Remember that awesome-looking PS2-style PlayStation 5 console we mentioned a few days ago? This custom system was being offered in a limited run of just 300 units by SUP3R5, and pre-orders went live recently. Sadly, the process didn't go according to plan.
Demand was such that the stock sold out within 20 minutes, causing the SUP3R5 website some serious technical issues. The problems were so bad that some buyers were charged for the console without actually getting confirmation that they'd been successful in obtaining one.
To make matters worse, some of the units which were pre-sold were then flipped on eBay, with the $649 price tag inflated dramatically. To its credit, SUP3R5 said it would be identifying the buyers and cancelling their pre-order – however, even that gesture is somewhat moot now, as the company has issued a subsequent statement saying that it will not be shipping its retro-style PS5 after all, and that all orders will now be refunded.
The reason? SUP3R5 has claimed that its staff were receiving "credible" threats to their safety following the sell-out of the PS2-style PS5:
Last night, our team began receiving credible threats to their safety. We take these threats seriously. We aren’t willing to risk the safety and well-being of our team, or the potential impact this would bring to delivering your order.
All existing orders will be cancelled and fully refunded in the coming days. You will receive a notification when this happens.
We intended this to be a fun way to celebrate a shared nostalgia. As it turns out, there are people out there who are willing to interfere with that. If we determine that it’s safe to try again, we will. For now, please stay safe.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 66
Some people really aren't right. What a stupid thing to threaten someone over.
When I read the headline I thought perhaps Sony had sent the heavies round to intimidate them!! 😄🤣
Some people are so unbelievably pathetic. The more I read about the antics of stupid people in the news the more I feel like the phenomenon is spreading. I am seriously starting to worry about humanity.
I miss the simpler times.
People are bored and angered with commercials while the units are nowhere to be found in stock.
It's not an excuse in any way, but this situation was quite expected, to be honest.
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.
What a bunch of *****
One day people will start facing some real consequences for making threats against others online. Until that time comes, this won't stop. Simple as that.
When is the world going to stand up and slap these morons round the head.
I though sony send them cease and desist order, but it's a real threat? Wtf, some people are so stupid
ps. The units is gorgeous, I hope sony will sell official black ps5 and dualsense like this, I'll definitely buy the black dualsense (at normal dualsense price).
I'm a bit sceptical about the company in general. It was a brand new company that set out to do this, I'm wondering how they were getting stock for it. Some were even straight up calling this site a scam site.
Call me crazy but l am more inclined that this was only a publicity stunt and they were never planning on actually fullfilling orders. Or they realised that the scam became too high profile to pull off.
I dont think this was ever real. They are making excuses to get out of something they cant deliver on.
@KPraj I think you may be right. Seems a touch convenient.
I still strongly believe these guys were scalpers that decided to actually have some (self justified) reason to sell the console way above retail.
Another reason why i am ashamed to call myself a PlayStation fan. Some people are idiots
Or they realised they screwed up and needed an excuse to cancel all pre-orders
Either way I wondered how they managed to get 300 units when virtually all stock is permanently sold out...
@TheLightSpirit
There were certain red flags.
People enquired about more information and they never got replies. They took payment from outset when some people said deliveries could be expected in summer. Very shady like to me.
@alixx C'mon this isn't in the same league. It's only an extra $149 ($40 for the controllers), certainly not "way above retail" and these guys have actually put some professional work and time into this. Scalpers on the other hand are just interested in ripping off fans by offering goods at a huge mark-up.
@Gaming365247 You have these things with every brand there always are a few nutcases.
@starbuck2212 @KPraj Yeah it does seem suspect. I mean, am I to believe they modded (or plan to mod) a few hundred PS5's but have instead decided they're just gonna sit on them because the internet is mean?
That or they were taking orders first and buying the PS5s afterward which still doesn't inspire confidence.
If Sony is going to make new plates, then do it already. Just need a place I can actually walk in and buy; online is just unpleasant when it comes to items with limited stock
I dont know about this...something smells a bit fishy about this statement..
Was this just some scalpers who are buying console painting it and then selling it on?
Or was this officially licensed thing ?
I believed this was a scam since the moment it was revealed , to many questions to many red flags regarding this shady company. But I will never be ok with violence against someone especially over a video game system.
Maybe they were unable to obtain sufficient consoles?
Listed pre-order price + Too few units = Insufficient profit.
