The problem with that assumption is that everyone already knew that consoles were being sold below cost and the scalpers knew they were in high demand. In the

The problem with that assumption is that everyone already knew that consoles were being sold below cost and the scalpers knew they were in high demand. In the example you just pointed out, Sony just lost market share from that because the scalpers took those consoles away from legitimate gamers who may have even switched to the wii or xbox. And since we all know that the profit is mostly from the games, not the console, this was a lose/lose situation for Sony, the consumer, and in this case, the scalper.