Sold Out

Cynax · 01-13-2005, 11:11 PM

They've got record breaking sales (Blizzard Press Release), but the inability to get the game in stores is hitting some of my friends that are late adopters.

The $80+ copies on eBay are pretty funny though. Opportunists paradise!

Grayson Carlyle · 01-13-2005, 11:14 PM

They know it's sold out. There have been a couple blue replies saying that they aren't going to make any more copies of the game until they can assure new cusomters that they will have a good play experience.

Vaclav · 01-13-2005, 11:17 PM

And note that the press release refers to new servers being added - I'd expect that new servers and more copies being shipped will come hand-in-hand.

Maybe after they do server transfers for people from High Pop to Low Pop servers, but definitely in the near future.

Considering a few servers still get queues (one server a friend tried to convince us to play on with him was queued every time we tried to log on) I really think they want to try to kill off existing queues before adding people to the mix and possibly causing more.

Warrik · 01-13-2005, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cynax
You have all probably heard about their "record breaking sales": Blizzard Press Release

Just wondering if the inability to get the game in stores is hitting anybody else. We have 4 late adopters getting pretty pissed that they can't get in the game without shelling out $80. I'm talking about people that have checked just about every store in LA for the last two weeks.

Hey, Blizzard! You're losing money!

Your friends should have got the game in the begining like the rest of us who knew this was going to be a huge launch. Considering the numbers...I think Blizzard has been handling it well...and I applaud their limiting production and addressing the issues....instead of using your logic and thinking just about the money.

Cynax · 01-13-2005, 11:50 PM

After this dry spell, it will be interesting to see if level stratification for the new wave of players is a problem. Probably not.

FoghornDeadhorn · 01-14-2005, 02:38 AM

Is the launch of the PS2. Awesome product, highly aniticpated, massively underproduced, and totally overshadowed by a shitty little plastic gear that can't seem to keep the laser straight. It's also the most ubiquitous console in the world today (barring a massive upswing of XBox sales I have been unaware of). Hopefully the parallel will end there and not continue to the "where the fuck is the modem/where the fuck is the hard disk/why did you decide the hard disk is now obsolete" parts of the PS2 saga...

...

namon · 01-14-2005, 05:32 AM

This is going to throw this topic way off but sorry =(. I think it's absolutely nuts that consoles finally wised up and said yes to HD's, and are now backing up. Sigh ah well we'll be stuck with tiny memory cards.

Ya it is a neat idea. I kind of wish they had done more of this in the beginning tho. The first couple weeks were a real mess, and to this day I still see ques and horrid lag on some servers.

FuckYou · 01-14-2005, 06:15 AM

Unless they force new future subscribers onto the low population or new servers, there isnt much point in waiting to release more copies.

Samus Aran · 01-14-2005, 06:19 AM

The Blizzard store had a few copies in stock the other day..

Mine arrives today

Edit: more on topic, yeah, it is kind of dumb that they're just sitting there waiting to produce more... But oh well

Cybsled · 01-14-2005, 06:30 AM

You guys must have short memories ;p

Nintendo basically refined this tactic and received massive profits as a result.

Remember: People always want what they cant have. Gameboy DS....Zelda gold version on N64...N64 when it launched. Besides Nintendo, there are recent things like Furbies, Tickle me Elmo, PS2s, etc.

You make a product people want. You release launch batch...then you sit back and build up stock. Toss out small bits to the market to keep your retailers somewhat happy. The small bits sell out ASAP...your retail buyers want more because they cant keep it in supply for the customers. This is obviously most effective during the holidays. Right around Christmas, throw out a moderate/high batch of product. This sells out almost instantly because the demand is so high. Let Xmas buzz build up post holidays...Wait til it's around late Jan/Mid Feb...start to resupply the market. Retailers will buy whatever you want to offer them and are more likely to backdown from contracts that protect their interests (read: If your game doesnt sell X, you have to buyback Y amount). Around March retail starts to pickup again and you begin to reap in steady sales from that front.

