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Electronic Gaming Monthly, in an interview with Sony's Jack Tretton in early January, mentioned the recent availability of his company's console: "...it seemed like about 50 percent of the people in line were there to make a quick buck on eBay. And now we're seeing a lot more units on store shelves." Jack seemed a tad surprised by this, but he put his money where his mouth is: "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it. I can get any retail buyer on the phone with you and get them to verify that there's not a single retail location in America where there's a PlayStation 3 on the shelf for sale. They've all been sold in a matter of minutes." After EGM let Tretton know they had indeed phoned 18 stores and found half of them had PS3s in stock, some stores with as many as 20 consoles, Jack held firm "if only nine of the 18 stores you contacted had supplies, that seems to be a clear indication that sales continue to be outstanding." So there you have it, Jack's not backing down. We're guessing our check is already in the mail.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/09/ce-oh-no-he-didnt-part-xxiv-jack-tretton-wants-to-give-you



Lock if old, search yeilded no results.

 

[HAL_Laboratory]

Hope he didn't need that money for anything.

 

[duderon]

There's going to be a lot of rich gaffers.

What's his phone number btw??

 

[Maxwell House]

How does someone that high up in a company not even realize how well his company's product is selling? Ridiculous.

People were finding PS3s sitting on store shelves before December was over for petesakes.

 

[MutFox]

:lol

 

[Blablurn]

Oh Sony...

 

[OatmealMu]

 

[KiNeSiS]

What a spin master everystore has stacks that i've been in.
Wii literally flies off shelves within 30 minutes all shipments everywhere here are out.
Wish I could grab one of those puppies =(

 

[ManaByte]

So can you multiply it? Like go to BB, find one and sit on it for 5 minutes for the $1,200 and then go across the street to Fry's and do the same thing?

And is it $1,200 per system?

 

[Ryudo]

Wow, wonder if he is really feeling well or he gets paid to act like that.

 

[Sullichin]

Yeah, I just read that interview in EGM. The article inked to in the OP has some expected selective editing (ie they state the interview was from early January)... but the point still stands I laughed at a lot of his responses.. this guy's a joke.

 

[Rody]

This will not end well.

 

[Confusion Illusion]

I can use $1200.

 

[Karma Kramer]

Man that EGM interview was such a good laugh.

I applaud Shoe for asking the tough questions and not letting up.

 

[cvxfreak]

Guess Jack Tretton hasn't been keeping up with Japan. :lol Thing's been in stock since early January. I know he meant America, but still. :lol

 

[Wario64]

brb guys gonna claim my $1200

 

[jamesinclair]

So if I go to bestbuy, and film a PS3 for 5 mintues, Im rich?

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Ok, there is a little bit truth to this. Anytime I've seen a PS3 on the store shelves in the several stores I regularly visit, I've typically came back to that location only to see it sold out. I just doubt that it is withing 5 minutes. More like an hour to several hours. That is just my area though.

 

[Deku]

suimasenjyakkusan.jpg

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

I was waiting all day for someone to post this interview. This is spin so absolutely insane I wouldn't be surprised if Jack got motion sick.

 

[ManaByte]

Yeah, I just read that interview in EGM. The article inked to in the OP has some expected selective editing (ie they state the interview was from early January)... but the point still stands

Well EGM has a lead time due to being a print mag.

But I found this part good:

After EGM let Tretton know they had indeed phoned 18 stores and found half of them had PS3s in stock, some stores with as many as 20 consoles, Jack held firm "if only nine of the 18 stores you contacted had supplies, that seems to be a clear indication that sales continue to be outstanding." So there you have it, Jack's not backing down. We're guessing our check is already in the mail.

 

[Grimm Fandango]

The fun never stops with the Sony execs.

 

[Joe Molotov]

I could have like $36,000 right now.

 

[dyls]

Guess Jack Tretton hasn't been keeping up with Japan. :lol Thing's been in stock since early January. I know he meant America, but still. :lol

Maybe he meant Europe.

 

[Corwood Rep]

So I work at Target, right?

Anyway, they had two 60 giggers at 9:00 a.m. when I started working, and when I left at 4:00, they were still there. Do I get $1200 or $2400 or more since the odds of two being left in the same location are pretty low?

I hope this deal isn't over, since the interview's pretty old.

 

[Deku]

Maybe he meant Europe.

I don't see how they could sell 1 million right away in a fragmented market like Europe with less disposable income than the USA when they can't do it America

 

[Stormbringer]

While we're at it, some other awkward, or even pretty ridiculous quotes from the interview, from a thread on SA Forums :

EGM: Well let's talk about that for a second, because, from our unscientific studies, it seemed like about 50% of the people in line were there to make a quick buck on eBay. And now we're seeing a lot more units on shelves.

Sony CEO: Really?

EGM: Yeah

Sony CEO: We've shipped more than 1 million PS3 units to North American consumers in the first 43 days since launch. I am not sitting in the store to know when they got put on the shelves or if the salesperson is giving you accurate information, but if only nine of the 18 stores you contacted had supplies, that seems to be a clear indication that sales continue to be outstanding.

And is people are camping out to buy our machines to sell them on eBay, and successfully sold them at an extremly large profit, I don't think you'd find a company in the world that'd say "Yeah, that is pretty depressing. Not only did people camp out for them, they resold them at a %2500 dollar profit overnight-Yeah I'm pretty disappointed with our launch". It's hard fpr me to see the glass as half empty in that.

