Oh Noes! Microsoft Might Not Have Enough Xbox Ones
Seriously, Microsoft's stock control and logistics goes bad... who would have thought it.
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all make good kit (well, most of the time). Their engineers and project planners are top notch and work hard. Surely their inventory controllers and logistics analysts are interviewed and pass with flying colours too? So how is it that every single time a new games console/'entertainment centre' comes to market, there are never enough?
Take the Xbox One for example. That launched last night. It was preceded by executive after middle-manager talking about the launch. Everybody knew about the launch of Xbox One. But then this gets said today by senior exec at Microsoft, Phil Harrison:
"Our job on a tactical level is to ensure we get enough supply to retailers and customers as we possibly can to meet demand, and that will be a struggle but we are doing our best," he told MCV.
Seriously? That's not your job on a tactical level really. Calling it that makes it sounds quite exciting and military and grand but... basically it's your job on a very basic level: get stuff to people for them to buy.
Harrison goes on:
"There will be difficulty getting stock through until Christmas but we will do everything we can to accelerate that. And then from a software point-of-view on our services, that are constantly upgrading, we will continue to innovate there.
"From a games and product point-of-view, we have a very strong line-up for the year ahead. So this is really just one day in the calendar and then tomorrow it is back to work. We have some big games to bring to market in the first quarter and beyond."
The bit about 'services' refers to the apparent failure of Xbox One servers last night for a while. In short, either Microsoft's logistics people are mostly drunk (not likely) or this is standard management puff aimed at scaring people into thinking that unless they get to the shops now (for the all important week-one figures) they won't get an Xbox One.
Take the Xbox One for example. That launched last night. It was preceded by executive after middle-manager talking about the launch. Everybody knew about the launch of Xbox One. But then this gets said today by senior exec at Microsoft, Phil Harrison:
"Our job on a tactical level is to ensure we get enough supply to retailers and customers as we possibly can to meet demand, and that will be a struggle but we are doing our best," he told MCV.
Seriously? That's not your job on a tactical level really. Calling it that makes it sounds quite exciting and military and grand but... basically it's your job on a very basic level: get stuff to people for them to buy.
Harrison goes on:
"There will be difficulty getting stock through until Christmas but we will do everything we can to accelerate that. And then from a software point-of-view on our services, that are constantly upgrading, we will continue to innovate there.
"From a games and product point-of-view, we have a very strong line-up for the year ahead. So this is really just one day in the calendar and then tomorrow it is back to work. We have some big games to bring to market in the first quarter and beyond."
The bit about 'services' refers to the apparent failure of Xbox One servers last night for a while. In short, either Microsoft's logistics people are mostly drunk (not likely) or this is standard management puff aimed at scaring people into thinking that unless they get to the shops now (for the all important week-one figures) they won't get an Xbox One.
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