Microsoft Doubles Xbox 360 Chip Orders

According to a report from Taiwan’s Commercial Times newspaper, Microsoft has ordered a two-fold increase in chip production for the Xbox 360 from a number of Taiwanese companies. The companies include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, United Microelectronics Corp, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc, Silicon Integrated Systems Corp and Siliconware Precision Industries Co Ltd., with the newspaper’s sources claiming that Microsoft expects to deliver almost 3 million Xbox 360 consoles in the second quarter of this year – more than twice the total for the first quarter. After failing to hit earlier targets, Microsoft is now focusing on a target of 4.5 million to 5.5 million consoles sold by the end of the company's fiscal year in June. Although Xbox 360 consoles are now much easier to obtain, worldwide stock is still relatively limited, but this newest ramp-up in production is expected to finally end the shortages that have dogged the format since its launch late last year. In a separate report yesterday Microsoft announced plans to launch the Xbox 360 in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa, although the increase in production is not thought to be directly related to this, rather to satisfying pent-up demand in other major territories.