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GameCube (Games) PlayStation (Games) XBox (Games) Entertainment Games

GameCube Outsells PS2, Xbox After Price Cut 159

Posted by simoniker from the real-cause-for-mario-party dept.
Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for their story that the GameCube outsold the PlayStation 2 by 20 per cent in the U.S. last week, as well as "racking up more than twice the sales of the Xbox - with a 145 per cent lead over Microsoft's console", following the GameCube price cut to $99 of a couple of weeks back. The piece suggests "we'd expect to see the console slip behind the PS2 in the rankings next week", but also argues that "...unless Microsoft reacts to the recent price-cuts, it could be outsold by the Cube this Christmas in the USA, as Nintendo rolls out one of its strongest ever ranges of first and third party titles."
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GameCube Outsells PS2, Xbox After Price Cut More

GameCube Outsells PS2, Xbox After Price Cut

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  • Viewtiful Joe Helped (Score:4, Informative)

    by Gr33nNight ( 679837 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:06PM (#7173182)
    Man, it took me a long time to find a copy of this game, every store was sold out!

    But, this game rocks. 2D side scrolling action to its finest. It is not an easy game (almost NES era hard), but it is just so fun, you enjoy replaying it just to see whats next. Highly recommended.
    • I'm considering buying a GC just for that game. I've been an avid fan of the 2D side scroller for as long as I can remember. The last good ones I saw get released was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night along with the GBA variants.

      Of course, there are other games that I would be interested in on the GC. Zelda, Metroid, Smash Bros, F-Zero, Mario Kart and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

    • I realize this game is great, but it's not what a casual gamer wants... it just looks, and sounds, so... fruity.

      Look at the GC sales spike after Zelda, and the current one. It's just the price cut, not any particular title, the lets Nintendo move candle trucks of these things.
      • Yeah, thats why its sold out on capcoms online site, and in alot of stores, cause no casual gamers are into it.
        • Yeah, thats why its sold out on capcoms online site, and in alot of stores, cause no casual gamers are into it.

          Capcom's site lists it as a "pre-order". Either it's out of date, or it would tend to explain why a lot of stores don't carry it.

          P.S. Pet peeve - it's "a lot", not "alot". You wouldn't write "alittle" or "abit", now would you?
          • It came out Tuesday, by Wednesday most were sold out. If you tried to order one on Capcoms site, they would send you an email saying they have already sold out of their initial shipment, and will be getting more copies towards the end of the month.

            P.S. Pet peeve - internet spelling nazis
    • The game's backgrounds are nice, but it has the ugliest, most uninteresting character designs I've seen. The spandex clad, power ranger meets masked wrestler aesthetic is the child of 2 already ugly parents. If you're going to source on some kitchy fun Japanese imagery, the movies and media that inspired power rangers is better than it's progeny.
    • You obviously didn't rent it to see how it was before it came out. Why'd you skip over the free bonus preorder stuff, and give yourself the additional aggrevation of trying to find a copy of the game?

      Preordering is buying the game before it comes out, so you won't not get a copy. Especially after how Gabe couldn't get a bunch of games he wanted (because he didn't preorder), I'm still surprised how people won't preorder games they want.

  • A short-term gain only (Score:3, Insightful)

    by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:08PM (#7173201)
    First of all, we don't know what's going to happen to PS2 prices as the holidays approach. I think some kind of PS2 bundle is likely. Secondly, at $50 per game, how many games can most casual users afford. And if they waited until now, they are probably casual users. Thirdly, how many of the people now buying Gamecubes already have PS2s and a stack of games for them? We have 5 consoles switchable into our livingroom wide-screen. The PS2 gets most of the play.

    • Re:A short-term gain only (Score:4, Interesting)

      by PainKilleR-CE ( 597083 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:16PM (#7173308)
      Sure, it's a short term gain, but the real question is how much is it going to taper off. No one really expects it to stay ahead of the PS2, except in short bursts as new 'must-have' titles come out, possibly. A 20% drop from the current rate is not a big deal, but puts them behind the PS2. On the other hand, is it really likely that GC sales will cut in half and then some before XMas? That's what it'll take for the XBox to come back (and it's unlikely that XBox sales will increase without GC sales decreasing).

