It’s no secret that retail outlets make their most revenue off of a combination of used media sales, warranty, upgrade services. One such retailer that has delved into each of these services is the major electronics reseller, Best Buy. After releasing their own video games magazine, exclusive pre-order deals, and diving into used games sales, Best Buy has expanded on their gamer revenue scheme by using PS3 purchasers as a scapegoat.
According to a Geek Squad promotional sign at a Best Buy, prospective PlayStation 3 consumers can opt to take home their brand-new home entertainment console ready-to-go with the various firmware features for $329.98 plus tax. Basically, for the extra $30–which does not even warrant the device from future firmware issues–Best Buy’s Geek Squad is eliminating a simple 10 to 30 minute firmware update. Who exactly are they trying to fool? Most likely parents and ill-informed customers who might be buying a gift for a certain someone. However, who wants to get a new PS3 that has been opened and configured?
In our opinion, Best Buy might very well be complicating things for the user by removing the beginning audio, video, and wireless settings leaving the user to find the settings for themselves.
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[Image Credit: Dualshockers]
