Microsoft announces Xbox 360 supply "surge"

Since late last year when the first volley of Xbox 360s sold out near instantaneously we've been hearing the noise of Microsoft's wheels in motion to crank out more consoles. Well, today apparently they've "turned a major corner" as Peter Moore announced -- four to six weeks later -- that as of this week they're doubling to tripling their output to retailers. In other words, if you've been having a hard time getting your hands on a device (and are now especially disinclined to wait around until fall / winter for a PlayStation 3), this could be the week you have to call mom and ask for that loan after all.

[thegreatxing @ Mar 21st 2006 9:57AM]

No thanks. I lost my interest for Xbox 360 already. So far, there is no game for this new console to justify a purchase. I'll wait.

[js @ Mar 21st 2006 10:00AM]

Yeah... and I'm pretty sure the ones who wait for this already lost their interest.

[Kyle @ Mar 21st 2006 10:09AM]

is it possible microsoft did this because today oblivion launches?

[Josh @ Mar 21st 2006 10:14AM]

I'm looking forward to the PS3. The 360 is really overated.

[Dave @ Mar 21st 2006 10:14AM]

If you like driving, buy Need for Speed. AMAZING game.
If you like shooters, buy GRAW. Total fun.

[Ed @ Mar 21st 2006 10:20AM]

Big deal. I'm still more interested in tweaking and adding things to my modded XBOX. Next up, I'll be building a HD Myth TV box, and will use by XBOX as the playback client in my living room. If MS had opened up the 360 to have the same exact functionality that I can get from XBMC, then maybe I'd be interested. On top of it all, there is not a single killer app for the 360 yet. COD 2 looks good, no doubt, but it sounds like they have all sorts of issues with online play. The price, the lack of a killer app, and the toned down multi-media capabilities all have me saying, "who cares?" I'll wait for the PS3 thank you.

[Ed @ Mar 21st 2006 10:22AM]

too bad there is no "surge" in my demand.

theres just nothing on that system or in the pipeline that interests me at all...ugh

[matt rutledge @ Mar 21st 2006 10:28AM]

#2, no there would not have been - that's a crazy misperception. retailers created those bundles to increase profit off of the few systems they were able to obtain. they would have been gone in 5 minutes if they sold them as core systems.

[ChuChu @ Mar 21st 2006 10:30AM]

haha Josh you think PS3 is going to be any different? It's going to be the same rehashed games with slightly better graphics. Get used to it, this is the state of the console market right now. If we are lucky the nintendo revolution might actually be new & interesting.

[shizz @ Mar 21st 2006 10:34AM]

I have had one since xmas and I love it. The games could be better though. Oblivion and Gears of war should be good, but I hear the game complaint. I'll probably still buy a PS3 though, why not have the best of both worlds...

[helvector @ Mar 21st 2006 10:34AM]

I just bought one this weekend from my local gamespot without any of the silly bundles and I am really quite impressed. I got Ghost Recon and Fight Night, with the later being pretty amazing in HD.

[jt @ Mar 21st 2006 10:36AM]

I agree with Ed, '360 has absolutely nothing right now that will make me want to buy it. I am still waiting for a "must have" title. Sure it looks sweet, and is very powerful, but since 360 is not backwards compatible with the old peripherals, I really can't justify the upgrade. I would rather invest $100 to overhaul my current Xbox, than to sell it, and buy a 360. There is still too much life left in the current Xbox to just jump to the 360 ship.

[Josh @ Mar 21st 2006 10:39AM]

Chu Chu, You're right. The console market is peaking. I'm just set on the quality of The PS brands. I've owned three Xboxes, all three have fried in 6 months. I have had a PS2 for a 3 years and its going strong.

[Russ @ Mar 21st 2006 10:43AM]

I'll be buying one shortly and it has nothing to do with games. All I want is HD from my OTA tuners in the basement MCE server.

MS hasn't said a word (that I know of) as far as VISTA extenders go, so I figured I would be bent over and purchase a 360.

[Jack Nole @ Mar 21st 2006 10:44AM]

Well, we have had about 100 consoles in our shop since beginning of january, so here in Norway we cant exactly complain : )

Id rather say its problematic to get ridd of the damn boxes....

BTW, ghost recon rocks

[Peetz @ Mar 21st 2006 10:45AM]

Got lucky, bought one for retail price...finished COD2, got lucky again and sold it for what i paid.

