The other day Amazon split the PS4 into a "Launch Edition" and "Standard Edition" with the following disclaimer:

Product Alert
The standard version of the PlayStation 4 is identical to the Launch Edition. Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee Release-Date Delivery on the standard version of the PlayStation 4. We will deliver the standard version of PlayStation 4 as close to its release date as possible.

The same was done with the XBox One, albeit with a "Day One Edition" and a "Standard Edition", with the Day One edition including some limited edition swag from Microsoft.  The "Launch Edition" of the PS4 has been unavailable for a few days now with the entire allocation claimed, and up until today, has been in first place on the Amazon Best Sellers list for video games with the XBox One "Day One Edition" second, and the PS4 "Standard Edition" third.  Looking today, the top 20 looks like this (I included The Last of Us simply due to the fact that it releases today):

1. PlayStation 4 "Standard Edition" - $399.96
2. XBox One "Day One Edition" - $499.96
3. PlayStation 4 "Launch Edition" - SOLD OUT
4. The Last of Us (PS3) - $59.99
5. Dualshock 4 Controller - $59.96
...
8. Watch_Dogs (PS4) - $59.99
...
12. Killzone: Shadow Fall (PS4) - $59.99
...
14. Forza Motorsport 5 "Day One Edition" - $59.99
15. XBox One Wireless Controller - $59.96
16. PlayStation 4 Camera - $59.99
17. Destiny (PS4) - $59.99
18. Battlefield 4 (PS4) - $59.99

What's interesting is the the availability of the XBox One "Day One Edition", as well as the attach rate for PS4.  That, and this:

47. XBox One "Standard Edition" - $499.96

http://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-video-games/zgbs/videogames/ref=pd_dp_ts_vg_1

(Because seal cubs are cliche.)

how is it that the sold out day 1 ps4 remains in the 3rd position? surely a sold out product isn't selling so well...

..also lulz at the ps4 camera being in the 16th position when literally nothing has been shown for it.

I'm wondering if this list shows the best selling items over a period.  Even though it is updated hourly, it may be, say, the best selling items over the past week.  This would explain a drop from 1 to 3 over a meteoric fall.  It will, by that logic, continue to fall steadily as no more can be sold.

The only other theory is that Sony may be updating Amazon with new quotas (unlikely) and they're promoting "Standard" sales to "Launch".

Not literally nothing

Do we need to make a thread about this every time? PRE-ORDER #S ARE NO INDICATION OF HOW A CONSOLE SELLS. Otherwise the Wii U would be doing amazing right now.

unless the camera is bundled with that hot blonde i'm counting this as nothing.  this is the equivalent to psvita's welcome park.

I'm getting the camera together or in a bundle with the next Media Molecule masterpiece. Until then it can wait.

Sorry to do this to you especially seeing as you seem to have put more effort into your OP than other examples, but still: since E3 finished there have been so many different threads discussing amazon placing (those are just the 4 easiest ones I could find, I'm sure there are more).

Unless something drastic changes or we get something more concrete than amazon rankings for these numbers, I'm gonna start locking these threads.  They're pretty much all duplicates of one another.