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Xbox 360 Launch To Be Gradual
Gamasutra is reporting that low volume of 360 consoles will result in a somewhat gradual ramp up for the launch. From the article: "'The analysts were expecting more of a launch spike than we were... [we expect a] more gradual ramp toward' meeting revenue targets, presumably due to a lower volume of available Xbox 360 consoles than some analysts were previously estimating, and perhaps indicating there may be more severe Xbox 360 shortages than some have predicted this holiday season."
This is no surprise. Microsoft is trying to launch in 3 territories nearly simultaneously. It is to be expected.
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The difference with the PS2 was that people actually wanted a PS2.
I may be wrong, but I just don't see the demand for a Xbox 360 at launch as high as the demand for a PS2 at launch, so I find it hard to believe that there's going to be a massive shortage.
This isn't meant to be a ding against Microsoft; I have an Xbox and thoroughly enjoy it. And the same thing happened to Sony's PSP—lots of hype about shortages that never happened because the demand just wasn't there.
And personally, I resent these shortages. I think that a lot of times, they're foreseeable, and yes, the companies do it deliberately so that they can proudly proclaim that their systems sold out with people begging for more.
I just think that Microsoft is going to be sadly disappointed in this case because 1) it's too soon after the Xbox and PS2 launches to introduce a new game console, and 2) nothing about it is very revolutionary that will make people have to have one.
Oh well, like I said, maybe I'm wrong. I guess we'll see!
Something i've never quite understood is why reverse compatability is such a big issue...I used to think it was when I bought PS2, then I realized i never once played a PS1 game on it. Hopefully if you are dishing $400 out for a system it has enough games to keep you happy, and if not you still have the old system to play the old games on right? Just don't trade in that old system until you're sure you won't play the games anymore.
I think Sony got it right with their release of the PSP outside the holiday season. They were able to meet the demand of the early adopters and had time to build up inventories for the holidays this year.
I've always wondered why these console manufacturers wait until Christmas to release only a trickle of hardware into the channel. This stifles profit growth, as we all know they make their money on games vs. the hardware.
Wouldn't it make more sense to release off season, satisfy the early adopter purchases, then build up inventory for the holidays while reaping the profits from game sales along the way?
Maybe I'm just crazy.
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The reverse compatibility becomes an appeal when you DIDN'T have the previous system. I've known quite a few people who aren't hardcore gamers but do enjoy a game now and then buying the PS2 without ever owning a PS1. They bought a lot of cheap PS1 games from the clearance bins and only occasionally bought a new PS2 game when something really stood out (and they had enough money).