GameCube - May 3rd, 249 Euros (£150 Stg)

tHE vAGGABOND

yea, they are pe0ns as the man said

Pepe LeFrits

Dont be at yourself

Microsoft are going to have to cut the price by the end of the year though. They'll be fine for the first months, the hype surrounding the launch and the early-adaptors will ensure that it sells like crazy. But when the GC is on the shelves for half the price and that's stealing all the hype, X-Box sales are going to drop off. If they don't drop the price, GC sales will overtake X-Box sales before Christmas.

Q_Ball

Originally posted by DeadBankClerk
if you are buying one of the above systems please sell all your old dreamcast games to game or electronics boutique on grafton/dawson street and email me in advance

DBC, Game and EB will take back your DC games for the princely sum of between 2 and 4 Euro, just because they are not wanted anymore.

Sucks, dunnit.

Shinji

I doubt Microsoft are taking a hit on the box here, infact i bet they are making a huge profit here, remember they have a factory in hungary so the normal charges the Ninty and Sony incurred dont apply to Microsoft.

Heh, I somehow missed that gem when I posted the last thing.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. You're making silly assumptions based on no evidence. You could have found out you were wrong by doing a simple search on the web rather than postulating stupid theories on here. There's this huge resource called the Internet, you should think about using it sometime!

Microsoft THEMSELVES admit that they're losing $150 on each Xbox they sell. That's in pure hardware and doesn't count the cost of marketing, distribution, R&D and what have you.

They take a HUGE hit on the Xbox. And you're NOT about to see them discount it within the first few months, for the simple reason that if they did so, they'd be seen as running scared from GameCube.

Of course, they ARE running scared from the Cube. In the USA, the Cube is outselling XBox heavily at retail. But you can't let on to customers or shareholders that you're terrified of an opponents product. If they drop the price before GC launch, they'll probably actually sell less, because they look less confident in their own product.

tHE vAGGABOND

they have a factory in hungary

Think of it like this..

Sony and Ninity have been making consoles for ages, so every part of the chain is up and working and very well established..

Microsoft dont even make 'serious' hardware so have had to buy all the machines and/or establish all the parts to the chain

no matter what company you are, thats expensive business

chernobyl

Im sorry Shinji but even if Xbox is loosing $150 per box in america its 51% more expensive here, european gamers are taking a serious hit so that the box can be sold cheaper in american but mostly japan.

And vagga, you say that sony/ninty have factories pre built an good to go, no they dont, every time a new console has to be made, a factory(s) has to be selected or existing ones used but the production lines have to be redesigned and produced themselves.

I would be happy paying €479 but i know i am been asked to so just so the box can go for $299 in japan, that just itches me the wrong way.

Shinji

Absolutely, the European price is high to subsidise prices elsewhere. MS view Europe as a market already won. I think Ninty are going to give them a nasty shock.

They're still losing money on the European Xbox though, just a bit less money than elsewhere. Everyone except Nintendo loses money on hardware. It's ALWAYS been this way, and Microsoft isn't an exception - in fact, Microsoft is getting hit more-so than the others because of its insistence on using far more expensive components that aren't strictly necessary for a games console.

Shred

Look, the way I see it is this:

Nintendo have been around the longest out of all the exsisting console makers, therefore they have the most experience in the console market - so they should show it

They've made a good start with their pricing here, let's hope it's the start of them fighting to regain lost territory

Being a lover of all things Nintendo (although I would like an X-Box and PS2 as well:p ), I just hope they'll put it up to their competitors this time and not lie back..

(I got a pain in me t**s with all of their promises with the '64 - the disk drive for instance,which paved the way for Sony's dominance... )

It's gonna be a year to watch for console gaming, one were perhaps some of us will be eating double-helpings of humble pie:)

Right now though, I'm not in any rush to buy any of the consoles, I'm quite happy with my P.C.

chernobyl

Originally posted by Shred

It's gonna be a year to watch for console gaming.

Nah..its time to get dirty and dive right in..who cares about dubious ways to spend money, it does grow somewhere for free, like "the beach", you just gotta meet a weird suicidal scottish guy to [shout]get the map[/shout].

the_corpo

i don't know how i'm going to handle the wait....

handily enough it comes out the same day as my girlfriends birthday.

wonder what she'll be getting....

Dont be at yourself

Also my little sister's birthday. You stay away from her.

Q_Ball

Originally posted by the_corpo
i don't know how i'm going to handle the wait....

handily enough it comes out the same day as my girlfriends birthday.

wonder what she'll be getting....

ROFL, you could write your name on it too and tell her that it'll make her think of you everytime she plays it.

Nintendo have always been on top...fair enough, the Nintendo 64 (which i eagerly awaited) didn't do as well as Nintendo had hoped, but remember they still are the kings of handheld systems (the GameBoy is the most successful games console ever! ) and through their handheld dominance, they will regain their other console strength.

