http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2039112,00.html Didn't get around to pre-ordering? Don't worry, there won't be a rush Bobbie Johnson Thursday March 22, 2007 The Guardian It's a cliché which is brought out of retirement every time a new games console is launched: hordes of eager gamers queuing outside shops at midnight as retailers struggle to keep up with huge demand. But things could be different tomorrow when Sony's PlayStation 3 finally arrives. Where most consoles sell out even before launch day, the PS3 seems in abundant supply. In a straw poll of shops around the country conducted by the Guardian earlier this week, just one in 12 shops had completely sold out. You shouldn't have any problems bagging a PS3 - if you want to Didn't get around to pre-ordering? Don't worry, there won't be a rush Bobbie Johnson Thursday March 22, 2007 The Guardian It's a cliché which is brought out of retirement every time a new games console is launched: hordes of eager gamers queuing outside shops at midnight as retailers struggle to keep up with huge demand. But things could be different tomorrow when Sony's PlayStation 3 finally arrives. Where most consoles sell out even before launch day, the PS3 seems in abundant supply. In a straw poll of shops around the country conducted by the Guardian earlier this week, just one in 12 shops had completely sold out. Article continues The rest confirmed that customers would still be able to get their hands on a machine just days before the launch, and one shop - a branch of HMV in Aberdeen - even said that we were "almost guaranteed" to get hold of one if we just turned up on launch day. This is in stark contrast with the normal run of things, which usually sees consoles selling out fast. Sony says that it has worked hard to make sure it has enough stock to meet demand - citing this as one reason for the four-month delay in releasing PS3 in Europe. During the delay, it also announced that the European PS3 will only be able to play a limited number of PS2 games. According to the site at faq.eu.playstation.com/bc/, popular favourites such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will play, but with "noticeable issues". Gaming websites have been gleefully listing the various ways in which retailers are struggling to hit their targets. Currys told employees recently that it would require "a big push" in order to sell all of its stock. And HMV's flagship store in Oxford Street, London, has abandoned its midnight launch, though it claims this is not because of lack of interest but safety concerns over "crowd control". It did, however, hold midnight launches for the Nintendo Wii in December and World of Warcraft's Burning Crusade in January. Sony said: "We want stock to be freely available at launch and on an ongoing basis, thereby avoiding the boom and bust scenarios normally associated with hardware launches." But even Sony chief executive Howard Stringer has admitted that the £425 price tag could simply be out of the league of many gamers. He told the CEO Exchange TV programme in America: "If we fail, it is because we positioned PS3 sales as the Mercedes of the videogame field." Another dramatic example of Sony's predicament came with the news that on the other side of the Atlantic, where it has been available since November, the PS3 is lagging behind all of its rivals. Figures from market analyst NPD suggest that Nintendo has taken the upper hand in America's console war, with the two top-selling games machines in February: the DS Lite (with 485,000 units sold) and the Wii (335,000). The six-year-old PlayStation 2 came next, selling 295,000 machines, followed by the Xbox 360 (228,000) and Sony's PlayStation Portable (176,000). Even Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (136,000) sold more units there last month than the new PlayStation 3, which shifted just 127,000. Numbers like this will make tough reading in Tokyo, and leave one crucial question up in the air: after the loyalists are satisfied, how many people will want a new PlayStation?

I agree..

So, they said that there would be 1million at launch, and that amount has not been presold yet? I bet they don't sell them. Max amount will be 600,000 at launch. Then, just like everywhere else, plenty on shelves while the Wii is still sold out. March will be the only month the PS3 outsells the Wii in Europe, but not worldwide.