subject: Xbox kinect - Just in Time For Christmas [print this page] Xbox kinect - Just in Time For Christmas Xbox kinect - Just in Time For Christmas
Here we are again, another Christmas and another shortage of a toy. This year it happens to be the xbox kinect. Not only is it short but it's completely sold out. You can't get it anywhere. Or can you?
If you absolutely have to have it you can easily get it on ebay. The downfall of this plan is that you're going to be paying between 50-100 dollars more than it's listed at. The closer it gets to Christmas the worse this will become. I also know that you can get them on amazon but once again you are going to be paying much more than the list price.
If you're anything like me than you want to know how this is even possible. How can a large company such as Microsoft can fumble a product launch so bad?
For the last month or so you couldn't go anywhere without seeing something about the xbox kinect. It was on billboards, bus stops, radio, internet, celebrity, magazines, and even little men parachuting down from the sky with xbox kinect written on their foreheads. The amount of money they put into marketing it has to be into the tens of millions.
Why would a company spend that much money and run out? Well I can give you a few reasons. Keep in mind that this is only my personal opinion though.
First reason would be that they haven't run out at all. Like I said at the beginning of this article, this happens every single year with the top rated toy. The reason behind this method of marketing is solid. If they can fake a shortage than the hype for their product will grow. This hype will continue to grow as long as they control the supply. Unfortunately for us they do control the supply.
The down fall to this method is that it also drives prices up on auction sites. I kind of view these guys the same way I view ticket scalpers at the ball park. Have you ever met a ticket scalper at a ball park? They are a very economically challenged group of individuals. They act as if you are buying a pound of the last cocaine on the planet. They also look like they may be on the last pound of cocaine on the planet.
The second reason, and this reason is a long shot, is that they truly underestimated the demand of this product. I can understand underestimating the demand for a product. I mean, this is only the most advanced gaming system in the world. I don't think many people will want it, especially not right before Christmas.
So what can we, as the consumer, do about this? Nothing, we are pawns in a very elaborate game that ultimately comes down to money. When you have three very big companies, trying to be the number one gaming supplier in the world, you're going to see some shady tactics.
If you were to ask me, If I were the CEO of Microsoft would I do anything differently. I would have to say no. I wouldn't change a thing. It may be frustrating to the consumer but at the same time we play into it all to well. As long as we continue to do that, companies will continue to use this against us.
