GameCube Outsells PS2, Xbox After Price Cut

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."

Comments

Viewtiful Joe Helped

[Gr33nNight]

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.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[wickedj]

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.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[lightspawn]

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.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[Gr33nNight]

Yeah, thats why its sold out on capcoms online site, and in alot of stores, cause no casual gamers are into it.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[lightspawn]

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 Either it's out of date, or it would tend to explain why a lot of stores don't carry it.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?

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[Gr33nNight]

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

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[bitrott]

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.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[Anonymous Coward]

All sentai sucks.

But VJ is only derivative of sentai in the appearance of the main character. In all other aspects (and, because of the nature of the story, the sentai-like appearance of Joe himself), this game is completely cool.

Re:Viewtiful Joe Helped

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, I can make 10 copies of a game too and then brag that it's "Sold out". Means sweet fuck all.

A short-term gain only

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

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

[PainKilleR-CE]

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?).

Re:A short-term gain only

[Anonymous Coward]

An XBox? Why? (posting anonymously because this is off-topic)

Re:A short-term gain only

[0x0d0a]

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 consoles.

Re:A short-term gain only

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

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 fixed (although if you're talking globally, Nintendo is ahead of Microsoft), momentum and customer perception is an important fact to consider. Sega began to falter when they released the SegaCD and the 32X. Both of these were seen as failed systems, which, in turn hampered sales of the Saturn - IN PART (yes, there were other factors involved). Likewise, part of the reason the SNES sold so well is because people were so happy with the NES that they owned that they waited for Nintendo's next offering. Likewise, the PS2 was awaited with open arms by many because the PS1 had been such a success. So if the Gamecube can win this holiday season, that positive perception will help Nintendo when they roll out the next console.

So I think there's more than just a short term gain here BUT the possible gain is not a guaranteed one - there are still many factors that could doom Nintendo's next launch but having the GC sell well has more ramifications than you seem to believe. (But then again, you've marked me as a foe so your judgement must be a bit off.)

Re:A short-term gain only

[sporty]

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?

Re:A short-term gain only

[Twister002]

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 when they dropped from $199 to $179, but then Sony bundled a NIC with their console and went back to charging $199 again.

I don't think the cost of the games is going to deter a casual gamer from buying a GC, a smaller library might. But if they look at spending $199 vs. $99 for something that they'll play once or twice a week I'm going to bet that the lower priced one will win out. What good is having hundreds of games if you can only play one at a time and it takes you months to finish one?

Re:A short-term gain only

[0x0d0a]

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 titles (for the 98% of people that have VHS).

And, no, the GC is not going to gain the majority of the market. The lifetime of the current generation of consoles is past the halfway mark, and the GC would have to sell several times the number of GCs already sold over again *plus* the PS2 not sell any systems, which just isn't going to happen.

Re:A short-term gain only

[0x0d0a]

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 total GC title sales.

Re:A short-term gain only

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

You ignored the important point of my post regarding customer perception of Nintendo's success and the fact that increased sales will be greater than a short term gain - which you obviously fail to realize or consider - or at this point you realize it but can't simply stand corrected and instead have to nit-pick.

Well yes, if you are talking about absolute sales and if GC has 5% of the market in hardware, then it is likely that the total GC software sales will account for 5% of total software sales. Of course, this isn't a definite as GC owners may purchase more games than other console owners. I know there has been discussions before about how the casual gamer will buy a PS2 and get Madden, GTA, and then use it as a DVD player. But without any firm numbers from EB, I can't comment one way or another.

Now, you start your comment by quoting my post. And then you say, "That's not true." What wasn't true about my statement? A GC game does have a more prominent place on the display shelf - simple fact. You go on to offer no explanation for why my statement was not true but instead try to clarify your original point. Even if I did not correctly interpret what you said (and you're not just trying to backpedal because people have realized that you are wrong), my statement still stands as being true. I was talking about individual game titles and you offered nothing more than a response that wasn't a reply to my statement.

Re:A short-term gain only

[0x0d0a]

You asked earlier why you were on my foes list. It's because frequently your arguments change from debates and simply devolve into insults. When you're losing an argument, in particular.

For the hell of it, I'll respond.

You ignored the important point of my post regarding customer perception of Nintendo's success and the fact that increased sales will be greater than a short term gain

Your "important point" had absolutely nothing to do with arguing against what I said. I said "until the next generation of consoles" -- feel free to go back and read it. You're now claiming that you said that Nintendo might pull ahead post-GC. This is agreeing with what I said. Yes, and? If I say that water is blue, and then you say "no, it's definitely *BLUE*", you haven't made any useful point.

Well yes, if you are talking about absolute sales and if GC has 5% of the market in hardware, then it is likely that the total GC software sales will account for 5% of total software sales.

Thank you. I'm glad that you agree with me.

Re:A short-term gain only

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

"Your "important point" had absolutely nothing to do with arguing against what I said. I said "until the next generation of consoles" -- feel free to go back and read it. You're now claiming that you said that Nintendo might pull ahead post-GC. This is agreeing with what I said. Yes, and? If I say that water is blue, and then you say "no, it's definitely *BLUE*", you haven't made any useful point."

