Throngs of fanatics waited in line Tuesday morning for the release of Microsoft Corp.'s latest and greatest -- the Xbox 360. Stores began selling the systems at 12:01 a.m..
With phenomenal graphics, and cool wireless online options, it's the latest boon for a sore-thumbed video game fraternity. It might be the best gaming technology available now on the planet -- if you can find one.
A reported product shortage is certainly driving up that demand.
Chris Kirschner, 21, of Liberty, had his sister's boyfriend save a spot in line at The Waterfront Best Buy at 4 a.m. to get his. "There's been a lot of hype," he said.
Store employees said 32 Xbox systems were available -- not enough for those at the far back of the line.
While maker Microsoft hopes to move 3 million of the consoles by the time baseball season returns, Best Buy, the official Xbox retailer, said on its Web site that each store would have just 10 consoles for yesterday's release -- the company promised no more than that.
"We probably won't have enough units available for all who want it," said Paula Baldwin, a Best Buy spokeswoman.
The perceived shortage is feeding an ebay.com market that sells the premium $399 model with games for $550, $685, $730 -- you name it.
David Hufford, director of Xbox product management for Microsoft, insisted the company actually is doing its best to feed the demand.
"We would be insane to not be getting all the available product out there on the shelf," Hufford said.
Audrey Guskey, a Duquesne University marketing professor, is skeptical.
"My immediate thought was, they're doing it on purpose," Guskey said. "If they knew this was going to be such a big hit, why didn't they produce enough?"
Guskey said several seasonal retail shortages, like that of the Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo and Beanie Babies, were rooted in supply-and-demand problems. Those happened because the toys hit an unexpected nerve and became more popular than anticipated, she said. That's not the case with the Xbox.
Sid Schuman, an editor for Oakland, Calif.-based magazine Game Pro magazine, said there has been lots of "viral marketing," under-the-radar word-of-mouth news sent through e-mails and text messages, that took the hype to new levels with this launch.
Schuman said there have been rumors for years that gaming companies withheld some consoles for the release date, which ratchets up the demand.
Microsoft's Hufford said a planned shortage was "a complete myth." Hufford said the production deadlines have been fierce for the Xbox 360 because Microsoft is debuting it in North America, Europe and Japan, all within the span of three weeks.
Part of the impatience surrounding this launch had to do with the customers' demographic, he said.
"There is a mania about video games," he said, about today's youth, which translated into: "'I want my Xbox, and I want it now.'"
Josh Cole, 21, a University of Pittsburgh junior, who was No. 2 in line at The Waterfront Best Buy, agreed.
"It happens once every five years," he said, about a new Xbox. "We're willing to do about anything."