Very few good games, too expensive $400+tax, $60+ per game is the straw that broke the camels back for me, $40 is what Iam willing to pay for a game. Plus subscription online service and you have a very expensive gaming experience, factor in the HDTV needed to get the best of it, and the fact that the media center features are practically worthless.

Iam back with my PS2, free online, and iam having a blast with toca3+gods of war, and I have the best part of an extra $450 in my pocket.

I also found the HD graphics were only good in some games, seeing all the detail actually made it less realistic, the fuzzy nature of graphics in games like shadow of the colosuss makes it look better.

Ive been burned by new consoles, wont happen again, the PS3 will have to prove itself before I buy one. XBOX 360 will only be appealling when it is $200 with a back catalohue of cheap games, and is hacked to be a DVR/media center.

[Karl @ Mar 21st 2006 10:47AM]

PS3 is already dated. It's as fast as a Dual 6800 SLI rig. The Xbox 360 has untapped potential with the Unified Shader Model in hardware that has yet to be coded for (It's a major feature in DirectX 10). The games you see on the 360 now are pac-man compared to what they could be.

The PS3 is already behind, and it hasn't been released yet. But the RSX chip *has* been finalized and won't get any better.

If you're under the impression the PS3 is technically superior to the 360, you're flat out wrong. It's already been said by people who have lost their jobs at Sony for saying so.

Personally, I'll own both if the PS3 gains any momentum, but that's a long time coming.

[Michael @ Mar 21st 2006 10:52AM]

One would hope that Microsoft had the supply sorted out as the device launches in Australia in two days.

[Afrim @ Mar 21st 2006 10:52AM]

If you have an HD TV, you have some nerve saying that its not worth buying the 360. If you don't have an HD TV its not the 360 fault... 360 Games look amazing on HD... it was worth every penny!

For those of you who do not have HD I have to agree there is absolutely no reason to get the 360.

[Matt @ Mar 21st 2006 10:58AM]

Revolution exists.

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Mar 21st 2006 11:01AM]

Huh.

Let's do some comparisons. Pretend for a second:

A surge in the supply of Dreamcasts? When is Sega going to realize that they have to supply people when the supply is wanted? The Dreamcast is a great platform - nice graphics, powerful, some pretty good games. But it doesn't have a DVD player, which will be one of the killer specs for the PS2.

Now back to reality:

How is this not DC vs. PS2 all over again? How many folks ran out to buy a DC when the PS2 was still many months away? How manay people are going to hold out for the PS3 because it will have a Blu-Ray drive? I know that's a huge selling point for me. Whereas the 360 has nothing but a regular DVD drive (and I can't find any evidence that it even upconverts SD DVDs, though I can't find any evidence Sony is doing that, either).

The biggest draw to the 360, for me, is the Media Center ability... but why buy a $400 game console for that when there are no games you want (and the power supply is the size of a small European country)?

Again, all it comes down to for me is: Huh.

[Derrick @ Mar 21st 2006 11:12AM]

Don't feel bad Karl, buyers remorse is common with all things M$.

[Justanotherperson @ Mar 21st 2006 11:18AM]

It's amazing how strong people's feelings are for these gaming systems. Who cares? Go out and get a girlfriend.

[Christian @ Mar 21st 2006 11:20AM]

No quality games = No thanks! How is it that Microsoft couldn't get someone to make one must have game. In fact, i'll just say it, almost all of the 360 games are absoultely horrible gameplay wise. The graphics currently arent vastly superior to the XBOX although I know that will change; overall, the 360 as of now is a disapointment.

[Kiteless @ Mar 21st 2006 11:22AM]

Meh, I do not even own a TV. I have a PS2 collecting dust. But my WIndows XP x64 computer just got a 19" LCD, and I play all my games on that.

XBOX - Well modded & very flexable, cheaper by the day.

360 - As stated, expensive, games are fairly good. But everyone is waiting for HALO 3.

PS3 - Delayed. All you folks waiting, I bet it is not even available in the US in any decent quantity until Spring 2007! Oh and it is gonna prolly cost like $500+ bux.

PC Games - Hit or miss really. Best flexability of controls and variety of games IMO. But can some times require a savvy owner, and a decent rig costs twice as much as an XBOX360.

- Kiteless

[NG @ Mar 21st 2006 11:22AM]

Karl,
If you want a graphics pissing match, take a look at the demos for the NVidia 7800, which is similar hardware to the RSX, but slower. http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_luna_home.html

It'll be great if the 'untapped potential' of the XB360 can pull off something like this, but that's where the bar is.