Well, you started you original comment by saying "Exactly" - which was agreeing with the original claim that increased GC sales would be only a short term gain. I was merely trying to point out that it would not be a short term gain and that it would help Nintendo in the long run. Nowhere in any of your posts do I see you saying that Nintendo would be helped in the next generation of consoles with this recent sales success. You made the veiled phrase "until the next generation of consoles", which does not make a point about how this "short term gain" is going to help them in that round.

And since you chose to ignore this: Now, you start your comment by quoting my post. And then you say, "That's not true." What wasn't true about my statement? A GC game does have a more prominent place on the display shelf - simple fact. You go on to offer no explanation for why my statement was not true but instead try to clarify your original point. Even if I did not correctly interpret what you said (and you're not just trying to backpedal because people have realized that you are wrong), my statement still stands as being true. I was talking about individual game titles and you offered nothing more than a response that wasn't a reply to my statement.

Oh, by the way - I never asked why you had marked me as a foe. Maybe you want to go back and read what I wrote?

Re:A short-term gain only

[Anonymous Coward]

To me, the XBox is the only console of this generation that makes sense. Buy it, mod it, throw MAME on there and bam! You have thousands of good games and the majority are far better than anything you'll find on any of the consoles.

Re:A short-term gain only

[Lumpy]

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 games are what is making the GC start to pull ahead. I can go into any big games store and find 5-10 titles that I want for the GC... I know of only 1 I want for the PS2 and you mentioned it... Amplitude. I have a 12 year old daughter, she and her friends usually end up playing the GC (Except for the bouts of DDR on the PS2) most of the time.... why? multiplayer.

most games for the GC are 2 or more players. most games for the PS2 are single player. plus take into the fact that some are just plain old more fun.. Super smash Bros. Meelee is a side scroller at it's heart and is more fun than any fighting game for the PS2... Super Mario Kart GC is coming out next month and I will be buying it ASAP! as well as several other titles I see coming...

PS2? I constantly look for titles to buy, I personally like the PS2 hardware more than the GC and the fact that online gaming on the ps2 is 100% free except for things like evercrack and sims... (in your face Xbox owners! PS2 players get online playing for FREE!!!! Nyah Nyah!) but there are NO games on the shelf I want. and some of the unknowns I dont want to touch because of being burned from buying a few utter crap titles.

I fond that it has been a 5 to one purchase ratio from the GC to the ps2 here in my house. and my daughter has mentioned that most of her friends have the GC....

nintendo is slowly making a comeback by ignoring the 18-25 crowd and simply getting the 8-17 and the 26+ groups with families on the platform.

But then ALL of them need to have SANELY priced games. $50.00 is way too damned much for a game.

I wonder why it wasn't first all along

[nocomment]

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 asking my wife for a camecube for x-mas, whaddya think the chances are? Maybe we should make a poll :-p

Guessing...

[Otter]

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.

Re:Guessing...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, there's a much larger installed base of PS2s AND XBoxes in the U.S., if you're saying that the combined total of those two consoles is greater than the installed user base of Gamecubes. Of course, there is an installed user base of PS2s and Gamecubes that is greater than the installed user base of XBoxes.

But if you're saying that XBox installed user base > Gamecube installed user base AND PS2 installed user > Gamecube installed user base where ">" is serving not only do show greater than but also to show significantly greater than, you're wrong on one of those. The Gamecube and XBox have similar numbers in terms of units shipped. And compared to the PS2, they're both at the same level.

Re:Guessing...

[sehryan]

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.

Re:Guessing...

[Snowmit]

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 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.

Re:Guessing...

[Anonymous Coward]

not if you ask michael moore.

Re:Guessing...

[Otter]

The Gamecube and XBox have similar numbers in terms of units shipped. And compared to the PS2, they're both at the same level.

OK, I stand corrected...

Re:Guessing...

[Scyber]

I am pretty sure they have similar numbers shipped worldwide, but the XBox is outselling the GC in North America by a decent margin.

Re:Guessing...

[Scyber]

I knew there was a link somewhere

http://www.gamespy.com/icfj/september03/import7/

5.8 mill in north america for XBox.
4.6 mill in north america for the GC.

Re:Guessing...

[Anonymous Coward]

And you'll notice that I said in comparison to the sales of the PS2, the XBox and GC have similar numbers. 1 million units is not much compared to the sales of the PS2. I know you're excited to post information from a URL but please read comments before replying to them - to do otherwise, wastes my time. That is something we do not want.

Re:Guessing...

[Scyber]

Actually you posted the following:

"The Gamecube and XBox have similar numbers in terms of units shipped. And compared to the PS2, they're both at the same level."

You didn't say the had similar numbers compared to the PS2 (I would have agreed with you). You said they have similar numbers on their own. I hardly call approx. a 20% difference in shipments similar.

I know your excited to critique other posters, but please ready your own comments first.

Re:Guessing...

[Anonymous Coward]

You'll also notice that is September sales reports, which was before the Gamecube price cut.