      As for $50 per game, that's probably one of the additional benefits of coming into the system later: there are plenty of low-priced games worth buying, whether new or used. Sure, people will want some of the newest games, but there are still plenty of top-notch games in the $20-30 range (and I have seen Eternal Darkness lower than that quite a bit lately, ~$12-16).

      Right now, my PS2's getting most of the play because I recently picked up Amplitude. Before that, I hadn't played it much at all in a few months (and then mostly PS1 games). Of course, who really cares how many of the people now buying Cubes have PS2s? They're buying Cubes, it must mean they see something worthwhile, even if it's just a small number of titles and the price of the system. If they already have a PS2 and they're buying a Cube, there must be a reason for that purchase, because it's not like they don't already have a console (hell, I have a DC, PS2, XBox, and Cube, what does it really matter?).
      • I just ran out of mod points, but he makes such a great point. Who cares if they already have a system. If they are buying a cube as well, then nintendo must be doing something right to get their attention!
      • I own all the home consoles EXCEPT the Xbox.. I did not buy that one because of my principals, so I cant talk about it's games.

        But, between PS2 and GameCube I can. Playstation2 has more than twice the games out for it than the gamecube. Yes there are some crossover titles but those dont count. Sony is missing the boat by NOT porting over their giant-hits from the PS1 catalog. Crash Bandicoot racing, a GOOD bandicoot game, not the crap they came out with for the ps2. etc...

        Basically I'm finding that the
    • Thirdly, how many of the people now buying Gamecubes already have PS2s and a stack of games for them?

      Exactly.

      Three months of hardware sales is not particularly significant. The PS2 has an installed base that dwarfs that of GC and X-box, and titles will sell accordingly.

      It's like Linux -- Linux is gaining desktop marketshare, but Windows has a freaking large installed base.

      The positions are going to remain fixed Sony well ahead, then Microsoft slightly ahead of Nintendo) until the next generation of co
      • Titles will sell accordingly? You mean according to the installed user base? Check the sales figures on Soul Calibur II, the GC version outsold the other two - so installed user base does not dictate how titles sell. In fact, since not as many games are released on the Gamecube, titles tend to sell better. If you release a PS2 game, it's just a drop in a crowded barrel. If you release a GC game, it's got a prominent place on the display shelf. And while you're correct that the positions are going to remain
        • In fact, since not as many games are released on the Gamecube, titles tend to sell better. If you release a PS2 game, it's just a drop in a crowded barrel. If you release a GC game, it's got a prominent place on the display shelf.

          That's not true. I was arguing about the absolute number of sales -- the sum total sales of all games. The breakdown of those sales -- whether Donkey Kong Country 5 sells 98% of GC title sales or whether it only makes up 5% of GC title sales -- doesn't change the ranking of to
      • By the same logic, you could argue that you can't ever sell a dvd player because everyone has vcrs. And people do by some vcr's still.

        Truth is, dvd players are better, hands down. Do you not think it's possible that the GC might make a comeback, regardless?
        • By the same logic, you could argue that you can't ever sell a dvd player because everyone has vcrs.

          No. Aside from the fact that media formats have very little to do with the console market, I was talking about the total number of installed users. The closest analogy would be that if 1% of people have DVD players, and DVD players sell like hotcakes for three months, after which time 2% of people have DVD players, there are probably going to be fewer DVD titles sold at the end of the three months than VHS
    • ..and this is significant. Many popular titles are released on all 3 systems. For someone with a "new" GC and an "old" PS2, many of these non-exclusive game sales are going to go to the GC.

      I think the GC will come out of this console war OK in terms of profit. The bigger question is perception going into the next round. If people feel like they got a good deal on a GameCube, it may mean Nintendo will have a better shot next time.

