Nintendos selling after price drop

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

"Nintendo announces that its recent GameCube price drop has seen sales of the console quadruple in the last week.

 

Following last week's GameCube price reduction, Nintendo of America has today announced that sales of the $99 console have quadrupled as a result of the move. Nintendo has also recently announced a $100 million "who are you?" marketing campaign, which it plans to spend around $50 million launching ahead of Christmas.

 

"Clearly, this move is what game players desired, and also what our retail partners wanted," said George Harrison, senior vice president, marketing and corporate communications, Nintendo of America. "We're already receiving requests for additional shipments of Nintendo GameCube systems between now and the holidays."

 

"The price cut is working great," added Dan DeMatteo, president of GameStop. "Our sales of Nintendo GameCube have increased more than fourfold. We are currently increasing our shipment requests for the system throughout the holidays.""

 

 

 

 

Also...in two observations...one that is kind of surprising...the other that really isnt:

 

1. The GC version of Soul Calibur 2 sold best...which doesn't surprise me since Link was the go to guy. The PS2 version sold worst...which does kind of surprise me given how many mor ePS2 owners there are.

 

2. For some reason I don't understand...the latest rental chart sees XBox games renting like mad. They hold 6 of the top ten spots...and they outrent the PS2 version of the same games. I don't get that part.

[Damaramu 0]

Well it's no suprise that the GC SCII sold best and PS2 sold worst. Look at who was advertised for each one.

Oh and the XBox games outrenting PS2 games? Usually the XBox versions have extras or are just hands down better than the PS2 version. That could explain it...

[fazzle 0]

2. For some reason I don't understand...the latest rental chart sees XBox games renting like mad. They hold 6 of the top ten spots...and they outrent the PS2 version of the same games. I don't get that part.

That's just the Gamefly rental charts, assuming we're talking about the same thing. Gamefly in the long run doesn't mean jack, when compared to say, Blockbuster.

[Guest Sakura]

This is nice PR and stuff, but where's the actual numbers to back it up? It's easy to brag about companies asking for more shipments....

 

 

The "Who Are You?" campaign is really, really awful.

 

 

I would imagine the PS2 version of SC II will end up selling the most in the long run. Best Buy numbers have the PS2 version just barely outselling GC now.

[AndrewTS 0]

The "Who Are You?" campaign is really, really awful.

 

Stupid marketing campaigns often work well.

 

Good news for Nintendo. Hope to see them doing better and being more competitive than before. However, is it really possible for there to be three competitive major consoles in the market at once? Up until now it's never really happened. There's room for two but any third consoles have usually been in the distance last place.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Compaired to the X Box and PS2 the Gamecube just looks like a $99 machine...they should have done this a while ago really.

[Damaramu 0]

Well....I use my XBox for everything....my PS2 for RPG's and PS2 exclusive games....and my GC for GC exclusives.....so I can see how the GC is in last.

[Guest Ram]

It's true. I'm seriously considering buying a Gamecube now that it's 99 bucks.

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I want a GC, but I'll wait for the nifty Gundam-branded ones coming out in November.

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

2. For some reason I don't understand...the latest rental chart sees XBox games renting like mad. They hold 6 of the top ten spots...and they outrent the PS2 version of the same games. I don't get that part.

Maybe because XBOX games are the easiest to pirate. All you need is a modded XBOX with a bigger Hard Drive and you don't even have to burn the games anymore.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I might pick one up for my bro for Christmas

[Brush with Greatness 0]

I'm tempted to pick one up along with Animal Crossing. AC is now also selling for cheap (35 canadian) at Toys R' Us.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

The problem with Soul Calibur II is they didn't provide a cool enough character on PS2. I would've snatched it up in a heartbeat had PS2 gotten a character as cool as Link or Spawn, but we got the guy from Tekken. It's not a big deal or a very popular character. I don't know who else PS2 could've tied in, but X-box and Spawn isn't an automatic tie in either. I think that highly contributes to their poor sales.

 

As for me, with the Gamecube being so cheap, I've thought about getting one a couple times, but with how little I play my PS2, I doubt I'd need another whole system to collect dust. No surprise they are selling well, just waiting to see what numbers/specials will happen come the holidays.

