“The ongoing PlayStation Network outage is beginning to have an effect on the high street,” Edge is claiming this afternoon.
The respected magazine claims that they have spoken to sources who say there’s a “growing trend of PS3 consoles being traded in for cash or Xbox 360s” in addition to “slumping sales of PSN points cards” and a “shift in the ratio of multiplatform game sales and pre-orders away from PS3”.
Our source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that from the second week onwards they saw “an increase of over 200 per cent on PS3 consoles being traded in, split almost 50/50 between those trading for cash and those taking a 360 instead.”
Another said that they had seen a “massive increase” in the number of PS3s being traded in, mostly for 360s.
One (Belgian) retailer speaking on the record, Gameswap, said that although gamers commonly trade in their consoles at the end of the month to pay bills, this time around they’re “bringing in PS3s together with all their games and they don’t want money, they want an Xbox 360.”
“In every case it is because of Black Ops and or Modern Warfare 2,” said the retailer.
The same source said it’s affecting game sales too. “People are cancelling their order of Brink for PS3. People that have an Xbox 360 have switched their pre-orders – others are just cancelling entirely.”
There’s much more in the Edge article, including signs that people are becoming ever more frustrating with Sony’s customer services. Remember that this is just from a sampling of retailers, getting the larger chains to talk on the record (or otherwise) would be considerably more telling…
Rodney
This rocks! We were thinking of getting another PS3 for the rec room. We just didn’t want to pay for a brand new one. When it’s all over used PS3’s will be cheaper and used games too! And when PSN is back up, this whole unpleasantness, like a headache, will be quickly forgotten. And the new CrapBox 360 users will be kicking themselves for their lack of virtue. We have patience, when PSN is back it will be better and stronger than any other. I don’t think Sony’s going to take a risk of this happening again. Maybe I’ll get some cheaper second hand BluRays too :)’
Juelz345
“CrapBox 360 users ” real nice buddy, real mature.
*the internet saddens me*
rht992
i guess if you wanted a PS3 nows the time to get one. maybe a drop in price will pop along
Sympozium
Why……
The Lone Steven
Do the people who sold their consoles just because they can’t “pwn noobs2 realise that there is more to gaming then COD? It is stupid how someone will just sell their console just because they can’t play online game and seem to be allergic to single player games.I wonder if most all of the PS3s were traded in by parents of kids who tend to insult people and camp? I hope so.:D It seems this generation has cause some people to forget about how good a single player can be.:(
Juelz345
It’s stupid to call people stupid for having a prefernce.
I know some people who only play single player games, a few right here on TSA. Are they stupid for not realizing that there is more to games than single player?
TSBonyman
They’re only cod-ding themselves..
3shirts
I know, it’s very shellfish of them
Awayze
I regret to say I was one of them who traded in one of my 3 PS3’s in the house for the 360 250GB and Blops.
Juelz345
No need to regret it. Despite the TSA comments section, the 360 is acually a great machine. Owning both is the way to go if you can afford it. I’ve had both for about 3 1/2 years now and wouldn’t get rid of either.
cc_star
The Xbox 360 250GB is now around £159.99 at some outlets… quite tempting indeed.
Why regret? Would love to hear what the 360 & Live is actually like from someone who comes from a predominantly Sony background, if you do of course.
Smoutefretter_BE
lol at the paragraph about Gameswap, I live in Belgium and never heard of a shop called Gameswap and I’m into gaming so I suppose it isn’t a big shop.
As in general I think there’s a truth behind the article. I can understand people cancelling brink for there PS3’s now. I would do the same if I had an Xbox.
Let’s hope for sony they bring there network online this week or early next week.
Winkle
I suppose this just goes to show how impatient the world has become now and how addicted some people are to playing online and what their willing to do to get their fix.
God forbid if the actual internet ever stopped working and the ensuing chaos it would create. What would people do? How would we live?
Kev
Don’t say it Winkle, you’re giving them ideas! :-) What would we do without TSA??
For me it’s not so much the downtime – although that is annoying – it’s more the lack of care and attention Sony have given to their customers (and developers it would seem).
Sony have been unlucky (I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt here and not accusing them of being negligent) and no right-thinking gamer would condem them for trying to put things right at their end. But some decent customer care would go a long way I think.
Juelz345
I think it’s sad that so many people bashing the people that are trading in for COD.
While I don’t hold COD in that kind of regard (anymore), i have a few friends who don’t play a lot of games but when they do, it’s COD. Fortunatley for them they play on XBOX, but i’m sure if they were PS3 owners they would seriously consider it.
If people decide that trading in their PS3’s to get 360’s is what works for them, and makes them happy then why judge them. It’s their money and their hobby.
cc_star
A lot of people only play the multiplatform titles like CoD, Battlefield Bad Company and the sports games like FIFA/Madden etc.
The hundreds of millions (billions?) those titles make for the two biggest publishers fund their investment in other titles for the people that make a concious decision to avoid those titles.
I don’t get why people have to be so snobby over it, it’s just as unbecoming as the stereotypical X360 CoD teenager they love to point at.
If it wasn’t for those titles there would be far, far less consoles sold meaning investment in titles would far far less as the potential audience would be far less.
The CoD/FIFA/Madden players should be celebrated, if anything!
Juelz345
Perfectly put.
It’s bad enough that gamers have chosen to seperate them selves based on console, but now were doing based on online vs offline, cod vs battlefield as well.
You’d think that the actual games would provide enough competition for people, so that they didn’t feel the need to turn everything into a metagame of sorts.
Crazy_Del
Do they not need to deactive their PS3?
If they have sold it then surely their details and such will be there, or will it be gone if you formatted?
Just wondering out there and hoping anyone can response my dumb questions as I have no clue. I have never deactivated my PS3 as it’s still going strong =D
Juelz345
I would assume they would have deactivated their account before trading it in. If not, the details would be wiped if the stores of new owner format the HD.
Kev
My feeling is that they would re-format the HD and wipe all that stuff.
Is your black beuaty a launch day machine? Mine died a while back so I am on my second – still very smug though as my son is on his 4th 360!
Deathbrin
Well the account will still be tied to the PS3, but they won’t be needing the account will they?
Deathbrin
I mean the actual account online on Sony (non-functional) servers, not the console itself.
Crazy_Del
Cheers for the response ;) and no it wasn’t on launched got it as a bundle when Metal Gear was launched so 3 years now I think or is it 4 0_o lol
Time goes by very fast!
jayjay119
The slump in preorders and PSN cards I can understand, but why the hell are they complaining about trade ins? They’re still making a sale on 360s and they have a backlog of PS3s they can push out when people come to their senses again after this all blows over.
Deathbrin
Who’s complaining? It’s just a report.
rht992
wow some people are quick to jump ship. Jesus its only been a few weeks