Okay, maybe that title is a bit harsh, but I did find it quite interesting how Best Buy's recent junk-mail advertisement seems to be playing favorites.
I recieved Best Buy's "Wow" holiday gift guide in my mailbox this morning. Let me give you an idea of what this is.
It's a 66-page large-format, glossy catalogue of the super-special electronic gifty things that you might want to buy for your loved ones -- if you prefered to think about this stuff a week before Thanksgiving.
But that's another post...
Anyway, the first two pages of actual catalogue -- after you get past all the table of contents and company marketing crap -- features "hot gifts."
I assume that means what "all the kids want these days."
I've scanned it for your viewing pleasure.
Upon viewing this first page, because let's face it, nobody really gets past about page 10 of most junk-mail catalogues, I noticed a vacuum. Something wasn't quite right.
Notice what's there? The PlayStation 3.
Notice what's missing? The motherfarging Wii. Arguably what may very well be the best selling console of this holiday shopping season!
Best Buy's definition of "hot holiday gift" apparently is "those gifts that we don't have and won't have until sometimes after 2007 begins."
Unless by "holiday gifts" they mean "Easter."
Now, to be fair, the mailer does include the Wii. On page 51 and 53 under "gaming systems."
Is this earth-shattering. No. But it is kind of curious that the nation's biggest electronics retailer would be giving front-and-center treatment to a system that is all but unavailable while sending the "more than plentiful" competing system to the back pages.
Is it all the press coverage of the PS3 that promped this? Or is it the fact that the PS3 is more than double the price of the Wii?
Just kinda makes you go, "Huh."
If I recall, the Xbox 360 is the offcial console of Best Buy...or Best Buy is the official sponsor....or something. Anyway, this doesn't surprise me since the PS2 has always been the center of Best Buy ads.
As a brandname I think sony and the playstation itself are more prominent today than nintendo.
For some people the playstation was their first console and they have been playstation ever since, to a new generation the snes and nes and n64 mean nothing.
ummm the PS3 more than twice the price of a Wii.
And this ad was probably designed and printed long before the severity of the shortages were known. They would have had to be in the mail before the launch even happened to get to you today. They did the same thing last year with the 360.
Okay, Twisted. I'll agree that this ad was in the works probably weeks ago.
But there's two gaps in your logic:
First, the shortage of the PS3 was known MONTHS ago... It just got WORSE shortly before launch.
Second, the release of the Wii console was known MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS ago. What, the Wii doesn't count? Why declare the PS3 as the hot gift but not the Wii when both systems launched within two days of each other?
Well duh. You nailed it on the head Edie. Best Buy is an *electronics retailer*.
Think it through for a moment: imagine that you are a big retail chain operating on razor thin margins, and you have three possible consoles to hype.
Do you choose...
a) the console that everyone will have tons of and is designed for the TV sitting in your dorm room?
b) The console that will look great on both HDTVs and standard def equipment?
c) The brandest spankingest newest console that's going to probably get you seriously interested in buying a 50" 1080p HDTV with 7.1 speakers and $25 hi-def movies that are otherwise languishing on the shelves?
Best Buy is a business designed to make money. It is in their best interest to sell the stuff that makes them the most money. That is NOT game consoles, that's the software and hardware that goes with them. It's not matter of favoritism, it's a matter of economics, and Sony has made a console that absolutely appeals to Best Buy's bottom line whether it's in stock or not.
Excellent points, Josh!
Thus: Best Buy is Sony's little bitch, right?
"Thus: Best Buy is Sony's little bitch, right?"
Yeah, cause we all know that Sony is the only company to sell HD TVs and accesories.
And, BTW, that first line in my comment wasn't me just typing for my benefit. You have a typo. The PS3 is more than twice the cost of Wii, not less than half.
I thought this was a Hawkes post until I saw the byline. The "motherfarging" threw me off.
I think Edie has abandoned her Sony Fanboi status.
I have yet to figure out why Wal Mart, Target, Best Buy, or Circuit City are devoting ANY circular space to the PS3 considering they have zero stock available to sell and don't NEED to advertise it.
I've been thinking the same thing about EB games.
Here's why I have a feeling EB games is Sony's little bitch.
#1. BlueRay Movies will be on sale at EB games in canada. They have this "trade in four dvd's and get one free blueray dvd" sale coming up.
After buying my 360 HD-DVD player I asked them when they plan on stocking HD-DVD movies and they don't. That's right, from what I hear they only plan on stocking blueray movies for now.
#2. Have you seen the new plastic bags with the spiderman 2/ps3 font on em? It's just a bag I know, but I've never seen the green rings of light grace the plastic EB bags!
Anyways, nothing against EB Games or anyone working there. I just feel like the store franchise itself is already leaning towards PS3 FTW.
I would venture to say that Sony payed for all the space on that junk-mail advertisement. That happens all the time in the retail market. A vendor brings in a new item, or puts it on sale, and the retailer sells space on their mail advertisement. The bigger the add the more the vendor must pay. I would say that Sony paid quit a bit for this.
Funky, that's because EB is trying to make themselves one of Sony's preferred retailers. They hold that position with MS and Nintendo, but Sony has traditionally prefered making the majority of its software and hardware deals to big box chains like Wal-Mart, BB, Target etc.
This may be news to you, but retailers have commented on weekly shipments of PS3's. The shock and horror, i know, is truly disturbing. So i guess, maybe the may actually have stock for selling the PS3. It may have happened with the 360, Microsoft weren't on top of things. By no means am i saying, 'sony will be perfect this launch', as they obviously haven't been. But I'll take the word of retail outfits over a bit of banter from a blogger.
Cheers and enjoy the Holidays, or easter maybe =).
While that may true, Raitei, a trickle of console to each retailer every week means you still aren't getting one unless you are extremely lucky and are there when they get put out.
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