Rising Game Sales Reveal Trends?

Thanks to Smartmoney.com for their report into GameStop's second-quarter financial results, which revealed "a 31% surge in videogame software sales", although a drop from last year's hardware-discounted highs, and "better-than-expected performance in stores." According to the report, "...the company said videogame-software sales were 'very strong' for the quarter, with leading titles such as 'Enter The Matrix' from Atari Inc., 'NBA Street: Volume 2' and 'NCAA Football 2004' from Electronic Arts Inc. and 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' from LucasArts." Most interestingly, GameStop indicated they're expecting "...further hardware price reductions 'or similar promotional activities' during the third quarter", a move that may include the rumored $99 GameCube price drop which IGN Cube are confidently predicting for the end of September.

Comments

$99?

[Yorrike]

$99 for a Gamecube may go so far as to reduced perceived value in consumers to a level where they think the hardware is sub-quality (and before anyone says otherwise, Nintendo hardware is some of the highest quality in terms of duribility, anywhere).

Mind you, it may help in shifting a few thousand more units, because at that price, with the games the GameCube has, there's little excuse for anyone not to buy one.

Plus, with 10 GameCubes for less than a grand... my dream of a house made entirely of Nintendo consoles is just a tad closer to reality.

Re:Good to see

[The Munger]

Daikatana didn't do too badly on pre-orders either...