[Gil @ Mar 21st 2006 11:26AM]

Where are the games for the 360? I'll wait at least for Gears of War (Nov. '06?), and by then the PS3 will come out. It'll be a nice to compare. These bundles are total BS, unbundle the system, I don't want these games.

[Karl @ Mar 21st 2006 11:28AM]

Derrick, I have no buyers remorse. The Anti-microsoft sentiment was funny back when they were first embroiled in anti-trust suits. Today it's like hearing the same joke over and over and over again. It just isn't funny anymore. It's just a real yawner now.

The 360 is a stellar gaming machine. If the PS3 shows it's a decent contender and gets its fair share of games, I'll buy one of those as well. The specs show it's capable, but the specs of the 360 are still better GRAPHICALY on paper all said and done. Since this is a gaming machine first, to me that is what counts... I don't require that I be bound to one device that has to do everything well. I don't care if the 360 doesn't play DVD's perfectly or is incapable of playing HD-DVD/Blu-Ray. I can buy other devices to do that.

I didn't buy my car for its ability to play FM radio. People shouldn't buy a game console for its ability to play DVD's or what not.

[Phil @ Mar 21st 2006 11:34AM]

This is crazy.
The xbox 360 is the only way to play geometry wars and graw in HD. From what I can tell, that makes the xbox 360 worth its weight in gold. Just the 360, not the power adaptor tho, cuz that thing is huge. but honestly, who cares if the dam thing is huge!? the thing is safely behind my TV and i c no problem there.

and number 22, i have a girlfriend, but video games r a serious investment and i think its worth applying thought before buying anything with this kind of price tag.

[Derrick @ Mar 21st 2006 11:34AM]

Its not a question of untapped potenital of the systems in my book. Its a question of who has the developers to make games that will push the envelope.
As much as I think Sony sucks, they have the network of companies and talent required to make some truly amazing games. I didn't see that kind of innovation with the Xbox and I don't plan to see it with the 360 either. Halo, the one game that I do like was developed by Bungie who MS bought out.

[Karl @ Mar 21st 2006 11:34AM]

I have a dual 7800GTX SLI rig in my home PC. I'm more than familiar with the Luna demo. And if that's the best you think the RSX will do, then the 360 has already won.

The 7800GTX is a capable GPU without a doubt. But the RSX is only on-par with it. The 360, once coders start leveraging the unified shader architecture, can be much much more.

By comparison, Camp Nvidia will not have a hardware unified shader architecture until the G80 GPU. Since RSX is based on G70, it lacks this feature entirely whereas the 360 does not.

It's simple specs. The 360 has several things PS3 will not in the graphics department. But that doesn't mean the PS3 will be a bad gaming console (though it looks like it will be an *expensive* one). It's all in how the developers leverage the technology they have available to them. My point is that developers have more to leverage in the 360 now and in the future over the PS3.

[Pete @ Mar 21st 2006 11:42AM]

Josh, you must be pouring water on your systems or soldering wrong ;)

I've had an Xbox for 3 years and it hasn't crapped out at all. In fact, my 360 hasn't had one problem yet.

[Karl @ Mar 21st 2006 11:44AM]

Derrick,

Untapped potential is what consoles are all about :) Take a look at the first run game released for any console, then compare the title to the graphics in a similar game released a year later. You'll see exactly what I mean.

And the developer tide is turning. Game outfits that used to be highly exclusive with Sony (Squaresoft to name one) has already announced games for the 360 (Final Fantasy XI). Game developers aren't going to wait 2 more quarters for Sony to get its butt in gear when they could be making money on the 360 now. Software development costs aren't what they used to be, and quite frankly, Sony isn't the 800lb Gorilla it used to be either.

[RAdZer0 @ Mar 21st 2006 11:49AM]

Heres a comment on you guys, Xbox designs there controlers to get better. Sony keeps the same shit and trys to screw patent owners. If it wouldnt have been for the big lawsuit there wouldnt be a new controler and we would have something dated really bad. The boomerang is stupid and big ugly. It has the middle button copyed off microsoft. And the only reason for the redesign is for a diffrent type of rumble setup (no idea what this is yet).

Even if sony wins on the more power system its gonna cost ALOT more if it waits untill 07 for release id say $500. Everything right now point to a 700-900 release price and they wouldnt even be breaking even on cost. Sony doesnt have the funds microsoft does to loose money on the console. Also the amount its gonna cost to make bluray games they will only make $5 or so (they = sony) on each game and the developer will make the rest which means they have to sell alot more to break even.

