As you probably already know, the PlayStation 5 is not an easy console to find — and this is just about as true in Japan as it is here in the West. Naturally, Sony's doing all that it can to sell as many current-gen consoles as possible — but because of ongoing chip shortages and other persistent manufacturing issues (largely caused by the pandemic), it's still going to be while before Sony is able to match consumer demand.
A new incentive could help ease the situation, however. As reported by Yahoo! Japan a few weeks back (sorry we missed it!), Sony is currently working with retailers to tackle PS5 scalping in Japan. A quick explanation just in case: a 'scalper' is a person who snaps up limited stock in order to resell it at a higher price — and the PS5 has been a key target for scalpers since its launch in 2020.
Anyway, Sony's providing retailers with official seals, which are applied to PS5 packaging. The idea is that when a PS5 is sold, the retailer breaks the seal so that the PS5 can be identified as sold and 'opened'. The seal itself is apparently difficult to remove, so a boxed PS5 that's been sold be scalpers should be easy to spot because of the seal or the damaged packaging that a removed seal has left behind.
It's a bit unclear how far this incentive's reach is within Japan, but it sounds like a decent enough plan. Hopefully it's had some degree of impact on scalping market, and more PS5s are finding their way to regular customers.
[source news.yahoo.co.jp, via reddit.com]
Comments 33
I hope this works. These people are the scum of the Earth.
So anyone who wants to keep the box will have to live with the damage the seal causes?
How does this stop scalpers? Hope that people don't want to buy an "open" PS5?
@Milktastrophe I don't understand it either. How is that a deterrent to scalpers?
@evan23 @Milktastrophe It's basically to try and deter scalpers from buying PS5s at retail to begin with. Not exactly a huge deterrent, I agree, but there must be a reason Sony tries it in Japan.
@Milktastrophe You'd be surprised at the amount of people that like to buy their stuff and have it in spick and span condition including the packaging. I'm one of those people.
Really a shame that it’s still this hard to get a console. I’ve been trying for almost two years and still no luck. Still happy with my PS4 luckily!
Hopefully everyone can get a ps5 worldwide its a great machine so is the xbox I have the ps5 since day1 19th November but haven't bought the series x happy with xbox one until there's a reason to buy one
@RubyCarbuncle Out of curiosity, have you managed to get one for yourself? I feel like that mentality would add to the difficulty level of getting one.
I was fortunate enough to find an honest dude on Kijiji (Canada's Craigslist) who was selling his PS5, extra controller and headset for under retail and it was literally spotless. I know it sounds funny getting excited about used goods being under retail when that should be expected, but it was all in such immaculate condition that it felt like buying everything new, just that someone else took it out of the box for me.
If not for honest used sellers I would still not have one.
@rival_fight I did I got it day one but that was only because I know the Manager in my local Gamestop and he was very kind to reserve one for me. I was just lucky because as soon as the orders went live they were sold out in mere seconds, quite literally.
@rival_fight Oh and fair play to that guy btw. If there were more people like him the World would be a better place.
Why not the retailer when they sell it you ask for your ID, and they enter it in and register the serial number to you. It then activates the console to be used, if a scalper sells one, the unit cannot be used on the PS network since that serial number is not registered as active. If you want to sell it, then it has to be deregistered. Almost like the hardware serial/mac address is being leased to you.
In the states things are pretty much back to normal(yay?), so having them available, one per customer, in store should be easier. Or the more cumbersome route, would be to email each and every ps4 account and offer it that way.
I hope the retail price of PS5 is under control to MSRP price so people's can buy PS5 machine with reasonable price.
2 years In and these consoles are still a rare coin. LMAO
And here I was hoping they would work with the Yakuza to make sure they greet every scalpers in a way so violent it would immediately be moderated if I was to describe it here.
I doubt this plan will do much to deter scalpers, but of course I'd love to be proven wrong...
@mrtennis1990 I'm still hoping to get one, but don't need the stress of trying hard to get one. My PS4 is annoying me, it's high time to get a new console. I can't take loading screens knowing that the PS5 exists!
Scalping is fair game if you ask me. Capitalism - either take it or leave it. Except you can't really leave it.
Yeah, this won't stop anything.
People will pay whatever the asking, and more, for an 'unsealed' PS5.
Can't think of a better solution myself, but this won't help.
Me, I'm happy to buy anything that's second hand, already opened, previously used etc.
Chewing gum, COVID test, condoms......
Scalpers wouldn't be an issue if idiots didn't buy off them.
Also, retailers whether in-store or online could easily correct the issue by only issuing one console to one account for a set time period. They could even add extra features like only one PS5 can be shipped to the same address for a time period. Unfortunately for the consumer the retailers don't care because they're making money whether the buyer is legit or a scalper.
I applaud any attempt to help the scalper problem, it's got to be a layered approach, no one solution works alone.
That said I don't see this helping much. Whether I buy from a scalper or legit from a store the seal would be broken when I got home. If i was willing to buy from a scalper anyway what disincentive is there?
@lolwhatno I'm sure they're crying all the way to the bank.@The_Moose That is exactly correct.
@lolwhatno I don't remember that but if they're worried about the backlash then maybe they shouldn't brag about it? That's just not very bright.
I’m not sure how this is meant to help. Can someone explain? Do they think people are unaware they are buying from scalpers, or will despise the seal so much that they will refuse to buy one unless the seal is broken? I presume it’s not an indestructible seal and box…
@lolwhatno Thanks for the link! Those people are organising and charging people to join a syndicate or cartel. Again, there's nothing illegal about what they're doing but I find it difficult to countenance that they don't understand why people are annoyed at the practice - that's just being deliberately obtuse.
I don't think this is going to do anything at all.
I wonder what nationality these specifically Japanese brains will be thwarting 🤔
Weak attempt to stop the scalping process.
You can spot a scalper simply by the price of the console that will definitely be way over MSRP - you don't need to see the box to know that.
And people that want to buy from scalpers, are clearly agreeing to the price and the fact that the console is actually resold... they won't be in any way deterred by the broken seal.
Without international laws to ban the reselling of a new product for a period of time after launch (for 6 months for example) and to severely punish the scalpers, this phenomenon will not even begin to be slowed down.
Actually, this is where Sony's method could help - selling a console with a broken seal can 100% be considered "reselling", and with the help of the above mentioned laws, the perpetrators be found and brought to justice.
Without laws to back it up however, it's not even gonna make a dent.
Still not good enough, I still can't walk into any shop and buy a ps5 at retail price, that won't change for a while in UK London
@SamMR it's rediclous isn't it, I still refuse to pay scalpers prices but it's annoying that I still can't get a ps5 from the shops yet!
@spoonard excalty, no difference in Europe or UK tbh
@RubyCarbuncle scalpers are the scum of the earth, and people like cex and game UK are still selling the console at extortion prices!
I'm happy to see this and hope it's applied worldwide.
I am sure there are a few scalpers out there who will remove the product and scam people with rip offs on top of overpricing the product.
If this will deter scalpers I'm all for it.
I was really hoping that the 4th word would be 'developers' and for that to be the end of the headline. ☹️
This won't do a thing. Why don't retailers just do open pre-orders for consoles? Even if you have to wait for weeks or months you'll get one eventually when your turn comes. Otherwise you are competing with scalpers and other customers for in store or online stock notices.
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