Game Cube to hit $50 mark?

[Zaxxon]

Do you think the Game Cube will drop to $50 in the near future? Do you think Nintendo won't want to sell it that cheap because it'll look bad/desperate? From what I've read they have A LOT of unsold Game Cubes to sell. After X-mas, sales will slow down a lot again. It's already at $99 with a GB player and game(Wal Mart) or the unit plus a game so $50 for just the base unit doesn't seem too unlikely.

[Arcade Antics]

Won't happen. It's a better system than the N64 and those just went to $50 like, yesterday and stuff. I'd bet the Wal Mart promo pack thing was a screwup. Anyway, even if I knew it would go to $50 in a year, I'd still buy it now if I didn't already have one. It's a damn good system and I can't wait a year to play all those games. :)

[hezeuschrist]

Pretty much summed it up there... It'll hit $50 but not until after the next generation is out.

[sisko]

It's highly unlikely that it will do that so shortly into its life. Give it a few years and maybe, but definitely not within a year.

I so wish I had seen that GBPlayer/GCN deal at Walmart before they yanked it. I would have been all over it in a heartbeat.

[Captain Wrong]

Slightly OT: has Nintendo ever really "blown out" any hardware except the Virtual Boy? Even then, was that Nintendo doing the sales or the stores that had stock that wasn't moving?

For the record, I think even if Nintendo really starts losing their ass on the 'Cube, corporate arrogance will prevent them from going the route Sega did with the Dreamcast. So, no, I don't think the 'Cube will hit $50 for a long time to come.

[Stamp Mcfury]

Unless the stop making Game Cubes any time soon and need to clearance them out I really don't think so.

[vincewy]

I thought GC was selling almost the same number as PS2 in Japan, it's doubtful Nintendo will drop the price that quick.

A side note, it's believed that Nintendo dumped Virtual Boy very quickly due to issues of liability, rather than bad sales as most people perceived (many players have experienced headaches and change in visual acuity), consider Nintendo normally supports a system at least for a while. I remember back in 96 and 97, when Nintendo was clearing out VB systems, many gamers were looking for more games and couldn't find any more.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I say..no way...

[GrandAmChandler]

I agree. Unless production is totally halted, they won't do anything. As for the Wal-mart thing, the employee I bought mine from said it was a huge mistake, and there is not too much they can do about it.. Oh well. There loss, my gain! :D

[Li Wang]

I agree. Unless production is totally halted, they won't do anything. As for the Wal-mart thing, the employee I bought mine from said it was a huge mistake, and there is not too much they can do about it.. Oh well. There loss, my gain! :D

God damn it, I KNEW that had to be a mistake and that I should have grabbed one right away. Does anyone know what the regular price for that bundle is going to be?

[Zaxxon]

Slightly OT: has Nintendo ever really "blown out" any hardware except the Virtual Boy? Even then, was that Nintendo doing the sales or the stores that had stock that wasn't moving?


Offhand I can think of those Game Boy cameras and printers. Now they're blowing out those E-readers and cards.

[ddockery]

Blowing out E-readers? I still see them for $40 everywhere in town that actually has them.

[Ed Oscuro]

God damn it, I KNEW that had to be a mistake and that I should have grabbed one right away. Does anyone know what the regular price for that bundle is going to be?

Haha...$150. Dangit! I wish I'd known about this. BALLS! Grr.

[§ Gideon §]

I choose none of the above. It will hit $50, but it won't be any time soon. Maybe five years.

[Milk]

I had a coughing fit when I saw this topic. 50 dollars for a still current system? That would be...a daring move on Nintendo's part. Yes. "Daring".

Not that it would happen this generation.

[sisko]

Keep in mind that the topic was created over 6 months ago when the outlook of the Gamecube was oh so very very dim.

Business has picked up considerably since then. It's not likely to happen for a while now.

[§ Gideon §]

I know. That's why I thought it would be interesting to revive this topic.

[tholly]

I don't think we will see $50 anytime this year...I'd say it might be a possibility after XMas 2004 is over.

[PapaStu]

Good topic ressurection § Gideon §.

I voted nope, because of Nintendo's continued support and loyalty to themselves. Yes they are still ignoring Online play (except for PSO), and they are hitting the same problems that the N64 had with 3rd party support. But they are still cranking out good games, and they are still making profit per system, while MS keeps loosing more moola as they drop the prices more and more, to try and keep ahead of Nintendo. Nintendo feels comfortable with themselves, and I think that they are going to try and make the first punch in late 2005/early 2006 and be the first on the market, not the 3rd like last time (though 3rd only by a week). As long as the big N has the GB support that they do, they will continue to hold strong in the US, and they easily control 2nd place in Japan, where MS is still a far distant 3rd.

[§ Gideon §]

Thanks, PapaStu. Interestingly enough, some news (http://www.gamespy.com/articles/505/505234p1.html) surfaced today regarding the successor to GameCube. Nintendo seems to be in agreement with your thoughts about the launch date.

[PapaStu]

I like Nintendo, pay attention to the release dates of the products that power their machines. The new 65nm processors are suppose to be in full swing then (late 05/early 06) for the general consumer useage, and that is what Nintendo is using to power their next machine.

That was a nice article, and gave some very good insite into the thinking of Nintendo and their next machine. Though they have made some really idiotic mistakes before, I hope that Nintendo is finally realising the potential of true 3rd party support that they have been finally getting it from Konami, Capcom, Sega, and a few others. In all honesty I dont think that things will ever turn FULL circle for Nintendo again, getting them the complete control of the market like they once controlled. But they can eventually make a move to try and get a better chunk of the market share. If Sony pulls another blunder like they did with the launch of the PS2 (horrible game support for the first year, GTA 3, and MGS2 saved their asses a year into the system) and Nintendo gets their shit together, there could be very good times for Nintendo in the states again.