Microsoft Plans Deliberate Xbox 360 Shortage 451
An anonymous reader writes "To ensure an immediate "sellout" of the Xbox 360 on launch day (therefore getting lots of media buzz about their new console), Microsoft will simply restrict the supply down to a trickle. My favorite part of the article: "In addition to limiting the per-store stock of consoles and having the retailers prepare to prominently note the unit's "sold out" status, Microsoft has allegedly asked Norwegian retailers to sign an agreement that they'll sell out of the consoles on the launch date."
Looks like it's not a rumour.
Beautiful, we have confirmation. (Score:5, Funny)
- Homer:
- Get out. Who told you that?
- Bart:
- Nelson.
- Homer:
- Hmmm. That's the kind of dirt that belongs on my web page.
- Lisa:
- You can't post that on the Internet. You don't even know if it's true!
- Homer:
- Nelson has never steered me wrong, honey. Nelson is gold.
- Bart:
- You know, it might have been Jimbo.
- Homer:
- Beautiful, we have confirmation. [Lisa sighs in
exasperation]
So, they expect the system to sell out, like that never happens...I can only imagine the conversations at MGS (Score:5, Funny)
"Yeah, and they're the leaders of this generation..."
"Exactly, so you know what we have to do to beat Sony... release it even earlier, even buggier, and in even shorter supply!"
"Yeah, in fact, let's make the supply so damn low that it will sell out even if it fails sales targets! Then people will be impressed and buy the console once it gets back in supply."
"But how about the people who get one at launch? When they pay so much for a buggy system because of its short supply and there's barely any good games for it, won't they get pissed?"
"Yeah, but what are they gonna do? They already bought the console. And they'll completely forget about it once the good games come out (around the PS3/Revo launch)."
"Sounds good to me."
Re:Boo Microsoft! (Score:2, Funny)
Just like Cartmanland (Score:3, Funny)
So much to do at Cartmanland, but you can't come! Especially you, Stan and Kyle.
Re:Corporate dishonesty (Score:5, Funny)
Re:They're more environmentally friendly (Score:3, Funny)
"Xbox.com: Tell me another cool thing about the guts.
JR: Well, we want to discourage hackers, so this time around we didn't put any screws on the outside of the box and have multiple tamper evident labels. So with Xbox 360 we'll be able to tell if they've cracked the case.
Xbox.com: And of course, just like the original Xbox, cracking the case immediately voids your warranty.
JR: Of course."
Re:They're more environmentally friendly (Score:5, Funny)
Xbox.com: Tell me another cool thing about the guts.
JR: Well, we want to discourage hackers, so this time around we didn't put any screws on the outside of the box and have multiple tamper evident labels. So with Xbox 360 we'll be able to tell if they've cracked the case.
Sounds like a challenge !
Jennifer Government? (Score:2, Funny)
Heh. This reminds me of the opening scene in Max Barry's novel, Jennifer Government [maxbarry.com]. In it, some (fictional) Nike executives get together and decide that they're going to:
a) restrict supply of their new super-super-hot Nike Mercury shoes to a trickle, so the kids go *nuts* for them, then:
b) unload a few hundred thousand on the market at a hugely inflated price, and THEN:
c) since Nike knows they'll lose that "can't-find-'em-anywhere, selling-like-hotcakes" prestige once people realize they can get Mercuries anywhere, they start shooting a few of the people who buy them to further build street cred.
d) PROFIT!
So, uh, if you're lining up to buy a 360, just watch out for snipers.
Re:Duh!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, convincing the public that there was a shortage of rocks was quite a feat.
Re:This Is A Good Move (Score:2, Funny)
Wrong, that would be Google!
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/03/131624 6&tid=217&tid=166 [slashdot.org]
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/01/18 14207&tid=217&tid=123 [slashdot.org]
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/01/142421 7&tid=217&tid=129 [slashdot.org]
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/31/192721 2&tid=217&tid=185 [slashdot.org]
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/31/14 14203&tid=217&tid=17 [slashdot.org]
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/30/186219 &tid=217&tid=98 [slashdot.org]
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/29/224121 1&tid=136&tid=217 [slashdot.org]
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/27/163824 3&tid=109&tid=217 [slashdot.org]
I heard Travolta and Cruise (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Bingo! (Score:5, Funny)
Steve Ballmer Responsible for Lingbergh Baby Kidnapping.
A simple add campaign that could shut this down (Score:3, Funny)
1 million units made, less then 100,000 unit sold. Do the math.