In a divergence from the status-quo, GameStop has been given the green light by Sony to take unlimited PS4 pre-orders until further notice, as reported by Gametrailers. It seems strange that a company with a history of supply issues would take this approach. When the PS3 launched, Sony fell far below it’s projection for available supply. This resulted in a 40 percent drop in availability at launch. Sony must be feeling confident in their supply chain this time around. From the memo, it appears that GameStop received a bump in the number of Xbox One consoles, but there was a strict reminder not to exceed the allotment for pre-orders. Something I would expect.
I have yet to hear of another retailer that was given the green light on unlimited pre-orders. One has to wonder why Sony would give this option to GameStop. Does this mean Sony is giving GameStop a bigger bite at the Playstation apple than others? I know I tend to buy a few games when I get a new system. I’m betting most gamers do. Doesn’t this also give Gamestop an edge on selling PS software at launch? Why all the love for one retailer?
Until recently, I could see how some kind of camaraderie between Gamestop and Sony would make sense. Now that Xbox One is allowing used games, I don’t see why Gamestop would be willing to side with one system over the other. It’s possible with Xbox One’s reversal, Sony may be landing shorter on pre-orders than projected. Supporting the hypothesis this is a ploy to drive up sales. One thing is certain, the move is an unusual tactic for a console launch. It will be interesting to see if Sony will be able to meet the demand for the new console.