      This price cut will make money now and later.
    • The GC will be my third console of this generation. I've been waiting because I knew the price drop was coming (now I just gotta get some money). The reason I had bought PS2 and Xbox already is because they have more of the games I like. The GC, however, has VERY GOOD GAMES (just not enough of them). This leads me to think that all these GCs selling will have a much longer term effect than most think. A big part of the success in PS2 is that with so many titles everybody can tell their friends at least five
    • I own 5 games for my Gamecube.

      I RENT a lot of games for my gamecube.

      I'm a casual gamer, working for a living and having a life tends to get in the way of my gaming habit. >:( I haven't bought a PS/2 because of the strength of the GC titles that are available. Hell, I bought Metroid Prime back in December and I'm about 20% of the way through the game. That's pretty casual.

      The second reason I haven't purchased a PS/2 or an XBox is the LACK of a price drop in those two consoles. They ALMOST had me fooled
  • They have the gameboy advance you can play those titles on the cube, and really they have good games too! Not to mention (I've said this in other posts) that with all the consoles I've played (at walmart etc...) the camecube is the only one that is _always_ running. The xbox is busted about half the time, and the ps2 is running about 90% of the time. They have a ps1 that is always running also but that's a bit dated now.

    I don't know why the xbox was ever in the running. What a crappy console.

    I'm askin
    • camecube? *chuckle* You base your choice of system on the uptime at the local walmart? When I bought my system I based the decision on: price of games popular games # of good games available upcomming releases backward compatability (ps1 games on ps2) sideways compatability (gba on gamecube) retailer rating (amazon, etc...) what friends & family own (play my saved games at their place)
      • UGH... owned by the html format. Try this instread:

        camecube? *chuckle*

        You base your choice of system on the uptime at the local walmart?

        When I bought my system I based the decision on:
        price of games popular games
        # of good games available
        upcomming releases
        backward compatability (ps1 games on ps2)
        sideways compatability (gba on gamecube)
        retailer rating (amazon, etc...)
        what friends & family own (play my saved games at their place)
      • well that's a partial reason yes, but no, that's not totally it. The games are also great. I will consistently play soulcaliber or $someSnowBoard game whenever I go there. I tried playing the Xbox but it would freeze for no reason and I have yet to actually get a game _started_ long enough to actually play it *hrmph* I know that the Xbox must work because a ton of people have them, but I just can't get it working. The ps2 would be my second choice, but mainly for the Downhill Domination game, what fun!

  • Guessing... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Otter ( 3800 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:11PM (#7173252) Journal
    A guess as to what that means -- the price cuts tend to prompt a lot of purchases of a second or third system. Given that there is (I believe) a much larger installed base of PS2s and Xboxes in the US, there is a much larger market for second-thought GameCube purchases.
    • They can win this round of battle with that thinking though. Let PS2 and Xbox fight it out for the user's first console, and let the Gamecube be the understood choice for the second system. I would rather be everyone's second system than half of everyone's first.
    • Given that there is (I believe) a much larger installed base of PS2s and Xboxes in the US, there is a much larger market for second-thought GameCube purchases.

      In Canada, here are the latest stats on installed base, as reported [gamasutra.com] by GamaSutra on Oct 1st: PlayStation 2: 2.5 million units
      Xbox: 900,000 units
      GameCube: 700,000 units

      I assume the ratios are similar in the States.
  • Speaking as an early adopter of the PS2, I can tell you that to me the Gamecube is a great choice for that second console. There's an exciting lineup of games that I can only get on the Gamecube and which offer me gameplay dynamics that are significantly different than what I can have with the PS2. On the other hand, the XBox doesn't interest me in the least. It seems like I get very similar games with an XBox (with no stand out game that's really unique compared to the games on the PS2) and have to pay ext
    • Heh, I'm kinda opposite. XBox had a few standout titles for me (it was getting Oddworld and I wasn't impressed with the PS2 launch, so I decided to wait for XBox), so I got that first, and then later got a Gamecube because it's a great choice for a second console (especially for the GBA Player). PS2, in comparison, doesn't have anything that really catches my eye, except a few Koei games I really want to be ported to the 'Box. I'm willing to just keep playing my Dynasty Warriors 3, for now, and play Kess

  • Price cut = good thing for GC (Score:3, Interesting)

    by EvilOpie ( 534946 ) * on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:15PM (#7173299) Homepage
    Wow, this is definately a good thing for the GameCube. Now I own a GC and have since they were $200, and for me it's the only console I own. Though for another player who might not want to get one because it is seen as being too childish, they now can pick up a new one that would work great as a second console for them without breaking the bank.

