Stung by criticism that it hasn't produced enough Xbox 360 video game consoles to meet demand, Microsoft is stepping up to the plate and explaining what really happened. No, the software giant hasn't issued a press release. Instead, the company is engaging in the latest corporate communication trend: It's unleashed its employees on the blogosphere so they can write, in their own words, about what is increasingly being seen as a debacle. "All I can do is offer our apologies that Xbox 360s are so hard to find," Microsoft marketer John Porcaro wrote in his blog. "Each retailer is responsible for its own distribution, allocations, pricing, etc. It's up to them to decide what to do with the units they get from our distribution center. All I want to make clear is that units are being flown from our factories to our distribution center regularly, and that units are being shipped out at least weekly." But Microsoft Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson online, might have the best explanation yet. His blog post, "Replenishments, Recall Rumors, and Replacements," is a must-read
