As the much-anticipated PlayStation 3 (PS3) gaming console is about to be launched locally at midnight tonight, there has been little marketing hype surrounding its arrival. There is also no clarity about unit figures.
David Hadassin, CEO of Ster-Kinekor Games, SA's official importer and distributor of the console, would not reveal how many units will hit the shelves tomorrow, saying the figures are confidential.
However, Budget Technologies owner Shannon Rogotzki, whose company is one of the resellers of the PS3, says only 5 000 units have been brought into the country. Hadassin disputes this figure, saying more have been imported.
Budget Technologies, CNA and Look&Listen will stage the midnight launch, which comes amid little hype as compared to the console's launch in the US and Japan, in November.
Of these three resellers, only Look&Listen would reveal presales figures, saying it has pre-sold about 90 units, across its 15 stores countrywide. Rogotzki would only say "presales of the PS3 have definitely done far better than the Xbox".
High sales expected
She adds Budget Technologies had to stop pre-orders so it could have stock available for the launch tonight. "We were allocated 322 units out of the 400 we were supposed to receive," she says.
Hadassin claims some resellers, such as Macro, have already pre-sold their entire stock allocation.
"We have sold all our imported units to resellers, and we expect the sales to be high over the next few months," he adds.
The initial hype in the US during the console's launch in November was high, but recent reports show February sales were only half those of the initial launch month. The Nintendo Wii has taken the lead in the US market: quite the opposite for the Japanese gaming market.
PlayStation continues to be one of the top-selling gaming consoles for Japanese gamers. The delays with the PS3's launch worldwide gave Nintendo a head start, but the PS remains Japan's console of choice, according to global media reports.
The local launch coincides with that of Australia and Europe.
(Additional reporting by Nicola Mawson)
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