Microsoft underestimated Xbox Elite Controller demand as they were told it was too expensive

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Update: Microsoft said Xbox Elite Controller supply may be limited through March 2016.

The Xbox One Elite Controller is a coveted item this Christmas and has been out of stock for weeks. The moment even a few units show up on Amazon or GameStop, they are instantly reserved and purchased. We’re running a giveaway for one and it was such a hassle finding one for the normal price rather than the heavy markup resellers are adding on eBay.

We finally have an answer as to why the Elite Controller is in such short supply. Microsoft CMO Chris Capossela talked about the supply decision on Windows Weekly. He said:

“Here’s the product we totally underestimated. If I could have built ten times the number I built, I would have. We got that feedback at E3 that it was awesome, but maybe the price was a little too high, and so that influenced how many we produced. On the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving, myself and Kevin Turner, our COO, and the guy who runs our stores, David Porter, we go around and visit thirty or forty different stores. Best Buy and GameStop…and Microsoft Stores, just to see how things look, and the one thing we heard from everybody was, ‘You needed to make way more of these controllers.'”

He didn’t think that gamers would spend $150 on a controller no matter how amazing it was. Price is always an important factor when gamers make decisions but the Elite Controller is treading new ground. I don’t remember the last time a company offered such a customizable controller. There’s Scuf but the Elite Controller offers way more than their models. No wonder Xbox One owners are buying them so quickly. It’s a unique and quality product. Such items always sell.

Hopefully Microsoft can ramp up production so all of us can get one. I’ve been trying to find one for so long for myself but I think I’ll just have to wait another few months.

Source: GameSpot

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