Originally, it was expected that somewhere between 600,000 and 800,000 units of Microsoft's upcoming Xbox game console would be available on the launch date of November 15. There is no longer any such official estimate, and some analysts are predicting something closer to 300,000.
Negative at XboxFaction has posted a short note that their site will be coming back stronger than ever and with a new design and daily updates on or before the Xbox's Nov. 15 launch date.
Once again, the Xbox preorders available from Amazon.com sold out within minutes; the Xbox page at Amazon now lists November 15, the launch date, as the next opportunity to order.
IE Magazine (Interactive Entertainment) is running an interview with Ed Fries from Microsoft's gaming division. In addition to a couple of tidbits I didn't know, like the fact that Fries started with MS in 1985 as an intern, there's a short mention of Halo and other Xbox launch titles:
TeamXbox posted an interview with J Allard yesterday from the Xbox Unleashed event in New York. On the subject of online play, which comes to the Xbox next summer:
Microsoft may not break even on the Xbox gaming console until 2004, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker, quoted yesterday in an article at Reuters.
As you may have noticed, the expected downtime for Bungie.net has begun. Visitors to the site right now are seeing just a No web site is configured at this address message. We'll keep tabs on the site and post a note when the new version comes online.
What do columnists for Advertising Age know about the console gaming market?
Not much. Even Bob Garfield, writing for the AdReview site, admits he doesn't know much about gaming, so when discussing the recent Xbox campaign by McCann-Erickson, he delved into gaming message boards to find out what prospective customers were looking for.
Inky is looking to arrange a gathering for Bungie fans in southern Australia. Look forward to lots of gaming and other methods of entertainment I can't even wrap my head around. Bungie's own Matt Soell may fly down under for a few days, too. If you would like to attend, show your face in this thread and check out the Crocodile gathering website.
Halocenter, which last posted news at the end of August that Perfect Cowboy on the TeamXbox forums was not one and the same with Flawless Cowboy (aka Case) has now relaunched:
