On Planet Atmel-Marketing, the XMEGA is such a stupendous success, it already has a magazine award!!
Atmel's XMEGA MCU Awarded Product of the Year by Electronic Products Magazine :
"Since its introduction in early 2008, there have been over 400 design wins to validate this award."

However, on Planet Earth, the Late Nov Atmel Selector Guide says "sampling'' on only one pair of 100 pin devices, and all others say 1Q/2Q or even 3Q 2009!!
FindChips.com. also hear on earth, shows no stock anywhere.
On paper the xmega has some nice peripheral features, but if you intend to actually produce a product (and not merely be design-win ~429, on PAM) you might want to get some silicon, and an errata sheet, in your earthly hands !

NEC cuts 20,000 jobs, seeks help for chip unit

NEC plans to cut 20,000 jobs groupwide -- the biggest cuts announced by an Asian company so far in the global crisis.
Toshiba Corp is in talks to merge part of its chip operations with NEC Corp's semiconductor unit, a source said, as a sharp global slowdown forces Japanese chip makers to cut jobs and try to band together.
"It's a losers' union," said Fumiyuki Nakanishi, a manager at SMBC Friend Securities. "Despite some cost cut impact, it's doubtful if they can beat their international rivals even as a team.
The domestic chip industry appears on the brink of death."