Re:Guessing...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I do call those similar numbers. In terms of the global market, the Gamecube and XBox are very close. And the Gamecube is not a distant third in the U.S. but rather a close third - and I fully expect the Gamecube to surpass the XBox during the holidays. Since we're using ambiguous phrases like "similar numbers" which have no definite mathematical definition, a similar number is whatever I want it to be. And thus you are proven wrong, yet again.

By the way, "your" and "you're" are not the same word. You may want to learn the language before you try to go toe to toe with someone who has a dick as grand as mine. (And to be precise about it, "grand" in this instance means 7 inches of pure sausage.)

Makes a Great Second Console

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

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 extra to get it to play DVDs. In short, as a consumer, the Gamecube's lineup seems to compliment the PS2's lineup better than the XBox's lineup compliements the PS2's lineup. And since Sony has already won this round of consoles, that's a really great selling point and I think, an indication of what kind of sales I expect to see over the holidays - especially with the new price point.

And note that I understand that games look better on the XBox than on the PS2 but I've already got a PS2 so the next time I buy a console because the graphics are better won't be until the next round of consoles.

Re:Makes a Great Second Console

[Anonymous Coward]

And I, speaking as another early adopter of the PS2, say the the GameCube makes a great PRIMARY console. Since getting my GC last October, I have logged about 15 total hours on my PS2 (Silent Hill 2 being the only game I played). People always claim that the GC lacks quality games, but I own 30 GC titles, haven't even touched 10 of them, and have logged countless hours on my GC over the past year.

Once you've played the GC and gotten used to the controller, you'll find the washed-out graphics, slow load times, run-of-the-mill games, and fan noise on your PS2 unbearable.

Re:Makes a Great Second Console

[Anonymous Coward]

>[Box] have to pay extra to get it to play DVDs.

Yes, unlike the PS2 where you have to pay extra to even save your games.

Re:Makes a Great Second Console

[cableshaft]

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 Kessen and Dynasty Tactics on my friend's PS2 once we get an apartment.

Price cut = good thing for GC

[EvilOpie]

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.

Re:Price cut = good thing for GC

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks childish?

It's a GAME system. Thank god.

Re:Price cut = good thing for GC

[Anonymous Coward]

Monkey fight + beer == pure, unadulterated bliss.

TCO

[shaka999]

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

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

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

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you impyling that the Gamecube doesn't also have 'classic' games at reduced prices?

Some of their best titles are now down in the $30 range. Too bad the only xbox title worth buying still runs $50 2 years later.

Re:TCO

[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. Just picked up Viewtiful Joe, great game. Reason enough to buy the GC. Also take a look at Ikaruga.

Re:TCO

[Lawbeefaroni]

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).

Re:TCO

[ziggles]

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.

Re:TCO

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

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.

Re:TCO

[H0NGK0NGPH00EY]

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 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 months ago (as in, before the "price drop"), and I've got:

• GameCube system & controller
• Extra controller
• Memory Card 59
• 2 Memory Card 251's
• Mario Sunshine
• NFL Blitz 20 02
• Madden 2003
• F-Zero GX
• Animal Crossing

At your assumed prices, even after the $99 price break (which I did not get), I would have paid $420 for all of that ($250 on the games alone!). Combined, I have paid less than $300 for the whole package. GameCubes still win the TCO in my book.

Re:TCO

[ziggles]

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.

Re:TCO

[Snowmit]

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).

Re:TCO

[Anonymous Coward]

nintendo GC games have "classics" priced for $9.95 to $19.95

sure beat's the prices you qouted.

Numbers

[dogbowl]

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.

Re:Numbers

[wickedj]

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.

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

Those aren't the numbers I saw.
Over at GameSpot they have the real numbers straight from the retailers.

I don't know where you got yours from... but let's at least use a good source.

Gamecube 107,890
Playstation 2 60,357
XBox 27,908

If we could just keep people posting correct information, we'd be a whole lot better.

Also, Gamespot said that this is the third week of Nintendo dominance on the charts... Why is this news now?

Re:Numbers

[smhguy]

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 manufactured.

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

Nintendo is a japanese company, they make the Gamecube. You must be thinking of the Microsoft Xbox.

Re:Numbers

[Daetrin]

Every gamer who grows up in Washington knows that Nintendo of America is headquartered in Redmond. Same city as Microsoft ironically enough. Check your own facts before accusing someone else of getting theirs wrong.

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

Guess what? Neither the PS2 nor Xbox are exactly made in America either. PS2 is also made in China, where as Xbox is in Mexico and Hungary I believe.

Re:Numbers

[dogbowl]

I believe those are the numbers from the first week of the price drop.
Who knows for sure....

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

When did Nintendo become an evil empire?

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

he called redmond (the city) and the republic of china evil empires, not nintendo.

Re:Numbers

[SpookyFish]

LOL, yup, it sure is.. have strangely fond memories of being a kid and regularly taking the long-ass bike ride down there to dig through a specific dumpster where they seemed to toss out NES roms all the time.

Pop open an old cart, stick the chip(s) in and find out what you got.. at that age, finding a good game we didn't have was like winning the lottery :)

Yeah, yeah, so it's OT.

Re:Numbers

[Anonymous Coward]

"If we could just keep people posting correct information, we'd be a whole lot better."