    Honestly now... I know that GameCube games *look* childish, and I'm not going to deny that, but give them a shot. Most of them are a complete blast to play and they're great party games. Like the "monkey fight" game in Super Monkey Ball. It's very simple to play, but when you're trying your hardest to keep your friends from knocking you out of the ring with a big boxing glove, it's actually pretty fun. And other games like Zelda or F-Zero GX are very polished and just great all-around games since there's not a lot out there like them in general.

    I hope this trend continues. More people will find out just how good the Cube really is.
  • People need to look at the total cost of ownership. Both Xbox and PS2 now have many "classic" games coming in under $30. After buying a few games the Nintendo could easily cost more than the PS2/Xbox if these games are in the new owners collection.

    • Re:TCO (Score:3, Informative)

      by Acidic_Diarrhea ( 641390 )
      I've seen plenty of worthwhile games under $30 for the Gamecube at EB. There's a vast amount of old PS2 games for $20 but from my casual check of the bins, it seems like there are similar amounts of cheap games for the XBox and Gamecube.

    • Re:TCO (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Are you serious? Games are for fun, not for managing your fiscal budget. The GC is a great console, polished games, and thats it. I'm sure XBox and PS2 have some good games too, but for myself the GC and Nintendo seem to have to right combination.

      It sounds to me like you are all forgetting about used games. GameStop, EB, eBay... you can find great games at good prices. Why spend the extra money? If you have the disposable income, go for it and buy what you want. I have yet to be disappointed in the GC. Jus
    • I recently jumped on the reduced price GC. I picked up Pikmin for $15, Animal Crossing (with memory card) for $30, and Smuggler's Run for $15. I already had an Xbox. The prices of games for the GC are generally lower than Xbox games. Try a comparison of older cross platform games sometime.

      Accessories are also cheaper (extra controllers, A/V adapters).
    • The thing is, people don't look at this. If they did, they would realize they were already getting a GC for 99$ plus a 50 dollar game before the price cut. Now they're getting a GC for 99$ and they'll almost definitely buy a 50 dollar game to go with it(and probably one of the games that they were "bundling" with the cube). It just seems kind of silly to me that anyone would rush out to buy a Cube now, because of the price cut.
      • Why is that silly? The situation now is that you can get the Gamecube for $99 and select whatever game you want out of the entire lineup - many of the big names are now around the $30 range, so you still save $20 which you can use to get a controller or a memory card. I'm sick of all the comments saying how the price is the same. The price is not the same because what you spend on the game varies AND you've also got some choice in the game.
        • I know, but it's not that big of a difference. A 20 dollar drop is not the kind of thing that I would think would cause a huge increase in demand. A twenty dollar difference wouldn't change my mind either way on a console purchase, and I'm pretty poor.
    • People need to look at the total cost of ownership. Both Xbox and PS2 now have many "classic" games coming in under $30. After buying a few games the Nintendo could easily cost more than the PS2/Xbox if these games are in the new owners collection.

      Spoken like a true non-Cube owner. The Cube also has many games at $30 or less. Check their list of "Player's Choice" games [nintendo.com] for a few (there are many more). There are plenty of quality titles for the Cube at $30 or less. Personally, I bought a Cube a few mo
    • After buying a few games the Nintendo could easily cost more than the PS2/Xbox if these games are in the new owners collection.

      The price drop on the Game Cube was acompanied by price drops on some of the best Game Cube games.

      I went into a Futureshop in Canada and bought a Game Cube, Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, and a second controller and 2 memory cards for $252 CDN (after tax).

      For comparison, Xbox with Amped, Halo and a single controller S costs $279.00 +Tax (Around $320.00 CDN total).
    • Due to relaxed licensing agreements, there are several new nintendo titles, such as Capcom's Viewtiful Joe and Sega's Billy Hatcher, that are being released at $40 instead of $50. Also, many excellent older games, such as Smash Bros. and Metroid, can be found for $30 new ($20 used.)

