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UK Retailers Dumping Gamecube?
GameCube Europe is carrying a story stating that major United Kingdom retailers are dropping the Gamecube from their stock. From the article: Argos [has] reduced the GameCube from the RRP of £79.99 to only £39.99 and have also reduced the cost of games and accessories by a drastic amount.
I have a sneaking suspicion that they'll start carrying them again when this year's blockbusters ("mature" Zelda, the Pokemon RPG) come out for it. Otherwise, their competitors will stand to gain quite a bit.
--- Bwah?
...that with all the bad press the GameCube gets, it's still sold more units worldwide than the Xbox.
I guess it's true that money can buy you whatever you want, and in this case Microsoft has bought public perception...
If you live in the UK, I think now would be the best time to get a Gamecube, if you haven't already. At the current price at Argos, it's selling for cheaper than it is in the US (correct my if I'm wrong, I'm aware of the difference between the pound and the dollar).
There are a good deal of games worth getting for the system that you can find for cheap noawadays. Matroid, the Mario/Luigi games, Zelda Wind Waker, Star Wars, Smash Brothers Melee, amongst others. As an earlier poster stated, they might raise the prices again, so get 'em while they're cheap.
It would be really sad if what caused the failure of Nintendo was not them loosing money, or them not having fans, but companies being short sighted enough to drop support for Nintendo simply because it's not selling as well as Xbox and PS2 stuff. As it is Nintendo could live enitrely on it's fanbase for an indefinate period of time, but if you can't walk into a store and buy the games, then it doesn't matter how many much money you're making. If it ever comes to those dark times, hopefully Nintendo will have the forsight to just open up an online store, or start their own chain of Nintendo stores. Or both.
--The universe will not be altered by forum threads, even those which are very wry. --Tycho Brahe (Penny Arcade)
simple really if you had a lot of stock and the sales where low/nonexistant what would you do ?
nintendo cube sales are not good in the highstreet
frankly all the kids I know have playstation / playstation 2 or xbox
what is going to be intresting is the price of a GameBoy after PSP is released
regards
john jones
What would surprise me though, is if Nintendo just would let this pass without action.
It's still 79.99 when I checked online, and that is ~$150 here in America. I can pick them up for $100. So, number one, why are they more expensive in the UK, and number two, why did the price go back up?
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When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
First off, a bit of a disclaimer: I own all 3 current consoles, and I enjoy them all. ...but let's be honest. I own, oh, say 20 games for my PS2. Mostly RPGs, plus Armored Core and a handful of others.
For the Xbox, I own about 15 games. Obviously, Halo, Halo 2... plus MechAssault 2, Breakdown, Burnout 3, Soul Calibur, Rainbow 6, Splinter Cell 2... Anything cross-platform, I get on the Xbox.
For the Gamecube? I have 2 games. Smash Bros and Mario Kart. I had Metroid Prime and Echoes - both were great the first time through for all of a few hours. Wind Waker? Lame concept - Link shouldn't be a fat little kid, but all and all a pretty decent game. Mario Sunshine? It may as well have been called random_generic_platformer01.
That's the problem with Nintendo: Nintendo is the problem with Nintendo.
The Gamecube has awesome hardware. It's without a doubt the coolest console from a hardware perspective. It has damned near Xbox-level performance in a much smaller, sleeker package. The controller? The Wavebird is the best controller ever made (with the Xbox controller S coming in second). From a hardware perspective, it makes the PS2 (and those godawful Dual Shock controllers) seem downright amateurish, and the Xbox seem like it was designed by a neaderthal.
But the PS2 has fantastic 3rd party support, with fairly solid first party support.
Xbox has lacking 3rd party support, but is great for cross-platform games because of its power, and Xbox Live makes all the difference in the world.
Nintendo? They have some of the most solid first-party support ever, but their first party games either...
A) have absolute SHIT for replayability; many of Nintendo's first-party games are definitely worth a rental, but not worth buying. Or...