So while it seems like they might be losing money, it's a tactic that usually improves profits in the long run. You create a buzz that generates market interest in demographics that might normally not be interested in it (thought process being...well, if so many people want it, it must be something good!), you get your retail buyers foaming at the mouth to secure stock in the product, and you get free advertising from the media during the "What's Hot this Holiday!" banter.

Plus, as an added bonus since this is an MMO, it allows them to strengthen the infastructure gradually without worrying about massive influxes of people.

Oh, and on a side note about consoles/HDs. From my understanding, they plan on using sometype of modular storage that's cheaper then a HD but far more vast then a mem card. Least for the XB. Microsoft ate huge losses for the first few years on XB because of the PC parts they used (Estimates were they were losing $200 a unit at launch). Infact, all console makers except Nintendo lose money on consoles units ;p

Chaid · 01-14-2005, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Warrik
I applaud their limiting production and addressing the issues....instead of using your logic and thinking just about the money.

Blizzard deserves kudos for limiting supply of their game while they sort out technical issues -- overpopulation, datacenter pipeline saturation, transaction server sluggishness, customer service spread thin, etc. Having to limit production of their game due to overwhelming response is the best problem they could have wished for...

/fanboi off

Szlia · 01-14-2005, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FoghornDeadhorn
Is the launch of the PS2. Awesome product, highly aniticpated, massively underproduced, and totally overshadowed by a shitty little plastic gear that can't seem to keep the laser straight. It's also the most ubiquitous console in the world today (barring a massive upswing of XBox sales I have been unaware of). Hopefully the parallel will end there and not continue to the "where the fuck is the modem/where the fuck is the hard disk/why did you decide the hard disk is now obsolete" parts of the PS2 saga...

I am sure Blizzard hopes WoW can last as long as the PS2.

Templor · 01-14-2005, 10:46 AM

Blizzard was selling these on Wednesday night off their website, I only saw it for sale for about 5 hours then it went back to out of stock. Luckily, I ordered my copy and got it like 30 minutes ago :P

Samus Aran · 01-14-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Templor
Blizzard was selling these on Wednesday night off their website, I only saw it for sale for about 5 hours then it went back to out of stock. Luckily, I ordered my copy and got it like 30 minutes ago :P

Just as a quick question, did you have to sign for it? I vaguely recall them saying on their site that they require a signature for delivery, but I'm hoping they're not that backward as I'd be a bit miffed if I have to go pick it up because they tried to deliver while I was at school :P

Templor · 01-14-2005, 03:22 PM

No I didn't have to sign, even though it said I would, thankfully because I wasn't home.

The guy left it under my door mat.

01-13-2005, 11:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Cynax Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 74 +0 Internets	Sold Out They've got record breaking sales (Blizzard Press Release), but the inability to get the game in stores is hitting some of my friends that are late adopters. The $80+ copies on eBay are pretty funny though. Opportunists paradise! Last edited by Cynax : 09-23-2005 at 03:15 PM.

01-13-2005, 11:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Grayson Carlyle Warrior of Nordrassil Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Nordrassil Posts: 659 +0 Internets	They know it's sold out. There have been a couple blue replies saying that they aren't going to make any more copies of the game until they can assure new cusomters that they will have a good play experience. __________________ Grayson.Blackhand <Warfare> Albino Tauren Warrior

01-13-2005, 11:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
Cynax Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 74 +0 Internets	After this dry spell, it will be interesting to see if level stratification for the new wave of players is a problem. Probably not. Last edited by Cynax : 09-23-2005 at 03:12 PM.

