LogFAQs > #945217478

ForteEXE3850 posted...

However, the reality is, if the scalper didn't buy it, chances are you still wouldn't get it, because of how many other people are also trying to buy it. The scalpers are only a small number of people in the tsunami of people trying to buy a limited product.

Ehhh, that's debatable. It's not at all uncommon to see formal scalping businesses make up more than half of ticket sales for really popular concerts and the like, including some cases where some tickets are just sold directly to resale companies in exchange for a cut of the profits. That's less true for video game systems, since they're just practically harder to flip (more expensive to ship, physically harder to purchase in large volumes, generally have to line up in person), but often scalpers do make a significant dent in the available MSRP supply.

Now, in practice, there are enough people lined up behind the scalpers that most interested parties still aren't likely to get their own without being similarly aggressive in lining up. If there are none left when you check after work the next day (presuming midnight release), that would probably have been the case regardless of scalpers' involvement. That said, for those who are eagerly lining up and would have an appreciable chance of getting their own, halving the available supply (or even just reducing it by 20-30%) does put a significant dent in their chances.

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