But yeah, the threats and harassment probably didn't help either.
People hella suck
@OrigamiCrane Yeah, that's the issue.
On one hand, they should be taken seriously. But at the same time, they are unfortunately so common these days, you can wonder how much attention you even should give it. Imagine if the Olympics were cancelled every time a sports player got a death treat from some idiot on Twitter. You can't have nice things that way, and the last thing you should do is give them the attention they deserve.
This story is a shady one, and the more I read about it, the more I question their intentions. "Death threats" is a very easy excuse for a situation like this, because 1) you don't have to provide any evidence, and 2) it's something everyone is against, so few are willing to question their cancellation as a result. I'm not saying they haven't received death threats, I don't know. But it would be an easy cop out, on top on an already shady story (how the heck did they even get 300 consoles??). And at the same time I don't think that it should influence our lives too much, it doesn't deserve the attention. Report it to the local authorities and continue doing you business.
Death threats should not be brushed off so quickly. As long as everyone gets their money refunded nothing is lost. Yet people are Discrediting them for doing that.
@Octane Excellent point. It’s seems suspicious that these threats are more credible than others, and they tend to not be very credible. I think you’re right, it’s probably a victim cop-out that they’re using because it makes anyone who questions it or opposes it look bad.
Pathetic scum sending death threats over video games and video game system? And people wonder why the Media is always targeting gaming for being responsible for a lot of violence and death and such, 'Gamers' sending death threats only serves to prove the Media right and make ACTUAL Gamers look like psycho's. And THIS is why Gaming has such a poor reputation in the eyes of the media.
@Jaz007 Yeah, but like I said. I don't know for certain. Even if the death threats are real and their intentions were sincere, I don't think cancelling was the right decision. Now the angry Twitter mob has won, or whatever platform they used to send those alleged threats, but you get my point.
@KPraj
You're probably correct.
If you visited their website on your computer.. scan it now. Their site is full of malware.
This company is a scam.
It's a scam!!
They were never going to sell these out, they achieved what they wanted by getting a load of address and credit card details that are then sold on to spammers and scammers.
These unknown threats are just part of the cover story.
I can remember when death threats were new. Sure, they've been around forever, but never near the levels they are at now. I think they got going as an act of terrorism. Watching sheeple emulate the worst of their life experiences is alarmingly similar to watching monkeys flinging crap at each other at the zoo.
@TheLightSpirit common sense mostly. They produce hundreds of consoles and then decided to keep them all because someone hurt their feelings. Not buying it.
what a load of rubbish they got cocky even provoking Sony on Twitter!! the truth they got told to pack it in🤣 but after all the pathetic antics they did they do not want to lose face? so make up the bogeyman? that is my view
People like this is why we can't have nice things man, what a shame..
I'm always sceptical when it comes to reports of death threats. I know they're easy to make because even a nobody like me gets them sometimes, so I can believe it, but it's very convenient.
It's wrong no doubt about it, yet I'm always squinting my eyes when I see things like this as an excuse. Credible death threats can be reported pretty easily and dealt with, so it makes me think that that isn't the only thing going on here.
This whole thing was somewhat shady from the start. It's just weird.
Nah. Not buying this, litteraly.
We got death threats from "fans" so we are not going to risk our staff, so instead we are going to yank all the pre orders.
Yeah cos that will calm them done. So the hope is they'll just go "oh OK fair enough, I'll retract my death threat?"
Next story is going to be how people aren't getting their refunds back for the canceled orders.
A lot of you guys make some good points about this being shady.
Lol no way any of the threats are credible, can't be so new to the internet that you don't realize angry trolls will rage and say all kinds of things, no one Is.shooting up a place over a PS5... But as I'm typing this I'm remembering all the times people have done that and all I can do is say sigh
Reay do not know what makes people tick these days. The eejits who makes threats leave digital breadcrumbs and they are so dumb as soon as they click send on an email, via social media or any other form of electronic communication. You may as well sign it at the same time. Any threatening behaviour in the form of malicious text, threatening to harm a person(s) wellbeing and you are tied to correspondence and admit to sending such correspondence I a criminal offence. What is wrong with people these days. I don't know what makes some people tick I really don't.
DAMFP
@GADG3Tx87 I just don't know what makes some people tick...
