Controller Woes: Importing DualShock 3 Might Get Tough
A few weeks back I ran my PS3's Sixaxis through the washing machine. Don't ask how, but it got the full treatment: soak, rinse, and spin. It came out Mountain Fresh but apparently dead, so I shook it dry and let it sit around for a couple of days. Like some Sony-sponsored miracle, three days after its bath the charging lights finally came on. Now it works fine, except for the fact it can't hold a charge more than 24 hours. Not perfect, but I still feel pretty lucky.
Right now I've only got the one: knowing that Sony would eventually cave and release a version with rumble, I didn't want to spend the cash on a bunch of controllers that would gather dust as soon as the DualShock 3 hit the shelves. After my Sixaxis's wet and wild adventure, I figured I would grab one from an import store on November 11th instead of waiting until March. I'd be paying a premium, but considered it an idiot's tax. Now comes word that the premium might be a little higher than previously thought. Import store National Console Support explains what they've been told about securing DualShock 3s:
We've received one offer for the Dual Shock 3 from a Japanese supplier thus far but we're not biting yet. The reason? In order to obtain 1 Dual Shock 3, we also have to buy 1 Playstation 3 40GB console. Let's do the math - buy one DS3 at about $43.60 based on this morning's forex spot and buy one PS3 for $420... which we don't need or want. NCS understands the Dual Shock 3 is precious but we don't relish the idea of spending $460 to import each one.
That may just be one particularly greedy gouger, but another major importer, Play-Asia, is no longer taking pre-orders for the controller. Playstation 3 sales in Japan have been slowly climbing the past few months, so if demand for the new controller is high enough, my hopes of playing with a vibrating Ratchet and Clank later this month might be in vain.
General Updates [NCSX]
[Via: Kotaku]
Dawdle
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 3 November 2007
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: dualshock 3, imports, sony
So evidently the Japanese suppliers are having trouble getting rid of their PS3s as well.
I broke down and imported from someone on ebay , and although I paid a slight premium, I wasn't by any means "gouged". There are deals out there, you just have to find them.
I'd love to wait till March to get one but... wait... no I can't wait. I'm impatient.
Can't wait to rumble through Motorstorm!