Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (37716)	3/1/2000 1:09:00 PM
From: Don Green	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93625

SCE Targets Online Sales Of 250,000 PlayStation2 Consoles Thursday, March 2, 2000 TOKYO (Nikkei)--Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. plans to sell 250,000 PlayStation2 home video-game consoles, or 25% of the initial shipment, directly to consumers via the Internet, it was learned Wednesday. SCE will also adopt a variable retail pricing strategy for online sales in which prices of the machine and compatible game software can be changed according to demand. Significant sales of the console along with the adoption of variable pricing may seriously affect traditional retail channels in Japan as well as retailer-led pricing, industry sources said. SCE set up PlayStation.com (Japan) Inc. jointly with Seven-Eleven Japan Co. (8183) and other leading retailers and software developers to take advance orders for PlayStation2 consoles from Feb. 18 at 38,800 yen, 1,000 yen less than the suggested retail price at brick-and-mortar stores. The strategy has been so successful that the PlayStation.com Web site crashed because of the flood of incoming orders. This prompted SCE to increase the number of machines available via the Net. SCE also plans to lower the price of video games and DVD movies for a limited time some months after their release. One million units of PlayStation2 are expected to be sold via existing retail channels and online marketing within a few days of the console's March 4 release. "The size of the initial shipment is the largest ever for Sony Corp. (6758) or any other maker of home electronics products," a Sony official said. Among computer-related products, 200,000 packages of Windows 95 were sold in four days here in 1995. The popular iMac computer posted sales of 2 million units worldwide in one year. Meanwhile, 950,000 DVD players have been shipped domestically since they debuted in 1996. The release of PlayStation2, which can also be used as a DVD player, is expected to double the DVD player market. "The release of PlayStation2 will also trigger a DVD software boom," a top official of Culture Convenience Club, a DVD software rental firm, said. Anticipating a surge in demand, DVD retailers and rental shops are increasing their inventories of discs. Globally, SCE plans to ship 12 million PlayStation2 machines by the end of this year, popularizing an easy-to- use Internet terminal that could replace personal computers, industry sources said. Sony hopes to use PlayStation2 as a tool for e-commerce and online distribution of movies, music and video games. (Nihon Keizai Shimbun Thursday morning edition)