B) Require that you have multiple friends over to really get the most out of (a design tendancy that obviously favors the younger Hey, come over to my place after school crowd).
Meanwhile, Nintendo's 3rd-party support is virtually non-existant. Their artistic style is almost hopelessly skewed towards Disney animation (and while there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, it's sort of limiting the scope of games that can be made - I mean, just think: if Pirates of the Carribean replaced Depp and co. with a bunch of animated characters styled after the 7 dwarves, would it really have the same flavor?)
So what this console race winds up looking like is Sony's kicking everyones' asses because of their fantastic 3rd party support, Microsoft's hanging in there because of a few awesome games and Xbox Live, and Nintendo's taking the most awesome console to date, and trying to sell it by whoring their own characters out more than a $5 Vegas hooker. Sure, sure, they're "innovative" but have you ever noticed how every time you want to take advantage of one of Nintendo's "innovations" you wind up having to buy a new peripheral?
The best thing Nintendo could do, in my eyes, anyways, is stick to making hardware (because they do a damned fine job of that), license their stable of franchises out to 3rd parties (I mean, just look what Retro managed with Metroid Prime - those fucktards at Nintendo let their most adult-oriented franchise just rot for years and years, cranking out the odd Super Metroid clone on the GBA, and then Retro takes it off their hands and makes one of the best consoles games ever), and try to build a functional platform behind their console; something like Xbox Live.
In the mean time, yeah, the Gamecube may sell as well as the Xbox, but I'd hazard a guess that your average Xbox owner is buying a lot more games than your average Gamecube owner. Maybe that is why stores are dropping it.
Down from £79.99 to £39.99? Wow! I wish one of the US retailers would follow their lead in deciding that the GameCube isn't selling well enough. :P
xgamer04@yahoo.com
The troll logic here really is so stupid that I have to bite. Sorry, common sense, I apologize.
Isn't it 2005? If you're going to refute the parent, at least get some recent sales numbers
Isn't it 2005? If you're going to refute the parent, at least use some brainpower. I know that it's been 2005 for almost, 0M6, 2 D4Yz0RZ now, and I'm sure your 31337ness gives you access to NPD's live feeds or something, but I'll go with what's been published. The article also points out the stigma that Nintendo faces in the press, that which makes no sense.
It seems like MS has been moving quite a few units during the holidays
This is an interesting statement. You accuse me of using out-of-date data, and yet you fail to provide any link to a source that would back up your claim.
it's very difficult to get accurate sales figures in regards to consoles.
Yeah, there's no way to add up the total numbers of how many units are sold. No company would ever attempt to do that.
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Move every sig, for great trolling.
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
I'm 20 and I still play my game cube Every Day
With great games like Super Smash Bros Melee, Metriod Prime, All The Zelda Games and I love the Mario Party games.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
We could sit here and debate what a great library the Gamecube has, but the bottom line is that it's competitors offer a wider selection of games and that's appealing to consumers (and people who play games, I'd think).
Go to the site's gamecube listing. "Offer ends 21st January 2005. " Last thing you do is trust anything from GameCube Europe. They're just as bad as Nintendo Now.
Spot on nicksthings. I love my cube, but the gamecubes only real problem is the lack of 3rd party support.
It's the double edged sword of Nintendo's reputation. They have developed a rep for making excellent games that are great for the whole family. Yes, there are some which are not-so-family friendly, but that's their rep.
Devs seem to think that cube owners are all children, so few mature games.
-- I have fans? Wow.
I can't stand the Playstation 2.. I just don't like 4500 different fighting games and 320 racing sims.
And the X-Box has what.. cross-platform games and halo.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
I remember that when the xbox was nearing release, and for a while after its release, there was a constant river of slime coming from the hard core Nintendo fan base about how the Xbox was just a paperweight, it was bigger than a Dodge Truck, it was stupid, it was just a pc, it sucked, halo sucked, Microsoft sucked, the controller would eat you and rape your mom because it was so big, and the people who worked for microsoft were souless imps who wrote code in between picking their butts and stepping on puppies.
