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[Box of Bunnies]

Update 2
Sony have released a statement responding to the news:

For the launch of PlayStation Vita in Australia, with the specific target market being the active gamer we have chosen to launch the console with a focussed retail channel strategy across national specialist game and specialist technology retailers.

There is a long term vision for our revolutionary new hand-held platform, in the same way we had a long term vision for PS3, and anticipate that in line with this we will broaden channel distribution in the future.

---

Bad news has come for bargain hunters in the lead-up to the launch of the PS Vita: Big W, Target and K-Mart will not be stocking the Sony handheld console.

Big W and Target said in emails they did not rule out stocking the console in the future, but they will not be available at launch.

“At this stage we are not stocking the PlayStation Vita, however it may be something that we stock at a later date,” read a statement from Big W and Target. K-Mart stated they will not be stocking the PS Vita at all because they are leaning towards products with lower prices.

Full story at Kotaku Australia.

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Original post:
In an afternoon of bomb dropping worthy of Lord Iwata himself, acclaimed GAF Fellow VOOK has revealed that Big W, Kmart and Target - three of the biggest chains of department stores across Australia - will not be stocking Sony's Vita.

The story first broke that Big W would not be stocking Sony's new system at launch, hoping to eventually try and stock the handheld, but news soon emerged that neither Target nor Kmart would be carrying the Vita.

 

[DarthHomer]

Oh jesus. That's insane.

 

[zoukka]

Well that's... really weird.

(if it happened outside Australia)

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Vitapocalypse.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

 

[OneMoreQuestion]

#gamechanger

 

[To Far Away Times]

It's the bomba that never went off.

 

[EatChildren]

DOA.

 

[The Technomancer]

I think we need to know more about the "issues with Sony"

 

[Wario64]

#gamechanger

RT

 

[Mengetsu]

It's the bomba that never went off.

Perfect.

 

[TigerUppercut]

I wonder if it's because of the 10% discount when you buy digitally?

 

[speedpop]

I think we need to know more about the "issues with Sony"

Most likely a pricing issue that hurts the retailers. The stores mentioned are hardly the type to discount heavily with gaming hardware and software. Could probably walk in to Big W right now and find Super Mario Galaxy for $100 AUD.

I wonder if it's because of the 10% discount when you buy digitally?

Possibly.

 

[Rlan]

Yeah this worked out well when Harvey Norman decided to not stock Wii and DS products early on.

 

[falconzss]

The good news keep on coming...

 

[djplaeskool]

Retailer revolt.
Also, lol AUS.

 

[web01]

Misleading thread title they want to stock it, most likely supply issues.
Do not blow things out of proportion.

 

[dallow_bg]

$99,999 AUD saved.

 

[strideramc]

It's the bomba that never went off.

Inception Bomba?

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

has this actually been confirmed? if so, lol

 

[reptilescorpio]

I wonder if it's because of the 10% discount when you buy digitally?

Bingo Bango. Huge news.

 

[antonz]

Misleading thread title they want to stock it, most likely supply issues.
Do not blow things out of proportion.

Except Stocking issues is not at all whats being reported for all of them. Kmart said its way too expensive for instance.

 

[remz]

Probably because the OG PSP did so poorly here? i dunno

 

[Chavelo]

Woot! Price drops for me!

 

[jbug617]

I think we need to know more about the "issues with Sony"

I think Sony probably has a certain amount the retailer has to buy and those retailers don't want to buy that amount.

 

[Ignis Fatuus]

Misleading thread title they want to stock it, most likely supply issues.
Do not blow things out of proportion.

Someone get that picture of Kaz Hirai photoshopped onto Baghdad Bob. This is too perfect.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Damn, good luck Sony - but it seems like it could become very ugly if vita sales slow down after the launch.

There isn't much retailer support as far as I've seen here in Germany either.

 

[Card Boy]

Good, I like seeing Sony squirm. They should be punished for the $1000 PS3, fuck the $599 meme. We got conned over here.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

The stores mentioned are hardly the type to discount heavily with gaming hardware and software.

Are you kidding? Big W are huge on first week price discounts. Just about every early local purchase I make is from them.

 

[pieatorium]

Good, I like seeing Sony squirm. They should be punished for the $1000 PS3, fuck the $599 meme. We got conned over here.

$899 PS1 iirc

 

[Kerrby]

Misleading thread title they want to stock it, most likely supply issues.
Do not blow things out of proportion.

So you have no idea the reason why it's not being sold in major retailers, have a guess and then tell him not to blow things out of proportion.

Wow... never change GAF.

---

Looks like only 4 places are going to sell the Vita in Australia, major BOMBA.

 

[Typographenia]

If only it was more obvious whether it had a microphone or not.

Spoiler

Yikes

 

[dragonlife]

Damn.

 

[speedpop]

Are you kidding? Big W are huge on first week price discounts. Just about every early local purchase I make is from them.

Truth be told this is coming from someone who is used to buying 20-30 games for less than $100.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

Probably because the OG PSP did so poorly here? i dunno

I wager it's this.

Shelf space is a premium. No retailer is going to want to waste it on an item they don't think they can move.

 

[Card Boy]

$899 PS1 iirc

Wasn't the PS2 equally obscene in price?

 

[panty]

Goddamn fanboys.

 

[antonz]

I think Sony probably has a certain amount the retailer has to buy and those retailers don't want to buy that amount.

This could really be a factor. I imagine Sony is feeling some pressure to meet certain numbers with the fical year ending around the corner. Stores may not want to be taking on massive inventory after the last Sony Handheld

 

[nincompoop]

So I guess this means we should expect a revision with a 3D screen to be announced any day now, right?

 

[JaseC]

Wasn't the PS2 equally obscene in price?

$749.

 

[SafeinSound]

Misleading thread title they want to stock it, most likely supply issues.
Do not blow things out of proportion.

This is actually a pretty huge deal.

 

[Box of Bunnies]

Truth be told this is coming from someone who is used to buying 20-30 games for less than $100.

Well of course they're never going to hit PC level discounts, but they cut the profit margin pretty thin in terms of handheld and console games in the first couple weeks of release.

Not incorrect is saying that they otherwise stick close to the obscene local RRPs, though.

 

[Luigiv]

Wow, that's a pretty big deal actually, the discount department stores have quite sizeable game departments. Way to drop the ball Sony.

 

[Card Boy]

$749.

Still bad, any new console over $650AUD is a rip off.

 

[CrunchyFrog]

Whatever the reasoning behind it, it's still significant that 3 major retail chains will not be stocking it at all in the launch window, despite the damage being localized to a relatively small territory.

 

[DaSorcerer7]

This is not good.

 

[JaseC]

Still bad, any new console over $650AUD is a rip off.

In the current economic climate, I'd say anything above a $100-150 mark up on the US price is just highway robbery.

 

[remz]

If they fuck up the launch I can't see the console taking off, It'll be like the PSP1 was here, a novelty.

 

[Anth0ny]

MAXIMUM BOMBA

 

[RadiantRule]

Do people buy games from these places? I've never bought a game from any non-gaming specific retail store except Harvey Norman and JB Hifi.