Whoopy! more than 1/2 million cubes sold in 1 week!!

[Zubiac666]

Argh! Big N is back! Get this:

Nintendo GameCube sold more than half a million systems to consumers during Thanksgiving week in the US!

After rocketing up the charts the past several weeks, the Nintendo GameCube has now officially reached No. 1 -- it's America's top-selling home video game console, according to direct sales data from the nation's leading retailers.

What Nintendo hoped for has happened! Nintendo GameCube sold more than half a million systems to consumers during Thanksgiving week, easily surpassing its console competitors. Among all game devices, it trailed only Nintendo's portable Game Boy Advance, which sold almost 600,000 units to U.S. buyers during the week.

"All along, our business plan for this year was to maximize consumer interest and sales during the fourth quarter," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "But frankly, we're overwhelmed by how successful we've been. Our price cut of Nintendo GameCube has ignited sales to the degree that it may turn out to be the best-selling console for the entire month of November. We're tracking to sell more systems in the last eight weeks of the year than we did in the previous 10 months combined."

this really makes me glad. Alone the cube sales are insane but just think how much cash they make with GBA(600000 in 1 week)!

GO NINTENDO GO!


uuhh...almost forgot the source:
http://www.cube-europe.com/news.php?nid=5816

[Darth Sensei]

I bought one at the $79 price. However, the other two will most likely drop or add extras to compete and N will be kept in either 3rd or 2nd place. It's not going to topple Sony, at least in this round.

However, I'm happy to hear the news. We games need as much competition as possible to keep prices down.

D

[Ed Oscuro]

Wow! That said, how do the totals sold compare to PS2s sold overall?

[hydr0x]

ehm the only numbers i have here right now are these:

Japanese total sales between 01/01/03 and 11/09/03 (U.S. notation):

1. PS 2 (2.282.600)
2. GBA SP (1.874.000)
3. GBA (1.102.300)
4. Gamecube (631.400)
5. Xbox (78.800)
6. PS One (60.900)
7. Wonderswan Crystal (33.000)

[zmweasel]

Here are NPD's numbers, as of October '03, for cumulative installed base in North America:

PS2: 19,439,000
Xbox: 6,178,000
GCN: 4,948,000
GBA: 16,310,000

And here be hardware sales for October '03:

PS2: 300,000 [-10% over September sales]
Xbox: 176,000 [+3%]
GCN: 254,000 [+54%]
GBA: 401,000 [-2%]

Unless Microsoft does something drastic, it's very likely that the Cube will move into second place by the end of the year.

-- Z.

[Sniderman]

Hrrrrmmmm.... I'm happy that sales for the 'Cube are up and all, but it says something that they had to drop the cost more than 50% of its original selling price and to more than 50% of the price of any of the other competing systems just to move these damn things. Food for thought.

[SoulBlazer]

I always said Nintendo could be in second place. I think the sales were mostly triggered due to the new Zelda bundle, combined with sales like the one done for $79. Let's see what the December returns are. If they can keep this volume, then maybe Nintendo will wait till early 2005 to release the N5, which is a good thing -- we DON'T want that released too early!

[Raedon]

bet they show a bigger loss this quarter then last.. anyone wanna bet?

[hydr0x]

Here are NPD's numbers, as of October '03, for cumulative installed base in North America:

PS2: 19,439,000
Xbox: 6,178,000
GCN: 4,948,000
GBA: 16,310,000

And here be hardware sales for October '03:

PS2: 300,000 [-10% over September sales]
Xbox: 176,000 [+3%]
GCN: 254,000 [+54%]
GBA: 401,000 [-2%]

Unless Microsoft does something drastic, it's very likely that the Cube will move into second place by the end of the year.

-- Z.

you're absolutely right, great to see someone has the NPD numbers, couldn't find them anywhere (for free)

and adding japan and europe, the xbox has already dropped to place three

i think the november numbers will be even more dramatic for MS, it's a shame i don't know any europe sale numbers, but i'd bet that the xbox is suffering A LOT right now over here

[bensenvill]

Kudo's to nintendo. They seemed like they were teetering on the edge there for the last few months. The industry news was really scary for a while.