I went and bought an xbox just because it seemed like anything that so many people hated had to be cool. I was right. It's bitchin' fun. I sometimes wonder if a lot of other gamers didn't choose xbox for the same reason.
The PS2s library is incredibly large and varied; it would be easy to find a handful of games I'm sure you'd enjoy. The Ratchet and Clank series is by far the best action/platform game on ANY system, period. Let's say for instance there ARE 320 racing sims (the Gamecube has a severe LACK of racing games, BTW) - the grandaddy of them all, Gran Turismo 4 is an exclusive title. For a racing fan, this is reason enough to own a PS2. Then you have your more "mature" series, Grand Theft Auto. Ico, Katamari Damacy, La Pucelle Tactics, Onimusha, the Jak series...this is a small handful of amazing games that are NOT fighters or racing sims.
As far as the Xbox is concerned...Halo isn't a selling point for me, but most people tend to view it as such. I don't think it's something worth buying a system for. I'll tell you what is: Xbox Live. The online gaming on the Xbox is ummatched on any other platform (including the PC). The Cube doesn't even HAVE an exisiting online pressence (whether this is your cup of tea or not, is irrelevant to my point).
So let's say you have your cross-platform title...let's take Madden 2005 for instance and theoretically, you have all 3 major player consoles. As with most cross platform titles, the major features of the game and the gameplay are nearly identical. So with the PS2 you get your online play, but on the Gamecube the graphics are crisper, smoother, and the game generally plays better (barring the fact that most people think the Cube controller is the poo for games NOT made specifically for it - and I tend to agree). But you don't HAVE the online option. So you look at the Xbox which features the best of both worlds AND you can log right into your Xbox Live account and easily connect with your friends to start up a game or league. For many (myself included), the cross platform choice is clear in most cases.
So you want solid exclusive games? There aren't that many, admittedly. But I'll give it a shot: Fable, Halo 1/2, Mechassult 2, Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive Ultimate, Project Gotham Racing 2...these are good games in ADDITION to the bevy of cross platform goodness.
And for the record, if I had to choose one system to take with me to a desert island (with an unlimited amount of games that would wash up on the shore in little plastic baggies, of course), I'd pick a PS2 simply because the variety and sheer number of games is completely insane.
But hell, at $99 (and even less if you're buying one used), I can't tell someone NOT to get a Gamecube anymore. With Resident Evil 4 on the way and uh...Resident Evil 4 on the way, it's nice to have as a second (or third) system.
One thing I took notice of that was interesting...Nintendo likes to shout from the roof tops that a game is exclusive to their system. "Only for Nintendo Gamecube." But check out the handful of great first party games on the PS2 for instance...I don't hear people raving about how Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a "Playstation 2 exclusive!" You know why? They don't have to play the "Hey, uh, we have some stuff over here, too," game.
If you're serious about gaming there's two letters for you: PC.
If it's not native, you can probably find an emulator for it.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
Yep, nothing like turning a high-end $2000 PC into a $200 Playstation.
Nintendo's fighting a defensive fight, given their current market position. They tout the exclusives because it is one of the things they can use to prove the GameCube's worth to people that don't own one yet.
Nintendo didn't have to point out all their exclusives in the SNES days because it was a given. There's nothing insightful about recognizing that the big dog doesn't have to brag as much to get the same recognition. Because shit, he's the big dog. Underdogs take what they can get, and sometimes it works. What's special or new about that, fellow shopkeep?
Unfortunately, you leave out the sheer asshat factor. MOST online opponents are assholes. Period. I've not yet gotten a chance to finish an online match of Madden for the opponent disconnecting as soon as it's apparent they're not going to pull a victory out of nowhere.
