Breaking sales records since its November release, the PlayStation 4 has been an undenaibly popular hit, but has the console's popularity been inflated by Sony? 

Many fans have been frustrated with the PS4's lack of availability following its launch, with some even claiming Sony purposefully created an artificial shortage so that demand would remain high. Recently, while on the PlayStation Blogcast, Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton denied the company would create a shortage during the holiday shopping season. He stated that this strategy would make no sense as holiday shoppers are lining up in droves to buy the console and to deny them would be bad for business:

"Do you create an artificial shortage because you want there to be a feeding frenzy? No you don't...You have competition out there; there are lots of things that people can spend money on, especially during the holidays; and the holidays only come around once a year so that's really when you want to take advantage of the market opportunity."

Tretton said the real reason that the PlayStation 4 is in short supply is that the console simply takes time to build and manufacture. The CEO claimed that the more than 2 million PlayStation 4s already sold to users took months to build, therefore it is not as easy to manufacture new supplies as some fans would think. Considering that the PlayStation 4 is now in 48 different markets, Sony has also stretched itself pretty thin when it comes to allocating units to different territories.

However, the good news is that more PlayStation 4 consoles will be made available after the holiday shopping season is over. Tretton revealed that Sony plans to release allotments of the console each month from January to March, so that vigilant fans can find out when the PlayStation 4 is available and buy the machine then.

The PlayStation 4 has been quite the success in 2013, and that success figures to continue in 2014 as well. Sony recently thanked fans for making the launch of the console so successful. In addition, the company began teasing gamers with what's in store for them at E3 2014, despite the fact that the event is in June 2014.