We’ve been trying to score Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 game console for the last week without paying the ridiculous eBay premiums. (We are holding a charity raffle in Brooklyn and wanted to give one away. Seriously.)

Demand for the console has ramped up to the point that people are now making money just to help other shoppers find 360s to purchase. Specifically, Notify360.com offers three levels of alerts, putting an email in your inbox or an SMS on your phone as soon as an Xbox 360 becomes available for purchase online. The ‘Silver’ service is free but delayed by 30 minutes compared to the $60 ‘Platinum’ service. Platinum membership is limited to (just) 2,000 members and comes with other benefits, like an entry into the self-explanatory “I-BUY-4-YOU” raffle.

You know what’s worse than hiring a concierge service for a videogame system? Knowing you’ll have to do it again next year when the Playstation 3 arrives.

Bonus Link: Ten things I hate about the Xbox 360 [CNet]

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