X-Box Live really isn't much of a factor for me at this point for that reason. No matter what they do, they're never going to get rid of the idiots that permeate the entire online gaming community anymore. They're on PC, they're on PS2, they're on X-Box.. hell, they're on GC and still on DC (Remember PSO and the PKing? It still happens on the 3rd party servers that're up!).
I think that while the X-Box has some nice hardware, it really needs analog buttons and a controller redesign. I shudder to think of how MGS3 will play on X-Box when they port it minus the analog. The PC port of MGS2 and the GC Twin Snakes make it all too clear how that's going to be.
You can also play pc games and have the greatest online experiance.
Your point?
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
Earlier this summer I decided that a console system would really be nice. I've been a PC gamer for years, but my latest console was my beloved SNES. Yes, I think that the PC is, in many ways, a superior platform for many games there are plenty of things that a console does better that I was missing. I wanted something that I could just pick up and play some basic, light games on yet still gave me something to really sink my teeth into when I felt like it. I wanted something where I could just sit around and play with some friends or my girlfriend without each of us just staring into our own, distant screens. As far as game selection I wanted something that had a good lock on some exclusive titles that I would enjoy.
After looking at all of these factors I really had to choose the Gamecube as being the best of the batch. It has four player support out of box (unlike the PS2) and a number of great multi-player games that are fun for groups (Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart). It also has some really great exclusive titles (both the aforementioned, Zelda, Metroid, Paper Mario, Eternal Darkness). The major titles I'd be missing are often not only ported to the PC where they're often better (e.g. Grand Theft Auto), but many are originally designed for the PC and only co-developed for consoles. What's left is often multi-platform meaning I won't miss out (e.g. Prince of Persia, X-Men Legends, Tony Hawk). It also has a few revamped PS1 games that I'd wanted a chance to play (Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil) but had missed out on. Online play is something I'd often be able to get better on the PC regardless and while it would suck for a few titles, it was something I could deal with.
Thus, in my opinion, at least, while the Gamecube might not be the best system for someone who will be playing consoles exclusively (I do miss Katamari Damacy, Burnout 3, and some others) if you already have a PC it's probably the best console to pick up to scratch those itches that only a console can.
In Sweden a GC is 1000 SEK in normal stores. Currently the US Dollar is about 7 SEK or lower (used to be 11!). So, a GC here is 145 USD (without games). Tax situation leaves us a little less money too.
It's not unusual to walk into a toystore and find prices twice as high as in the US. Games can go as high as $80.
My point is that I use gaming consoles for gaming and computers for computing. Occasionally, there is some overlap (now and again I'll throw Diablo II or Tie Fighter in to kill an afternoon), but for the most part, I have better things to use my computer for than playing games.
Online play is a non-selling point for me, as you really can't play RPGs online (No, I am not convinced that so-called MMORPGs are aptly named) and twitch-shooters and sports games bore me.
MGS Twin Snakes was a completely redone version of the first MGS, which didn't use analog buttons. And at least the GameCube, Dreamcast, and Xbox have the analog stick in the correct (more natural) position for 3D games on their controllers, unlike the PS2's controller, which is uncomfortable to use for a long time if your game uses the analog sticks.
Analog buttons with no give = pointless anyways. For PS2 games that don't need them, I prefer to use my PSone controller with digital buttons, since it is more responsive. Heck, for games that don't need the analog sticks, I still prefer the non-analog PS controller over any analog Sony controller as well, even though it lacks rumble. It just feels right.
Oh, BTW, the PSO community is bigger on Cube than on Xbox. (You seemed surprised that people were playing the Cube version, but they outnumber the PC and Xbox players combined.) Ignoring the Cube-exclusive PSO III, Cube gamers only pay one fee to play PSO, unlike on Xbox, where they pay for their hunter's license on top of Live fees. The Cube version also got two separate releases (second version is enhanced with exclusive content that was only available online, so it can be played offline), and this second version is still selling alongside PSO III.
