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GameCube Dropped To $99 At Online Retailer

Posted by simoniker on from the soon-nintendo-will-pay-you dept.

JFMulder writes "Retail partners Amazon.com and Toys 'R Us announced today that they were dropping the Gamecube console price down to $99. Even though Nintendo is probably losing money now on the GameCube, this is the move that Nintendo may be hoping will close the little gap between Xbox and GameCube in worldwide sales, and help it gain a solid lead over Microsoft in the coming months." A Reuters story mentions further indications that an official announcement is on its way, and all on Nintendo's 114th birthday, too.

3 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Losing Money? by Snowspinner · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually, I doubt Nintendo is losing money on the Gamecube. Most sources will say that Nintendo was turning a very small profit on the Cube when it launched at $199, and that was a couple of years ago - the prices on the components have fallen off considerably since then, as electronics tend to do, and production efficiency has increased. I'd guess that if Nintendo is taking any kind of loss on the GC, it's only since the price cut to $99, and it's very, very slight.

    --
    Philip Sandifer's academic website
  2. Look at it this way by shoptroll · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let's look at it this way

    1) M$ just got done in an interview proclaiming that Nintendo wasn't an issue anymore. If Nintendo wants to beat out the Xbox they're going to have to do it by pushing more boxes out than XBox. This will guve them what... a $100 advantage to the XB, which M$ probably can't afford to drop any lower since they're already losing money on each console manufactured

    2) Nintendo has already cut production of new units and are trying to clear out the warehouses. Simple supply and demand here.

    3) Nintendo has a lot of hot stuff coming in November. A lot of people aren't really in the know but this is probably a pre-emptive shot in the upcoming Xmas console battle.

    4) This also puts the GC on the same value as the GBA, which should prevent Nintendo from "shooting themselves in the foot" (not really happening though) with the price difference between GC and GBA SP. (My next guess is a buy one get one half off deal if this doesn't work.)

    5) If Nintendo is still doing the free game with purchase deal then microsoft is seriously going to be in a lot of hot water. You're talking a $150 difference in the setup fee for a GC vs. Xbox.

    --
    Insert Sig Here
  3. Another price drop? by Mike+Hawk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Two things immediately pop into my mind with this news...

    #1 I remember someone at Nintendo taunting Microsoft for their Sega GT/JSRF bundle deal saying that bundles and price drops are an insult to early adopters. Well, insult on then.

    #2 I think of the fast food industry. They also did the price war thing. Then prices hit like $0.49 and customers realized that if they can sell it for so cheap it must be a piece of crap. The consoles might run into that soon. Hmmm, these consoles are $149 and this one is only $99. Whats wrong with this one that it is so cheap?