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Rumortoid: MGS 4 pre-order bots responsible for Amazon downtime photo

Today was quite possibly the worst day for Amazon to experience downtime. Planned to be the day that Amazon began accepting pre-orders for the Metal Gear Solid 4 80 GB PS3 bundle, everything fell apart when Amazon experienced some serious downtime this morning -- downtime that many are attributing to the popularity of the MGS 4 bundle and subsequent flood of pre-order traffic.

While technically true, rumor has it that the downtime is actually attributable to several bots set up prior to pre-order availability with the sole purpose of pre-ordering every bundle they possibly could, presumably to resell the bundles at inflated prices on eBay. Considering the stability of Amazon's site during their Wii pre-order bonanza, it seems likely they'd be able to withstand the onslaught of MGS 4-hungry shoppers.

Reports of those that actually got their hands on a bundle seem slim, leading one to wonder whether Amazon will be honoring these automated pre-orders. So, how many Dtoiders got their hands on the precious MGS 4 pre-order booty before the great strain of our collective lust brought Amazon to their knees?


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35 comments | showing # 1 to 35

FinalFist's Avatar
FinalFist at 06/06/2008 16:44
Shiiieeeet, I pre-ordered two months ago.
Arttemis's Avatar
Arttemis at 06/06/2008 16:59
Yeah, they apparently went out-of-stuck of the bundles within 30-60 seconds. A lot of people who didn't have 1-click-shopping weren't able to type in their information before they were all sold...

That's pretty crazy.
Aerox's Avatar
Aerox at 06/06/2008 16:59
Where did you manage to preorder the bundle from? No site that I've seen has been offering them until today, when Amazon put it's up and EBGames put one up with the stupid headset bundled in for an extra $50.

This sucks, Sony is making it as hard as possible for people who want to buy a PS3 to get one. You can barely preorder them anywhere, most stores I guess are being forced to sell them first come first serve. So, since I can't go to the midnight launch, I'm fucked. The next shipment of the 80gb PS3s isn't supposed to be out until June 30th at the earliest, and at that point I'm sure MGS4 spoilers will be so rampant that the game will be ruined.

Sony, you know why you're losing the console war? Because you're only selling the piece of shit 40gb and making it hard as fuck for people to get a halfway decent system.
Pariah's Avatar
Pariah at 06/06/2008 17:00
I wish their was tighter control of the speculative market on Ebay. Sigh, I guess some people will pay a premium for whatever it is they want.
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 06/06/2008 17:00
I assumed Amazon went down because of an error with the site update due to go live today.

An update successful on all the other domains (EU/JP/etc) which stayed up.

I don't see any way bots could cause this disruption.
Merry Ho's Avatar
Merry Ho at 06/06/2008 17:01
I can't wait for that day at goodwill when i find a MGS4 Steel PS3 for like $20 and I buy it and laugh
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 06/06/2008 17:06
Also, have a graph.

Statistically, Amazon looses $500 per second when down.
Krazot's Avatar
Krazot at 06/06/2008 17:07
Well this is my first post ever on Destructoid but I have to say something about it. At 12:59 on my pc clock I already had the page open and refreshing the screen and saw it pop up with the pre-order button, I managed to snag hopefully one of the first ones(I got my confirmation email and everything, stating it will be shipped) and my buddy who works in the same Cube as I do got it as well 20 seconds later. We will see what happens I guess, but Amazon is saying even with 1 day shipping it won't arrive till June 16th so I am not sure whats going to happen.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar
Samit Sarkar at 06/06/2008 17:14
That pre-order bot crap, if true, enrages me — and I don’t even want to buy the bundle. People who are out solely to ruin things for others really piss me off.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 06/06/2008 17:14
Breaking news: some people are jerks.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 06/06/2008 17:15
@Merry Ho, these aren't steel Ps3s.
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar
ThunderHeartXI at 06/06/2008 17:15
[img]http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4374/456rx0.png[img]

Hahaha, oh wow.
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar
ThunderHeartXI at 06/06/2008 17:15


I fail, here's the image.
Unicorn's Avatar
Unicorn at 06/06/2008 17:20
fucking dickslap bastards.
scottoid's Avatar
scottoid at 06/06/2008 17:24
man fuck those guys!
teach4food's Avatar
teach4food at 06/06/2008 17:29
I received an Email from Amazon yesterday informing me of the sale today at 10:00 pst. I tried and I tried and all I got was errors. Soooo pissed!
Arttemis's Avatar
Arttemis at 06/06/2008 17:40
@ThunderHeartXI

That price is what 3rd-parties are charging for the bundle, not Amazon.com's retail price.
What you're looking at is basically Amazon's version of Ebay.

