Microsoft 'Struggling' To Meet Xbox 360 Demand In UK

At the Xbox Live Video Marketplace launch event in London, Microsoft UK head of gaming and entertainment Stephen McGill said that the company is "struggling to meet the demand" from retailers for Xbox 360 consoles during the holiday season. Speaking consumer site GameSpot, McGill said, "I think we've probably done it better than some of our cohorts out there, but it's a weekly thing--we're getting stock in, we're getting it straight out to the retailers who need it." McGill was likely alluding to the supply issues that have historically plagued the Wii, whose availability has increased somewhat this year, according to analysts, after difficulty meeting demand during the holidays in 2006. The comments echo stateside surges in demand, with Gamestop executives recently commenting that Xbox 360 sales have increased "dramatically" in recent months, especially since the launch of the lower-priced Arcade bundle. McGill concluded that despite the challenges, "It's a fun time, Christmas; part of the difficulty is actually finding enough vans to ship it all around, so a lot of planning goes into that."