Also, there is no solid reason to think MGS3 will hit PC or Xbox. MGS2 on Xbox was a major letdown for Konami, sales-wise, and the PS2 version that came after and included the "enhancements" from the Xbox version even looked and animated much better on the PS2. And as you know, MGS2 on PC was a joke and didn't sell well either. Still, it's a Konami game, so a shitty PC port is a possibility.
Out of curiosity, what was wrong with the PC port of MGS2? Obviously there were the technical issues (DVD only, 7GB HDD space for full install, nVidia-only compatibility initially...), but were there other problems that connecting a PSX-to-USB adapter woudn't mostly remedy? How extensive is the reliance on the analog buttons in the PS2 version? The tiny amount of movement on the PS2's buttons makes the analog aspect seem pretty much useless to me, anyway.
Honor Among Slackers. A veri
..stop hating. think of consoles like races, you dont want to be a racist, do ya?
I'm not sure MGS2 used any of the analog functionality, but I know MGS3 uses it quite extensively. For example if you are holding an enemy in a choke hold, press O lightly will just choke him. Press O down harder to cut his throat. If you have your gun drawn, relesing the X button lightly will put the gun down without firing. Those things will have to be reworked if a port is made.
The Xbox Live online experience far surpasses anything you have found or can find on the PC. Anyone who has extensively used both would be hard pressed to disagree on that point.
I'd guess so, seeing as a couple of days before Christmas I was able to pick up the GameCube "Ultimate Bongo Bundle" ('Cube, Bongos and Donkey Konga) for £60, when the RRP was £90. Rather nice game really. I also noticed that in the post-christmas sales the local Woolworths only had about two Gamecube games about, a Simpsons game and a James Bond one. Both had sale stickers on.
;-)
I don't live in that big a town, so the only shops selling Cube games now is an ASDA supermarket, but there the Xbox (and PS2) selection is bigger than the 'cube one. Blockbuster will let my rent 'cube games, but not buy them (at least not new).
Still, Nintendo do make great games, don't they. Pity they seem to be completley crap at actually selling them.
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im in Queensland Australia and the gamecube game stock is absolutely appalling everywhere..particularly in the after christmas sales.. 0 gamecube on sale and 30 percent of the xbox and playstation had at least 25 percent off...
before you criticise someone
This does seem quite common in the UK. Non-specialist shops that sell games (Virgin,HMV etc) very often have shelves of X-Box and PS-2 and no Gamecube games at all, or maybe a few of the bigger games. Gamecube--only games are released months or years later here with virtually no advertising (I think I saw one TV advert for Double Dash and a few for Mario sunshine, but that's it).
Dixons group stores (PC World, Dixons etc), the main high street electrical goods retailers, stopped stocking GC completely a while back.
I guess the slightly kooky gamecube ("it's for kids, innit?") doesn't fit in too well in image-obsessed Britain. A shame really, as there are so many great games on it.
But check out the handful of great first party games on the PS2 for instance...I don't hear people raving about how Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a "Playstation 2 exclusive!"
Maybe because it's not a very hyped-up game. I do however seem to be able to see an "Only on PS2" sticker on this here GTA: San Andreas box...
so ... I suppose this begs the question ... at this cheap price is it possible to use wholly or in part to create a funky little linux box ? has anyone figured out a way of attaching a hard drive to one yet?
...
Nick
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
I remember they did this with the Saturn.., I sat on the shelf of ages and no body was buying, the PS had taken over...
Virgin Mehastores sold it stock of real cheap just before xmas about £35 for the unit and £2-15 for the games...,
I just missed out on it, but and a friend got a crapload of stuff from it even got the crap fishing game with real pole for £5...,he ripped the sensors out of it.
It allso have a full keyboard and modem for the this Web on TV crap...,
Anybody got *nx running on the thing?
Really? Have you played Battlefield 1942/Vietnam? How about Starcraft/Warcraft/Diablo? World Of Warcraft? No?