The retail price that Amazon charges is $499.99.
ChrisFurniss's Avatar
ChrisFurniss at 06/06/2008 17:49
Yeah, I logged on at 10AM sharp, obsessively refreshing to try and get a bundle. Even with one-click ordering I was unable to get a preorder. I was going as fast as humanly possible, too. To drop a Fish Called Wanda reference: ASS-HOOOOOOOOOOLE!
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar
ThunderHeartXI at 06/06/2008 18:00
@Arttemis

I know, but that's what the pre-order botters are now charging, due to inflation of the price.

You'll pay an arm and a leg if you didn't pre-order it, it seems.
ChrisFurniss's Avatar
ChrisFurniss at 06/06/2008 18:07
@thunderheart those prices were up there before the preorder debacle.
Itchy's Avatar
Itchy at 06/06/2008 18:08
*previous owners sit back and laugh

*Europeans cry to sleep

**Previous owners accounted that they're Europeans feel, oddly, neutral.

OMFG 5 DAYS LEFT HOLY SHIT
mix's Avatar
mix at 06/06/2008 18:31
Good thing I preordered mine when I preordered Patapon!
TheRemedy's Avatar
TheRemedy at 06/06/2008 18:43
Psssh, more like everyone was ordering the dnd 4E books!
trunxkam45's Avatar
trunxkam45 at 06/06/2008 19:01
I got mine in!
naia-the-gamer's Avatar
naia-the-gamer at 06/06/2008 19:11
As someone who attempted to do some of Amazon's Holiday preorder contest stuff, they do a shitty job trying to make things fair. Some people log onto the https servers from what I've heard as one tactic. Some of them are jerks enough to gloat about it on Amazon's boards and try to sell theirs for a premium. It's deplorable.

Good thing I'm not interested in Metal Gear Solid 4 at all.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 06/06/2008 19:35
I hate the ebay fucks that do this shit. I've had it happen to me as well usually around the holidays with their great deal stuff a few years back. Woke up early, was set to go, site was all fucked up.
artson1966's Avatar
artson1966 at 06/06/2008 22:03
i got mine with one touch ordering, Now i will be selling my 60gig on ebay after this one arrives maybe. I may just put this one up, But unlike others it won't be for greed it would be because i really like my 60 gig more.I really am not sold on the 80 gig becuase of the lack of total BC but I hear that they may have an update sometime this year making the 40 and 80 gig BC if that comes true then I for aure would keep my steel 80 gig. I agree that these bot geeks and there greed do ruin it for us honest buyers looking for a great collectors addition .
Tash's Avatar
Tash at 06/06/2008 23:40
I got mine (at least I got email confirmation, etc). I'll be cautiously optimistic until I hear otherwise. No ebay for this guy. I've been waiting for this bundle for too long.
thebigghurt's Avatar
thebigghurt at 06/06/2008 23:57
for anyone of the people who ordered this on amazon you will not be getting the steel version. the steel version is only a 40gig and available at konami.com only
Volomon's Avatar
Volomon at 06/07/2008 00:10
Haha what a bunch of idiots they must all think they are getting the limited edition or something. When this ships their will be tons of them at every Gamestop and every Walmart. Who hells going to hit up ebay for it?
Rational_Jesus's Avatar
Rational_Jesus at 06/07/2008 00:21
I got mine right after 12:00 with no problems. A couple minutes later my friend tried the preorder and it was already out. I must have been lucky, I got my order notice shortly after. I've wanted the PS3 since I got my HDTV in December, and when they announced the MGS4 bundle- that was all I needed. I have no idea what the availability of these bundles would be, so the preorder on Amazon made sense. Plus I saved about $40 bucks in sales taxes. Yay internets!
LiesAllLies's Avatar
LiesAllLies at 06/07/2008 02:13
@ Volomon

It "is" a 'limited edition', of sorts. It's an 80Gb PS3 console (black though) So is one of the few backwards compatible versions of the PS3 (and currently only one sold retail) - but I'm sure you already knew that ;)

But what I'm alluding to, is that (knowing Sony) they wont sell this model again, for quite some time. So people are trying to get in quick. I for one know that BC is still very important to some gamers...

So glad I bought a 60Gb when they were still around :)

Alex
Sniper BoB 13's Avatar
Sniper BoB 13 at 06/07/2008 03:02
From what I know this is going to be VERY hard to get a hold of. The gamestop I frequent is getting.... 2. The gamestop with the largest amount I know of has 5. As for other retailers I have yet to find out...
deiga-the-semivaliant's Avatar
deiga-the-semivaliant at 06/07/2008 09:42
Oh goddamn I need one so baaaaaaad...
Itchy's Avatar
Itchy at 06/07/2008 16:41
There seems to be a lot of confusion with surrounding these PS3's and Metal Gear.

Steel PS3
40 gig PS3. Limited Edition MGS4 pack. Dualshock 3 controller. NO PS2 compatibility.
Price: $600

Black PS3
80 gig PS3. Normal edition MGS4 pack. Dualshock 3 controller. Near full PS2 compatibility.
Price: $500
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