EGM: But Why is the general vibe surrounding your launch so negative this time around? Regular gamers seem disappointed. Time Magazine even called it one of the biggest busts of 2006

Sony CEO:Time Magazine... I did an interview with Time Magazine- the guy did his first interview ever on the games industry, touched his first machine two days before that so I would argue that Time magazine may not be as plugged -in to the consumer or the gamer as your magazine is.
All I can talk to is the people that we've attempted to, and we've attempted to sell Playstation 3s to a million people, and they've bought'em as quickly as we can get them out to them.

EGM: Out of all the things you just listef, only Blu-Ray and free online are your real advantages. You can do all those other things on XBOX 360... for $200 less.

Sony CEO:Good Point, but let me give you one differntiating factor: the Playstation Brand. What does Playstation mean? Playstation means you could have bought a Playstation back in 1995, and it had software support and was selling tremendously through 2005, and it'd still be selling today, but we stopped manufacturing the hardware. And then PS2 came out, and that sold 110 million units, and it's still the best-selling console seven holiday seasons later in 2007, and that had backward compatability with the original Playstation.

Let's say I went out and bought a competing system. How many of those machines lasted 5 years? None of them. So I may incremental investment if those other features I just talked about are not unique to the PS3, but if I invest in a PS3, it's a brand that has staying power and has proved itself. Until we let the consumer down, that's going to be a huge advantage for us. Hopefully we never will.

 

[Karma Kramer]

I was at Gamestop about 6 hours ago and they had PS3's in stock.

Infact they have been in stock for a week now.

 

[Blackace]

Guess Jack Tretton hasn't been keeping up with Japan. :lol Thing's been in stock since early January. I know he meant America, but still. :lol

you know he meant America but you still felt like trolling, you mean right?

 

[cvxfreak]

you know he meant America but you still felt like trolling, you mean right?

I read the interview this morning. The EGM article actually took place in early January. It's still funny seeing someone as high up as him actually say something like that. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't realize the stock in Japan until recently myself.

As for the whole interview, EGM was tough with Tretton. Surprisingly tough I'd say.

 

[Community Forum]

Well, I bought mine in late December, and they had been in stock for days at my Circuit City.

 

[Blackace]

I read the interview this morning. The EGM article actually took place in early January. It's still funny seeing someone as high up as him actually say something like that.

I guess he should tell people to "pack it up we lost!"

it is his job gots to earn his millions somehow

 

[WickedAngel]

I couldn't stand to read all of that interview but it's not surprising that he would say something so ridiculous. The entire article seemed like damage control/spin-mastery from his end.

I guess he should tell people to "pack it up we lost!"

it is his job gots to earn his millions somehow

Is it his job to make himself and the company he represents look foolish? That's exactly what he did.

 

[chespace]

SCEA is in good hands.

 

[Karma Kramer]

I guess he should tell people to "pack it up we lost!"

it is his job gots to earn his millions somehow

doesn't make it any less funny though...

 

[Deku]

I read the interview this morning. The EGM article actually took place in early January. It's still funny seeing someone as high up as him actually say something like that. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't realize the stock in Japan until recently myself.

That's the trouble with corporations or any organization. Usually denial that a particular product strategy has failed goes all the way to the top and it can't be fixed until the company introduced a new product in which case new strategies are formulated or it fires everyone in key positions, which is usually unlikely.

 

[Blackace]

doesn't make it any less funny though...

true that... won't be the last time we people spinning..

 

[SleazyC]

Good grief... just sow all the CEOs mouths shut.

 

[cvxfreak]

I guess he should tell people to "pack it up we lost!"

it is his job gots to earn his millions somehow

I'm concerned more with the professionality of such a comment. I can live with damage control beyond laughing myself to death over it. It's just extremely smug and even kind of insulting to say something like "I'll give you $1,200..." Pardon me if I came off trollish, but that's truly how I feel after reading the whole thing.

 

[plagiarize]

my eb laughed today when i bought a ps3 off them that they'd had in stock for a week. they wanted to know if they could get another $1200 for the same system every five minutes.

jack tretton say some crazy things some times.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I smell a Penny Arcade comic strip coming.......:lol

 

[Bildi]

C'mon someone, make some money!

I'm in Australia so I'm out of this comp

 

[DyTonic]

guess he will go bankrupt owing people..

 

[Uncle AJ]

Hrm, he conveniently left out his contact information.

... Seriously, how does it serve Sony in any way to throw out this "challenge" when he knows people are going to call him on it?

They can't really be saying all of this hogwash, can they? Someone has to be setting them up. It's all just a dream...

Spoiler

*focus, Mo, it's about the games, remember? All about the games...*

 

[AdmiralViscen]

In fairness, the interview was in early January.

How does someone that high up in a company not even realize how well his company's product is selling? Ridiculous.

People were finding PS3s sitting on store shelves before December was over for petesakes.

All he's worried about is selling them to retailers, that's when Sony gets the money.

 

[ethelred]

I wouldn't mind getting 1,200$.

 

[Corwood Rep]

Yeah, uh, PS3s were all over the place in January, too.

 

[Karma Kramer]

Almost the worst part about that 9 page interview was the pictures of Jack. With all the make-up he had on it looked like he was part of some broadway play.

What a Phony! haha

 

[dr3upmushroom]

aside from all the PS3 bullshit, the guy did have some good views on the industry... Now I want them to grill Reggie for no online, crappy graphics from 3rd parties (The Wii can do better) and when the **** will MP and SMG going to come out.

 

[Avalon]

When are NPD numbers out?

Not that I believe this guy for a second but Sony must think the PS3 is doing all right in NA for a reason...