You post this line of crap right after posting a link that doesn't work. Way to go.

Oh, and I don't hold gamespot's statistics in any higher regard than I would the original poster's. Those bastards have been for sale to the highest bidder for quite some time now.

At $99 each....

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

It might be a good time to figure out how to make a Beowulf Cluster of these...

Re:At $99 each....

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

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.

Re:At $99 each....

[burns210]

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.

Re:At $99 each....

[Anonymous Coward]

The CD's aren't completely proprietary. They're just reduced-size DVD's. In fact, Panasonic's Q, which has been out in Japan for well over a year, plays both DVD's and GameCube games. It'd probably be trivial to dissect the Q and identify the differences that enable the system to play DVD movies. They're probably mostly physical, actually. (Meaning that normal-sized discs fit in the tray.)

Re:At $99 each....

[Anonymous Coward]

It'd probably be trivial to dissect the Q and identify the differences that enable the system to play DVD movies.

Incredibly trivial, in fact, since it's already known what the difference is: the Q has a separate laser it uses to read standard DVDs and CDs. From what I've gathered standard GC discs are "semi-proprietary" in that they're mini-DVD media but they're written and read in a radically different way than regular DVDs.

Well...

[snubber1]

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.

Re:Well...

[Hecubas]

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.

Re:Well...

[jjhlk]

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!

Re:Well...

[snubber1]

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 range from insanely fun to mind-bendingly frustrating. Just because it's not the greatest mario ever don't mean you can't have fun playing it.

Monkey ball 1 & 2 can be had for farily cheap and provide hours of single-player enjoyment, and many many more hours of multiplayer goodness. The minigames are a total blast with any crowd.

Same goes for Super smash bros melee. Play the single player modes to unlock characters and levels and more game modes and then go nuts with four player fighting action. If you have any friends at all you can't go wrong with this one, especially at $30.

Zelda the Wind Waker was a fantastic game that kept me glued to the screen. This is one of those games that you can fly through or spend a while finding some of the extra stuff. The cell shading was great and anyone who says different is lying or stuipd! ;)

If you like to spend every waking moment playing a game, Animal Crossing just might be for you. One of the more out there titles to be had but damn, there is alot to just 'do'. One of those games you either love or you hate. To give you an idea, those who have had it are complaining that it has been out for a year and they are running out of stuff to do (playing just about every day!). Where else do you get months of gameplay like that? Nowhere!

Those are all games that have spent waaaay to much of my time, and many of them are just plain good enough to merit purchasing a console just for that game! My gamecube has always got the longest sessions of 'quality time' out of me...

Re:Well...

[unclethursday]

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 Japanese style RPG, to boot.

Star Wars: Rogue Leader, Rogue Squadron II. Sure, you can beat all the main missions in about 10 hours....but getting gold medals on all of them to unlock everything....well, that's a lot more time.

Super Smash Bros. Melee. Good single player game will keep you going by yourself, and the multiplayer aspect has unlimited replay value.

Super Monkey Ball 1&2. Monkeys in plastic balls. Party game features. Insane multiplayer games. Nuff said.

Zelda: The Wind Waker will take around 20 hours to beat the first time through, but that won't include all the hearts/items; with a second quest after that.

Get a GameBoy Player and be able to play all your GB, GBC, and GBA games on your TV.

There's more as well. Thursdae

Re:Well...

[cableshaft]

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 lot you can do. I have several gripes with Wind Waker too. If you're interested, I've listed them all here for anyone who's interested. I won't waste the space otherwise. Otherwise, your list is good. Those are some really great titles. Super Monkey Ball 2 and Sunshine are really stand out titles for the system, and coupled with the GBA Player they really make the console a worthwhile purchase (for me, at least).

Re:Well...

[snubber1]

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 for animal crossing... The reason I had stopped playing was I collected so much stuff that I began to loathe organizing it all. My stuff is still scattered out on the patio in front of my house! There is still tons of things to do in the game that I may finish in my lifetime. When you think about it, Animal Crossing is sort of a zero-sum collect 'em all game. The long-term appeal of the game is finding some of the more ultra-rare items tucked deep within the game's world.

Re:Well...

[jjhlk]

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.

Re:Well...

[jjhlk]

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.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

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

and what games are those buddy?

Your throwing rocks, but then you fail to identify a game that you like lest someone call you out on your rather weak attempt at trolling.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've found that most people who consider themselves "gamers" tend to be of the hyper-active, A.D.D. variety. Most of these folks wouldn't know a decent game if it bit them on the ass.

So to be considered "not a true gamer" is actually a compliment coming from this crowd. It usually indicates you don't buy up into the hype surrounding the latest trash to come from hollywood.

Re:[OT: Why an XBox?]

[PainKilleR-CE]

An XBox? Why?

It made sense at the time ;) In fact, as long as people keep producing multi-console games for it, it'll continue to be worthwhile, since most of them look better on it (than the PS2 at least, and occasionally than the GC). Other than that, I've got Halo and KOTOR, and Project Gotham's decent in the long stretch between GT3 and GT4. Oddworld's a fun game, too.

