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XBox (Games)

Xbox Shortages Continue, Console Meeting Goals 66

Posted by Zonk from the not-enough-green-circles dept.
Eurogamer reports that Microsoft is finally beginning to get some more 360 consoles into the retail channel. From the article: "Xbox does not announce details of shipments, but I can tell you that we're on track to meet our 90 day forecast of 2.75 to 3.0 million units ..." Despite that level of success, Microsoft is still disappointed with production levels and sales.
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Xbox Shortages Continue, Console Meeting Goals More

Xbox Shortages Continue, Console Meeting Goals

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  • Am I missing something? (Score:3, Informative)

    by fwitness ( 195565 ) on Thursday December 22, 2005 @11:41PM (#14324437)
    I've been to the malls and such every day this week, and a couple last week (but I'm definetly out before 9 a.m.) I've seen XBox360s everywhere. I went to Toy's R Us this morning for nephew gifts, and lo and behold, there were about 6 of each SKU on the shelf, just sitting there. I've seen them in Kay Bee, EB and god knows where else, I stopped noticing.

    I don't want one right now, but I can't understand why I keep hearing about the shortage continuing. I could easily buy 20 right now if I had the cash.
    • I've been to the malls and such every day this week, and a couple last week (but I'm definetly out before 9 a.m.) I've seen XBox360s everywhere. I went to Toy's R Us this morning for nephew gifts, and lo and behold, there were about 6 of each SKU on the shelf, just sitting there. I've seen them in Kay Bee, EB and god knows where else, I stopped noticing. I don't want one right now, but I can't understand why I keep hearing about the shortage continuing. I could easily buy 20 right now if I had the cash. T
    • I would love to know where some of you guys /gals live (please reply).

      Here in Philadelphia, PA, there are none to be found. I wonder if blue vs. red is actually "blue vs. red states"?

  • Par for the Course (Score:3, Insightful)

    by blueZhift ( 652272 ) on Friday December 23, 2005 @12:08AM (#14324552) Homepage Journal
    Shortages like this almost always happen for any popular new console release. Even if Microsoft could have met demand, there are some good practical reasons not to.

    1. Product defects: You don't want to get too many consoles out into the channel only to bring them back if some real show stoppers are discovered in the wild. Once you're sure everything is okay, you can make minor tweaks for the subsequent production runs using what the first run taught you.

    2. No Dust Please: Too many consoles would mean some sitting on shelves gathering dust and people beginning to mumble about waiting for the first price drop. To the space conscious retailer, oversupply is probably worse than shortages.

    3. Games Make Money: Each console is sold at a loss. You make your money from game royalties. Right now the number of available games is not very high and there really aren't any must have system sellers to speak of. (The Dead or Alive 4 delay killed the Japanese launch.) A console shortage minimizes money lost while game publishers catch up and hopefully produce the killer games that sell systems. *Cough*Halo 3*Cough*

    Of course, I could be wrong about all of this, but in the end it does seem that something in short supply becomes all the more desirable, as long as it doesn't suck too badly.
    • *Cough*Halo 3*Cough*

      Halo3 is going to have to be one hell of a game if it's gonna sell systems. I mean, I'm sure that most people are gonna see Halo 3 and remember how great Halo 1 was and probably just buy it anyway, but I really can't see that being a market leader. Halo2 was quite disappointing. It takes more than a continuation of a story and being able to hold 2 weapons at once to sell a 3rd sequel.

      Bungie choked on marathon infinity. aside from the flechette, it was the exact same thing as Durandal.

      I'm
  • The solution is to ship the consoles from Japan to the US.
    Because of slow start for xbox in Japan [slashdot.org] and massive discounts [slashdot.org]
  • It's possible that Microsoft didn't expect quite as much of a demand as they have seen, but didn't want to admit it. If you look at the game lineup for the 360, it's ok, but not amazing. There arn't any real "must have" games for it in my opinion. The compatability with the original Xbox titles isn't perfect, and it will take a while before all of the really great game titles will run properly on the 360.

    So, with this in mind, it's possible that Microsoft expected high demand for the holidays, but not q
    • It's possible that Microsoft didn't expect quite as much of a demand as they have seen, but didn't want to admit it.

      Maybe... but if Microsoft says they expect to sell 3 million hardware units in 90 days, then they should at least produce 3 million hardware units in about 60 days... They somehow seem to expect selling more units than they can make.

    • Its also possible that monkeys could fly straight outta my arse...but not likely... gerbils maybe, but that's another story.

      The real reason is due to super low CPU yields. They had to fly their initial U.S. shipment in on a Boeing because of how far the low yields put them behind the 8-ball.

  • Post-code lottery (Score:1, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    In the UK, it seems that whether or not you can get a 360 is more or less a post-code (zip code, for our cousins across the Atlantic) lottery, particularly with the Premium Pack. I got my own Premium Pack from Argos of all places - a fully little catalogue store that most gamers will know as the place where their parents buy rubbish furniture and the chavs buy their imitation-gold rings. Not that Argos ever actually admitted to having them in stock - but after hearing a rumour that they had some about a wee
    • Places like Argos can be good for bargins, partly becuase the "hardcore gamer" types probably just don't think about buying from them, they're more likley to go to more specialised shops, or online.

      I live in a small town near Birmingham, and the local ASDA and Argos sell Xbox 360 games, but I've not seen any consoles (I haven't checked tha local Argos's stock though), but frankly, my town's shops are crap.

  • So if the shortage isn't intentional.. (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    it just comes-down to straight-up incompetence?

    Let me get this clarified..
    one of the biggest, most powerful corporations on the planet - with approximately four years to plan this event - is having production/distribution problems?

    Yup, incompetence. Case solved.

    Perhaps Mr Gates would be better off donating the money he'd lose on this generation to charity.
    TheN, he could leave the iNdustry to a real game coNsole compaNy.
  • Seeing as Sony have bought the main stand for CES2006 which starts on January 5th, so it's pretty blatant that they are going to be releasing details on the PS3. If I was microsoft I'd be trying as hard as I could to get 360's on shelves before then, because as soon as people know when that console is coming (if it is anytime soon) microsoft will immeadiately start losing customers, people will either say "i'll wait for the ps3" or "i'll wait and see which is better"
    • I don't think M$ has too much to worry about. In fact, I would be really surprised if PS3 makes it out of the gate in the USA by spring time. There has been little word from Sony and developers (IGNs PS3 site has been pretty stale lately).

      I think CES will go like this...

      1. Sony has playable demos for the PS3
      2. Sony will tout all of the great features of the PS3.
      3. PS3 will be AMAZING and wow everyone.
      4. PS3 will come in around $400 (I think $500 will be too much), the feature set will be trimmed to get th
  • "...bad press everywhere including mainstream media"

    Are you kidding me? Both on Launch day and last Sunday when Best Buys recieved another huge shipment every single channel was running a positive story on the Xbox. Pretty much every BB in my state had all 70 or so 360's claimed about 15 hours prior to opening.

    I don't know if the shortage was deliberate, but it worked. The buzz around this system is completely unparalleled. People were waiting in line for 20 hours a month after launch date just
  • FTS:"Despite that level of success, Microsoft is still disappointed with production levels and sales."

    If you meet your goals, but are disappointed with your sales... that means your goals are too low.

    Goals should be set at a level where you aren't diappointed with your results when you attain them.

    Of course, from a PR perspective, you've got to set goals that you can't miss -- otherwise you're a goat to the public. Your future sales, as well as your market cap, will reflect poor performance.

    What M

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