The Console Wars: Xbox 360 Shortages Likely According to MS Exec

Monday, June 06, 2005

Xbox 360 Shortages Likely According to MS Exec

XBOX 360 SHORTAGES POSSIBLE, SAYS MICROSOFT EXEC
"UK Xbox chief admits that you might have trouble finding a 360 this Christmas, but blames demand rather than supply

If you're planning on filling your stocking with a spanking new Xbox 360 this Christmas you might want to get your name on a pre-order list - according to UK Xbox boss Neil Thompson there's a good chance that the next-gen console could suffer shortages shortly after it launches.

The current Xbox has been hobbled by stock shortages since before Christmas last year, leading to accusations that Microsoft is phasing out the console in the run up to 360's launch.

But Thompson has admitted that huge demand for the next-gen Xbox could result in more unhappy faces on Christmas morning. "I think demand is going to be phenomenal so we see that as a really difficult thing," he told UK industry journal MCV.

"Will we execute well so retail will have good volume?" asked Thompson. "Yes. But I don't think we're going to meet demand as people are going to come into this platform in a big way."

Microsoft faces numerous problems in their quest to beat Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Revolution to market, not least the challenges of producing enough consoles to satisfy a simultaneous worldwide release, though to be this November."

¶ D.Vader // 6/06/2005 09:19:00 AM // PermaLink