Those wishing to purchase a PlayStation 4 soon after it becomes available may be out of luck, as it is predicted that demand for the next-gen console will exceed the supply Sony is able to put out. This is predicted by Gamestop president Tony Bartel, in an article in GameIndustry.
In the article, Bartel notes that demand for the PlayStation 4 is very high, with 900,000 customers signing up for any and all early information concerning the PlayStation 4 and its availability.
"...Demand will far outpace supply within the launch window, although we have been given no official numbers by Sony," Bartel is quoted as saying.
In addition, GameIndustry reports that "GameStop's consumer research shows that some 34 percent of people queried expect to buy a PS4 in the coming year, higher than interest in any other hardware."
Interest in the PlayStation 4 is not unusually high, given the circumstances around it. With Microsoft revealing very little about their upcoming next-gen system, much of the focus has been on the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 was recently seen at the Game Developers Conference this week, where new features of the system, such as the redesigned DualShock 4 and PlayStation Eye, were shown off. Furthermore, developers have quickly lined up to sing praises about the console (with one notable exception.) All this hype for the PlayStation 4, with nothing but rumors for the next-gen Xbox, has lead to the influx of demand for the PlayStation 4. This could all change, however, once the new Xbox is revealed to the public.
Gamestop is certainly pleased with the demand the next-gen consoles can and will produce, as the national video game chain suffered a disappointing 2012 in terms of sales of both consoles and video games.