01-14-2005, 02:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
FoghornDeadhorn Avarice Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun Posts: 3,634 +9 Internets	The big parallel I can think of Is the launch of the PS2. Awesome product, highly aniticpated, massively underproduced, and totally overshadowed by a shitty little plastic gear that can't seem to keep the laser straight. It's also the most ubiquitous console in the world today (barring a massive upswing of XBox sales I have been unaware of). Hopefully the parallel will end there and not continue to the "where the fuck is the modem/where the fuck is the hard disk/why did you decide the hard disk is now obsolete" parts of the PS2 saga... ... __________________

01-14-2005, 06:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
Cybsled Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 9,032	You guys must have short memories ;p Nintendo basically refined this tactic and received massive profits as a result. Remember: People always want what they cant have. Gameboy DS....Zelda gold version on N64...N64 when it launched. Besides Nintendo, there are recent things like Furbies, Tickle me Elmo, PS2s, etc. You make a product people want. You release launch batch...then you sit back and build up stock. Toss out small bits to the market to keep your retailers somewhat happy. The small bits sell out ASAP...your retail buyers want more because they cant keep it in supply for the customers. This is obviously most effective during the holidays. Right around Christmas, throw out a moderate/high batch of product. This sells out almost instantly because the demand is so high. Let Xmas buzz build up post holidays...Wait til it's around late Jan/Mid Feb...start to resupply the market. Retailers will buy whatever you want to offer them and are more likely to backdown from contracts that protect their interests (read: If your game doesnt sell X, you have to buyback Y amount). Around March retail starts to pickup again and you begin to reap in steady sales from that front. So while it seems like they might be losing money, it's a tactic that usually improves profits in the long run. You create a buzz that generates market interest in demographics that might normally not be interested in it (thought process being...well, if so many people want it, it must be something good!), you get your retail buyers foaming at the mouth to secure stock in the product, and you get free advertising from the media during the "What's Hot this Holiday!" banter. Plus, as an added bonus since this is an MMO, it allows them to strengthen the infastructure gradually without worrying about massive influxes of people. Oh, and on a side note about consoles/HDs. From my understanding, they plan on using sometype of modular storage that's cheaper then a HD but far more vast then a mem card. Least for the XB. Microsoft ate huge losses for the first few years on XB because of the PC parts they used (Estimates were they were losing $200 a unit at launch). Infact, all console makers except Nintendo lose money on consoles units ;p __________________ Training the citizens of Norrath from 1999-2003!

01-13-2005, 11:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
Vaclav Banned Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,027 +0 Internets	And note that the press release refers to new servers being added - I'd expect that new servers and more copies being shipped will come hand-in-hand. Maybe after they do server transfers for people from High Pop to Low Pop servers, but definitely in the near future. Considering a few servers still get queues (one server a friend tried to convince us to play on with him was queued every time we tried to log on) I really think they want to try to kill off existing queues before adding people to the mix and possibly causing more.

01-14-2005, 05:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
namon Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 123 -3 Internets	This is going to throw this topic way off but sorry =(. I think it's absolutely nuts that consoles finally wised up and said yes to HD's, and are now backing up. Sigh ah well we'll be stuck with tiny memory cards. Ya it is a neat idea. I kind of wish they had done more of this in the beginning tho. The first couple weeks were a real mess, and to this day I still see ques and horrid lag on some servers.

01-14-2005, 06:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
Samus Aran Sons of the Storm Heal Bitch Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 771 +1 Internets	The Blizzard store had a few copies in stock the other day.. Mine arrives today Edit: more on topic, yeah, it is kind of dumb that they're just sitting there waiting to produce more... But oh well

01-14-2005, 10:46 AM	#13 (permalink)
Templor open up my eyes... flooded with daylight. Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,283 +0 Internets	Blizzard was selling these on Wednesday night off their website, I only saw it for sale for about 5 hours then it went back to out of stock. Luckily, I ordered my copy and got it like 30 minutes ago :P __________________ Vever - Eonar What were they psychos? They look like psychos? Is that what they look like... they were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight his them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are!

01-14-2005, 03:22 PM	#15 (permalink)
Templor open up my eyes... flooded with daylight. Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 1,283 +0 Internets	No I didn't have to sign, even though it said I would, thankfully because I wasn't home. The guy left it under my door mat. __________________ Vever - Eonar What were they psychos? They look like psychos? Is that what they look like... they were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight his them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are!

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