It seems like there is a lot of gray areas when it comes to the disscusion about product availability. The terms sold out, supply constrained, limited availability, low stock, etc. can all mean different things to different people.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to have some type of measurement system to describe availability. For example a scale from 0-10. For example: 

0 - Sold out completely or unreleased

3 - Some units available as shipments arrive at retail

5 - Available at some retail outlets on a regular basis, may be hard to find at larger outlets and online

8 - Available at most outlets, perhaps harder to find at smaller outlets 

10 - Can be found at every retail outlet 

This might even be a service that VGC could provide. Information that NPD and other outlets do not provide would be a real differentiator.  

Great idea, I ran into this in a thread I made earlier. I used the word constrained and aj-habfan thought I meant Sold out... (in my mind contrained means it is available but in very limited quantities)

But who will make the new scale?

Would this be for games and hardware? I assume it would have to be based upon anecdotal evidence though being that ioi does not get weekly shipment data (we get quartely hardware shipments + various tidbits about specific software titles)

This would have to be based on Ancedotal data. It would be from user saying if they can find it or not.

There are only a few games that have real "shortages" (like Mario and Sonic did in the UK and SSBB will have in Japan). The cases like that are already covered by the media.