Xbox debut to see wave of sickies as UK decides to 'play more'

LONDON - Amazon.co.uk says that 74% of people buying an Xbox tomorrow are planning to throw a sickie and a further 20% are considering bunking off so they can stay home and play games all day.

The research, commissioned by Amazon, reveals that of those planning an unscheduled day's leave, 46% said they would feign illness. An impressive 26%, perhaps oblivious to the continuing spate of redundancies in the UK workplace, have said they are will be honest about their absence and face the music later.

Heeding the marketing slogan to "play more", 62% of respondents said they would be spending the weekend playing with the console, forsaking other activities such as drinking, clubbing and cinema visits.

Christian Harris, head of video games for Amazon.co.uk, said: "We knew from our pre-order sales that demand and expectations were high, but we didn't envisage just how many people would skive off work."

In a cautionary note, he added: "I would advise anyone who is planning on pulling a sickie to be careful and instead look forward to a fantastic weekend where you can play to your heart's content with no worries."

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