Console Price Cuts

[Dennis]

A good by product of the console wars (from Gamepro):

Price Cuts on All Three Next-Gen Systems?
02-APR-02
A set of announcements by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony seem to pave the way towards price cuts for all three current home systems—the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube—by the end of this year.
The Wall Street Journal printed an article yesterday stating that both Sony and Microsoft are in search of new manufacturing companies to reduce the cost of producing their respective game systems. Sony is reportedly in negotiations with Taiwanese manufacturer EMS to move some PS2 production over to China, while Microsoft has already taken in Wistron, a spinoff of computer manufacturer Acer, as their second manufacturing company.

Although neither company commented on the report, it’s likely that Sony and Microsoft are looking for ways to reduce the cost of manufacturing their systems. The PlayStation 2 is currently manufactured by Sony in three Japanese factories; Flextronics International produces the Xbox for Microsoft at locations in Mexico and Hungary.

Meanwhile, during an event in Seattle, Nintendo vice-president of marketing George Harrison said that a price cut for the $199 GameCube depends on whether or not Sony will drop the price on the PS2 to $199 or $249 from the current price of $299. “Sony's expected to make the first move and then we'll see where we stand,” he said, implying that a $199 PS2 would force Nintendo to cut the GameCube’s price.

Both Sony and Microsoft have long denied any plans for a price cut in the near future. However, industry watchers expect Sony to announce a cheaper PS2 by the end of this year, possibly during the E3 2002 exposition in May. If both Sony and Nintendo drop the prices of their systems, Microsoft will probably have little choice but to follow suit and cut the price on its $299 Xbox.

[mongycore]

Nintendo should pull a coup later on this year and slash their price of the cube in half obliterating the competition. If they do deliver on the promised software goods, they'll make tons of money through software sales (as it already is the case).

it doesn't hurt to dream does it?

[Michael Rabattino]

That would be so sweet if GC was $100.

[Dennis]

Here's a link to an article on IGN about Nintendo dropping the Cube price in Europe before it is even released.

<a href="http://cube.ign.com/articles/357/357764p1.html" target="_blank">Gamecube Price Drop</a>

[Micah Robinson]

Even if Gamecube was $100, it wouldn't make much of a difference because THERE IS LITTLE TO NOTHING TO BUY FOR IT RIGHT NOW.

God of Thunder/Dennis has all three systems. Which one is gathering the most dust? Exactly.

I'm getting a Gamecube at any price to play Wrestlemania X8 because I'd like to play just ONE decent next-generation wrestling title.

Aside from that, not much else is grabbing me. Super Mario Sunshine looks IDENTICAL to Mario 64 in every way with the exception of the water cannon add-on, which is sad considering all the extra horsepower the Gamecube has over the N64.

Metroid will come out sometime between now and eternity, and it had BETTER be more interactive and gripping than Halo or else what is the point of it being a first-person shooter.

Resident Evil...looks great...same gameplay.

Honestly, unless you're mega-nostalgic for past properties like Zelda, StarFox, and Metroid, the game of the Gamecube, whenever they actually come out, don't have a lot of heat or buzz behind them right now.

So a price cut is pointless because it's already far cheaper than the competition, but nobody wants more weak games like Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race revision 234.

[Cheese Biscuits]

Play Super Smash Brothers Melee. Oh dear Lord, that game rocks. Rouge Squadron looks cool. And any Zelda game (no matter how cartoony) is better than 99.9% of the other crape out there. Besides, the XBOX doesn't have much to offer either.

But, PS2 is going strong. Wise decision it was to buy that sucker.

[OvermindX]

Yea Mikah, like the XBOX is really any better.

Sheesh...

Anyway, Nintendo announced today that they are slashing the price of the GCN in Europe in Australia to undercut MS even more so, which has already released there (and failing miserable might I add). I'd assume price cuts would be soon to follow in the US and Japan.

As for games, GCN has MORE than any of the other systems I am interested in, including PS2. Expect E3 to show all. I have hunch something is being held back.

And if you don't like Mario Metroid and Zelda, then no offense, but you have serious problems as a gamer.

Oh yes, and Metroid is NOT a FPS, it is a FPA. A first person adventure with emphasis on exploration. I expect them to continue with the one world all connected style of play that was present in the previous Metroids which IMHO already makes it better than Halo (which I think is good but way overhyped especially since the level design starts to get really shitty after the beginning of the game where all the really cool levels are).

[OvermindX]

Oh yes, and you all are forgetting Eternal Darkness which might I add is ORIGINAL and looking to be one of the super AAA titles of this year. It is due out on June 24.

[Micah Robinson]

Guys....the point of this is not to turn this into yet ANOTHER Gamecube/Xbox war.

In case you missed it, I AM GETTING A GAMECUBE. IT WILL BE IN JUNE WHEN WRESTLEMANIA SHIPS.