      The gamecube is very cheap to own right now.

  • Numbers (Score:4, Informative)

    by dogbowl ( 75870 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:20PM (#7173374) Homepage
    Here are the numbers that I've found for the week:

    Gamecube 64,405
    Playstation2 53,834
    XBox 26,290

    However, I don't think that includes all retailers, hence Nintendo sticking with the percentage rather than a total number. And, this is the second week of the price drop. As I understand it, the sales were even higher the first week.
    • Those numbers look very good for Nintendo. Just the fact that the console is selling well even before we get to the holiday season is a good sign.

      The money console manufacturers make are all off software so if Nintendo can greatly increase their user base before the holiday season, they'll make a killing in software sales.
    • Wow one of those gamecubes is mine (black, thank you very much). Nintendo has been very stupid in the past (cart format on N64, 'kiddie-fying' their games, etc.) but I guess in the end I forgave them...heck the GC is $99...even I can afford to blow my money on that. Plus Super Mario Sunshine is as addictive as crack. Heh, I even feel sort of patriotic supporting our Washington State economy, even if on the way my money supports such evil empires such as Redmond and the ROC (China) where the GC is manufac

  • At $99 each.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:21PM (#7173386)
    It might be a good time to figure out how to make a Beowulf Cluster of these...
    • Well it does have a 485 Mhz PowerPC chip from IBM in there... Get, say 1000 of them for $10K and you have 485 GHz of PowerPC chips.
    • the gamecube runs on(i believe) a powerpc G3 processor, and has a broadband/dialup adapter... the proprietary cds would be nearly impossible to duplicate, but maybe getting linux on the larger mem cards?

      A g3 cluster of $100 boxes that are the size of 3 5.5" drives... sweet deal.

  • Well... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by snubber1 ( 56537 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:22PM (#7173413)
    Yes, $99 at this time of year is going to spurn alot of sales by owners of the other two consoles. Anyone who considers themselves to be a 'True Gamer' cannot ignore the stellar titles that have shown up on the GC. Platform is irrelavant when it comes to good games!

    However, come the end of november you won't be able to find a cube ANYWHERE. Every little kid without a game system is going to be getting a gamecube for xmas. The installed base is about to go up. Way up.
    • Just like way back when the NES sold for $89 (if I recall correctly) with a game too. They sold like mad for Xmas. Those were the glory days for Nintendo, maybe we'll see a renewel of that.

      Ahh, memories! Gradius, Contra, Heavy Gear, Castlevania, Blaster Master, Metroid... Good times, good times.

    • Name some good titles! I haven't seen any that were interesting enough to buy the GC for, and I really want a console system (but the XBox sucks imo and my brother has a PS/2 so it's redundant). It's probably hard because I'm coming from PC gaming and all I really do nowadays is play FPS online. But I really want a game I can sit down and play for 20 hours with replayability!
      • Well, Metroid Prime was possibly the best game I have played in a long time, hands down. The game will take 20 hours to beat and chances are you will like it so much the first time through you will want to play it again on the harder difficulty. Ignore anyone who says the controls suck-- they might take 30 minutes to get them down pat, but the whole game was designed with the control scheme in mind and you won't regret it.

        If your looking for a serious challenge, Mario Sunshine is rather fun. The levels
        • RE:Animal Crossing - Yeah, but those months of gameplay are spent doing extremely simple tasks, like delivering packages, mailing letters, digging up fossils, fishing, collecting fruit, and catching bugs, and they all use a single button to execute (well, plus movement). In fact, that's just about everything you can do with the game. It lasts only as long as you get tired of collecting virtual items in a virtual house and rearranging them, really. It has some neat touches, but there's just not a whole lo
          • Yes, wind waker was about as easy as it comes. There were exceptions in a couple dungeons that had what seems like infinite monsters, or another that required you to dive dozens of levels deep with almost NO items given out. When it came to sailing, you just plot your course around the wind. Also, you do know you could do fast turns by jumping your boat don't you?
            When it came down to it however, I loved the plot and thought the ending was fantastic, and most importantly, had fun while getting there.