[GamerG @ Mar 21st 2006 11:52AM]

Well I love my 360 and I think the games are as good as any have been so soon after the release of a console.

I am currently playing Burnout revenge, Ghost Recon, Fight Night and i've finished COD2 as far as i'm concerened its all been money well spent. The graphics on my HDTV are better than I expected them to be and whenever I show anyone them they immediatly start talking about buying one!

[Tristan @ Mar 21st 2006 11:55AM]

I've owned a 360 since December and I love it. I'm not a fanboy of any of the 3 companies, I just like good games with great graphics. I also own a 1080p HDTV and I want to feed it quality material so the 360 was a must have. The first batch of games was fun but not graphically superior to the current gen systems. That all changed this month. If you haven't experienced Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter in HD with 5.1 Surround sound you are missing out. The game blows all current gen games away. You really feel like you are in Mexico City. Fight Night also looks stunning in HD and plays great. The 360 is a great machine and the GUI is exceptional compared to the other systems. Not to mention I can stream WMVHD, DVD on my HD, All my Mp3's, Pictures, and DivX from my PC in our home office. Family pictures look great at 50". If you don't own an HDTV then don't get a 360 or PS3. If you do and are a gamer don't short change yourself by only buying the PS3. The 360 is a great console and most likely you won't
be able to get a PS3 until this time next year. Don't forget how hard it was to find a PS2 at launch.

Oh and if you think Blu-Ray is going to be a big hit you are crazy. Those of us here at engadget are early adopters. If you walk into Best Buy and ask Joe Six Pack if he's getting a Blu-Ray player you�re going to get a funny look. He'll probably even ask why he needs one when he just upgraded from VHS to DVD. Blue-Ray is not going to be a huge selling point for the general public, not like DVD was.

[Atari Kid @ Mar 21st 2006 11:56AM]

Very few (in any) good exclusive games at the moment.

Medal of Honor, Burnout, Oblivion, Condemned, Fight Night, aren't exclusives. Probably can even get better graphics on the PC with a high end graphics card that cost around the same as a 360.

A good price drop and Halo 3 should make it more appealing, but I've been seeing available stock of 360 at my local Circuit City for the last month.

[Alcaron @ Mar 21st 2006 12:01PM]

You guys are totally right...no reason at all to buy this piece of crap...

I am going to sell mine, you guys have convinced me that all the fun I've had playing GRAW, DoA4, PGR3, Kameo, FNR3, Burnout, and in a couple hours Oblivion, have all been made up little fantasies of mine...

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT!!!

Man, just to think, I've wasted over a hundred hours playing crappy games...jesus, I feel so used.

[Mark @ Mar 21st 2006 12:11PM]

What I want to know is....

Why are they just now doubling to tripling they're output???? Shouldn't they have been doing this in the first place????

I, to add to the list, have also lost interest in the 360.

[vakerorokero @ Mar 21st 2006 12:28PM]

Interesting how after Sony is making announcements that their Online service is going to be free, Microsoft "suddenly" makes available the consoles they were unable to manufacture for months. Could all this Xbox360 scarce have been planned?

[Thill @ Mar 21st 2006 12:31PM]

This is good news for Microsoft, and bad news for Sony. Why? Because when everyone tries to go out in Nov/Dec and buy a console as either a gift, or with holiday money, and the PS3 is either unavailable due to shortages or because it has been delayed again they will buy 360's.

In my area (Northern VA), you cannot find the 360's in stores unless you get lucky (which is what happened to me in February).

If you do not own an HD television, do yourself a favor and buy one of these before you make the investment in a next gen gaming console. It is like putting a Kia Rio engine in a Porsche 911... It makes all the difference..

As for Blu-Ray and HD-DVD, I am not sold on any format right now and have no plans to buy a player in the near future. Not only do I want to see which format (if either) becomes the dominant format before I buy a player, I have serious concerns about DRM and may just stick with a stock DVD player for another year or two until there is an alternative. I say screw the movie studios. For any of you not familiar with the DRM issues, you better get smart.. There is no way I am going to let a company like Sony tell me how I can watch my movies and take control over my living room remote.

