[aldo_14]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OUT OF BUSINESS NOTICE

Hong Kong, October 24th of 2006 - Lik-Sang.com, the popular gaming retailer from Hong Kong, has today announced that it is forced to close down due to multiple legal actions brought against it by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Sony claimed that Lik-Sang infringed its trade marks, copyright and registered design rights by selling Sony PSP consoles from Asia to European customers, and have recently obtained a judgment in the High Court of London (England) rendering Lik-Sang's sales of PSP consoles unlawful.

As of today, Lik-Sang.com will not be in the position to accept any new orders and will cancel and refund all existing orders that have already been placed. Furthermore, Lik-Sang is working closely with banks and PayPal to refund any store credits held by the company, and the customer support department is taking care of any open transactions such as pending RMAs or repairs and shipping related matters. The staff of Lik-Sang will make sure that nobody will get hurt in the crossfire of this ordeal.

A Sony spokesperson declined to comment directly on the lawsuit against Lik-Sang, but recently went on to tell Gamesindustry.biz that "ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards, due to voltage supply differences et cetera; is not - in PS3's case - backwards compatible with either PS1 or PS2 software; will not play European Blu-Ray movies or DVDs; and will not be covered by warranty".

Lik Sang strongly disagrees with Sony's opinion that their customers need this kind of protection and pointed out that PSP consoles shipped from Lik-Sang contained genuine Sony 100V-240V AC Adapters that carry CE and other safety marks and are compatible world wide. All PSP consoles were in conformity with all EU and UK consumer safety regulations.

Furthermore, Sony have failed to disclose to the London High Court that not only the world wide gaming community in more than 100 countries relied on Lik-Sang for their gaming needs, but also Sony Europe's very own top directors repeatedly got their Sony PSP hard or software imports in nicely packed Lik-Sang parcels with free Lik-Sang Mugs or Lik-Sang Badge Holders, starting just two days after Japan's official release, as early as 14th of December 2004 (more than nine months earlier than the legal action). The list of PSP related Sony Europe orders reads like the who's who of the videogames industry, and includes Ray Maguire (Managing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Alan Duncan (UK Marketing Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Chris Sorrell (Creative Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd), Rob Parkin (Development Director, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited), just to name a few.

"Today is Sony Europe victory about PSP, tomorrow is Sony Europe’s ongoing pressure about PlayStation 3. With this precedent set, next week could already be the stage for complaints from Sony America about the same thing, or from other console manufacturers about other consoles to other regions, or even from any publisher about any specific software title to any country they don’t see fit. It’s the beginning of the end... of the World as we know it", stated Pascal Clarysse, formerly known as the Marketing Manager of Lik-Sang.com.

"Blame it on Sony. That's the latest dark spot in their shameful track record as gaming industry leader. The Empire finally 'won', few dominating retailers from the UK probably will rejoice the news, but everybody else in the gaming world lost something today."

http://www.lik-sang.com/news.php?artc=3901

[Thor]

Oh sony...you are truely trying to make your customers hate you.  If i was a retailer, i'd be thinking twice about carrying sony products.  could imagine if the retail community banded  around Lik-sang and boycotted sony products?  it would be the end of sony.  not that it'll ever happen, but sony, wtf? 

I have a feeling people are going to be highly critical of the ps3...i personally won't get one until its dropped a few hundred bucks, can buy mgs4 and gets a proper force feedback controller.  I haven't purchased a cd (any cd) since the root kit dabacle, and their products are seemingly less awesome then they used to be, while still asking the same price.  it feels like BMW selling hyundais as bmws.

Sony used to have cool stuff.  I want old school sony back, not this petty, DRM obsessed, crap making shadow of its former self

[vyper]

This is balls man.

[aldo_14]

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

[Cobra]

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

In reality, Sony's probably just trying to keep their reputation for hardware the same.

[kode]

basically, this sucks a whole ****ing lot. not because I was going to import any sony crap, but because I liked lik-sang.

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

In reality, Sony's probably just trying to keep their reputation for hardware the same.

their "sony stuff is crap" reputation, then?

[Cobra]

basically, this sucks a whole ****ing lot. not because I was going to import any sony crap, but because I liked lik-sang.

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

In reality, Sony's probably just trying to keep their reputation for hardware the same.

their "sony stuff is crap" reputation, then?

yeah, the "we try to save our reputation by making it worse" way.

[Taristin]

Ive hated Sony for years. Glad to see others finally catching on.

[Dark Hunter]

Ive hated Sony for years. Glad to see others finally catching on.