For the most part, I use my PS2 for RPGs, my GC for the exclusive titles, and the XBox for multi-platform titles. I also like the original XBox controller (as opposed to the S controller) better than the others, though the Wavebird is a great wireless controller (and Nintendo's layout makes a lot of sense to me for most games).

MOD Parrent Up!!

[akudoi]

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!

Nintendo's going to cash out big on this deal.

[Crockerboy]

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.

Re:Nintendo's going to cash out big on this deal.

[Guppy06]

"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.

camecube?

[perrinkog]

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)

Re:camecube?

[perrinkog]

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)

Re:camecube?

[nocomment]

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!

Re:camecube?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Bullshit. I don't believe you. Xbox certification (a Microsoft test that all games must pass before they are allowed to ship) requires that a game stays on and is played continuously for 7 days without a crash.

If your Xbox really does this, it, or your games are faulty and you should have returned it to the store you bought it for a replacement within a few days of purchase (or send your Xbox off to Microsoft for repair). It's your fault for buying a $200 appliance that doesn't work and doing nothing about it.

Also, check that you're not being blatantly retarded. Do you have a reliable power source? Do your lights flicker randomly? Does your Xbox have proper ventilation, and have you not abused it? Have you accidentally scratched the hell out of the disks? Poured sand into the fan? Attempted to install a mod chip? All of these are more likely than having an Xbox "freeze for no reason". Mine has never done that.

Re:camecube?

[unclethursday]

If you were to actually read his original comment, you'd see he was speaking of the Xboxes in his local Wal-Mart.

And, yes, when I go by the game sections in places like Wal-Mart, the Xbox normally has either "The disk is dirty or scratched" screen up, or the "Your Xbox is in need of service, call 1-800-4MY-XBOX" screens.

I've never had any of these problems on my personal Xbox, either, but I have seen the Xboxes down and out at retail outlets with demo machines.

Thursdae

Re:camecube?

[AlexMax2742]

They're probably one of the crap first run consoles.

At one of the K-Marts i've been to, they replaced it, and now it runs great. Played some MotoGP 2 on it, no problems (other than the controler, which they havn't replaced with the Controller S yet)

If your local store Xbox doesn't work, they're simply too lazy to send it back.

Re:camecube?

[Anonymous Coward]

The local Wal-Mart has replaced their demo Xbox three times in the past nine months and it still fails to load in most cases (the one they have now only loads after five or six tries).

Great Deal?

[cdneng2]

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.

Re:Great Deal?

[aliens]

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 significant if you're supporting a family.

Re:Great Deal?

[gozar]

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.

Not Exactly

[AvantLegion]

>> 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 4 will sell network adapters to any PS2 owners that don't have them, and help revitalize that platform). Nintendo is enjoying a surge in what is otherwise a dead time. It's like giving your all on a leg of the Tour de France where all of the other riders are just pacing themselves. You may win that leg, but you're in for a big shock when the other riders get serious again.

Re:Not Exactly

[edwdig]

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.

Re:Not Exactly

[n0wak]

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 many people as Halo did. (ie. Gran Turismo sold Playstations; not Gran Turismo 2).

Re:Not Exactly

[CaptMonkeyDLuffy]

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 were heavy into PC multiplayer, a few strains of 'die hard gamer'), but saying that online play will attract and draw in the masses(which are who truly make or break a system) might not turn out to be true...

Shoot, I'd think the Dreamcast would be a pretty good example of the fact that an online console will not inherently dominate over non-online consoles.

What it boils down to is what the masses want determines what will be the winner, and the tastes of the masses are not the same as the tastes of the sort of geeks who'd be nitpicking and debating what aspect of a console will make it superior within its generation on a web based discussion board...

Re:Not Exactly

[unclethursday]

From my upcomming editorial on online gaming at GAF:

"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 market penetration, but it is well under 10% of GameCube owners, possibly even lower than Sony's 1.5% penetration." Thursdae

Re:Not Exactly

[Anonymous Coward]

You are the biggest, gayest Gaycube fanboy ever. Its funny the lengths you go to to defend your console.

Re:Not Exactly

[AvantLegion]

LAN play on the GC is essentially useless.

Does the GC have an Ethernet port? No.

Has you ever seen a GC Ethernet adapter in a store? I never have.

Re:Not Exactly

[MaverickUW]

Yes, I have seen the Gamecube Ethernet and Modem adaptors in stores. Check local Wal*Mart or Target, and there's a chance they'll have it.

Re:Not Exactly

[13Echo]

Ethernet adapters are getting quite common. Gamestop (which is where I got mine) claims to get at least a few in every week.

Re:Not Exactly

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you work for Microsoft, AvantLegion?

Many will indeed be second systems...

[JMZero]

..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.

True Console of Gamers

[g4m3rguy5676]

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 recently released Viewtiful Joe. Also, titles like FZero GX and the Sonic Adventures series. Gamecube has the best titles, even if it doesnt have the most titles.

Re:True Console of Gamers

[Anonymous Coward]

"And dont bring up graphics or any of that crap, because a gamer shouldnt care"

Horseshit. If that were the case, nobody would upgrade their consoles. They'd still be pumping out games for Atari2600 or the Genesis. Gamers like to believe that they are all about the "gameplay" and "above graphics", but it's a lie. They're just as shallow as the standard consumer.

