Some will get a $499 blu-ray player.. (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

While it may not be too cool to do to someone, scalping a PS3 is very different to me than scalping concert tickets. A concert is a one time event. That's taking advantage of a situation where you either see that show or you don't see that show.

The PS3 is going to be the same thing if you get it the day it comes out or two months later or two years later. That's taking advantage of a guy who can't wait a few months to get a toy.

Once again, it's not cool but the people who buy from scalpers have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[ppltd]

I can not in any stretch of the imagination fathom how you can apply a concept of morals to a sale of a video game console. There is, and never has been anything wrong with supply and demand when it relates to a totally unessential products. No one will be harmed in any way if they are forced to wait a few additional weeks to get their 'toy'.

Way too much has been made of this issue, and way too much importance has been placed on it.

 

[George_W_K]

FTW=For The Win

EDIT: This was in response to a post I don't see anymore.

 

[TonyD]

i would buy 2 of them in a sec and sell one to pay for the one i keep.
whats wrong with that?

 

[Cees Alons]

There's nothing formally wrong with that.
But morally: you would use your position enabling you to pre-order two, of which one you are not planning to use as a playstation yourself, to have one for free and let a fellow gamer, who would have loved to pre-order one him/herself, pay double.

Suppose, just for the argument, that someone had succeeded to pre-order *all* available PS3s in your neighbourhood and widely around it. And forced anyone wanting one to pay thrice.
Would you like the guy?


Cees

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I won't buy it at a premium, there has never been and will never be a game console, disc player or other consumer electronics product that I just have to have now. I do often buy products as a early adopter, paying a higher price to the company that spent the money and time to develop the product, knowing that the product will come down in price soon. I never fall for the buy and resell game that is often seen until a product reaches production capacity to meet demand and never understand why anybody else would. I also never wait in line for a new product that is being hyped. I have been buying home audio/video equipment for over 3 decades and just shrug my shoulders when I see a frenzy on eBay. I do understand that certain products and software can reach some pretty high prices when demand exceeds supply and would sell an out of print CD/DVD or consumer electronics product that may be out of production if the price makes that attractive to me.

I hold no ill will to anybody that buys a PS3 and resells it at a premium. I don't care that someone might scalp tickets as long as no law is broken. These kinds of things aren't worth getting upset about.

Chris

 

[ppltd]

Couldn't agree with you more. There is nothing 'morally' wrong with making a buck. The idea of placing that the concept of morals on a game console is mind boggling.

 

[ppltd]

The risk that person would assume is that he can sell the product. More likely, he would be stuck with numerous consoles and have to dump them to get rid of them. Same thing happened with the 360.

If he was able to sell them all, each one would be going to a gamer that really wanted one. I don't see the problem. There are going to be many gamers who want a PS3 the season that will not be getting one until sometime next year.

 

[Ed B]

It seems that we might have an update on this whole topic of ethics. From the looks of this it seems that ebay will be putting a ban on PS3 sales. If this sticks Kudos to ebay.


http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/14/eb...-will-deliver/

 

[TravisR]

You'll just see more people standing outside of Toys R Us or Best Buy then.

 

[Jason Seaver]

There's nothing "morally wrong", no. It's tacky and uncool, though, and drives the price up without adding much real value to the customer.

And why shouldn't you apply morals to a game console? Morals and ethics apply to everything. I mean, would "the concept of applying morals to a game console" be "mind-boggling" if we were talking about people stealing it rather than just price-gouging?

 

[nolesrule]

In a free market economy, supply and demand will drive the price. Companies use MSRPs to artificially keep prices low at the retail end when demand would justify charging a higher price. The only time I would consider it price gouging is if there is a temporary supply shortage or perceived shortage on a needed commodity and those that control the product along the retail chain are artificially raising prices... see post-Katrina gasoline prices for an example.

A PS3 or any game system is not a necessary commodity.

No one ever has a problem when it works the other way, such as when over-produced DVDs get dumped in the $5.88 bin at Wal-mart.

 

[TonyD]

that posted link makes it sound like ebay will cancel pre orders for wii and ps3.

what reason could there be for them to cancel in hand items.

 

[Cees Alons]

The problem is... who is going to decide what a "needed commodity" is and what not? I would understand food, water and air. But gasoline?
And how about a brothel, under certain circumstances? And why a PS3 not, to some?

For all clarity: I'm not really trying to start a debate about these topics I mentioned, please don't. But drawing lines is easily becoming less objective than you might think, morally.


Cees

 

[BrettGallman]

How about this scenario:

Some kid gets a job, works his tail off, saves every dime he makes with the intention of buying a PS3 on launch day. Instead, some guy gets the last PS3in his area with the sole intention of re-selling it on eBay. Would you feel good about yourself if you were that guy? I mean, yeah, the kid will probably get his PS3 eventually, and it's not going to kill him to not have it, but I couldn't sleep well at night knowing I did that. People like that kid are the ones I feel bad for in these situations. I don't feel bad for the person who buys a PS3 at an inflated price because they know full well they're getting gouged and they go along with it.

 

[TonyD]

i wouldnt lose any sleep.

 

[TravisR]

That's the only person that I would feel sorry for if they can't get one. It's also the only reason why I wouldn't scalp one. Well, that and the fact that I don't want to sit outside a Best Buy for 36 hours in November.

 

[nolesrule]

Generally, I understand your point. There are many items you could make that argument for, but game systems are not one of them.

As for gasoline, it has become a commodity because it has gotten to the point that commerce ceases to exist without it (until the alternate fuels come along someday). Yoiu listed food as one of your no-objection necessary commodites. I'd like to see a country of 300 million acquire their food without gasoline...and I'm not talking about getting to and from the grocery store.

 

[ppltd]

A good life learning experience for the kid. He will learn patience. The silliness of this thread is moving into new highs.

 

[TravisR]

I don't understand what's silly about that? It's silly to think that someone that would play the PS3 'deserves' it more than someone who's only intention is to sell it to screw over some vidiot and make money?