How did any of this get past even beginner level analysis?
Well people wished for a queue system, they gave us a queue system. The problem is that a monkey's paw is granting the wishes.
I don't know who thought this would be better received than the terrible system that was in place before.
I don't get why they (the entire industry) doesn't simply implement a signup list where unique buyers are put into a very long queue. Where buyers are determined to be unique based on delivery address and credit card or some other meaningful metrics.
I think they would if it was in their best interests. Valve wanted one Steam Deck per Steam user, so they implemented a queue while limiting the orders to one Deck per old account.
I'm sure AMD could avoid professional scalpers very easily by associating themselves to an entity that has databases of established PC gamer accounts like Steam, GamePass, GOG, EA Origin, etc. and limit the shipping to one purchase per "old" ID (say, created up to November 2020).
There would be little reason for these platform holders to refuse a collaboration like this, because they all gain in getting GPUs in the hands of PC gamers.
IMO the problem here is that AMD doesn't get a
350% YoY increase in net income by selling us their GPUs at MSRP, they do so by selling their chips to the OEMs at a much higher price.
And the more GPUs they sell us at MSRP, the more they'll anger the OEMs that are selling for twice the price.
The amount of GPUs they're dropping at MSRP is so tiny (looks like it's in the double digits
per continent) that it doesn't even matter if they're going to scalpers, miners or gamers.
We are complaining, but AMD is laughing all the way to the bank.
The joke's on us.
This is exactly what EVGA did. I joined the queue in November and I'm still waiting.
That's for a Nvidia card, right? EVGA doesn't make Radeon graphics cards.
