Interesting strategy by Sony. They are risking not being number 1 long term in USA by under supplying, but at the same time they are all but guaranteeing they will be number one almost everywhere else. Possibly only in Australia is Xb one number 1 at the moment. Ultimately being most successful globally is better for Sony, especially given Sony makes less money from hardware in the USA.
But I do wonder if Sony is spreading itself too thin. For instance here in NZ if you didn't pre-order a PS4 there is no way you're getting one before February, and I bet in a lot of markets its a similar situation. Walk-in sales for PS4 won't happen for a few months. Sony isn't selling every PS4 it ships, it's selling PS4's before they ship, before they even come off the production line. Perhaps if they stayed focused on their main 37 markets it may have been better for them at least to get through to January, and expand to the 49+ in mid January, then February in Japan. In December I would think the smart move is maximising supply into countries where Christmas is actually a big thing. Many of the 38-49 countries are not so big on Christmas, so waiting to release in January isn't a big deal.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
