Sony Offers Gamestop Managers Prizes For Pushing PS3 Units Options

[PS3Scene]

Sony Offers Gamestop Managers Prizes For Pushing PS3 Units Posted by XanTium | 6-6-2007 22:45 EST

From gamersreports.com: [QUOTE] Our source at Gamestop has come through for us again, folks. We know how this sounds, but trust us, we have the documents to back it up. Apparently, Sony is currently running a behind-the-scenes contest with Gamestop that is resulting in employees pushing the Sony console on consumers. The contest works as follows. Sony assigns a target sales number for each Gamestop store. This figure is obtained by using at the average PS3 sales numbers from April of this year, and manipulating it a bit. Then, the store manager in each district that sells the most PS3 units above the Sony assigned goal will be recognized as the winner. The manager who wins is then awarded 20,000 points to use on the Sony/Gamestop rewards website. On top of that, the manager of the number one store in the entire company wins an additional 10,000 points. The point/dollar ratio is 57.5 points per dollar. 20k points is almost $350 in games. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamersreports.com

[colt45joe]

what does it all mean!?

[Uradox]

Means sony cannot sell their PS3's. So what better idea than to get store managers to push their staff to sell them. Honestly I wonder sometimes why people would even go into such a store without knowing what they are going to buy prehand. Its quite a expensive investment these consoles.

Can honestly say however they really need to step their game up here in Japan. The largest eletronic shop in my city (Nagoya) EIDEN is mostly dedicated to Nintendo. 360 and ps3 both have a very low presence here. Not to mention TV advertising is plastered with nintendo.
They can push and push all they want but they need to show the public that their product is really worth buying, not get some pushy staff member to try and pull wool over your eyes.

[Chancer]

I find it very hard to believe this would work as a tactic.
If someone has got their cash ready to purchase a Wii or 360, why would they change their mind on the word of a salesman. I mean what possible incentive can they offer to change purchase?

[throwingks]

Besides, most salesmen don't care if their manager gets incentives. They would need one for themselves to have any effect.

Any respectable manager (riiight) would be upfront with a customer. $350 worth of games isn't worth the lost customers, that no longer trust you.

All over America
Father: "Son, I know you wanted a $250 Wii, they were sold out, so I got you this $600 PS3 instead!"
Son: "WTF! I hate you!!!11!1 T.T"
Next Day Headlines:
Another Man Arrested For Beating a Gamestop Manager with a PS3.

This post has been edited by throwingks: Jun 7 2007, 09:09 AM

[Martinchris23]

This almost comes across as Sony blaming the retailers for not trying hard enough!

Could this potentially be hazardous to Gamestop and their staff?

It's bad enough going into any shop and having the obligatory 'May I help you?' the second you walk through the door, let alone having a $600 console pushed on you.

I'm wondering how many staff will get involved in this. Is it worth owning a few extra games and forsake your (regular) customers?

Until Sony announce a major drop in price, or release a shedload more games for it, the PS3 will continue to sell poorly.

Does someone want to tell Sony the Aesop Fable of 'The Wind and the Sun'?

I would be sorely temped to cease sales of a badly-selling product if this was imposed on a store of mine, especially as long-term, it could hurt your business to which Sony would not be held responsible for.

Martin

[twistedsymphony]

I find it very hard to believe this would work as a tactic.
If someone has got their cash ready to purchase a Wii or 360, why would they change their mind on the word of a salesman. I mean what possible incentive can they offer to change purchase?

It works FAR FAR better then you'd expect.

While WE get our news online, read reviews, opinions, etc. most people don't, most people ask their friends who are gamers and when they don't have gamer friends (or don't have gamer friends with next gen consoles) they rely almost exclusively on the advice of store clerks. This is double true for parents, girlfriends, and relatives looking to buy the "right" console for their loved one during the holidays.

Ever time I go to a game store if I spend more then 10 minutes there I'm guaranteed to see at least 2 people change their purchase decisions based on the advice of the clerk... Sometimes it's good advice "you don't want that game, it's got some major bugs and we're getting a lot of returns" Sometimes it's bad "if you just want a 360 for gears don't bother, it's coming out for the PS3 soon and the graphics will be better"

Those are direct quotes... and in both cases the person changed their mind on what they were buying. I even pipped up when I heard the second one but both the clerk and the consumer took a stance of ... what the hell do I know even after I pointed to the MS logo on the GoW box

Sales incentives are one thing but the problem is most consumers look to these employees for advice and they're getting biased advice without full disclosure.

