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Microsoft Expects Difficulty Meeting Xbox One Demand
Back in September, we ran an interview with Microsoft Studios vice president Phil Spencer. During that conversation, we spoke extensively about the company’s calculated and measured approach to supply and demand.
"You want people to be able to walk in the store and buy one on day one, so you're trying to manage the inventory that isn't pre-sold," Spencer told us. "It's not a yield problem, it's us trying to manage the hardware side. I want parents who don't think about pre-ordering electronics to be able to walk in and have a chance to find a box. There might be a line, but I don't want it to be that if you didn't pre-order in September, you can't get one. That doesn't feel like a great consumer experience."
Today, Microsoft vice president Phil Harrison has some bad news. In a conversation with MCV, Harrison suggests that supply will be a problem for the company. "There will be difficulty getting stock through until Christmas, but we will do everything we can to accelerate that,” he says.
This is similar to what we heard from Sony’s Andrew House about supply and an identical contrast to the enormous numbers of people still on wait lists. Despite both companies’ best efforts, it looks like new hardware will be in extremely low availability.
[Source: MCV]
Our Take
Both current-generation consoles (yes, I know it’s weird to think of the Xbox 360 and PS3 as last-gen, but what can you do?) are in extremely high demand, with Sony selling through one million units in the U.S. on day one. We’re awaiting the worldwide numbers from Microsoft, but suffice it to say, the industry is getting a huge shot in the arm this month.
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