SCEA: We underestimated 80Gb PS3 demand

SCEA marketing boss Scott Steinberg has admitted that demand for the 80Gb PS3 SKU in America has taken SCEA by surprise, giving rise to a shortage of the machine.

"Our strategy at the end of the year was to offer up a $399 40Gb, which we thought was the magic price for a Blu-ray machine, and then a $499 80Gb," he said, speaking to Gamedaily. "What we were surprised to see is that $100 really didn't matter to a certain customer.

"Our sales were fairly equitable according to TRST and our internal numbers through the holidays and even into January; we're pretty dry on the 80 GB as a result of us underestimating the demand for the 80 GB and thinking that most folks, because the price message was such a big part of the pundits and the analysts decrying the differences between the 360 and the PS3, [would prefer the 40 GB]. Reality is the price wasn't that big of a deal and $499 sold a lot more than we thought, so the 80 GB got dry at retail not due to us artificially compressing it but the demand became greater than we thought."

More through the link. Thanks, Blerk.