Initially I was ready to throw my money down for one if I could but I kept thinking about it and something seemed a bit off so I never even bothered. After the story about cancellation popped up on Siliconera, I went to read the tweets and, lo and behold, they erased their Twitter account. Add on that how many people were mentioning that after the fiasco they couldn’t remove their CC info from the website. Yeah, I’d say it was a scan from the get-go...
@Invisiblekid99 you literally can’t buy it because they are not selling it anymore. Or did you not mean “literally” literally? 😉
@Profondo any profit above 10% is way above retail
The rise in alt-right and extreme right politics is to blame for this behaviour. Just like it was when all the man-babies threatened naughty dog staff or the torrents of abuse levelled at female journalists during gamergate or any of the numerous other examples of a bunch of entitled men throwing violent tantrums because the world doesn’t bend to their every need.
@GADG3Tx87 The difference between the simpler times and now, is that news spreads like wildfire. Back in the day, stupid people were kinda isolated to wherever they lived, so the larger population didn’t have to hear about it. Trouble is, the stupid has been going on for generations yet somehow, we keep making it. Don’t worry!
@Arnna I highly doubt that there is an alt right group shutting people down in the name of a PS2/-shaped PS5. The truth is that this is a group of people that think having a tantrum will cause them to get their way, it’s literally nothing to do with identity politics! Just childishness that’s got severely out of hand.
Side with many comments on the death threat as an excuse...
It's has since become the one answer fits all statement nowadays... Released buggy game? Questionable practice? Controversial comment? - "Stop blaming me! I'm getting death threat! "
Weird.
Awfully resonates after the coup attempt in the US as extremes trying to rule.
Not that I care about those customs though.
I'll kill all of you
@Arnna I haven’t laughed so hard for a while on here thanks 🤣 the alt right lead to black faceplates being cancelled, have you been in touch with polygon about a potential article? They love this sort of stuff.
What exactly is defined as a "credible" threat? It's disgusting either way, but I'm curious what kind of threat would literally stop them in their tracks. Are we talking about Mafia hitmen here, or a bunch of low IQ bedwetters who are have twisted morals, and are angry they still live in their mum's basement,what's the deal?
@SimoneBelmont
Yeah you've got a point. I suppose with the internet news gets around a lot quicker than it did in the 80's and 90's and those 'people' get the attention they are looking for as a result.
So a company pops up out of the blue says we will sell you PS2-Style PS5, the obviously question is is Sony involved? Also considering PS5 are still hard to come by, how are they getting PS5 in bulk never mind one or two? Have they got a social media account? Not only that scam's are going on everywhere at the minute, like the old lady in the UK who paid for a COVID19 vaccine from a man claiming he was from the NHS.& yes she did buy it and yes he did injected her with god knows what, but thankfully she was taken to hospital & she wasn't injected with anything dangerous. I am not saying this PS2 Style PS5 is 100% a scam, but it does sound a bit off considering the shortages of PS5 at the moment.
@KPraj Yeah, there was some stuff on reddit about the 'company' starting after a guy posted a rendered mock up, and then all of the sudden started accepting money for them. https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5/comments/krxg74/possible_scam_alert_what_is_the_legitimacy_of_the/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5/comments/kttgiy/retro_ps5_from_sup3r5/
@GADG3Tx87 Exactly. Solution: stay smart : )
What kinda lunatic would threaten someone cos they couldn't buy a console.
The fact people are threatening others over this is ridiculous...
I really wanted to just buy the controller. I actually prefer the stock PS5.
@Boon520..... With all custom plate makers suddenly popping up everywhere, You can bet when Sony releases the official PS5 plates they will let every other faceplate look cheap. So everybody should hold off on buying, I sense this is gonna be Playstation's longest generation. There is still the PS5 PRO to come also.
Why would anybody waste money to customize a ps5 and only sell it for $650? Regular mom and pop stores dont have ps5s yet, how can these nobodies get 300 of them? Unless they are using bots, and if anybody uses bots then you know that in itself is also another expense to add. This is all highly suspicious to me, and i think they BSed about the whole thing. If you tried buying one these with your credit card, make sure to change the # on your card just in case.
@Arnna this has nothing to do with politics. This was mostly likely a scam, look alive.
@TheIdleCritic “WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!“
@kyleforrester87 Niiiice.
They should have used Kickstarter. That turd of a service lets people cash in the money without delivering anything.
yeap no surprize there, not official anyways
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