So I'm not trying to be Joe Xbox fanboy.

But simply having played Halo and Max Payne alone, I can say that Xbox currently has two titles that excite me FAR more than anything CURRENTLY (not talking about future stuff) on Gamecube.

Plus, I haven't even cracked my copy of Genma Onimusha yet. Aside from Spy Hunter and Project Gotham, those are the only Xbox games I've ever played. So far, the success ratio leads me to believe that my Xbox was a good purchase.

Super Smash Bros. Melee? I played it in MediaPlay, and it's VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL to the original. Same for Mario Sunshine. Part of the reason I parted with my PS2 is that I felt like I was starting to play the same games and same types of games over and over and over.

I already played MArio 64 and Super Smash Bros. on the N64. Love them, but I'm ready for something new.

At least they're doing something different with Metroid and Zelda. It may suck, but I'm tired of playing remakes of sequels of remakes of....and so on.

So lower the Gamecube flags, fellas. I'm going to be filling out my membership card shortly, and even then I'll still talk shit about the system if there isn't more than one game I want to purchase for it.

It's called MY OPINION.

[Cheese Biscuits]

Okay, okay. I wasn't attacking you. I was just pointing a few things out.

[Micah Robinson]

OK.....how about this. When we discuss Xbox, Gamecube, PS2....can we please just talk about what's out RIGHT NOW?

The known entities?

Because obviously the brand names of Mario, Zelda, and Metroid are 800-pound gorillas, but without concrete games attached to them, they only muddy the discussion.

Same for Eternal Darkness. Same for StarFox.

AS OF RIGHT NOW, there is nothing on Gamecube that will compel buyers in droves to pick it up with a price drop. The ports are substandard, and the original games like Luigi and Wave whatever are filling up used CD and video game shops by the droves (really, I could buy the entire Gamecube launch library for a song right now).

Yes, Xbox also has mediocre games. Every system does. I think, however, AT PRESENT, Gamecube's percentage is higher than any other current consoles. I can't think of a single, original exceptional game for the system. Not one.

I hope that changes because I'm dropping the $200 in June, and my investment will pay off a lot more if I get to play great Metroid or Mario games on it.

But if Mario Sunshine lives up to my fears as a lame remake of Mario 64, I shant be purchasing it.

So I want the games to rock and for Gamecube's library to improve JUST AS MUCH as anyone else.

[Dennis]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to start a war. Once again I think all of the systems have their pros and cons. The point of posting the info on price cuts is to highlight what a great time it is to be a console gamer.

If, IF, the price cuts abroad should find their way to the states that means that competitive balance is taking hold which means great things for us. Suckers like me that already have all of the systems will have to hope for price reductions on titles (althogh my PS2 and Gamecube came to me at deep discounts, Thanks - you know who you are).

Can't we all just get along?

[Cheese Biscuits]

Right now, I'm very tempted to get a Gamecube over Super Smash Brothers. When I first played it, I didn't care for it. The controls were too hard and I felt it was too unoriginal. And it is unoriginal, but it's so much better than the first one. There's so much stuff to do with 1-player (did you know about the classic side scrolling levels?). And there are tons of multiplayer options to keep you playing. And the gameplay is just as fun as the original. So I think there's enough to consider it a superior game.

But, Micah, you're pretty much correct. Other than that, there's not much out right now that really warrants purchase of a Game Cube.

With X-Box, the only game that everyone knows is genius is Halo. Other than that there's Oddworld, DOA3, Project Gotham, but little else.

PS2 just flat out kicks the ass. It's filled with great games. The system isn't as powerful or as easy to program for as the other systems, but since it's been out longer, it has more games. Not to mention the backwards compatibility with the PS1. That is one solid system... for now.

The system with the greatest potential is X-Box. They could do so much with that little machine, but I doubt they ever will.

The system that has the best games coming soon is Gamecube. It's slate is just packed with quality (if not quantity).

But, the system that is winning the war is PS2, because of the huge number of games you can play.

[OvermindX]

Good games for GCN right now....

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Monkey Ball (Me and my friends have put countless multiplayer hours into this game, maybe even more than SSBM)

Rogue Leader RS2 The closest I have ever come to being in the original SW trilogy. Play the battle of Endor and tell me you don't feel the same way as a 100 TIEs come after you wave after wave.

Soccer Slam This game is such a sleeper hit. Unfortunately its hard to find too. A fricking blast in multiplayer. This game makes my thumbs hurt though from trying to mash the shoot button to score goals.

Pikmin is a load of ORIGINAL single player fun. Highly addicitve although a little short lived.

Luigis Mansion is acutally a pretty good game, though I would rent it, not really worth a purchas, but a great rental.

Well, those are all exclusive games that are out now.