We had it first and we do it best.
Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
I seem to remember SONY still being delusional about FFVII only being on the PSX even though the PC version had come out.
They made a HUGE deal about FFVII "Only available on Playstation", well I think they also said that about crap games, but they hype it as much as anyone else IMO. YMMV.
Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
Devs seem to think that cube owners are all children, so few mature games.
The fact is that Gamecube owners just buy less games than owners of other systems, mature or not. I don't have the game attach rates handy right now, but they are easily the lowest among this generation. Something like half or even less of what PS2 gamers buy. And of course most of those comparatively meager sales go to Nintendo, so there just isn't much room for third parties.
The GBA's attach rate is also pretty low, which is kind of interesting I think. Is it an advertising issue? Is it a demographic issue (ex: kids don't get too many new games)? Is it some kind of issue with Nintendo and their policies? I wish I knew.
Incidentally the Xbox has the highest attach rate this generation, which is one of the reasons it does get comparative third party support even though the PS2 handily outsells it most months. Xbox owners buy lots and lots of games...
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
I think that while the X-Box has some nice hardware, it really needs analog buttons and a controller redesign. I shudder to think of how MGS3 will play on X-Box when they port it minus the analog.
Huh? The controller buttons (minus Start and Back, IIRC) are analog on the Xbox. They always have been. And you get better analog triggers and sticks, too.
Some people obviously aren't into online play, and you sound like one of them. A lot of us can put up with the occassional dumbass, and smart developers can design their games to punish that kind of behavior in most genres. Easy fix for sports games 'droppers': after a few drops that player is put into a category where they can only play against people also in the dropper category. Keep the assholes busy with each other. Allow a gradual shift back into the good player category if they clean up their act (say, every 10-20 games with no drops they can subtract one from their total).
But I find the most important thing to play against nice, polite people is to choose the right game to play. Some games appeal more to grievers than others - Counterstrike and leveling treadmill games being the classic examples. But when playing games like Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate online (which is my main online game lately), I maybe encounter 1 asshole every 20-30 players. No big deal.
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
Really? Have you played Rallisport Challenge 2? Project Gotham Racing 2? ESPN NFL 2K5? Dead or Alive Ultimate? Kingdom Under Fire: the Crusaders? How about universal buddy systems, stats tracking, and voice communication? How about an essentially cheat-free environment? You have any of that yet?
The first attempt at anything is often improved upon.
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
The gamecube never got significant marketshare in Australia. Its a very distant 3rd place.
Kmart was dumping stock after christmas for $89 AUD. (About $69US or 36UKP)
I tried - ordered on 29th December. Out of stock at my local store, so I went for home delivery. They let me place the order, then emailed me to tell me they were out of stock at the warehouse as well, and wouldn't be honouring that part of the order. Of course, I went for the bundle (also half price with the gamecube), so now I have a 3rd party GC controller and Mario Sunshine, but no cube. Ha bloody ha.
If you already have a GC and want to pick up a half-price game it might be worth a look, but if you actually want to buy a cheap gamecube from Argos, make sure they have one in your local branch.
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Since the gamecube is the '1337' gamerz' choice of console (my choice as well...) I bet the reason why it isnt selling is the same reason why g4techtv sucks now.
People would rather have their games be cool, rather than well designed.
Look at G4techtv (if techtv even fits in there.) Before the so called 'merger,' tech tv was a bastion of great programming. Post 'merger,' techtv turns into G4techtv, a way for game companies to hype their games. Its sole purpose is to attract advertisers, and turn a profit. Techtv wasn't profitable at all, ever.
While I hate the new g4, i understand their logic. Since gamecubes have a less installed userbase (in north america and europe) 3rd parties are less likely to make games for it. Its economics people.
I prefer the cube, but understand where publishers are coming from.
"Martha Stewart can lick my Scrotum......do i have a scrotum?" -- Sharon Osbourne