I think it may have been a mistake to reduce to 13 countries on laugh (after originally promising more) as now the buyers in those countries will feel more resentment towards MS than if it just hadn't been announced in the first place.

The strategies seem to me to basically be, Microsoft is shoring up it's markets it already has, at the expense of having a better chance of success in new markets where the PS3 dominated. This could be a very wise move as they want to lose as little market share as possible in the US and UK which would likely happen if they spread their launch too thinly.

Sony on the other hand are trying the different approach of winning as many countries early on as possible. It's certainly a more global strategy, but PlayStation is also a much more global brand. I think Sony are competing with Nintendo and Microsoft in a global market. But Microsoft are only really competing with Sony.

guys wallmart getting a shipment doesn't mean the whole US gets more units, its just that wallmart gets the units this time

I see your point but explain the UK situation then. MS is feeding the US but the UK should be just as important.

It also doesnt mean only walmart are getting a shipment this time. 

It all becomes completely irrelevant as the Xbox is completely sold out, so when people can't find a ps4 they can't find an Xbox either.

correct, it just seems that people expect sony to poof consoles just out of thin air, if you catch my drift. walmart shipment getting used as an argument"amg more units" which is nonsense it just means we know where they will be allocated nothing more, nothing less

I agree with general premise that a console sold in the usa is more valuable than a console sold in emerging markets. But ill also say that sony is using its global reach very well and while a console sold in brazil isnt as important as a console sold in north america, for sony it is more important than ms.

not necesarilly stock from thin air there was bound to be a dip in US stock the week alot of stock was going to EU for launch, it might even out now. 

Sure you have a point, but it's also true that people buy what their friends buy.
This was a major selling point of 360 as well. People weren't buying ps3's because their friends all had xboxes, so they bought xboxes.
Their friends had xboxes because xbox released almost a full year earlier.
Now, in this gen, xbox is looking at almost a year delay in countries other than the 13. To me it looks like Sony is trying to cement every country that isn't USA or Brazil.
So yeah, having enough stock is important, but it's also important to get that head-start.
Hard to say which one is more important.

Except that Amazon.com and BestBuy.com are now both showing limited quantities of XBox One's, but there is still no stock available for PS4s.

http://www.zoolert.com/videoconsoles/xbox-one-console/trackers/

http://www.zoolert.com/videoconsoles/playstation-4/trackers/