March 21^st, 2006 (10:21am) - Ever since the console launched in late November, it’s been extremely difficult for gamers to get their hands on an Xbox 360 console for its retail price. Well, things are starting to look better for future Xbox 360 owners since Microsoft has announced that it will be ramping up production of the game console, starting this week, distributing "two to three" times the number of hardware units to retailers nationwide/worldwide. With component supplies in full production and third manufacturing partner Celestica Inc. now producing the next-generation console along with partners Wistron Corp. and Flextronics Corp., Microsoft is producing more Xbox 360 consoles than ever.

In addition to this announcement, Microsoft has reassured gamers that more games will be available for purchase and download over the Xbox Live Marketplace to be played online in the Xbox Live Arcade, games such as the highly anticipated Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Uno and a free full version of "Texas Hold ’Em Poker.

Thankfully for players who’ve gotten tired of the consoles launch titles, new content is going to be made available for Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham Racing 3 and Kameo: Elements of Power. PDZ will receive new multiplayer maps (finally!), PGR3 will receive new cars and achievements and Kameo will feature new online cooperative missions and new costumes for Kameo and her Elemental Warriors.

Microsoft has also confirmed that a playable demo of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat will be available for download at the end of the week and later this spring a "Horse Armor Pack" for the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion will be available for download as well; the hotly anticipated Oblivion hit retails shelves today.