Is it possible for MS/Sony to skew numbers for hardware sales, by buying there own stock. Most likely from their own stores, Sony store or Microsoft/windows store. So they can account it as sold, but then re-sell it for the same price, thus not losing any moneyz? Is something like that possible, or is their a clear flaw in the plan im missing and / or is there some legal mumbo jumbo preventing it.

Second question, how does sony manage stock with retailers. Every week I see "PS4 in stock at Best buy" or "PS4 in stock at gamestop" etc. I would think that since PS4's are all selling out, naturally comapnies would want to buy as many as they can. So do sony limit how many stores can buy of them. Otherwise I would imagine Amazon buying like all 4 million hoping to sell all 4 million, so is that the case, so sony would allow retailers a certain amount to spread out the profits?

Well... To answer the first question your example would mean that while they didn't lose anything in the end (other than the cost of making the hardware...), they didn't gain anything either. First they buy their own system for $400, then they sell it for $400. Simple maths.

To answer the second question, Sony cannot make tons of PS4s and expect all of them to be sold out. That would be a huge risk in case demand is not as high as predicted. So it's much safer to make a few units at a time and have a steady hardware production.

Yeah but they could reduce the gap/skew the console sales in their favour with little effort to increase stock/investor activity, and make potential buyers think the console is more succesfull.

Thats not my question, that was my example, I asked how do sony organise distribution to each stores, or even if they do, so that one store doesnt get a huge amount because they know they'll sell out and make more money.

I don't get what MS/Sony would achieve by buying their own devices from their own stores.

Also, the supply depends on the amount produced. So I would assume if Sony are producing 1 million PS4's a month, then they will ship a different amount to every region. Then lets say, half of that goes to North America. So all the North American units will be sent to a main distribution center who will then send stock to the main distribution centers of each store. Then it will be the responsibility of the stores distribution center to send it to all their various stores around the country. So Bestbuy or Amazon can't just order millions of units, since the Sony distribution center won't have that many units available. Also I would assume there is a limit to how many each store can buy.

This.