This past week stories of expected XBox 360 shortages and of extremely low numbers of consoles given to retail outlets had led to theories suggesting that Microsoft was trying to create a deceitful shortage of X360s at launch. The reasoning for such a move, it was speculated, was the increase of the product's appeal on the run-up to the December holiday season.
It is true that the almost global launch of XBox 360 (U.S., Europe and Japan) is a unique endeavor and not many can predict demand for, what essentially is, the first next-generation console. It is also obvious however, that this is a move Microsoft has been working on for quite a while and a shortage from day one would simply be unacceptable.
Microsoft's Peter Moore has gone on record to deny any MS plan to induce a shortage of X360s during launch week. Mr. Moore made light of the stories by claiming, I've seen all of the conspiracy theories. Somewhere in Roswell, New Mexico, we have a hangar where we're stockpiling it, creating false shortages. No.
Dubious wit aside, we still think that if an XBox 360 shortage is a possibility, Microsoft should not have wasted so many units on celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Justin Timberlake, the Black Eyed Peas (did all four get one?) and so many others. If they all were so eager to usher in a new era in gaming, they should have queued for hours with all the other poor gamer-slob-type people. The idea of a gamer trampling Paris Hilton to get to the door first, has sweet irony written all over it.