And you can't say that games and gameplay for the cube is the best, because that's personal opinion, not fact. I hate 95% of the games available for the cube because it's the same old childish, rehashed shit they've been dishing up since the NES days, with one difference: Better graphics! Sure, there's lots of rehashed crap on the other consoles too, but since they have much more variety, it's easier to find those rare interesting and more original games.

Denied

[Metal_Demon]

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 good reasons to buy one. Once a lot more people have GC they will find out how great some of the titles are and then they will be able to tell their friends at least five (they are just slightly more likely to be the same five as everybody else).

Also the more consoles they sell the more third party development they will get. Lets not forget that the next gen consoles are still probably at least a year off. I don't think that GC can catch PS2, but I do think it will surpass the Xbox (unless maybe they price drop or Halo2 bundle). Anyways, the GC is a solid platform with more and more kick ass titles arriving all the time, LOOK OUT M$!

It's the games

[steve.m]

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 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!

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

Ikaruga an old skool 2D shooter

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

Nightfire be James Bond! (at least until Everything or Nothing comes out)

It's taken a while, but I think this winter the GC has more outstanding games (either out or coming out) than the XBOX or PS2

Re:It's the games

[cableshaft]

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 >:(.

Re:It's the games

[Anonymous Coward]

Just buy a Dreamcast and download the image - that's what I did! :D

Well, I mean - no, I didn't do that. That would be bad and immoral.

Just go on efnet #dreamcast-central

It's floating around there.

Re:It's the games

[cableshaft]

Eh, I have a Dreamcast, but I'm reluctant to do that. First off, I (accidentally) bought a pirated version of GG off of Ebay (it said it had no manual, I should have caught what it really meant). I got it taken care of, but I was curious to try the game and popped it in anyway, playing it a few times. Well, my DC just happened to die a week after I tried it. Bought another, got interested in NES emulation, and read about possible laser issues w/ burned games on the 'net and some people's comments scared me out of trying it out. So I would, just so I could try the game, (I really don't even know if I'll like it. The only scroller shmups I've ever really liked is R-Type and Einhander. However, there hasn't ever been a Treasure game I haven't loved, so...) but I don't want to risk something happening to my new DC.

Re:It's the games

[13Echo]

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.

Re:It's the games

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a crock of shit probably stirred up by Sega to scare people straight. I have a DC and a bunch of burned games. Never a problem.

Just think about it for a second. A CD-R ruining the actual console? Not unless you have a warped disc that's smacking into the laser unit.

Re:It's the games

[cableshaft]

Hey, thanks man :). I managed to order one, and for whatever reason, they took $5 off my purchase on top of that (new customers get $5 their first purchase, but I think I've bought something off the site before) For $15 it's definitely worth it.

Re:It's the games

[cableshaft]

It had something to do with the laser having a more difficult time reading the CD-R's and therefore shortening its lifespan significantly. I have no way to determine the validity of this, but I've noticed other players having difficulty reading certain CD-R's before, and I decided it wasn't worth the risk. However, I can get Dreamcasts for as little as $30 now, so it's probably more worthwhile, but I don't have the desire to play those NES games at the moment. Plus, I got Ikaruga from Best Buy per 13Echo, so I don't needs to worry about it anymore anyway.

Re:It's the games

[13Echo]

Sure. Glad you got one. It looks like they were doing free ground shipping as well, making the deal even sweeter.

I played more Ikaruga last night, and got to a spot on the third level where the walls started closing in. I immediately thought of the old classic game Life Force (aka Salamander). The first thing that came to my mind was "Man. I forgot that they used to make games like that." All I could do was smile. Ikaruga is such a great gaming experience. Be prepared to get slaughtered by it. In the vein of old shooters, Ikaruga is one tough game.

Re:It's the games

[cableshaft]

Yeah, R-Type had the claustrophobic walls-closing-in sections as well. And I love impossibly difficult games. It saddens me that the market seems to be shrinking for them year after year.

GC games $40 new!

[AaronBaker2000]

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.

Old-School cool

[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 that out.

I think GC is going to win over alot of thier old customers unleashing some games that remind young adults of thier first NES games.

Have some game prices...

[AaronBaker2000]

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 game of all time.

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

Super Smash Brothers Melee - $30
Excellent 4-player nostalgia-fest.

Re:Have some game prices...

[edwdig]

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

Not quite. Miyamoto made Luigi's Mansion, which was a launch title.

Re:Have some game prices...

[Guppy06]

Donkey Kong - $2.99
Donkey Kong Jr. - $2.99
Mario Bros. - $2.99
Excitebike - $2.99

Re:Have some game prices...

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh God... Who ranked those games in that link you posted? Probably a bunch of 13 year olds who haven't seen actual good games in their lives. That list looks like an EB advertisement.

Soul Calibur? It's all eye-candy and no gameplay. Just ram the buttons on the gamepad and watch pretty colours fly. Want a GOOD 3D fighter? Play Virtua Fighter 2 from the arcade.

Legend of Zelda? These people need to taste a real RPG instead of the watered down tripe like this.