The sad part is I'm sure this will help PS3 sales and it's for a pittance of a pay off to the people selling out.

[supergrafx]

This is insulting. I love my PS3. I've voided the warranty already and painted the lid (will do the whole unit soon) with the dupli-color mirage paint (green, gold, changes colors ). This is an admittal that Sony is starting to fear it's low sales, ect... Instead, they need to keep the price as is, have faith in the console, and secure, if not make great exclusives themselves like Resistance from Insomniac. Let's face it, the public usually opts for cheaper prices. That's why places like the evil Walmart, chain stores, ect..., thrive. Because people are generally cheap, and don't think about the immediate consequences of their actions. It's why Bush and the oil companies are raping the planet, and global warming has destroyed this planet in a mere fifty years when the planet is millions of years old. The PS3 is not the ill faited Neo Geo. Games are not $600 a piece, just the console is. And it is the best system for your cash in terms of potential. Bribing Gamestop managers just looks really low, and may influence someone who is gaining interest in the ps3, to back out of their possible purchase of the system based on Sony's shady behavior. Not to say Sony are saints, I mean they are still corporate, and deserve to be hacked.... for my sake....

It works FAR FAR better then you'd expect.

Exactly, most peeps are fools/lemmings that follow each other. Reason why American Pop Idol is popular in the states. I myself am moving from D.C. to San Diego. I can't stand these idiots anymore.

[RBJTech]

I tell you what would sell more consoles on either platform - a commission system (be it real money or MS points for example) based on recommendations from friends / family that ended up with a purchase. I have been responsible for at least 10 xbox 360 purchases to friends etc, now if I had got some commission on each one, then I could easily extend that to 20 ... Who do you trust more, a technical friend or a spotty oike in the store ...

Just a thought MS ...

[Generic_anonymous]

This is really nothing new. Back in November Microsoft had a similar contest where the gamestop stores that sold the most systems got a free core system. For most of the time these contests are stupid. Good store employees are going to recommend whatever system is better for each customer. There is not necessarily one system that is better, just one system that is better for you.

P.S. I don't think that this sales contest was started by sony, as the rewards are done through gamestops internal reward dept. If it was Done by sony, there would likely be some official reward via sony products (system, games, ect) Like what happened when microsoft did it.

This post has been edited by Generic_anonymous: Jun 7 2007, 03:22 PM

[Archalien]

Id win the WHOLE competition!!! and get the 525$ in points!!
Still not enough to get a PS3 though, so Id flog the hell out of the PS3's and buy an Elite w/ the points HAHA
360 pwns

This post has been edited by Archalien: Jun 8 2007, 03:41 AM

[Thraxen]

Who here hasn't had salemen push items and various warranty plans on you? Who hasn't had their local game store geek offer their own opinion on games? It happens all the time whether or not anyone is offering incentives to do so. Sony's just trying to make sure it's their systems that's getting pushed more than the others. I can't really say I find anything surprising about this.

This post has been edited by Thraxen: Jun 8 2007, 06:29 AM

[HangTime]

This happens all the time in sales offering incentives for moving more merchandise, it's a common practice. I know I got a free 40 inch sony bravia last fall in a similar incentives program for reaching a certain sony lcd sales target. This is a very common practice in the sales industry and Microsoft ran a similar program last year I believe. I have a nice xbox360 and don't plan on buying a ps3 but you guys are just trying to give bad publicity to the ps3 for any reason possible even when it doesn't make sense. Just more ps3 and sony bashing that is based upon nothing and might I remind you I have an xbox360

[Generic_anonymous]

Also after doing some more digging, the points awarded are for gamestops reward site only. On the story page is shows that the contest winner would win 20,000 points. While there is a sony retail loyalty site for employees of retail chains, it is used for training, you take quizzes and earn points that get you free games and accessories (100 points per quiz, 3500 for a ps3 game). Microsoft have a similar site, they are used for training and rewards. But this article has the points from gamestop and sony mixed up. In reality the points only equal a basic cd player, or coardless phone a on the gamestop site (16,500 points for cd walkman) These points have nothing to do with the sony site.

This is valid information as I have a good friend that is a Gamestop store manager.