Japanese Vita Pre-Orders Sell Out and huge lines

[prowler]

Two major online Japanese stores appear to have sold through their initial pre-order stock of the PlayStation Vita almost immediately going on sale, indicating the machine could be heading for shortages when it launches in Japan in December.

Online stores Amazon Japan and Yodobashi are both now reporting that the machine is out of stock - and it was only available to pre-order for a very short period of time before it was removed again.

The pages for both the 3G and WiFi versions of the PlayStation Vita on Amazon.co.jp tell users who attempt to order it that the item "is no longer available" - the messaging that appears on Amazon when an allocation has been sold through. Users can sign up to be updated when more become available.

Yodobashi features similar messaging. The two stores represent two of the major online portals for picking up video games online in Japan - a firm indication the Vita is likely heading for a successful launch.

Japanese gaming blog esuteru have now picked up on the sales, running with the awesome headline "Vita internet shop availability, nearly destroys the internet." The site goes on to list all the sites that have sold out of the Vita pre-orders with their varying 'sold out' messages.

Aside from Amazon and Yodobashi, esuteru also point to retailers including sofmap, bic camera and joshin having sold out. The list essentially encompasses most - if not all - of the major online portals to buy video game hardware in Japan.

Source
And then retail shops opened for pre-orders...

 

[emigre]

I'll give kudos for that willingness to wait in a line.

 

[Maedhros]

If the number of Vita on stock is really 500k, I imagine it'll do some good numbers initially, it's the hardcore fans of the platform buying it. Something like 250k+ isn't that difficult for Vita in december. Of course, 3DS will do something similar, if not much better, as they have the bigger guns for december.

 

[s4mid4re]

Seems like Sony won't be having problems like the 3ds had on launch. Not really a fan of live area or any of the built-in apps, but this means that many devs will be interested in the vita. I guess we'll see more and more great games coming to vita.

 

[Slyakin]

Can't wait for the Vita. I wonder how the launch will fare for western countries, though.

 

[Deleted_171835]

Seems like Sony won't be having problems like the 3ds had on launch.

The 3DS was pretty much the same during launch. Pre-orders sold out and there were large lines.

 

[Deleted User]

Seems like Sony won't be having problems like the 3ds had on launch.

The 3DS was pretty much the same during launch. Pre-orders sold out and there were large lines.

I swear that's pretty much the same for *every* successful games console.
EDIT: They should report when a console *doesn't* sell out like that.

 

[Satangel]

Can't wait for the Vita. I wonder how the launch will fare for western countries, though.

The rows will be much much shorter. I doubt they'll ever have a stockshortage.

 

[Slyakin]

Can't wait for the Vita. I wonder how the launch will fare for western countries, though.

The rows will be much much shorter. I doubt they'll ever have a stockshortage.

Unless they market CoD early.

 

[Deleted User]

Can't wait for the Vita. I wonder how the launch will fare for western countries, though.

The rows will be much much shorter. I doubt they'll ever have a stockshortage.

Unless they market CoD early.

CoD! The horror, the horror. *shudders wildly*

 

[ManFranceGermany]

OT: Gosh, while people in the USA, Germany, France and UK camp outside of there representative Stock exchange, fighting against the banking and stock exchange System, in Japan they camp in front of a Shop for getting a Gaming System. Kudos!

Well, good for Sony, 3DS will have a hard time from now on in Japan..oh wait, it had it before too.

 

[s4mid4re]

Seems like Sony won't be having problems like the 3ds had on launch.

The 3DS was pretty much the same during launch. Pre-orders sold out and there were large lines.

It did? Well, it kinda plummeted after launch and went so bad that it lead to the price drop. I hope the vita won't go that direction then. /:

 

[Hyro-Sama]

PS Vita will probably do well in North America. I doubt there will be large line ups like the ones in Japan. I will have to see it to believe it.

 

[Maedhros]

It won't have, because most of the people will be ordering it online. =)

 

[Livin in a box]

I forgot that it was releasing this year in Japan...*contemplates importing*

 

[Maz7006]

guess sony will finally fill some financial gaps with this thing

keep it clean sony.

 

[J-Machine]

I still don't understand why anyone would wait in a line up just for a pre-order. I would take one look at that line and automatically decide to wait a good few months after the machine is physically in stores to try again.

 

[Valwin]

reminds me of of the 3DS and DS lines smaller that them but still good

 

[Hyro-Sama]

I will get a PS Vita when Sony releases a Limited Edition version. Similar to the Star Wars and God of War PSPs. BTW is the data for the 3G Vita free? Or do you have to sign up for a data plan?

 

[Shuji1987]

It's nothing special to see these lines form up. The same happens every time for every Sony or Nintendo handheld/console. Here's the 3DS one: http://andriasang.com/comtgk/

AFAIK the only one who doesn't manage this is Microsoft

So meh, it would be more newsworthy if people could actually walk in the store and preorder it without a line. Just like they can here