Microsoft Plans Deliberate Xbox 360 Shortage

An anonymous reader writes "To ensure an immediate "sellout" of the Xbox 360 on launch day (therefore getting lots of media buzz about their new console), Microsoft will simply restrict the supply down to a trickle. My favorite part of the article: "In addition to limiting the per-store stock of consoles and having the retailers prepare to prominently note the unit's "sold out" status, Microsoft has allegedly asked Norwegian retailers to sign an agreement that they'll sell out of the consoles on the launch date." Looks like it's not a rumour.

Comments

Time for auctions

[G4from128k]

I'm wondering when some company will just auction "hot" new products to the highest bidder? The top 1000 bids get the product in week 1, the second highest 1000 bids get the product in week 2, etc. A central website would manage the bidding and winners would get a code or printed barcode sheet that entitles them to buy the item at the agreed price at their local retailer or online. Retailers could even use bid data to guess-timate the likely volume of sales (knowing that some % of winning bidders in their zip code are likely to buy at that retailer).

Auctions would reduce problems with insiders who buy multiple copies of the product at retail and sell scarce goods on eBay. It would also avoid mob scenes in which desperate parents storm the doors of stores known to have the much-sought product. Finally, winning bidders would have some assurance that they will be able to get the scarce item.

Re:Boo Microsoft!

[omega9]

It's the media/customers that are kinda stupid for falling for these schemes...

You can't blame the customer in situations like this. All they are are consumers who want a product. One metric of a good product is how well it initially sells, and all that's happening here is Microsoft falsifying that metric. It's just your every day corprate dishonesty. You could blame the media for not reporting on anything but the sellout, but it wouldn't suprise me if they just didn't bother digging any deeper to find that side of the story.

Interesting Tactics

[TyrionEagle]

This is actually quite a good idea from Microsoft.

Hold on, let me explain, put the pitchfork down.

Most consoles have huge date one allocations and sell out. There is then a huge gap while the manufacturer re-supplies, eventually things settle down to normal sales figures and supply can match demand.

If MS limit the number of sales on day one, they can keep units flowing into stores instead of having a slump. You'll keep people coming back and retailers won't have dry periods when they've sold out and are waiting for more stock.

It's a crazy plan, but it might just work.

Deal With It!

[pandrijeczko]

So Microsoft want to get as much publicity as they can for the X-Box 360 launch day - big deal...

Why is this any different to Apple's launch of the iPod, Sony's launch of the PS2 or Nintendo's launch of the Gameboy Advance? All of these "sold out" on the day of their launches.

I have no love for Microsoft whatsoever but they're just a big corporation marketing a product that they just want to sell lots of.

And if they leech money from the countless sheeple who just *have* to have something before anyone else in their street, then I say good luck to them!