            As
        • Where else do you get months of gameplay like that? Nowhere!

          Nethack! Of course you'll be working your way onto your first quest level by then - and dying shortly after.

          Thanks for the list. It gives me another console to consider.
      • But I really want a game I can sit down and play for 20 hours with replayability!

        Metroid Prime. I beat it in 18 hours the first time through, but only had 83% of all the upgrades.

        Eternal Darkness. It only takes about 10 hours to beat each story branch, but it has 3 distinct story branches, and the true ending is only had after beating all 3.

        Skies of Arcadia Legends. Damn, if you spend the time to find EVERYTHING in this game, it can take you well over 60 hours to complete. And it's a damn fun Jap

        • I never realized how much these new console games are like the old ones: you collect items for whatever bonuses, and you can try again when you've beat it to get them all. And it's difficult to achieve all that too.

          I think I've been playing open ended games for too long.

  • Nintendo's going to cash out big on this deal. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Crockerboy ( 611431 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @12:42PM (#7173684)
    Most people only get one or two consoles, very few buy more than two active consoles. I used to have a N64, then bought a PS1 back in the day, now I own a PS2 and just picked up a GC last week as my second console. What Nintendo has done as put themselves in the position to become the second console in most people's home. If Microsoft dropped the Xbox to $100 first, theres a good chance many of the recent GC purchasers would have went the the Xbox as their second console. Now that Nintendo has virtually established themselves as the 2nd Console of choice, Microsoft just lost that entire market..again.

    On a side note, I picked up Legend of Zelda, Metroid Prime and Eternal Darkness with my cube and have been playing Zelda non stop for the past week. Great fun, totally justified the Console purchase. The other 2 games are still in the shrink wrap..greatly underappreciated system.
    • >> Now that Nintendo has virtually established themselves as the 2nd Console of choice, Microsoft just lost that entire market..again.

      Nintendo's going to need quite a few more big weeks like this before they surpass the Xbox in the US.

      And when Halo 2 releases - online play and all - the GameCube is in for a rude awakening. (And I don't say that as a Halo fan, because I am not. But both the Xbox and Xbox Live are going to surge on the strength of that, just as games like SOCOM II and Gran Turismo

      • Next month Nintendo has Mario Kart with LAN play coming out. Considering Mario Kart 64 was huge in college dorms, a LAN enabled version should sell pretty well.
      • I'm curious how many consoles Halo 2 will actually sell. The game itself will sell like hot-cakes, no doubt -- but I'm less certain about hardware. Halo is the biggest selling game on da'Box, and a majority of XBox adopters did so because of Halo.

        Those same people are likely to get the sequel, but they already have an XBox and they aren't going to be moving consoles. Not in the same way a price cut, or an established *older generation* upgrade to a series would.

        I doubt that Halo 2 will win over nearly as
      • Curious if anyone has any recent figures on what percentage of various console populations are used for online gaming... (aka, how what % of xboxs are used online regularlu, and similar). Last time I heard anything was a decent while ago, but the numbers weren't impressive. Somewhere in the 10% range. Things may be much different these days, but those numbers wouldn't really support the 'online=domination' line of logic...

        Online play will definitely be attractive to a few niche groups(PC converts who
        • From my upcomming editorial on online gaming at GAF [gamesarefun.com]:

          "With 780,000 network adapters sold, and an installed base of around 50+ million, we see that the PS2 network adapter's market penetration among PS2 owners is only at around 1.5%, or less. With 500,000 Xbox Live subscribers, and a user base of around 9 million Xboxes, we can see that the market penetration of Xbox Live among Xbox owners is only at around 5.5%, or less. And without adequate figures for Nintendo's adapters, we can only speculate on the mar

    • "If Microsoft dropped the Xbox to $100 first, theres a good chance many of the recent GC purchasers would have went the the Xbox as their second console."

      But that would have lasted a week or so until Sony and Nintendo got together and disemboweled Microsoft with anti-dumping laws.

