Cash registers are ringing in response to unprecedented demand for the much-anticipated Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft Corp. Thousands of gamers lined up at stores across the country beginning Thursday, Nov. 15, to be among the first to purchase Xbox, resulting in a near sellout in its first day at retail. Early reports also show a huge demand for games and accessories, with most customers leaving stores not only with an Xbox, but with more than three games and accessories. Top-selling games include "Halo™," "Project Gotham Racing™," "NFL™ Fever 2002" and "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee™" from Microsoft® Game Studios; "Madden™ NFL 2002" from Electronic Arts; and Tecmo's "Dead or Alive 3™," an Xbox exclusive.

"The Xbox launch was the best launch I have ever been a part of, and that goes all the way back to launches like that of Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, 3DO and Atari," said Dan DeMatteo, president of Gamestop Inc. "It was the first time in recent memory we didn't have to air-ship product to meet the launch date. The momentum continues even after launch. We continue to sell everything we can get." The launch smashed many retailers' single-day sales records. According to Peter Roithmayr, vice president of merchandising at Electronics Boutique, "It (the Xbox launch) was incredible. We had the single largest sales day in Electronics Boutique history Nov. 15. This was a record we thought would take forever to be broken."