How to sell next-gen consoles, Marketing, Positioning, and Pricing [2020]

FWIW I saw the prices in NZ (from NZ's largest retailer, its walmart if you will)

numbers in NZ dollars
Xbox Series S 512GB Console $549.00 (365us)
PS5 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition $649.00 (432us)

Xbox Series X 1TB Console $799.00 (532us)
PS5 Console $819.00 (545us)
In South Africa, we are paying $738.50 for the PS5 and XBSX and just under $430 for the XBSS. I haven't seen any prices for the PS5DE so can't compare.

Break down PS5/XBSX:
$499+R16.25(avg exchange rate last week per $1) + 48% (import tax/delivery/store mark up) - R11999 or $499+48%= $738.40

Break down XBSS:
$299+R16.25(avg exchange rate last week per $1) + 44% (import tax/delivery/store mark up) - R6999 or $299+44%=$430 - Import tax will be less as the item costs less than the XBSX.

It's likely the PS5DE will cost us $582.50 (46%)

Yeah, we get ripped off so no wonder there are meme's flying around like the following:
 

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Yea. I'm curious to see how this pans out. Seems like MS went with a 1x, here is all your allocation till November, carve it up however you like. As opposed to going week to week/month to month. There's not really a lot of time left to be honest, I'm not sure what allocations will be like.

Either Microsoft did one big shipment without nothing more in transit due to arrive for launch (which would be incredibly weird), or they are hoping like hell everything they expect to arrive actually does arrive. And nothing will go wrong. In 2020! :runaway:
 
Got my Series X on Micrsoft Store. :) It took like 25 minutes. Seems like the "add to cart" took forever to stick. Then it took forever to review the cart. Then it needed me to add a credit card? I already had one on my account! And why isn't my Microsoft balance an option? Thought I was going to have to call Customer Support, but I added my credit card info & it gave me one more chance to review the payment option & allowed me to switch to the Microsoft balance. Yay! Placing the order then took 3 tries over about 5 minutes, but it finally accepted it. Whew! Happy camper now. LOL

Tommy McClain
 
I don't think I'll have a PS5 in time for launch, lol. It's not going to happen lol. Going to have to wait for post launch for sure. Just judging by what MS is doing, and knowing already what Sony had allocated. I'm not sure there is much more coming, and it will be hella nuts to get in on that.
My PS5 post launch pre-order was confirmed. :) Mid December baby!!
 
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In South Africa, we are paying $738.50 for the PS5 and XBSX and just under $430 for the XBSS. I haven't seen any prices for the PS5DE so can't compare.

Break down PS5/XBSX:
$499+R16.25(avg exchange rate last week per $1) + 48% (import tax/delivery/store mark up) - R11999 or $499+48%= $738.40

Break down XBSS:
$299+R16.25(avg exchange rate last week per $1) + 44% (import tax/delivery/store mark up) - R6999 or $299+44%=$430 - Import tax will be less as the item costs less than the XBSX.

It's likely the PS5DE will cost us $582.50 (46%)

Yeah, we get ripped off so no wonder there are meme's flying around like the following:
Bwa ha ha ha....
 
Either Microsoft did one big shipment without nothing more in transit due to arrive for launch (which would be incredibly weird), or they are hoping like hell everything they expect to arrive actually does arrive. And nothing will go wrong. In 2020! :runaway:
2020 it's the cinese rat year [emoji15]
 
OK. I'm back. Dying. No sleep. Can hardly lift my arms.

The good - Gamestop opened promptly nearly to the second. The crowd of about 20 people slowly trickled in after me. I was there at 5am, next person was 5:45am, then an increasing trickle. I managed to order one at Gamestop and one at the MS Store. (Not a scalper. One for me and one for the missus. Not just fun gaming. Good therapy for our brain's damage.)

The bad - The total allocation was 8 - X and 2 - S. That's it. Then Amazon went down. Then MS went down. Never thought I would see that. Then MS came back and like many others here, it took around 25-30 minutes to get the order completed with the screens refusing to fully load for order completion. I never even found Amazon's pre-order page. Searches on Amazon, Google or using the tech sites links all went to the same page. Which never showed any kind of ordering information.

The unknown - There were a few ex-GameStop employee's in line. Including someone who worked the 2 nearest stores. The other store's total allocation was 4 - X and 2 - S. There was word that no one was in line at Best Buy not but a 1/4 mile (402 meters for those in the civilized world) away across a parking lot. Never heard anything more.

I am so glad this is over with. I really am too old and beaten up to sit in a canvas chair on a sidewalk for 5 hours while freezing my butt off since I was dumb enough to wear shorts and not even bring a blanket. I hope everyone has as much luck as I did in the end.
 
OK. I'm back. Dying. No sleep. Can hardly lift my arms.

The good - Gamestop opened promptly nearly to the second. The crowd of about 20 people slowly trickled in after me. I was there at 5am, next person was 5:45am, then an increasing trickle. I managed to order one at Gamestop and one at the MS Store. (Not a scalper. One for me and one for the missus. Not just fun gaming. Good therapy for our brain's damage.)

The bad - The total allocation was 8 - X and 2 - S. That's it. Then Amazon went down. Then MS went down. Never thought I would see that. Then MS came back and like many others here, it took around 25-30 minutes to get the order completed with the screens refusing to fully load for order completion. I never even found Amazon's pre-order page. Searches on Amazon, Google or using the tech sites links all went to the same page. Which never showed any kind of ordering information.

The unknown - There were a few ex-GameStop employee's in line. Including someone who worked the 2 nearest stores. The other store's total allocation was 4 - X and 2 - S. There was word that no one was in line at Best Buy not but a 1/4 mile (402 meters for those in the civilized world) away across a parking lot. Never heard anything more.

I am so glad this is over with. I really am too old and beaten up to sit in a canvas chair on a sidewalk for 5 hours while freezing my butt off since I was dumb enough to wear shorts and not even bring a blanket. I hope everyone has as much luck as I did in the end.
Someone give this man a cigarette, a cold bath and a shot of whiskey.
 
I will say this Xbox Series preorder experience is absolutely nothing like the original Xbox One experience. From what I recall, I didn't place the Xbox One Preorder until weeks after it started. :LOL:


Also while I was working my way through this process, a work emergency broke out so I was juggling that as well. The major issue for work wasn't resolved until nearly 2 hours later at 1pm. :runaway:
 
I will say this Xbox Series preorder experience is absolutely nothing like the original Xbox One experience. From what I recall, I didn't place the Xbox One Preorder until weeks after it started. :LOL:


Also while I was working my way through this process, a work emergency broke out so I was juggling that as well. The major issue for work wasn't resolved until nearly 1pm. :runaway:
Yea XBO was like weeks after opening I could just waltz in and get one. No concerns about allotment.

everything is now OOS. Covid combo with demand
 
Before I forget - My thanks to all who were there with me in spirit. :mrgreen:
I was there first as well my friend, my ass is tired from the sitting. People did end up joining me in line. It was a painless but boring experience compared to the stress of trying to get a second one online.
 
Can we get a count on the forum who got their pre-orders? Maybe a poll? The breakdown probably all $500 models, but would still be neat to see how many who tried & failed to get theirs.

Tommy McClain
 
MS was offering employees 15% off the xss/x(254/424) and 50% off accessories and they crashed the site lool

They also have cool Scarlett T shirts and a hoodie but I don't know if i want to spend $22 bucks on a shirt and 50 on a hoodie
 
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