  • Great Deal? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by cdneng2 ( 695646 ) on Thursday October 09, 2003 @01:11PM (#7174059)
    It's amazing what you have to do to get consumers to think they are getting a good deal. Just a few months ago, you can get a Gamecube for $149, with a free game or Gameboy Advance Player. Now, sales quadruple because the Gamecube is $99. However, chances are... you'll pick up a game, like Zelda or the GameBoy Player for $49.99... However, it becomes the same deal as a few months ago! Whoever said that Nintendo is losing money, or breaking even with the GameCube price cut has to think about that.
    I do have to say that I think the majority of the success is partially due to the "Player's Choice" selection.... You get a Gamecube for $99, and a Gamer's Choice game for $30... Can't beat that deal.
    I'm glad that the price drop has allowed the GameCube to pick up that much needed momentum for people to finally realize just how under appreciated this system really is.
    • Yeah you'd get a free game, or the GB Player for $150, but then you add in tax and a memory card and you're pushing $180.

      On the other hand for $99 you can choose what games you want to buy, and get the necessary memory card for a grand total of $120.

      Never underestimate the power of free choice.

      Not only that but who's to say that you'll buy games, you can always rent.

      What I think it comes down to is what the cost "Looks" like. $50 might not seem like much when you're single but I bet it's more significan
    • It's weird how people respond differently to a $99 gamecube while immediately buying a $50 game than they do to buying a $150 gamecube+game pack-in.

      Not to mention nobody seems to have noticed that even back in the $150 days, you could get a $90 refurb cube from a place like gamestop, and if you waited for a sale, you got a cube AND a game for $90. That's how I picked mine up!

      I think it's not so much the price as it is the marketing campaign. It's like people just didn't know you could get $90 cubes a ye

    • I debated on that deal, but I chose to wait till the cube dropped to $99. Why? Because I could then pick up a cube and a couple of used games for the same $150. I got my GC, Metroid Prime, and Star Wars Rogue Squadron II for under $140.

      I don't understand people paying $50 for games... I wait for used or for clearance. Metroid Prime is a fantastic game, and all I had to do was wait a year to pick it up for under $20. Now I'll play it until the next great game drops to under $20.

  • Really, its sad that the Gamecube has taken so long to surpass the other consoles. I mean its my simple opinion that the Gamecube is the best console among all of the next-gen..and its the next-gen of all true gamers. Dont bother calling me a Nintendo fan-boy or biased or anything. I own a PS2, but i still realize its inferior. And dont bring up graphics or any of that crap, because a gamer shouldnt care. When it boils down to games and gameplay, Gamecube has the best. From Metroid to Mario to Zelda, or the
  • I bought a GC purely because of the games that were available.

    One good reason to buy a GameCube is because Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike [lucasarts.com] is only available for the GC. It's got all the Rogue Squadron II missions as two player co-op missions, and a whole load of new stuff. Just look! [gamespot.com]

    Other must-haves (in my case 'have-gots') are:

    Ikaruga [gamespot.com] an old skool 2D shooter

    The Sims [gamespot.com] works well on the console platform, and has a 'mission' mode.

    Nightfire [gamespot.com] be James Bond! (at least until Everything or Nothing [gamespot.com] comes o
    • Sims and Nightfire aren't exactly good titles to list. They're multiplatform, man. Ikaruga though... I didn't have the cash before, and now I can't find the stupid game anywhere. Makes me mad >:(.
      • Check BestBuy stores and their online service. I picked up Ikaruga for a mere $20. They've got a back-order online for a short time, but you may still be able to get one. It's a FANTASTIC game.

  • Old-School cool (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I'm actually looking to pick up a GC in the future. I'm not much of a console gamer, but with the price and selection of games coming out in the next two months a GC looks appealing.

    Looking at the games I'm sure alot of the mid-20 year olds who grew up with the original NES are in the same boat. I was a huge TMNT fan, and guess what is coming out for GC next month, a new TMNT game. Also, I spent alot of time in college playing MarioCart on the N64, and low and behold they are putting a new version of th
  • In case you were thinking of buying a gamecube, here are some prices of new games from ebgames.com with a few comments of my own:

    Viewtiful Joe - $40
    A 2D action platformer. Showcases the true capabilities of the system. There's Nothing else like it.