If any of you think that Sony will not have similar production issues with a Global release of the PS3, you are wrong. Sony has already come out and stated that they expect to have produced 6 million PS3's in the first 3-4 months of its release. Do the math. Even if they did hit that number (meaning that there are no issues getting parts both internally and externally), thay is not going to be very many consoles to go around (globally speaking). So, lets say they have 2 million consoles at launch. I can only assume that Japan is going to get 60-70%, that leaves 30-40% for the Americas, EMEA, and APAC to fight over... I smell 360 all over again.. The difference will be that there will be plenty of 360's by this holiday season and I wonder how many people will be patient enough to wait 3-6 months to get their hands on a PS3....

[Scott @ Mar 21st 2006 12:34PM]

Maybe now I can finally pick one up, something I wont be doing w/ the PS3.

[omoks @ Mar 21st 2006 12:36PM]

I think the problem with the xBox 360 is that as usual MS overhyped but couldn't fulfil neither demand or capability.

Yeah! the 360 is great but prove it to the average consumer who already owns a PS2 over 50% of the console market.

MS wanted to gain market share but then they failed to meet demand automatically isolating contending PS2 owners.

Its a shame that MS was not confident enough in their own product to take out extra cash and then flood the market with the 360.

[jabbertrack @ Mar 21st 2006 12:42PM]

I think it's hilarious that 360 haters blame the games, as is the PS3 is going to have even 1/4 the quality games the 360 will have by November.

So I guess if Fight Night is on the PS3, the game would be worth playing? It's not good enough now?

Oh but wait... MGS4!

[The1 @ Mar 21st 2006 12:44PM]

You PS3 Zombies make me laugh.

[Lee88 @ Mar 21st 2006 12:46PM]

MSFT said "we PROMISE there'll be more in a couple weeks" at CES. I went to retailers and checked reputable online stores, only to find nothing. They said it again in various media interviews in February. I went to retailers and checked reputable online stores, only to find nothing. It's now nearing the end of March with another official announcement that "there'll be more soon" and I'd bet dollars to donuts that I still won't be able to find one.

I'm not exactly a conspiracy theorist or an MSFT-basher. But given that every console sold early in the hardware cycle is a financial loss, I imagine it's fairly prudent of MSFT to continue delaying production (i.e. the longer they wait, the cheaper components become therefore reducing the $ loss/unit) given that the PS3 launch has officially been pushed back to end of '06. Frustrating for consumers but prudent from a profitability (at least near term) standpoint.

[Ed A @ Mar 21st 2006 1:04PM]

I just bought a 360 from Gamestop in Rockville, Maryland, so the trickle has already begun. Apparently I was the only person to ask for one that day since everyone seems to think it's sold out for eternity.

[Caleb @ Mar 21st 2006 1:21PM]

K guys,
All i have to say is, the PS3 doesn't have a chance. Think about it. Xbox 360 has vast untapped potential right now, there won't be a fair comparison to the 360 for a while, but the PS3 already has something to base our best graphic expectations on.
The only thing PS3 will have, as far as hardware goes, on the 360 is Blu-Ray, but that will mean longer load times if a programmers truly utilizes that extra storage, and by the time Blu-Ray DVDs (I know that'
s a contradiction of terms) become popular enough to justify buying a PS3, you could just get a Blu-Ray compatible player for less than the price difference between 360 and PS3.
That leaves just free online, and if that starts to seriously steal MS's share in the market, Gates could work on making XboxLive free, right?

[erik @ Mar 21st 2006 1:34PM]

so if the ps3 comes out for the holiday season of this year, and has problems launching at all in not japan, then sony is in trouble. the holidays are the biggest selling times of pretty much anything, thanks to christmahunnakahkwanzika. now i know that the average gamer is in his 20's to 30's like me, but there is something to be said about parents who work all the time and need to buy the kiddies an electronic babysitter. by the holiday season the 360 will have a large game cataloge, and will be available. that matters. cant buy the ps3 if it isnt there.
also, the ps3 will cost as much as a car when it does come out, and itll have the same opening problems that any other console ever has had. but back to price, does no one think that the 360 will take a $100 price cut when the holidays roll around? you best be thinking about that. itll come for $250 to $300 with a bigger hd...and the ps3 will be $500 or more. if it isnt, sony will be out of business in a month, people just arent buying their overprices poor quality components anymore. its not really fair that ms owns the world, but they do

[Kevin @ Mar 21st 2006 1:36PM]

For all of you who keep regurgitating the fact that the 360 has untapped potential.

So did the dreamcast.

How is the 360 comming along with Blu-ray, oh it isn't. Man such untapped potential with last generation media.