The way the GameBoy Advance interfaces with the GameCube can only be indicative of the care that Nintendo are putting into the product. By this action, GameBoy Advance sales will go up, as people will feel they're missing out on some things.

Sony and Microsoft, frankly, won't do as well as they're making out.

the PS2 is one of the most awkward consoles on the current market to program for (and that's a MAJOR issue) and the XBox...well, given Microsoft's programming abilites, that shouldn't be a problem, although one would question if their games can stand up to the "real" console games, not just cut down versions of their PC games. The price tag also shows inexperience of the market, as people won't go for that (unless they've more money than sense).

It's going to be interesting...as a former hardcore Nintendo fan, I hope they do well this time around.

Originally posted by MoonHawk
Nintendo have always been on top...fair enough, the Nintendo 64 (which i eagerly awaited) didn't do as well as Nintendo had hoped, but remember they still are the kings of handheld systems (the GameBoy is the most successful games console ever! ) and through their handheld dominance, they will regain their other console strength.

The way the GameBoy Advance interfaces with the GameCube can only be indicative of the care that Nintendo are putting into the product. By this action, GameBoy Advance sales will go up, as people will feel they're missing out on some things.

Sony and Microsoft, frankly, won't do as well as they're making out.

the PS2 is one of the most awkward consoles on the current market to program for (and that's a MAJOR issue) and the XBox...well, given Microsoft's programming abilites, that shouldn't be a problem, although one would question if their games can stand up to the "real" console games, not just cut down versions of their PC games. The price tag also shows inexperience of the market, as people won't go for that (unless they've more money than sense).

It's going to be interesting...as a former hardcore Nintendo fan, I hope they do well this time around.

I.e: Moonhawk = Nintendo Sales rep

seriously tho im looking forward to the GC aswell, but the PS2 is still loads fun which is what counts. Also i cant wait for Final Fantasy 10. Incidently release dates ne1?

Shinji

July, IIRC.

but the PS2 is still loads fun which is what counts. Also i cant wait for Final Fantasy 10.

Of course, that is what counts at the end of the day, but my point was that developers have a hard time already without awkward programming techniques in order to use the PS2...when other consoles (eg. GameCube) come out, with far easier programming access, then developers could suddenly realise that they can do more with less effort for the Nintendo machine.

I.e: Moonhawk = Nintendo Sales rep

That would be cool!

Mills

I'll quite possibly pick up one of the next gen consoles in june when I finish the leaving cert, at the minute it's looking likely to be a PS2 or maybe a Gamecube, I'd have said X-Box until I saw that price, no chance, unless it turns out to be head and shoulders above the rest.

I'd like a PS2 for Final Fantasy X and GTA3 mainly, I'll probably just rent MGS2 and play it through. At the minute I haven't seen any titles for the X-Box or Gamecube that make me really want one, and the PS2's DVD capability will come in handy.

Pugsley

Well, if you look at the X-Box thread,you will see that shinji didnt think any of the realease title were anything to write home about,but some of the later titles were brilliant,it might be worth getting after a few months (and i would trust shinji's opinion more than any games reviewer )
I wojnt be gettin the X-Box myself until its price drops....considerably.But if it isnt shaping up to its expectations of most,i might just give it a pass.
I'm gonan bok my GC the 1st day EB allow you to,because at £150 its the cheapest of the newer consoles,and ninty have never let me down before.
Perfect Dark 2 will be very interesting aswell,because the 1st was a classic,best FPS on any console,2nd best ever (damn HL is far too good ) IMO.

Perfect dark was fun but i wouldnt say it was "the best fps ever" cause there was just too much slowdown and what not. Multiplayer was l337. I forgot about perfect dark 2 for the GC. That and Zelda have sealed it for me

chernobyl

Have you guys forgotten Mario Sunshine?

Pugsley

As good as mario games always are,they cant compete with zelda or perfect dark.Smash brothers looks brill aswell,played it yet shinji?

Dont be at yourself

Just ordered Super Smash Bros Melee and Pikmin!

I really h8 u nekky ah well only a few months till its released here

Thats true abaout Nintendo games are cartoons ,but there are alot of people who like playing them ,children and big children alike .

Shinji

Give it up Dre. We all know you play WWF games, you can't get away with accusing Ninty games of being kiddie after that shameful admission

chernobyl

I refuse to let my bro play smakdown on my PS2, so he played an Atari card on my PS2...life will never be the same.

PS2 Visually defaced

Tuchet Shinji

I just love the way you stick up for you beloved Nintendo .:)

Dont be at yourself

Atari made the best console ever!

Also, Smackdown3 is honestly one of the worst games I've ever played.