Harvey Norman and the PS3 display that wasn’t

Store display - Image 1Just recently, online gaming communities everywhere have had a field day after a particularly embarassing set of PS3 photos made it to the internet. The photos that we’re referring to are the ones that show a PS3 pre-order display booth which was composed of a cardboard print-out of a PS3, strapped onto a fully-functioning Xbox360.

Spotted within the premises of the high profile Australian retail chain, Harvey Norman, the Bondi Junction store became the center of unwanted attention when Kain (aka, “hiredgoon” in Flickr) managed to take snapshots of the faulty set-up and then post it in Flickr before going to bed. From there, the whole incident has practically snowballed, making its way to various gaming blogs, and ultimately, to the people of Sony.

Though Microsoft has declined to make comments on the matter, Sony Australia‘s Adrian Christie has referred to the display as “alarming news.” Considering that the PS3 is yet to be released in Australia and Sony is trying to put its best foot forward in time for the March 23 launch, they may actually have good reason to be at least flustered.

In the meantime, they have already contacted the store, which has since taken down the offending display. The store’s proprietor has also apologetically chalked up the incident as “sort of an overzealous merchandising mistake.” Rutland Smith, one of the general managers for Harvey Norman, has also commented that the display was possibly the result of a sales person’s “innocent mistake.”

Smith also explained that they settled for a cardboard PS3 display, as it would have been “extremely expensive” for them if they had to import a real PS3 which they “would have to throw away after March 23.”

One good thing to note though, is that Sony has also defended Harvey Norman against claims that the store was deliberately trying to hoodwink people with the set-up that they had. Adrian Christie noted that “The display had been up 24 hours and they were using it as a playback device to show Harvey Norman ads,” and that it was not the store’s intent to make people believe that what was being shown along with the display was actually PS3 content.

Now you do... - Image 1Now you do... - Image 2Now you do... - Image 3

Via Sydney Morning Herald

Store display - Image 1Just recently, online gaming communities everywhere have had a field day after a particularly embarassing set of PS3 photos made it to the internet. The photos that we’re referring to are the ones that show a PS3 pre-order display booth which was composed of a cardboard print-out of a PS3, strapped onto a fully-functioning Xbox360.

Spotted within the premises of the high profile Australian retail chain, Harvey Norman, the Bondi Junction store became the center of unwanted attention when Kain (aka, “hiredgoon” in Flickr) managed to take snapshots of the faulty set-up and then post it in Flickr before going to bed. From there, the whole incident has practically snowballed, making its way to various gaming blogs, and ultimately, to the people of Sony.

Though Microsoft has declined to make comments on the matter, Sony Australia‘s Adrian Christie has referred to the display as “alarming news.” Considering that the PS3 is yet to be released in Australia and Sony is trying to put its best foot forward in time for the March 23 launch, they may actually have good reason to be at least flustered.

In the meantime, they have already contacted the store, which has since taken down the offending display. The store’s proprietor has also apologetically chalked up the incident as “sort of an overzealous merchandising mistake.” Rutland Smith, one of the general managers for Harvey Norman, has also commented that the display was possibly the result of a sales person’s “innocent mistake.”

Smith also explained that they settled for a cardboard PS3 display, as it would have been “extremely expensive” for them if they had to import a real PS3 which they “would have to throw away after March 23.”

One good thing to note though, is that Sony has also defended Harvey Norman against claims that the store was deliberately trying to hoodwink people with the set-up that they had. Adrian Christie noted that “The display had been up 24 hours and they were using it as a playback device to show Harvey Norman ads,” and that it was not the store’s intent to make people believe that what was being shown along with the display was actually PS3 content.

Now you do... - Image 1Now you do... - Image 2Now you do... - Image 3

Via Sydney Morning Herald

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