360 to remain scarce through springtime

[davepesc]

From Gannett News Service

Two months after its introduction, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is still an elusive prey for shoppers in the United States and might well remain so until spring.
The Xbox 360 is the first of three new video game systems due in the space of a year and has been hailed as an advance in home entertainment and online gaming. But the software giant’s inability to make enough of the systems to satisfy demand could hurt it in the battle for supremacy with Sony. Sony’s PlayStation 3 could arrive as soon as spring.
Microsoft “needs to get the supply-and-demand situation nailed real soon,” said John Davison, editorial director for Ziff Davis Media’s video game industry magazines. “If it drags out much longer, it’s just going to promote apathy rather than excitement.”
In the short term, prospects don’t look good. Microsoft initially hoped to have shipped as many as 3 million systems by the end of February. But by the end of the year, Microsoft had shipped only about 1 million worldwide (about 800,000 to the United States and 100,000 each to Europe and Japan), according to estimates from analyst Michael Pachter with investment firm Wedbush Morgan Securities.
The NPD Group estimates that Microsoft sold 600,000 systems from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31. In comparison, it sold 1.4 million of the original Xbox systems in the first two months of 2001. “That was a new brand, and certainly now that it’s established with a very loyal following and given the amount of hype and buzz they created, that is one barometer of what possibly could have been,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.
Circuit City, like many other retailers, has held off promoting the 360 in advertisements.
“We think supplies are going to remain pretty tight for the next 90 days,” the chain’s Jim Babb said.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s Peter Moore said the startup of a third manufacturing plant would help increase supply.
“We are making them as fast as we possibly can, and we do expect over the next three to four months that availability will get a lot better,” Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said. “The challenge we had - and we’re not the first to have this - is the demand far exceeded supply.”
Microsoft should offer more of an explanation for the shortage, said Richard Doherty, research director of the Envisioneering Group. He surmises that the company might not be getting enough quality 360 units off the production line, or perhaps it is delaying to produce more units with an HD DVD drive, which Gates announced at the show.
“Damage to Microsoft and 360 is growing every week with no clear explanation,” he said. “The silence is unfair to consumers and fans alike.”

[vincewy]

It's easy to say that this is the worst launch since Atari Jaguar, over 2 months after launch, some stores still haven't received 2nd system shipments, my local Shopko is expecting 2nd system shipments on April 28th, if this is true, that'd be 5 months of no system supply, pretty soon people will not care about it and wait for Revolution and PS3, even big players like Best Buy, Walmart have been getting just a few per shipment, what a JOKE!

ONLY Jaguar had worse launch than this, for about a year, they had only 4-5 gamess for the entire year, ouch! That certainly helpd bringing a lot of loyal customers [sarcasm]

[pacmanhat]

It's easy to say that this is the worst launch since Atari Jaguar, over 2 months after launch, some stores still haven't received 2nd system shipments, my local Shopko is expecting 2nd system shipments on April 28th, if this is true, that'd be 5 months of no system supply, pretty soon people will not care about it and wait for Revolution and PS3, even big players like Best Buy, Walmart have been getting just a few per shipment, what a JOKE!

ONLY Jaguar had worse launch than this, for about a year, they had only 4-5 gamess for the entire year, ouch! That certainly helpd bringing a lot of loyal customers [sarcasm]

Someone sounds bitter...

This launch has been far from perfect, but has still been a good one overall. I've seen Targets, Best Buys and Wal-Marts in this area, ALL with the system in stock at one point or another, and I know employees of those stores who have all said things completely contrary to what you're claiming. Furthermore, my local GameCrazy has a small pile of 360's available as I'm typing this. And the games, small in numbers are they are, are excellent overall. I have 15 od the 19 games released thus far, and I've yet to play one I didn't enjoy (though I will admit I'm easy to please).

They may be harder to come by than they should be, but comparing this launch to the Jaguar is just plain ignorant.

[swlovinist]

Comparing the 360 launch to the Jaguar O_O O_O O_O O_O

[Joker T]

Some stores around where I live are starting to get a few back in stock. I'll get it in March likely.

[heybtbm]

No matter which way you spin it...the 360 launch has been a disaster for the consumer. Some would argue that means it's also a disaster for Microsoft, but I think it's too early to tell.

I've never seen a 360 in stock. Never. That's pathetic. I have the money, I'm interested in a few games, and I'm all ready to go....but there's no 360's to be found.

I'm starting to think by the time 360's are plentiful in stores, it'll only be a few months before the Revolution and PS3 launches. I'll probably just wait for those (lesson learned: pre-order). I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be thinking this way around that time.

[Zing]

I bet the video game stores absolutely love scenarios like this. As heybtbm mentioned, this situation will convince people to pre-order and give the stores interest-free loans for months at a time.

[captain nintendo]

Some would argue that means it's also a disaster for Microsoft, but I think it's too early to tell.

