asking price of $600 only to be outbid by tens of millions of dollars. Better luck next time Jason.Now that the PS3 has gone from pre-order possibility to actual retail product, will we see average auction prices decrease, or will short supplies lead to continued bidding frenzies throughout the holiday season?[Thanks Justin Roiland]
eBay blocks users from selling the PS3, for realz
Tough luck! Let's quickly breeze over the new rule for eBay in the UK -- British eBayers can't sell the PS3 until February of 2007 and can only offer one PS3 that was purchased within the UK. All right, now let's go over the new US rules. First, you've had to have taken part in 50 auctions (I've been on it for four years now, and only been in about 20). You need at least 98% feedback. Only then can you try to sell your PS3/preorder. You must guarantee a 30-day dispatch, provide a photo of the pre-order receipt, and have the item listed as an auction, not a "Buy it Now".Why? eBay's Cathy England gives her explanation: "a high number of well-intentioned sellers [were] unable to meet obligations due to restricted supply" in past console launches and she'd like to avoid a repeat situation. This is also a quote from the original article -- it bears no changing by us. "Reports are also circulating that Japanese gamers are driving up the price on PS3 orders in the Far East in order to disrupt the practices of sellers who queued up to buy a console they specifically intended to resell." So... be careful, eBayers. There may be a coalition of people growing to screw you out of your genius plan. But probably not.
PS3 on eBay pulls in $10,100
A PlayStation 3 pre-order up for auction on eBay ended just 45 minutes ago as of the writing of this post, fetching over ten thousand dollars. If this guy doesn't get his pre-order, and we have a feeling that's going to be happening a lot tomorrow, can the winning bidder get out of it? Yes, according to the notes on the auction, although you still have to pay for shipping (wtf?). His wife is getting in on the bling action as well, "my wife is first in line at our local Walmart and she is also garunteed a PS3 so I will have 2 of them at midight." We don't know anything about the winning bidder except he's apparently a Florida Gators fan. Let's hope he didn't type an accidental zero in there when bidding ... 10k for a PS3 is quite a stretch from the $600 asking price. We've emailed him for some answers, hopefully he hasn't had to hock his computer to pay for this baby.The guy who is reselling 100 PS3s is probably crapping his pants right now. Just keep the receipts for the Ferrari and the yacht in Bermuda. Impulse buys can be a real bitch.
eBay: No PS3 for UK
The PS3 certainly is a hot item now that it's officially launched (in Japan at least). With Sony's inability to launch in Europe until March 2007 (at the earliest), European gamers are going to have to wait for their PS3 ... or hit up eBay and import a unit. Unfortunately, they've shut that option down post-haste. eBay's decided to put a stop to all that nonsense in the UK, stating that "PlayStation 3 consoles obtained outside of the EU cannot be listed on eBay.co.uk." This essentially means that Brits are going to have to find a different way to "smuggle" their PS3 into the country. We can logically assume that eBay will do the same in the rest of the EU markets they service. eBay's decision doesn't come as much of a shock. After the legal troubles Lik-Sang went through, the world's biggest garage sale is most likely unwilling to test Sony's patience. We can (somewhat) understand the legalities of blocking a retailer from selling product over borders, but this recent blockage makes us wonder; what is the problem with an individual in Japan or North America firing his PS3 off to someone in the UK? Is there some PS3 Proliferation treaty out there we're not aware of?
Atlus giving jobs to ninjas in 2007
Yesterday, a NeoGAFer got their hands on a press release from Atlus with some interesting news for eBay resellers and ninja lovers alike. Their game, Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja, is making its way to the US February of next year. Here is a snippet from the release: Finally, a dungeon RPG strong enough for a man... but played as a hot chick! Drop your stylus, you pansy, and get back to the old school, hardcore, monster bashing we all grew up on! See if you have what it takes to conquer the impossible levels and gruesome bosses. After all, does it get any better than the feeling of cold steel at the palm of your hands? Hmm ... played as a "hot chick," Atlus? Trying to kill two birds with one stone by appealing to both lustful men and women with low self esteem? On top of that, we totally disagree that "ninjas are sooo yesterday!" Ninjas are the past, present and future! [Thanks JC!]
Child's Play 2006 eBay auctions
Hoping that you'll put more dollars to charity if you get something back, Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade have set up several eBay auctions where 100% of their proceeds go towards Child's Play, an annual charity that benefits children's hospitals.In case you are interested, here are the charities: Two tickets to the Guitar Hero II release party. The Ball from PAX. Penny Arcade original artwork- the Beach poster. Penny Arcade original artwork- Dr. Raven Darktalon Blood. Penny Arcade original artwork- Gears of War. Penny Arcade original artwork- Boba Fett. Penny Arcade original artwork- Nightmare at Twenty-Thousand Feet. WOW TCG Saltwater Snapjaw turtle mount loot card. (pictured) Most of the auctions are well into the hundreds by now, but we still urge those with charitable minds to at least take a gander.See Also:Child's Play 2006 commences
Modder equips his Asus notebook with WiFi amplifier
Here at Engadget, we're all about DIY projects that make your (and our) life easier. Ever since the days when range-extending cantennas were the rage, we've all been hankering for increasing the reception of our notebook's WiFi adapter (legally). Displeased with the built-in Dell 1470 a/b/g mini PCI unit in his Asus A2H notebook, a brave, engineering mind over at NotebookReview took to eBay in search of a solution. After purchasing a $118 "Turbo-Tenna," he concocted a plan (hit the read link for the full skinny) to wire the amplifier internally in order to provide a sleek, unobtrusive appearance. Using a soldering iron and an "on / off switch," he wired the Hong Kong-based device to his laptop's power supply and routed the connector to free pins on the VGA output. Once complete, his reception went from spotty and sluggish (1Mbps) to a much improved 24Mbps. It was noted that the installation was a tad on the complex side, and when the antenna is in use, your VGA port is subsequently out of order -- but hey, who needs a connection to the board room projector when you're enjoying wireless internet on a beautiful offshore island?
Naperville-Lawsuit iPod on eBay
The iPod lawsuit may be over, but the eBay auction has just started. As TUAW's earlier story discussed, the 30G white video iPod surrendered to Shannon Derrick is now up for auction on eBay. Until November 20th, you can place your bids on the item with all proceeds going to launch "a pilot program of Junior Crimestoppers in several Aurora, Illinois schools." The iPod contains one (1) song, has "many scratches on front and back" but "works perfectly". If you have further questions, the auction listing contains a contact e-mail address.
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXVI: L'Amour, ce n'est pas
"The Rarest Phone on Ebay [sic]," reads the auction page for the CECT V668 GSM handset. So rare, we would think, that Nokia's legal department might singlehandedly wipe it off the face of the planet. If the V668 looks mighty familiar, that's because it is -- we saw it the first time around as the Nokia 7380, a member of the fashion-conscious L'Amour Collection. If you think the knockoff might be a great way to save a buck or two and still get a rise out of folks when you pull it out of your pocket, buyer beware: the dual-band radio (topping out with GPRS data) and 1 megapixel cam make us want to vomit. Sad as it is, this isn't the first time Nokia's fashion line has gotten the counterfeit treatment, and something tells us it won't be the last.[Thanks, Prophet]