If you don't see some variety on a "top X games" list, then just ignore it because the author hasn't experienced enough games in order to make a valid judgement. You should see at LEAST one game from a Commodore 64, Amiga, or Apple II in there. Something from the Atari2600. The MAJORITY from the PC and the arcade. When you see something like GTA3 in there and not Pac-Man or Donkey Kong, something's seriously fucken wrong with that list.

People are strange.

[raygundan]

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 year ago, or didn't hear about the game bundles.

no mike hawk post?

[Anonymous Coward]

where's the explanation about how gamecube outselling the ps2 and xbox clearly means nintendo is doomed?

Re:no mike hawk post?

[Anonymous Coward]

Mike Hawk is buried deep within Ken Lobb's anus.

Yes, you read that right.

Why didn't you preorder?

[Inoshiro]

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.

Re:Why didn't you preorder?

[UWC]

I'm still surprised you have to preorder a title to be sure you get it within a month of release.

Re:Why didn't you preorder?

[Anonymous Coward]

There are plenty of good reasons to never pre-order. Games get delayed. I'm glad I didn't pre-order Halflife 2 for instance.

Re: the Cube

[wingnut2600]

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.

Reasons for gain

[SiliconJesus]

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.

Re:Reasons for gain

[Anonymous Coward]

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,

Ps2? yes you are correct, but the x-box has only a slight lead in the US over the Gamecube, (5-10%?) And with the new surge in cube sales, the gap will close even more or reverse.

How is that.

[Tylermccauley]

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.

Re:How is that.

[jxa00]

Go back to kindergarten kiddie.

Re:How is that.

[Anonymous Coward]

You mention PS2, and NOT having Resident Evil in the same sentence? Are you that fucking ignorant? Do you even know what system sported this game first?

Here's a hint: PLAYFUCKINGSTATION!

99$ Backfire

[Ronin_Bic]

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.

Re:99$ Backfire

[Ronin_Bic]

Actually they are I work at a GameStop many parents before the price drop were wary to buy a Nintendo console because of their previous history.

So you troll and then reply to your own troll? NT

[Anonymous Coward]

nt

I'll be buying another one...

[NanoGator]

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.

Re:I'll be buying another one...

[caitsith01]

Yeah, you should be able to use two consoles and plug them to two tvs to play... Goldeneye would have totally ruled!

What a change of luck!

[_Sexy_Pants_]

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, only they'd get to keep the iron fist on the handheld market (Neo Geo Pocket fan here).

But I'm proud of 'em! While my video gaming started in the NES era, I can't recall a time that a system had such a huge comback. People suddenly wised up and decided "Nintendo doesn't suck anymore! And it's cheap!" Part of this could be a lack of innovation or post-launch "Killer apps" on either of the other systems (Geez, what happened to Xbox? Halo 2 needs to come out really quickly and remind me that I own one) while Nintendo has been pumping them out monthly. Part of it might have been the strong showing at E3, reminding everyone that Nintendo is the original master of the video game. I think a huge part of it is loyalty - Gamecube owners have the same sort of loyalty and fervor that old Dreamcast gamers did. It's a steady acceleration that started out really slow, but now as more fans appear, velocity is only picking up faster. It's heartwarming guys; The little card-company that could vs. the electronics and computer giants takes on a tortoise and the hare ending. Nintendo's got heart and a love for a good video game. They may not have the money, the licenses, marketing power of other systems, but they make damn good loveable video games. I'm so proud of 'em, I'm going to sit down and play Yoshi's Island

Game Line Up

[Brother Grifter]

I think its great that the GCN is on the up and up (for now at least). But I think its a combination of the new software coming out for the GCN, the price drops for some of Nintendo's best games (Animal Crossing, Metriod Prime and others), and of course the price drop in the system.

The latest editions to the GCN's library that are available or coming soon include: Freedom Fighers (very cool, currently sucking up every bit of free time I have), True Crime L.A., TMNT (yes!!), Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, Rogue Ops (Metal Gear Solid with breasts), Starcraft Ghost (more MGS-style gameplay, more breasts), StarFox 2, Mario Kart, Soul Calibur 2, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and of course XIII which comes out very soon.

This line-up for the next ~6 months can't be considered completely childish, if childish at all. The GCN is breaking out, and its great to see that finally, but it was never really a problem either in my mind. People no longer have anything to complain about when it comes to the GCN, so we can see its true potential as a *gaming* system.

It might be premature to say, but I think the GCN is going to continue doing very well in the US. I own both a PS2 (bought it first), and a GCN, and everytime I see a game like the ones above (which are available on both GCN/PS2 except StarFox & Metal Gear Solid), I always buy the GCN software. Why? Because the GCN looks better, has a more comfortable controller (great wireless controls if you really need it), and of course progessive scan (too mad not many GCN games use it though).

This is more of a rant than a reply to the article, but its great news to anyone who loves their GCN and Nintendo. So my final thoughts to this good news are, does anyone think Nintendo will be selling more software then Sony now? Or at least selling ridiculously more?.

Re:Game Line Up

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's get some facts straight, shall we?