.


Pfft :roll:

Tell that to Microsoft stock which jumped like 1.06 the other day. Yeah, a real disaster. LOL

[Poofta!]

im certainly fed up... on more than a few occasions ive been meaning to pick one up, but i havent seen a single 360 in stock anywhere in nyc. if it really drags on for as long as april, ill just wait for the release of the other 2 consoles and decide which to buy/reserve.

[Dobie]

I've started seeing the consoles in stock at various retail stores. Not a lot mind you... one or two at a time. Usually its the Core system, but there were two premiums hanging out at Hastings yesterday when I went to pick up PGR3 on a whim. They are out there... persistance will bear fruit.

[Lothars]

I've honestly not seen one anywhere I live unless someone was buying it

so imo im gonna wait to the ps3 depending when it's released though I definitly want to preorder that since I see how impossible it is to get the 360

[vincewy]

Someone sounds bitter...



Actually I'm not bitter, but disappointed, in fact I had chance to get the system on a few ocassions before Xmas, I'm speaking from retailers' perspective, how can they keep getting XB 360 games/accessories without a SINGLE unit coming in, if I'm in charge of the corporate, I'd refuse to buy them unless MS supplies my stores with at least some systems.

I'm starting to see systems trickling in at TRU (mind you, other secondary retail chains like K-Mart and Shopko still have not), but after the holiday, the impulse is gone and people aren't rushing in to buy them, on eBay I still see many foolish enough trying to resell, right now they'll be stuck with them, had MS flood the market with 3 million units before Xmas (even new year), they'd be in good shape and get the system established in US/Europe, inviting more companies to publish games.

As mentioned earlier, many will now hold off and wait for either PS3 and/or Rev, if Sony will have the same problem during the next holiday season (less than 1 mil systems available here before Xmas) or have PS3 pushed back til 07, MS will still have a shot, but if Sony gets 7 million units out as claimed, XB 360 is done.

[kainemaxwell]

We had one in stock in my store this week, sold it today.

[Porkchop]

I was in Wal-mart today and they made two anouncements that they had 360s in stock in the electroics department. If you want one just keep checking the stores that don't do preorders.

[Flack]

The hype started getting to me so I decided if I ran across one, I'd pick it up. Fortunately for my pocketbook I haven't run across a single one in stock yet. I haven't been pounding the pavement or anything, but everytime I go into Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop or any of those places I always check and I haven't seen one yet.

[Lothars]

The hype started getting to me so I decided if I ran across one, I'd pick it up. Fortunately for my pocketbook I haven't run across a single one in stock yet. I haven't been pounding the pavement or anything, but everytime I go into Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop or any of those places I always check and I haven't seen one yet.

yeah I have kind of gotten to the point I wouldn't mind one but I haven't seen on either at all no matter where I go to but it's all good.

[smokexx]

I have only seen one xbox 360 system on stock and I bought at the lewistown, pa wal mart. It was the only one that they had in the case and I about fainted when I saw it so I made my wife put it on lay-a-way until payday. I was surprised but it was actually the premium package. I went today to pick it up and just out of curiosity I asked if they had any xbox 360's in stock. They said that they only got one shipment since right before christmas (I think she said 6) but they were gone in less than an hour. If anone lives close to huntingdon, pa they are having a grand opening at our new walmart on route 22 and they might have some 360's on stock. I heard that they are opening on tuesday the 31st not sure what time though

[Trade-N-Games]

I loaded up witha few of each game at my store and controllers and memory cards the week they came out and i still have them only sold a few. Only a handful of my customers have systems and the most just got all that stuff at the same time from the big stores. I was going to carry it all and try to keep it in stock but not now!
I think it has been a very suck supply. Or from the looks of it most went to Ebay.

[portnoyd]

It was weird... but on Friday, Achi and I walked into an EB in the Palisades Mall in New York, and on a lark, she asked if they had a 360.. and they did - a premium no less.

It has to say something if an EB in one of the largest malls in America have gotten past their preorders to just sell 360s to anyone who walks in without a preorder. The systems have to be coming in at a good pace.

dave

[wberdan]

DAMN- the first week of this month i saw 5 core systems stocked at my local wal-mart. of course i havn't seen any since-
i was curious if this was hard to find still, because i havn't seen it there (or anywhere else) since


willie

[Rogmeister]

I won't be getting one. I had determined that the only way I'd get one would be if I won one from one of two contests I joined. EGM hasn't e-mailed me to tell me I won one of theirs so that means that, for now at least, I'll just be sticking with the last batch of consoles (XBox, GC, PS2)...

[Griking]

I bet the video game stores absolutely love scenarios like this. As heybtbm mentioned, this situation will convince people to pre-order and give the stores interest-free loans for months at a time.

Or convince them not to since many people who did pre-order still haven't gotten their consoles yet even though the game stores still have their money.