Will the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer finally start selling Sony PlayStation 3 gaming consoles? According to our sister site Joystiq it might. Rumors abound at quite a few gaming websites as well. There's some fast and loose talk that Best Buy Co.,Inc. (NYSE:BBY) will announce the sale this weekend in its nationwide Sunday edition advertising circulars.The Sony PlayStation 3 console inventory has been on hold at all Best Buy locations around the country since December 21st. Why embargo coveted merchandise right before Christmas you ask? Retail stores have developed the annoying practice of holding hot items, then hyping them in a tight advertising blitz so they can move as much inventory as possible in one fell swoop. Call it manufactured mass hysteria.
On Joystiq: "According to unofficial Best Buy sources, stores are sitting on their PS3 shipments since 12/21 for a flyer advertisement being released New Year's Eve (12/31) stating they have a minimum of 25 60GB units per store. Our sources have the number at around 40 per store currently -- but it can be more in some locations. One source, using Best Buy's Retek Store System (RSS), says some stores have 60 units."
If that is credible, the PlayStation 3 would join the Nintendo Wii in the embargo party that happened during this holiday's shopping spree.
The Money Man Behind Rick Santorum: Who Is Foster S. Friess?
Savings Experiment: Snow Removal


Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-29-2006 @ 4:50PM
william dahdal said...
i have seen your news about the best buy in shanghia it is i think a golden apportunity to increase our buys from china but please lead us to the best way how to contact the berst buy in shanghia,i hope that we will find what we need in this department.i was atching the cccpt 9 news from jordan when i saw the opening day of best buy in shanghia may you please tell us in easy way what is it? excatly
hope to hear soon from you
william
12-30-2006 @ 8:44PM
aj said...
i spoke to sales rep tonight (12/30) and he said that they do have ps3's in the back and will be available first thing tomorrow morning.
I think this confirms the rumor.
I'm going to wait outside, although i don't think there will be a line very early.
Lucky me.
12-30-2006 @ 10:11PM
Shultzman said...
I went to 2 Target Stores and 2 EB Games stores today looking for a Wii and all four stores had PS3s on the shelf for sale. One guy said they have had them on the shelf since Christmas and had not sold one... Meanwhile, the Wii is still as elusive as before Christmas.
12-31-2006 @ 1:00AM
Josh said...
Wait outside? I have been at walmart 3 days straight and the same 2 units are on the shelf. just look around lol
12-30-2006 @ 10:12PM
TacoMan said...
this post is total bs. I work at bestbuy in canada, we have exactly 0 (zero) ps3's. infact the staff purchas list is about 40 people long. If we had ps3's all the staff would have them too. I would think a news site tlike this would at least RESEARCH there posts before telling the whole world a bunch of lies.
Beleave me from one loly geek working at the tech services in the largest retail chain in northamerica, there are NO ps3's at ANY best buy in CANADA. I can't say much about the amrican stores though.
12-30-2006 @ 10:31PM
wspanic said...
Talked to a rep at BB on Thursday (Maplewood MN) he said they had PS3's in the back but no Wii's. They were getting ready for circular sale.
12-30-2006 @ 10:53PM
Brent Roberts said...
I went to Best Buy today (Sunday 12/30) at about 4pm local time and they had a 60 gig PS3 available. They announced it over the speakers and I just walked up and bought it. So much for this particular best buy holding inventory.
12-30-2006 @ 10:56PM
Brent Roberts said...
I walked into Best Buy at 4pm local time today (12/30, Saturday) and they had a 60 gig PS3 available. They announced it over the speaker system and I just walked over and bought it. I guess all of the Best Buys aren't holding inventory as reported.
12-31-2006 @ 12:18AM
Colin said...
"I guess all of the Best Buys aren't holding inventory as reported."
It could be that they're selling any over the minimum they need for tomorrow
12-31-2006 @ 12:10AM
yeah right said...
who cares , ps3 gpu sucks compared to x360 gpu,
ps3 can still have fun games but x360 will have way better looking games,
12-31-2006 @ 1:31AM
jsherlock said...
this story is completely false. I work at best buy and there is no such "embargo". We have 7 PS3's sitting in the back and anyone can walk in and purchase them
12-31-2006 @ 2:03AM
phantomzer0 said...
Just an FYI - I work for fed ex freight and I can 100% promise you best buy's will be selling PS3's. I've seen and moved over 50 skids [thats 2 ps3's per box, and 60 boxes per skid], just to the best buy's around the center I work at. All of the skids were labelled with big orange stickers saying - "hold for 12/31 Release Ad"
Each store recieved about 2 skids so around 200 ps3's each.
12-31-2006 @ 3:44AM
Shadow Fox said...
There is NO embargo.
I am the manager of a BB and I have heard of no such thing.
Don't believe this nonsense.
12-31-2006 @ 12:06PM
Porkchizzle said...
haha. I was in portland last weekend and every EB Games and Gamestop had MULTIPLE PS3's for sale. And no one was buying them. And of course, they were totally sold out of Wii's.
2-03-2007 @ 1:17AM
John T. said...
For what it's worth, I've put together a list of links to what I've found to be the best places to buy a PS3 online. If you'd like to check it out you can find it at:
http://www.ps3now.wordpress.com
John