System shortages causing eBay price and availability orgy |
Yikes.
eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman reports that 40,000 XBox 360 consoles have been sold on eBay to date:
the 40,000 unit figure has left pundits flabbergasted. If launch supply estimates from American Technology Research are accurate, that would mean that 10% of all Xbox 360 consoles sold in the US were either sold or resold through eBay.
On the weekly radio show I host Friday we discussed whether Microsoft should be going forward with launches in other countries while widespread retail outages exist in the US/Canada? Certainly this is a selfish point of view, but in the past many systems launch in Japan before they launch in the US.
I think Microsoft needs to take care of the first launch area first rather than spread this shortage problem worldwide. I still haven’t seen an Xbox 360 available for purchase in any retail store and don’t expect to until well after Christmas. This is pretty much reminiscent of how the PS2 went down without the overheating and system crash news.
What do you think? Should Microsoft halt their worldwide launch plans and take care of the existing supply outlets?
Did this post make you go hmm?
(Hmm, no ratings yet)
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Halt the worldwide launch plans? .. They have launched in world already what i know, at least europe has it and if they halt it in Europe then we will get a frenzy here.
We are having a shortage also in Sweden but the tradesites like Tradera (Sweden biggest auctionsite) doesn’t have insane prices on Xbox360, just a small price above the price compared to a new box.
It sounds more like a greedy persons on Ebay, if they now have several machines for sale why not just sell it for a bit over the price and not 2-3 times more.
And Europe hasn’t had any problems with overheating / crashed machines either what i have heard about on any sites so far.
I think it is more people that is just blowing air for they didn’t get hold of a machine.
Just my 50 cents on this.
Comment by Forser — December 5, 2005 @ 2:50 am PST
[…] Why am I not excited? Because I know if I show up there on December 18th that the (also rumored) less amount of consoles will be gone and fodder for overpriced eBay resale. This futility likely won’t stop me from heading out again and attempting to bag one. Damn you, Microsoft. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Rumour is more Xbox 360 on Dec 18 — December 8, 2005 @ 4:00 pm PST