The XBox 360 Console System has launched with great fanfare on November 22, 2005. Many people waited in line for THREE DAYS in rain and sleet to get their hands on this system. Demand is HUGE!!

The new XBox 360 system is meant not only to be a gaming console, but also an easy way to play music and photos in your living room, and to build a community with other XBox Live members. Depending on which games you get, you can also finally get games with a graphic quality to match your PC's capabilities. This is a large leap over previous gaming systems.

Pretty much every single vendor is sold out - and was right at midnight of the launch date. New systems will trickle out over time, but most people will find it very challenging to get their hands on an XBox 360 before the holiday season. This is in part because Microsoft is doing a worldwide launch of their gaming system, and there simply aren't enough XBox 360s being created to meet worldwide demand for the new system.

Also, there are no competitors right now to choose from. The new PlayStation and Nintendo systems won't be out until 2006. If you want to play new games this holiday season, you pretty much have to track down an XBox 360.

I am notorious for never pre-ordering systems and this release was no exception. I began calling around at 3pm on Monday the 21st to see which stores were going to be open - and all of them reported having lines already that were so large that they would already sell out. I went on eBay, and found systems selling for $800-$1,000. The world was XBox 360 crazy!

Be sure to read my reviews of the two systems being offered, so you know which one to track down, if you can. My suggestions are to call your local CircuitCity / BestBuy / WalMart daily to see when a new shipment comes in - or to bite the bullet and buy one on eBay.

UPDATE: The mad release rush is over - and the 360 has solidified its place as a fantastic game console. Enjoy!

XBox 360 Core System Stats
XBox 360 Pro System Stats