One of the claims Microsoft has made is that on day one, there will be Xbox One stock on the shelves. So, to put that assertion to the test, I hit a few big-box stores and a few GameStops in my major metropolitan area… and got both confirmation and some useful advice.
It’ll Be There…
One consistent theme? Microsoft is apparently on the ball with shipping, at least with the five store managers I spoke with. They all had stock they were waiting to put on the shelves, and they were all confident they’d be getting stock throughout the holidays. One store manager who asked I not share his name summed it up by saying “Shortages are probably gonna happen, but they’re trying to avoid it as much as they can. It’s not like last time, where I got my preorders and one or two 360s to put on the shelf. I’ve got some real stock.”
…But Not For Long
That said, stock is apparently going to sell out fast. All five store managers told me they’d had to tell people they couldn’t set up tents to wait thanks to local law, and that they essentially expected a repeat of the PS4, wherein they were sold out within twenty minutes of opening. Jean, one of the managers I spoke to, said “That’s going to keep happening. I expected a big to-do with the PS4 last weekend and then to become just a steady seller, but I get stock in and I’m ordering more by noon. The Xbox One will shake out the same.”
If You Want One, Go On A Weekday
The universal opinion was that if you want a decent chance of buying a new console, PS4 or Xbox One, then you’d need to come into work late; stock for the PS4 sold out slightly less quickly on weekdays than weekends and they expect the Xbox One to follow the same patterns. They also noted you’re less likely to get stuck behind somebody who doesn’t know anything about games.
Try To Get It Before Black Friday
Finally, I asked all five as a joke whether they’d seen anybody get beaten up over a console. Depressingly, none of them thought I was joking. The universal consensus is that they don’t have to start calling the cops on people until after Thanksgiving, so that might be worth considering.
Also, old ladies can really beat the hell out of you and get away with it. Also something worth knowing!