December 1^st, 2005 (11:24am) - It’s no secret as to how hard it is to find an Xbox 360. If you’ve waited on the streets of even searched on the web you know it is this year’s must have item. From the expected estimate of 1 million boxes shipped how many did the US actually end up with?

American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy estimates 300,000 to 400,000 Xbox 360s have been sold in the U.S in the last week. Less than half of inital projections.

McNealy believes Microsoft could have sold up to three times that amount, putting the company at the halfway mark to its three month target of 3 million units worldwide. "I think they would have been happy to have sold another million if they could have. They just didn’t have them," he said.

Microsoft has told the retail outlets to expect more supplies on a weekly basis, although further details have not sketchy at best. A spokesperson for Microsoft has said that new supplies would arrive "for the weekend".

It seems even the biggest retailers are in the dark. Speaking to USA Today, Circuit City’s Jim Babb said, "We knew demand would outstrip supply for some time. I have been told we’ll get additional supplies, so I can only advise customers keep checking back with stores and on the website."

Microsoft is readying for its European launch this weekend, but many believe the shortages could be even worse over there. Supplies are said to be tiny, and many customers who have pre-ordered have been told that they may not receive their machines this before the New Year.

Meanwhile, Microsoft says the number of faulty Xboxs is below the average for new consumer electronics products, of 3%.