Wonder if we’ll finally see the gaming Holy Grail, er Xbox 360, in some local retail stores by this New Zealand and Australia launch date? xbox (emphasis mine):

The new launch date has been set due to unprecedented global consumer demand and short-term manufacturing issues due to component shortages stemming from challenges in ramping supply. The move ensures that the markets will have an adequate supply of Xbox 360 consoles to meet demand at launch.

This is a delay from their earlier plans, so that’s a good thing that Microsoft has backed things up and earnestly seem to be trying to solve the supply shortage problem.

End of March, beginning of April will be about the time I hoped to be able to find one here locally, after realizing that getting one before Christmas was unrealistic. I do realize that they can be bought online and I might break down and buy one this way if too many more months go by. I keep hearing how great this Geometry Wars game is in the Xbox Live Arcade.

So tempting!

Let’s hope Gates is right and that third manufacturing plant really ramps up production. Something tells me when Sony ships the PS3, we’ll be tripping over Xbox 360 boxes at local retailers, so maybe I should be in Sony’s corner rooting for their nextgen machine to launch?

The Hmm poll on the homepage, though nothing remotely close to scientifc, still has some 68% either unwilling or undecided about buying an Xbox 360. I wonder if after this Australian/NZ launch if there still aren’t enough Xbox 360 units to go around if these numbers will rise or fall? I intend to keep that poll running until after I am able to walk into a local retailer and buy one. Please keep in mind that I live and work about 40 minutes from Microsoft’s campus.

Starting to wonder if/when I’ll be invited up to a usability testing session on the Xbox 360 before I actually own the unit. Wouldn’t that be something? I just went up for one, so I won’t be elligible for another couple months … which is about the time of this launch.

What are we now, about 75 days after the initial launch? This is probably my fourth or fifth post (at least) lamenting the Xbox 360 supply issue and this topic has grown lots of mold (so what am I writing about this again for?).

Ok, I’ll do my best to shut up about this supply issue — it isn’t going to change no matter what I write anyway — until either I can buy one or this March 23 date passes, whichever comes first. Feel free if you already own an Xbox 360 to gloat in the comments section and make me envious.

Just out of curiosity: is anybody out there — Japan aside — able to walk into their local retailer tomorrow and buy an Xbox 360?

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