Microsoft executive Phil Spencer says the company is looking to manage its hardware yield so that customers who don't preorder will still be able to buy a console.

Microsoft executive Phil Spencer has said the company is holding back stock of the Xbox One so that more consoles will be available in stores at launch.

Speaking to address rumours that Microsoft was having difficulty producing the machines, Spencer said to Game Informer that "you want people to be able to walk in the store and buy one on day one, so you're trying to manage the inventory that isn't pre-sold."

"It's not a yield problem; it's us trying to manage the hardware side," Spencer added. "I want parents who don't think about preordering electronics to be able to walk in and have a chance to find a box. There might be a line, but I don't want it to be that if you didn't preorder in September, you can't get one. That doesn't feel like a great consumer experience."

Spencer would not talk about specific numbers, but he did say the Xbox One stocks should be more available in stores than Xbox 360 units were when it launched in 2005. "Availability should feel a lot better than it did for 360," said Spencer. "If people want to pick up more controllers and games, they'll be there. We feel really good about our preorder number, and we're managing it through allocation rather than demand."

While Microsoft has made efforts to entice customers to preorder an Xbox One, with FIFA 14 and Forza 5 bundles in Europe and a commemorative Day One Edition, Spencer says the focus is on making sure the hardware will be available in stores this November. "[Preorder] isn't the business. It's way more important to me what happens when people walk in the store. The business is selling consoles."

The Xbox One will launch on November 22.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

First-week sales for EA Sports' gridiron game down year-over-year, though game is also coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Madden NFL 25 sold more than 1 million units during its first week at retail and was the top-selling game of August overall in North America, Electronic Arts has announced.

Gamers have played nearly 6 million hours of Madden NFL 25 since launch. A Seahawks vs. 49ers matchup was three times more popular than any other contest during the first week, EA said.

Madden NFL 25's Ultimate Team has gotten off to a quick start, EA said, noting players have opened more than 3.3 million packs, the most in any single week since Ultimate Team was introduced in Madden NFL 10.

In addition, Saturday, August 28, marked the highest day for net revenue in Madden Ultimate Team history, EA said.

Madden NFL 25's sales of 1 million units is down from 1.65 million for last year's Madden NFL 13, but the full picture won't come into focus until later. The game will be released on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as launch titles for the next-generation platforms in November.

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said first-week sales of Madden NFL 25, though down year-over-year, are in line with the company's guidance. He noted that the $10 upgrade offer from current- to next-generation versions of the game will also boost sales.

"In any case, we think the true picture of EA's overall sports business this year won't emerge until the arrival of the next-gen version of its games this holiday," Bhatia said.

Robert W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian echoed Bhatia's comments, saying the "softness" in sales of Madden NFL 25 reflects the nature of the console transition.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot