P.J. McNealy, a U.S. based Tech analyst, claims that Microsoft has moved between 300,000 to 400,000 XBox 360s in the past week since the console's launch. This information would have been easily dismissed as pre-European launch hype had the analyst not made it clear that Microsoft could have sold up to three times as many consoles had they had the stock available.
Microsoft has promised retailers they will get weekly deliveries of units but they seem to be just as much in the dark as consumers. Many claim that they will have units ready for this coming weekend although very few could tell you exactly how many units they will be getting and when they will be arriving. Circuit City's Jim Babb said, We knew demand would outstrip supply for some time. I have been told we'll get additional supplies, so I can only advise customers keep checking back with stores and on the website.
Microsoft has hinted that the European launch will have fewer units available compared to its N. American counterpart but has not yet made it clear how adequate supplies can be provided to U.S. retailers, while launch events in Europe may have to run with very few consoles.
All this could make Microsoft's chance of reaching its target of selling 3 million units worldwide in the first 3 months, very difficult and you have to remember that the point of risking an early launch was to get as many units as possible sold before rivals Sony and Nintendo unleash their own next-generation versions.
