PlayStation.com to suffer at hands of demand

Sony's proposed e-commerce push through PlayStation.com is apparently another casualty of the company's inability to meet demand. According to sources within Sony, the website which was to offer PS2s without hindrance to gamers, has been shunted to the back of the line, behind retailers on the street whose needs are more urgent. It's a move that will come as a surprise to few, and was even hinted at back when Sony first cut the US allocation down to half a million units. Official reports claim that Sony will provide 20,000 American retailers with their PS2s, including some that refused to make use of the pre-order system. Those that did not will offer the units on a first come, first served basis, while the others will do so only after their pre-orders have been exhausted. The e-commerce push on PlayStation.com is now due to start in November, although the PS2 will not become a star attraction until Sony has shipped "a substantial amount of PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems into the market".