I just called around to BestBuy, Target, Circuit City, and Toys R Us.

"When will you be getting more in?"
The answers were: "After the New Year" (Toys R Us), "Sometime before Xmas" (Best Buy), "Sometime next week" (Target), "No clue, but sometime" (Circuit City).

If MS is dropping a shitload of these into the market, they sure are keeping it a guarded secret.

The more I think about it, the more I see this as becoming a competition between Ebaying Profiteers versus People Who Actually Want One. There needs to be a huge flood of these into the marketplace to stave off the Ebay Profiteers, otherwise they'll win the battle.

Went to Best Buy today at 5 AM and didn't see anyone walk out with one.

Agreed, I just don't see the retail stores being sufficiently restocked for the x-mas shoppers.

The initial spike on ebay after launch day has some what subsided but appears to be climbing again as shopper's post-black friday efforts continue to reconfirm the shortage.

I have no doubt the average sale price will be up around $1K over this weekend. This will give the Ebay Profiteers a lot of motivation to be the ones to snag the consoles when they come in next week or whenever. Not to mention shady employees who snag them before they even get put in the floor.

hi dgc Did you ever see your cave troll?

I'm just glad I live in Florida where I wont have to worry about frostbite.

aftermath: http://forum.dvdtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=30

Last time I saw him was behind me.

It would be nice if Ebay would put a 1 month ban on selling consoles. Then maybe people that actually want a system could find one.

I doubt it.

I was within the first 50 people or so into Best Buy this morning and they didn't have a single one. Then I hopped in the line for the Target next door, and they didn't have any either. Then I was 2nd in the door at EBGames and, guess what, no 360s there either.

So apparently, Microsoft didn't think that it was important to restock the stores for Black Friday, at least here in the Twin Cities.

I saw a UPS truck parked outside Gamestop... but it wasn't to drop off 360s.

no restocking in my area as well.

Nothing here either. EB/Gamestop told me they both have around 140 people still on their their preorder list so I'm not even going to try finding one at either location. The manager at EB told me the best bet is to try Wal-mart, Best buy or Sam's, as rumor is among their workers, they are going to be getting small shipments, 1-5 360s, every "now and then".

Hopefully the stores will have them on the shelf come January. I don't mind waiting as I'm still curious about the various problems that have been reported with some units.

I stopped by a surburan Minneapolis Target (Southtown) about 6:30am this morning. I found 2 core units for sale, with numerous people walking on by. I don't know if they were part of a second wave or leftovers from the launch stock. I will say I that I was at that Target Tuesday evening, and there was one core unit remaining...with a customer ready to buy it. So the two units probably were restocked and not Tuesday leftovers.

Nothing but a hunch here, but I suspect we'll see a limited number of units trickle into stores starting Wednesday...

My 360 from costco.com should arrive on Monday. But I realized something today when looking at the upcoming game release list: Other than a couple of hot release titles (CoD2 and Quake 4 for me), nothing really comes out for this system until March of 2007. I realize that this is entirely subjective (game preference) but I wonder if it's not time that we all remind ourselves that the most appealing thing about a new console debut is simply that it's 'new'. I'm caught up in this as much as anyone else, but when I actually stop to think about it, I bet there are more recent Xbox and PS2 releases that I am more interested in than than 360 releases.

I just realized today that I recently spent $650 to play CoD2, Quake 4 and PGR3 (it's in the costco bundle). Crazy.

WTF? Now Amazon is getting in on the scamming? $1500 for a PDF file???

I overheard a CSR at one of the game shops talking to a customer about the 360 and how it'd be easier to get it from a regular retail store because of the massive waiting lists at all the Gamestops, EB Games, etc.

Yep. Good thing they take pre-orders!

That is not scamming. That is a marketing study, and they typically go for that much.

I am not sure if this is the thread I should post in, but I can't decide whether or not to get one. I typically play about 2 hours a week, usually 1 game at a time until I am tired of it, then I shelve it and get an new one.

Well, my bro-in-law pre-ordered from one of the game stores, and camped out at one of the electronics stores, and I have the option for the second unit. New this is pretty extraordinary that for once he is thinking about somebody else. Should I get the unit, sell all of my PS2 stuff and make the switch, or just let him sell it on eBay? I have alway been more of a Sony guy.

I really don't want to accept the offer, then sell it, it just seems shady. How much would a full-size PS2, Logitech wireless, several memory cards, all GTAs, Gran Tourismo 3 and 4, tigerwoods '05, Metal Gear solid and Socom 3 trade in for? I have some more older games that probably won't be worth much.

Can't really recommend either way, but if you do pick it up and want to get something out of your stuff painlessly (and don't need the cash directly to pay for the 360), you might try trading it at Gamerush and use the credit to pick up 360 games, extra controllers, etc.

Is Gamerush the blockbuster video game thing? I know where a couple EB games are around here, but I don't know if my local BB has gamerush, or is that in all of them?

Just checked the site, no gamerush locally, or within at least 25 miles.

Yup. All Gamerushes are in Blockbusters, but not all Blockbusters have a Gamerush inside.

I agree.

Also, I thought the point of ore-ordering was so the sellers/makers could anticipate demand and order/produce accordingly? This way no one would be without product. This "pre-order model" seems to work with online Comic book companies that take orders some 3 months in advance so why not Gaming Systems?

Did I miss something here?

Gaming Steve interviewed me at the launch. Check out his extensive coverage of the midtown manhattan launch including the podcast interview of yours truly, #3:

http://www.gamingsteve.com/archives/...360_launch.php

Yes. From a post-launch interview with Microsoft's Peter Moore:

(...although I'm sure market size plays into it too -- Detroit's going to get more than Fargo.)