Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/15/amazon-co-uk_ps3_preorder_debacle/
Amazon.co.uk disappointed eager buyers today when its pledge to begin offering its entire launch allocation of 60GB PlayStation 3 consolea to pre-order customers first thing this morning went awry. The firm was supposed to start taking advance orders for the PS3 from 9am this morning, but the sale didn't commence until 1:35pm.
The PS3 is due to go on sale in the UK on 23 March. Amazon recently invited interested consumers to sign up for arrival-notification emails. Earlier this week, it sent out one telling folk: "You can pre-order yours at Amazon.co.uk from February 15, during business hours (9am - 5pm GMT).
"We will stop taking pre-orders once we've pre-sold all the consoles Sony have allocated to us for release day. Order early to avoid disappointment! If you're not lucky enough to get hold of a PlayStation 3 in our initial pre-order window, we'll email you when we get more stock in."
(http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/02/15/amazon_ps3_page_1.jpg)
Amazon.co.uk's PS3 page at 13:30GMT today - click for full-size image
Unsurprisingly, a fair few eager PlayStation fans have been accessing Amazon's UK website today to avail themselves of the pre-order opportunity. But according to Register Hardware readers who tried to place orders earlier today, the promised pre-order offer had yet to appear.
We tried at 1pm, four hours after the stock was due to be offered, and we can confirm the page was still stating: "We plan to start taking pre-orders for the PS3 today, 15 February."
By 13:40, however, the sale had begun:
(http://regmedia.co.uk/2007/02/15/amazon_ps3_page_3.jpg)
Amazon.co.uk's PS3 page at 13:40GMT today - click for full-size image
The PS3 will initially ship only in its 60GB version, for £425, Sony said last month. Despite the high price - and the fact that it's claimed the price could fall by 25 per cent (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/29/sony_price_cut_forecast/) later in the year - demand for the console is expected to be very strong.
Earlier this week, Sony said it will send the first 500,000 PS3 owners who register online with PlayStation network a free copy of Casino Royale on Blu-ray Disc (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/14/sony_ps3_bd_giveaway/).
Ten battles the PS3 must fight to win the next-gen console war (23 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/23/the_ten_areas_that_ps3_games_console_war/
Italian consumers taking PS3s home already (21 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/21/italy_gets_ps3_first/
Ten reasons why you should buy a PlayStation 3 (13 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/13/why_buy_a_ps3/
Sony pledges to balance PS3 supply, demand by May (28 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/28/ps3_supply_to_match_demand/
Reduced backwards compatibility for European PS3 (23 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/23/reduced_backwards_ps3_compatibility/
Sony offers PS3 punters free copy of Blu-ray Bond (14 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/14/sony_ps3_bd_giveaway/
MS preps black Xbox 360 as PS3 spoiler? (8 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/08/ms_black_xbox_360/
Wii whups PS3 in Japan's January sales chart (6 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/06/wii_vs_ps3/
Blu-ray media sales set to shoot past HD DVD purchases (2 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/02/bd_hd_dvd_media_sales/
Sony to slash PS3 price by 25% (29 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/29/sony_price_cut_forecast/
No 20GB PS3 for Europe, Sony reveals (25 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/25/sony_announces_euro_ps3_launch/
Sony PS3 sales pass 2m mark... two weeks late (16 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/16/sony_passes_2m_mark/