The most comfortable controller for the majority of people is the PSX/PS2. GC's controller is still a bit goofy. Not nearly as bad as the horrid N64 controller, but still a bit... off.

Progressive scan? With the limited resolutions that all of these games have, that's a very weak addition. They would have been better off with Dolby Digital audio instead. Oh wait, that's an XBox plus, so we won't mention that, will we?

Re:So you troll and then reply to your own troll?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, his reply is an orphan. A reply to his post was modded to -1, which makes it invisible to you. When he replied to the -1 post, his reply became an orphan, which made it look like he was talking to himself.

gc get better (please)!

[championselector]

this price cut will hopefully breathe some life into the 'cube; a broader base might bring some developers back to the fold. i've been on the edge of buying one myself, and this has me teetering...

that said, i still haven't seen anything as magical as mario 64 for it yet. i'll check out viewtiful joe (based on the praise i've seen here on /.) and ikaruga looks mighty choice, too.

i wrote to nintendo a while back and suggested they do a greatest hits of mario gc disc, with all of the mario games on it. i pointed out it would a simple port (no new development necessary) and would likely bring a ton of interest. they responded politely, but i hope they do it; it would be gerat to have the series in one set.

and if they ever did a gamecube-specific version of "advance wars" i'd buy a gamecube in a heartbeat.

now if they could only do something about that controller :)

not just a great game console price

[ogreinside]

I've been quite happy with just having a PC and GC. There aren't any games out there I miss out on, except for Final Fantasy. I'll buy a cheaper PS2 just for that game.

Not to mention, the PS2 is a great 2nd dvd player at $99. This should be one of their biggest advantages for selling it as an addon system.

"Third best game of all time"

[caitsith01]

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:"Third best game of all time"

[AaronBaker2000]

Hey, now. It's a list of "best rated" games, not a list of "most innovative" games. However, it's not the only site to give those games such high ranks.

In all honesty, you sound like you care and that you know what you're talking about. However, your examples aren't really on the money. Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast was extremely ahead of it's time. In 1999, it's detailed character models and fluid animations were like nothing else on the market. Also, the gameplay is much deeper than Street Fighter's.

What's wrong with 9 console games appearing on the list? Why is it so hard to believe that a system designed from the ground up for gaming would have better games?

Anyway, I'm not really asking you to respond to these arguments. What I really want to know is, what games do you play?
What games have you played that allow you to dismiss that list so easily? What am I missing?

Re:"Third best game of all time"

[caitsith01]

We-ell, let's see...

civilisation
syndicate
transport tycoon
UFO: enemy unknown/XCOM
civilisation II
syndicate wars
railroad tycoon
microprose grand prix 2
quake
quake 3
unreal tournament
command and conquer: red alert
total annihilation
red alert 2 (Many PC gamers cite this as the best real time strategy game ever)
deus ex
civilisation III
sam and max hit the road
indiana jones and the fate of atlantis
rainbow six and r6:rogue spear
x-wing
system shock

And that's just off the top of my head. To put that in perspective, I own a gamecube and I really like Pikmin and Monkey Ball because they have that hard-to-define playability that is missing from sooo many games. I have also played through Halo on an X-Box (unimpressed), played Tony Hawk 2 and GTA 3 on a PS2 extensively (very unimpressed), and I own a game boy and an Nintendo 64. Of the many, many console games I have played I would say probably only Goldeneye on N64 really makes it into any top ten I would compile, and of course Tetris on whatever platform so long as it's a good version.

The point I am trying to make is: I'm not a PC games fanboy. I own consoles, I play console games, and I still think that the best that a Gamecube, PS2 or XBox has to offer is still far inferior to a game like Deus Ex or Civilisation III on PC. I have watched with bemusement the orgasmic praise that console gamers have heaped on Halo - which to me is like a relatively mediocre PC shooter - and Metroid Prime which, while very cool, only has the complexity of an early PC RPG hybrid like System Shock.

As for a system built from the ground up for gaming, you will no doubt have noticed that a Gamecube is basically an IBM CPU with an ATi graphics card in a little box, while an X-Box is an Intel Celeron (worst gaming CPU ever) with a custom nVidia chipset (I think). In other words, consoles are increasingly mimicking PCs when it comes to hardware. Meanwhile I am running a fairly mediocre games PC with a decent ATi Radeon and a 2 GHz AMD processor and it totally and utterly wallops the cube or x-box for graphics quality and resolution.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, and it greatly disturbs me that I am somehow becoming part of the class of people who think the world stopped when they turned 18, as it were. One thing that really strikes me about both the lists you presented is that the vast bulk of the games there are from 2002/2003. This seems to imply that graphics is what it's all about, when I would argue that in fact cool graphics is slowly killing games as there are far too many pretty but poorly designed console games flooding the market.

Anyway, I am confident that if you get yourself a copy of pretty much any of the games that I listed above you will not be disappointed. If you can get a copy of Deus Ex and a reasonably recent (i.e. post 1999) PC to play it on then the experience will say a lot more than I can about why PC games deserve serious respect.

Hmm... sorry about the rant. I'm supposed to be writing about Corporate Law reform, but writing about games is so much more interesting!

mediocre ports

[caitsith01]

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.