~Tj

[bensenvill]

Here are NPD's numbers, as of October '03, for cumulative installed base in North America:

PS2: 19,439,000
Xbox: 6,178,000
GCN: 4,948,000
GBA: 16,310,000

And here be hardware sales for October '03:

PS2: 300,000 [-10% over September sales]
Xbox: 176,000 [+3%]
GCN: 254,000 [+54%]
GBA: 401,000 [-2%]

Unless Microsoft does something drastic, it's very likely that the Cube will move into second place by the end of the year.

-- Z.

whooohh, needed to look closer to those number, so what do you think the GCN sales numbers may have been affected by (what in my opinion seems to be) GCN trying to integrate in the GBA. Seemed like a really risky stratagy to me but I had no idea the GBA was selling in those numbers.

So lets say the GCN didnt have any tie-in stuff with the GBA, do you think it would have changed those sales figures at all?

~Tj

[zmweasel]

So lets say the GCN didnt have any tie-in stuff with the GBA, do you think it would have changed those sales figures at all?

~Tj

No. GBA/GCN connectivity is a lame marketing gimmick -- we won't give you all of THIS game unless you buy THAT game, too! If connectivity was a factor, it would've kicked in much sooner than this. 'Tis the sub-$100 price point driving Cube sales right now, nothing more.

I also suspect that a huge percentage of the past week's Cube sales can be attributed to Wal-Mart's $80 Black Friday sale.

-- Z.

[Flack]

That's why I bought one.

While I loved the SNES, the N64 never clicked with me, and the Gamecube seemed to be the N64 all over again. I have a PS2 with "more than a few" games and had planned on picking up an xBox after Christmas.

I bought a Gamecube (a console I'll most likely hate) because it was $79. I imagine a lot of other people did too, for that reason alone. I'll give it a try, and if I don't like it, I'll give it to my son. He's 2.

[Mayhem]

Hrrrrmmmm.... I'm happy that sales for the 'Cube are up and all, but it says something that they had to drop the cost more than 50% of its original selling price and to more than 50% of the price of any of the other competing systems just to move these damn things. Food for thought.

You obviously haven't seen what Microsoft have done in Japan to shift the Xbox. For just over $100 you can get the machine, DVD remote, Xbox Live setup AND Halo and one other game. Talk about trying to shift units...

[Captain Wrong]

Hrrrrmmmm.... I'm happy that sales for the 'Cube are up and all, but it says something that they had to drop the cost more than 50% of its original selling price and to more than 50% of the price of any of the other competing systems just to move these damn things. Food for thought.

Not only that, but moving up to second place in the cumulative installed base would still put them at having sold total about a third what the PS2 has sold, unless the PS2 totally staginates this season and the GC really moves. Hell, they could be in #2 and still be 10,000,000 units behind their own GBA. THAT is some real food for thought.

[zmweasel]

You obviously haven't seen what Microsoft have done in Japan to shift the Xbox. For just over $100 you can get the machine, DVD remote, Xbox Live setup AND Halo and one other game. Talk about trying to shift units...

It's working, albeit nowhere near as well as Nintendo's North American price drop. Here's a list of Japanese hardware sales from Nov. 17-23:

PlayStation 2: 53,500
GameBoy Advance SP: 21,200
GameCube: 19,600
Xbox: 7,500

The week before, Microsoft moved only 310 units. Oof.

-- Z.

[Nature Boy]

Goes to show that price *does* talk. In the end we all win here - the cheaper things cost, the more of 'em we can get

[Sylentwulf]

Number of third party GC games sold in that same period? 7.

[GameGuru]

I will always own a Nintendo system for Mario Kart, Metroid and Zelda. I own the X-Box because I also want the absolute best graphics (and emulation) and I own a PS2 because of the amount of games. I wouldn't ever want to just have a Nintendo system but I can't go without those three games listed above!

[Zubiac666]

It's working, albeit nowhere near as well as Nintendo's North American price drop. Here's a list of Japanese hardware sales from Nov. 17-23:

PlayStation 2: 53,500
GameBoy Advance SP: 21,200
GameCube: 19,600
Xbox: 7,500

The week before, Microsoft moved only 310 units. Oof.

-- Z.

Nah...it's not really working .
these are japanese sales for the week ending nov. 30th:

1. PlayStation 2- 58,978
2. Gameboy Advance SP- 24,510
3. Gamecube- 22,861
4. Gameboy Advance- 4,321
5. Xbox- 732
6. SwanCrystal-350
7. PSone- 328

source:
http://www.cube-europe.com/news.php?nid=5811

at least x-box sells better than the Wonderswan-thingy and PS1 now.....