    F-Zero GX - $50
    Easily the fastest racing game of all time. Really.

    Soul Caliber 2 - $50
    Fight as Link!

    Metroid Prime - $30
    Third Best [gamerankings.com] game of all time.

    Pikmin - $20
    Innovative Real-time strategy. Shigeru Miyamoto [wikipedia.org]'s first Gamecube game.

    Super Smash Broth

    • Pikmin - $20
      Innovative Real-time strategy. Shigeru Miyamoto's first Gamecube game.

      Not quite. Miyamoto made Luigi's Mansion, which was a launch title.
    • Donkey Kong - $2.99
      Donkey Kong Jr. - $2.99
      Mario Bros. - $2.99
      Excitebike - $2.99
    • Ahem...

      Not to ruffle any feathers but any list that has Halo, GTA 3 and Tony Hawk in the top ten games of all time is not exactly a list I want to trust for my game buying decisions. They are all fairly decent games, true, but none of them is particularly amazing in terms of gameplay or innovation (well, maybe GTAIII is a bit innovative).

      However, Soul Calibur outranks Streetfighter? Metroid Prime outranks Quake/Doom? Tony Hawk outranks anything? Also, one PC game and 9 console games... I think not!

  • Re: the Cube (Score:2, Insightful)

    by wingnut2600 ( 657362 )
    I believe that these price cuts will substantially increase the Cube's user base. The Game Cube has a fantastic array of superb 1st and 3rd party games that are far and above the mediocre PC ports that are made for the X-Box. If you crave original console action, you should buy a Game Cube.

    The Game Cube is portable, has fantastic graphics and the most comfortable controller ever made. For 99 bucks, everybody should buy one and give them to a kid that they know.
    • I just played Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and FIFA World Cup 2002 on GC, and MAN did they blow. I have rarely seen a worse conversion than NFS - the frame rate dropped to well under 10fps many times during the race I played. As for FIFA, the textures and resolution were just dismal, really poor when compared to something like Rogue Leader or Pikmin.

      So, when talking of mediocre ports I think the Cube can't really be exempted.
  • I believe that there is more to the fact that most people who are big into the gaming market already have a PS2 and XBox, and now with the price drop, are willing to drop some more cash to play Zelda / Metroid / Castlevania (the only reasons I'd buy one).

    Most of the games for N64 are for kids, now the enthusiasts with some extra cash are willing to pony up to play the games that remind us of our gaming youth.
  • Its always nice to ask a ps2/xbox user how resident evil/zelda/mario kart/smash brothers etc... Is on there system.. then say. "oh they didnt make those classics for your system? Oh, you poor thing.", In my opinion the gamecube is a fantastic deal for the price. For the people that say it sucks should give thier hear a shake. True classics are on the Gamecube.
  • Parents are already nervous about Nintendo do to the disappearing of the N64 off the face of the earth. Nintendo has already stated that it wants to be first out of the gate with the "next generation console". If parents are buying their kids the GameCube and with-in 18 months the GameCube is obsolete because of Nintendo's next console. Parents are not going to be happy and it is going to possibly hurt sales in the 0-16 range Nintendos safety net.
  • Still waiting for Mario Kart to come out. It's supposed to support net play. I'd love to play Mario Kart with one player per TV. I also enjoy the idea of playing other games that way. Would have made Goldeneye more exciting!

    I hope the next Nintendo console has dual monitor support. That'd be slick.
  • There was a time when I suggested that Nintendo should, and I hated to say it, stick to the handheld market because they'd lost their grasp on next-gen consoles. The N64 left a bitter taste in consumers mouths both in trust and game content (too cutesy), and titles weren't exactly being cranked out too much faster than the N64 (and this time around Rare's selections were mediocre and soon to be nonexsistant due to their move to Microsoft). It seemed to me like doing the Sega was a great idea for Nintendo, o

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