[Sethos]

well, since I live in Europe I'm in the frontline of the console price war. it's pretty great though: normally we always get shafted with the price of consoles, but now Nintendo and Microsoft are making it much cheaper for us... Still, I'm quite happy with my PS2 right now and besides Halo I don't see a reason to buy an XBOX right now (and the same goes for the Cube, I love Rogue Squadron, but one game does not warrant the buying of a console). However, there are plenty of games coming that I might be interested in. I think Nintendo has an excellent position though: their machine is the cheapest of the lot and I don't know about america, but the games are cheaper over here as well (about 15% cheaper than PS2 games and about 17% cheaper than XBOX games). and since GC is more powerful than PS2, I think Sony might be better off considering a price cut for the games instead of for the console.

[Big Black]

OvermindX:
And if you don't like Mario Metroid and Zelda, then no offense, but you have serious problems as a gamer.
??

No offense, but that statement makes you sound like a moron.

[OvermindX]

Somebody not liking mario and zelda games is like somebody saying they don't think Star Wars or the Godfather are very good movies.

[mikah912, the quickening]

I'll go on record RIGHT NOW as saying that the N64 Zelda games were AMAZINGLY overrated.

So average, I thought I was playing Spyro the DRagon for a second there.

If this new Zelda is just the same with cel-shading, count me out.

[Sethos]

I never liked the N64 Zelda's either. However, I think that Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the best three games ever made. I'm greatly interested in the new Zelda game for the Cube.

[Ben (formally Ned Fats)]

mikah912, the quickening:
I'll go on record RIGHT NOW as saying that the N64 Zelda games were AMAZINGLY overrated.

So average, I thought I was playing Spyro the DRagon for a second there.

If this new Zelda is just the same with cel-shading, count me out.Exactly my thoughts. I lost it for Nintendo (up until then I had only bought Nintendo producs) when I bought the first Zelda on the N64. Since then they have only proven that they will not be flexible and have not caught up with modern standards.

[Jacob Singer]

"Rogue Leader RS2 The closest I have ever come to being in the original SW trilogy. Play the battle of Endor and tell me you don't feel the same way as a 100 TIEs come after you wave after wave."

AMEN, brother. The sole reason I purchased a 'cube. I only own two titles for it, RL and Super Smash Brothers. Metroid looks interesting, and I'll probably pick up the new Resident Evil. I have never cared for the Mario games, much less Zelda and Starfox, and I've been gaming since Pong. I was a TEENAGER when Pong came out...sheesh...

I only own about a half-dozen titles for the X-box, but the stuff on the horizon like Mech Assault and Crimson Skies make me very happy with my purchase.

I have more PS2 titles than anything (except PC titles) but of course it has the largest library.

[OvermindX]

I don't understand how you can call Zelda 64 over rated. It is nearly flawless.

[Michael Rabattino]

OvermindX:
I don't understand how you can call Zelda 64 over rated. It is nearly flawless.Agreed.

It scored points for the sunrise/set ALONE. Even though I never beat it because I got bored with it, it's brilliance can't be denied. It's one of the best games ever...not one of my best ever per se, but one of the best.

[Genocide]

God of Thunder:
A good by product of the console wars (from Gamepro):

Price Cuts on All Three Next-Gen Systems?
02-APR-02
A set of announcements by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony seem to pave the way towards price cuts for all three current home systems—the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube—by the end of this year.
The Wall Street Journal printed an article yesterday stating that both Sony and Microsoft are in search of new manufacturing companies to reduce the cost of producing their respective game systems. Sony is reportedly in negotiations with Taiwanese manufacturer EMS to move some PS2 production over to China, while Microsoft has already taken in Wistron, a spinoff of computer manufacturer Acer, as their second manufacturing company.

Although neither company commented on the report, it’s likely that Sony and Microsoft are looking for ways to reduce the cost of manufacturing their systems. The PlayStation 2 is currently manufactured by Sony in three Japanese factories; Flextronics International produces the Xbox for Microsoft at locations in Mexico and Hungary.

Meanwhile, during an event in Seattle, Nintendo vice-president of marketing George Harrison said that a price cut for the $199 GameCube depends on whether or not Sony will drop the price on the PS2 to $199 or $249 from the current price of $299. “Sony's expected to make the first move and then we'll see where we stand,” he said, implying that a $199 PS2 would force Nintendo to cut the GameCube’s price.

Both Sony and Microsoft have long denied any plans for a price cut in the near future. However, industry watchers expect Sony to announce a cheaper PS2 by the end of this year, possibly during the E3 2002 exposition in May. If both Sony and Nintendo drop the prices of their systems, Microsoft will probably have little choice but to follow suit and cut the price on its $299 Xbox.hahaha game cube here in england was only £130 on its release day last friday LOL. finaly england gets something cheeper than america