Microsoft Anticipates Xbox 360 Shortage
The problem with launching a physical product is you actually have to make it. But Microsoft says that it's unbridled customer zeal that is going to cause the shortage.
Despite the pre-E3 MTV special being a bit rubbish and the bulk of the company's games at the show being spotty, early versions, Microsoft has done well to whip prospective Xbox 360 owners into a frenzy. But its plans for a near-simultaneous launch of the console later this year may be proving too adventurous.
With the debacle of the Xbox shortages, stretching from last Christmas, still fresh in their minds, several retailers in the UK have shied away from pledging their full support for the console, saying that they don't want to disappoint customers for a second year running.
Microsoft itself has admitted that pulling off the launch will be hard. Neil Thompson, head of Xbox in the UK, told trade paper MCV that the company will do its best, but the rabid demand means that even that might not be enough.
"I don't think we're going to meet demand," Thompson told MCV, "as people are going to come into this platform in a big way."
Expect panic-inducing sales campaigns toward the end of the year when Xbox 360 hits stores worldwide.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
Satoru Iwata Video Interview - the late Nintendo president spoke with Kikizo in 2004 as 'Nintendo Revolution' loomed.
Kaz Hirai Video Interview - the first of Kikizo's interviews with the man who went on to become global head of Sony.
Ed Fries Video Interview - one of Xbox's founders discusses an epic journey from Excel to Xbox.
Yu Suzuki, the Kikizo Interview - we spend time with one of gaming's most revered creators.
Tetris - The Making of an Icon: Alexey Pajitnov and Henk Rogers reveal the fascinating story behind Tetris
Rare founders, Chris and Tim Stamper - their only interview? Genuinely 'rare' sit down with founders of the legendary studio.
The History of First-Person Shooters - a retrospective, from Maze War to Modern Warfare