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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Comments

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Submitted by gonzlamm on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 23:22.

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

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Submitted by ecco6t9 on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 17:17.

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

Submitted by SeanB on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 17:07.

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

Submitted by Wolvenmoon on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 15:03.

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

Submitted by MaskedPixelante on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 12:15.

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

Submitted by killatia on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 11:01.

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

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

http://www.killatia.com/

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 10:56.

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

Submitted by PHX Corp on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 09:06.

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

America has just became its own version of the Jerry Springer Show after a bizarre moment in Florida involving a carnival worker.

Re: Report: Sony Stops PS3 Shipments to South Korea

Submitted by nighstalker160 on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 07:59.

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

Submitted by mdo7 on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 07:43.

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

Shout box

Technogeek: If the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am

Monte: trolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm

Monte: Papa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm

Papa Midnight: Monte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm

Avalongod: I think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm

Avalongod: @Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm

Wonderkarp: Zippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm

Monte: Seirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm

Monte: We have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm

ZippyDSMlee: Wonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm

MaskedPixelante: http://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm

Matthew Wilson: the sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm

MechaTama31: So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am

Monte: I feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am

quiknkold: and we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: The whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm

quiknkold: I thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm

Matthew Wilson: while he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm

Papa Midnight: That was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm

Matthew Wilson: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm

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