Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

March 23, 2009

In what could be viewed as a real-world version of a business tycoon game, the video game foreign trade wars appear to be heating up.

Earlier this month came word that Nintendo was jacking up the price of the Wii in the U.K. due to the weakness of the British pound vis-a-vis the yen.

Last week GamePolitics cited a report that China was using protectionist tactics by blocking entry of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft in order to promote home-grown MMORPGs.

Now, via Kotaku, comes word that Sony has stopped shipping PlayStation 3s to South Korea.

Thanks to the depreciation of South Korea's won versus the stronger yen, it seems that Japanese tourists have been picking up PS3s on the cheap and toting them home from Korean trips. A Sony employee told Chosun Online:

We are troubled by 'reverse-importing', which is when products exported into South Korea are flown back into Japan," said a Sony employee.

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Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

 

I saw this on Kotaku earlier.  Well, I can understand that.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

I understand the business practice, but where does this leave South Korean consumers? Are they forced now to purchase their PS3 via online only so that it is shipped directly to them? 

In which case what's to stop private re-sellers from buying a few PS3's jacking the price up higher than it it would otherwise be in South Korea but still less than the Japanese price and simply reselling?

Or is Sony just saying "Sucks to be South Korean, no Playstation 3 for you!"

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

I think Sony should say one thing saying "we'll sell it, But not to Japaneese people vacationing there in S korea"

Watching JT on GP is just like watching an episode of Jerry springer only as funny as the fights

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Only case in which I'd support this is if the halt of shippign was due to censorship attempts.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

So your saving your japaness part of sells but screwing over south korea? Way to go sony way to go.

 

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Ahhh, the SecuRom approach. They're going to risk 100,000 sales just to stop 100 cheap sales.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

This calls for a universal ban on WoW to all chinese players until this is lifted. =)

I'd also, if I were south korea, ban sony products for five years and give a government grant to microsoft to chop some of the price off of 360s and games.

This kind of marketing should not be tolerated, and I would be tempted to ban all chinese games from being accessed by U.S. players until this BS stopped.

I will not buy securom games. http://www.wolvenmoon.com/sharedfiles/message1.jpg and http://www.wolvenmoon.com/sharedfiles/message2.jpg

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

To: Sony and nintendo

Sell your products in your own currency only, making distributers do the conversions and pricing. Stop telling people what prices they have to charge for your products, and let the market decide.

Problem solved.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Once again Sony is against companies selling products to anyone, lets just hope another online retailer doesn't have to die this time.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Its funny reading this. If you go to my home town of Guatemala, Guatemala City Gamecubes still sell for more tha $150. Shit, a wavebird will run you 60 bucks XD

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 02/09/10 at 11:30am
Valdearg: Unfortunately, the Catholic Church doesn't fall under that. Their beliefs are the exact opposite of equality for Homosexuals.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:30am
gellymatos: Then I don't understand what we're disagreeing on then.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:28am
Valdearg: @Gelly: I'm well aware of that. Which is why I said the "Religious Right." I acknowledge and appreciate the few Christian churches that believe in the Gay Right's movement, as long as it's the WHOLE thing, even up to marriage equality.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:28am
gellymatos: You act as though all of us religious people are in the same, large group.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:27am
Valdearg: The absolute LAST thing the Religious Right wants is to have the Government acknowledge that the gay lifestyle is just as equal and acceptable as the straight lifestyle. It goes against EVERYTHING they believe.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:27am
gellymatos: Then look at another picture then. Not all religious groups have the same beliefs on gay rights.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:25am
Valdearg: Therefore, they will try to find any and all ways to slow the inevitable march of equality. Even admirable laws that protect gays from employer discrimination and violent hate fueled attacks are seen as affronts to their beliefs.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:24am
Valdearg: Again, you have to look at the bigger picture. Every political victory that the Gay rights movement scores marches them one step closer to being considered "equal" to everyone else. The religious right doesn't want that. It threatens their beliefs.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:23am
gellymatos: ...paranoid, as lawyers, that the language of the law may do so. But like I said, paranoid.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:22am
Valdearg: They see this as the Government encouraging the "sinful sexual behavior." They don't want gays to score ANY political victory, even one that protects them from violent homophobic psychopaths.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:22am
gellymatos: Oh, hell yes. And nothing annoys me more than that fact. They stray and make real catholics look bad. And yes, they could be...
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:21am
Valdearg: Also, you really think that people who are smart enough to practice law REALLY believe that this law will prevent them from expressing their religious beliefs? The fact is that these guys hate gays, and don't want them to be protected in any way.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:20am
Valdearg: The catholic teachings, perhaps, but certainly, there are PLENTY of Catholics who condone violence and hate. Just like these guys.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:19am
gellymatos: violence or hate against anyone.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:18am
gellymatos: Like I said, paranoia that the law could make it illegal to voice an opinion on gay marriage. And catholics don't condon...
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:15am
Valdearg: Can you find a different reason behind the lawsuit, other than the fact that they want to protect their "right" to perpetrate violence against homosexuals, based on their religious beliefs?
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:14am
Valdearg: The fact is that this Law Center, which specializes in the defense of Catholic Beliefs, kind of like a Catholic ACLU, I suppose, is challenging a law that PROTECTS homosexuals from violent acts motivated by hatred of gay people.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:13am
gellymatos: Again, sorry I jumped the gun like I did.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:13am
Valdearg: @Gelly: It's a liberal blog. Its not designed to be balanced. Does that mean that everything there is completely false, and not worth investigating? Nope.
Posted 02/09/10 at 11:12am
Valdearg: To be completely honest, I would argue that that assessment is more biased and farther from reality than the Daily Kos assessment.
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