HOW FAR would you go for a Play Station 3? vs. a NIntendo Wii?

How long would you wait in line or pay someone for their place in line to get a hold of one of these precious commodities? With Christmas just around the corner it seems like this year's Tickle Me Elmo is the Play Station 3 gaming system. Playstation has etablished its brand as an innovator of graphics and technology while also housing a plethora of games with a very large fan base. It competes with sytems like Xbox and this years Nintendo Wii, which in itself is quickly developing a loyal set of fans. Nintendo is a more lighthearted and user friendly system vs. playstation's strong graphics making both gaming systems loyal and consistent with what their brand continues to represent.

Now although die hard fans willing to wait two days in line for a system no doubt deserve it, what about everyone else. People can view the scarcity of the product and waiting in line as part of the appeal, but the majority are not into the whole going to Best Buy at 5 am on Black Friday to get an amazing deal feeling. When does a shortage lose its excitement and just become annoying. Nintendo Wii for example had about 4,000 systems at the Toys R' Us in Times Square for approximatelty 3,000 people. The line was wrapped around more than the ntire city block. "Wii came, Wii saw, Wii conquered. After hours in line getting worked into a frenzy, the unwashed masses were finally admitted into Toys "R" Us to pillage the store and escape with their Wii." http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/19/wii-launch-wrap-up/

The Nintendo Wii still managed to have the excitement and scarcity that the playstation had, while simultaneously being able to sell every single customer a system. This potentially builds a greater loyalty to the brand than waiting in line for two days to get a playstation and then not getting one because the guy in front of you bought five to sell on E-bay. With the Nintendo Wii getting great reviews and happy consumers, play station may be treading water in the deep end of the pool.

Marketing practices rub off on people and change their perceptions of the brand. Brands must be developed and evolve with the needs of their consumers. As mentioned before, the majority of playstation purchasers aren't the crazy fans who want to wait for hours for a system, but they are customers who get frustrated and potentially generate negative WOM because they can not find one for their son. There must be a balance in order to keep consumers happy, but who knows, sometimes the challenge just makes you keep going back for more.

-Yvette Hakim