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Why You Can't Buy A 360

Posted by Zonk on from the i-vote-for-a-space-conspiracy dept.

Slate Magazine is running a story about the difficulties of finding an Xbox 360 this holiday season. They explore the reasons behind the console shortage, and have some ruminations on Microsoft's motives. From the article: "So, supply shortages are a fact of life. The puzzle is somewhere else: Why don't companies raise prices when supply is short and demand is frenzied? Leaving aside oxygen and a few other essentials, there is no such thing as an absolute shortage of anything: There is only a shortage if the price is too low. At the moment, Microsoft is easily selling out the half-million or so Xbox 360 units (there's no official number) for prices starting at $300 for the basic package. Why doesn't Microsoft price them at $700 instead?"

3 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Slate.com question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Here's a question for everyone out there. Previously, Microsoft owned Slate.com. Slate was bought by the Washington Post about a year ago. Does anyone know what sort of sway, if any, Microsoft may still have with Slate?

  2. Re:ebay! by Ontain · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    if you think 300 is too much, you aren't going to be better off when the PS3 is released for 500-600

  3. Re:Would it have been better PR to... by November+1,+2005 · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    "If retailers could simply have the high-mark up, small, well supplied Games on their shelves instead of low mark-up, big, scarce consoles, I think they would be very happy!"
    So are you proposing that MS sells all its consoles through Ebay now? In your first stupid post, you were only talking about the launch period when people were willing to pay a high premium. Now in your second post you act as though EB doesn't want consoles in their stores at all - just the games. Either opinion is fundamentally stupid but I haven't yet decided which is more stupid.

    Here's a hint fuckwit: retailers aren't going to like it when you've got two products that are tied together (games + console: I'm trying to spell everything out for you Andy) and there's one place where you can get both at the same time (Ebay) and one where you can get only one (retail outlets).

    Furthermore, when consoles are sold at EB, do you think EB sells any games? Gee, I think so. Take your nonsense elsewhere.