Pachter doesn’t believe Kinect/Move shortages are real

Industry analyst and milk thief Michael Pachter has question claims that Kinect and PlayStation Move are in short supply. He believes instead that Microsoft and Sony are deliberately withholding units in order to keep up demand and drive the hype. 

“I think both companies would very much like for consumers to believe that their devices are highly sought after and difficult to obtain,” he says. “That usually works to spur demand.

“Sony shipped 2.5 million units in the US and Europe, and their sales are nowhere near that level, so I’m not sure how they can reconcile the fact that units shipped far exceed units sold.”

Pachter was a bit kinder to Microsoft in his assessment, suggesting that the company is doing a better job with Kinect supplies: “I do think that Microsoft is managing supply a bit better, and keeping standalone Kinect supply tight to make sure that there is a steady supply through Christmas. They have shipped a lot of console bundles, to ensure that the eBay price doesn’t get above $300 for the standalone unit, but supply of the standalone remains tight.”

Everything else about the hype for these things has been carefully manufactured, so I don’t see why the supply/demand dynamic hasn’t been as well. Makes sense to me.

Move And Kinect Shortages Are Manufactured, Says Analyst [IncGamers]