 

I haven't actually hated them... IMO their controller design for the PS2 was the best I've ever seen (from any system). But their tech has always been lacking, except in recent months (PS3), and in that case, one might say their tech is too good. 

[Nix]

I'm still proud of my 17" Trinitron that sits on my desk as my secondary monitor.  It's a shame they stopped producing them for the general public.  Thier headphones are starting to look ridiculous, and the DJ headphones need a design update badly.  What do you expect when the CEO of Sony Japan has said "The public doesn't know what is possible, We do." or something to that effect. 

[Thor]

they have a serious god complex over there.  I'm sure if you asked most gamers wehat they'd prefer there would be more then enough to make them put force feedback into the controller ( i know i'm harping on that, but it really bugs me).  but no, SONY IS ALL SEEING AND ALL KNOWING!  PEOPLE WANT TO TILT THERE CONTROLLERS AROUND IN THE AIR!

and when i die for the eighteenth time cause my buddy shoved my arm, I'll let sony know what i think of their f-in wonderful controller...

Sony is out of touch with reality, and if ps3 fails on them, i have a feeling the vultures will start to circle...maybe if the hlp pooled its moneys we could have our own uber geek company?  although...who's out of touch with reality now?....

[Mefustae]

but no, SONY IS ALL SEEING AND ALL KNOWING!  PEOPLE WANT TO TILT THERE CONTROLLERS AROUND IN THE AIR!

and when i die for the eighteenth time cause my buddy shoved my arm, I'll let sony know what i think of their f-in wonderful controller...

So, you've actually tried the controller yourself? You've played around with it for a while and got to know its strengths and weaknesses? No? Well then shut your gob and stop mindlessly harping. You don't like it, then flip the tilt-sensitivity mechanism to "off". Or better yet, just don't buy games that support it.

For crying out loud, at least wait for it to be released before you start whining about it.

Sony is out of touch with reality, and if ps3 fails on them, i have a feeling the vultures will start to circle...maybe if the hlp pooled its moneys we could have our own uber geek company?  although...who's out of touch with reality now?....

Out of touch with reality? Not really. Their console is overly expensive and they engage in shady business practices, but that doesn't necessarily equate to being 'out of touch with reality'. If anything, it just equates to substandard planning and ethics, not exactly a first for a large corporation.

Will the PS3 fail? In all likelihood, no. Will it "win" this round of consoles, again most likely no. Face it, people; the PS3 is not going to implode. It likely won't sell as well as Sony wants, but it's not going to force the entire company to shut-up-shop by February. I forsee tough times ahead for the company, but tough times != collapse.

[Nix]

From what I hear, people would probably be buying these to get a cheap, easy to use Blu-Ray movie disc player.  I've heard rumors flying around on both sides, whether or not the console will actually play movies back, but more and more I see that it WILL be a Blu-Ray movie player. Sure, there are a few Blu-Ray players out there for about the same price as the PS3, but they're just players.  They aren't consoles.

 It's a pretty nice way to introduce (force) a new standard to (on) the public.

[aldo_14]

From what I hear, people would probably be buying these to get a cheap, easy to use Blu-Ray movie disc player.  I've heard rumors flying around on both sides, whether or not the console will actually play movies back, but more and more I see that it WILL be a Blu-Ray movie player. Sure, there are a few Blu-Ray players out there for about the same price as the PS3, but they're just players.  They aren't consoles.

 It's a pretty nice way to introduce (force) a new standard to (on) the public.

There's no way in hell Sony wouldn't put movie playback in the PS3...

[Colonol Dekker]

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

That was Dell.

[karajorma]

There's no way in hell Sony wouldn't put movie playback in the PS3...

I would have said that there was no way in hell that Sony would be stupid enough not to have a next-gen console in the shops by Christmas too.

Never underestimate the power of corporate stupidity.

[vyper]

"Ultimately, we're trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards"

Presumably, like with their laptop batteries?

That was Dell.

The batteries were Sony made IIRC.

[Colonol Dekker]

Orly........................oh, ok then
So that means my PSP is like to HeCKsplod'e.
*bins psp*

cheers 

[Inquisitor]

Dell, Apple and IBM all had Sony battery recalls.

And I missed this release, I was about to buy somehting from Lik-Sang today.

This is pretty annoying, Lik Sang has always been the go to place for oddball and import game console stuff.

[Unknown Target]

Check this out - the battery recalls and PS3 mess ups cost Sony 94% of their profits:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061026/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_japan_sony

Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s group net profit for the July-September quarter fell 94 percent to 1.7 billion yen ($14 million), from 28.5 billion yen the same period the previous year, the Tokyo-based manufacturer said.