UK 360 launch echoes American frustration

December 3rd, 2005, 03:02 Posted By: wraggster

The Xbox 360 has landed in Europe, with a special launch event to celebrate, and while many continental gamers were able to get their hands on the much-coveted console, the picture in the UK was bleak. Mirroring the US launch, people without preorders were disappointed by the low stocks available and lack of provision to cope with the demand—even people preordering from large chains were told their preorders had to be cancelled at the last minute, and several retailers such as HMV reported many more names on the waiting list than consoles.

The queues and demand have fulfilled the hype machine’s goal, though; national newspapers have been mentioning the story all day, whereas there was very little 360 coverage before the sell-out. Just as the price of consoles on eBay.com is cooling down, the prices on eBay.co.uk are fluctuating wildly, with many people out to profit from the shortage. As well as the console selling out, every local retailer reported very low stocks of games and accessories, with some vital components such as the hard drive nowhere to be found.

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