[Red Baron 0]

The smart move of SC II for PS2 would to put some one from a Final Fantasy game, like Sepiroth

[KingPK 0]

See, they should have done this from the BEGINNING. IMO, I really don't think people could justify paying $150-200 for a machine that just played games where you could get other features on the other two machines for the same price.

 

I might pick one up for myself now (now that I actually have money again.)

[Ripper 0]

See, they should have done this from the BEGINNING. IMO, I really don't think people could justify paying $150-200 for a machine that just played games where you could get other features on the other two machines for the same price.

 

I might pick one up for myself now (now that I actually have money again.)

I never saw the point of having a DVD player on a video game system anyway. You are killing your system faster (ask anyone that got a PS2 at launch) and honestly, how many people didn't have a DVD player already ANYWAY. PS2 and X-box do have the online support thing though, but with so few homes having DSL, once again, it is a technology that isn't used much. Nintendo was smart to keep the overall production cost down on each system by not adding un needed add ons.

[AndrewTS 0]

I never saw the point of having a DVD player on a video game system anyway. You are killing your system faster (ask anyone that got a PS2 at launch) and honestly, how many people didn't have a DVD player already ANYWAY.

 

Me, a large number of my friends both online and offline didn't and still don't own separate DVD players, and use our PS2 for DVD players.

 

Plus, I have a VCR and several other game systems. I don't have the room to spare.

 

The early PS2's were buggy--they weren't supposed to conk out like that. The one I got early 2002 or so has been working perfectly for DVDs and games.

 

The only people I know that own separate DVD players are non-gamers.

 

Also, here's another bit of news that I'm not surprised about:

 

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?...me=ret&aid=2135

 

PS2 and Xbox making bigger than expected impact on movie market

 

 

A new study by research firm Centris suggests that game consoles with DVD playback functionality are making a larger impact on the DVD market than anyone had expected.

 

That's according to the Hollywood Reporter, which has reported a selection of facts and figures from the report - set to be published on September 15. According to the Reporter, 54 per cent of people with DVD-enabled consoles have watched a DVD on their system within the past 30 days.

 

That's a fairly significant total; Centris estimates that it translates as 8.6 million PS2 owners (46.5 per cent of the installed base) in the USA, and 1.9 million Xbox owners (54 per cent of the installed base who own DVD kits).

 

This makes game console owners into a significant growth area for the DVD market, as sales of dedicated DVD player hardware have declined recently.

 

That's also why sales have likely dropped on standalone DVD players--because buying the consoles is a better value for a gamer.

Edited October 3, 2003 by AndrewTS

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

Just picked one up so this price break has to have been a success. Also, I don't have more than one friend that doesn't have a seperate DVD player and gaming console.

[Ripper 0]

Yeah, but when you get the 38 disk set of LOTR, it is annoying to deal with a one disk player like in those things. Most people I know have a disk changer of some sort.

 

I guess if you are dealing with younger gamers, then yeah, he PS2 would be a better bet.

[AndrewTS 0]

Yeah, but when you get the 38 disk set of LOTR, it is annoying to deal with a one disk player like in those things.  Most people I know have a disk changer of some sort. 

 

I guess if you are dealing with younger gamers, then yeah, he PS2 would be a better bet.

A good portion of gamers have already gotten used to switching discs for multi-disc games, and even for one-disc games they have have to physically switch discs to play other games.

 

That's not too much work for anyone to do. For some one with no interest in LOTR, it especially isn't. Still, even so, switching a disc every few hours? Wow, that's a Herculean effort, isn't it?

 

I'm not a "younger gamer," either.

[Nevermortal 0]

I use my Xbox as my DVD player....it works like a charm.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I can play DVDs on my DVD player in the bedroom, DVD player in the living room, My PC, My laptop and then the PS2 and Xbox.

 

I never even bought the DVD thing for the Xbox because it would never get used.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Over the last week, the Gamecube has outsold the PS2 by 20% and the X Box by 145%.

 

That 2nd spot might be in a bit of jeopardy..

[SamoaRowe 0]

I would love to get a GameCube, but I hardly play my PS2 as it is. I'm way too busy and I can't usually afford games (and I hate renting games, I never feel like I have enough time with them).