Nintendo's odd move: No Gamecube Reservations (1 Viewer)

[Camp]

I don't yet have all the details but Nintendo is not supporting any retailer attempts to accept reservations on Gamecube hardware. I'd say it's safe to assume reservation programs will be met with inventory penalties.
That said, it sounds like supply ought to be more than sufficient to avoid a PS2-like shortage

 

[Adam Nixon]

Wow, I've never heard of a manufacturer doing that. Where did you find this information? I guess the whole industry is changing thanks to the bungled PS2 launch. This seems like a direct response to Microsoft's bundle incentives.

 

[Camp]

Oh, you just reminded me about that too...
It sounds like Microsoft's bundle deals are going to be more universal than I had guessed.
Consider this my NDA.

 

[BrianB]

Wow, I've never heard of a manufacturer doing that

There was a quote from Peter Main last week that they weren't 'forcing' bundles like 'another company', but this is the first I've heard of them making it an official policy.
It'll be a good way to differentiate themselves from the XBox. Instead of $500 vs $300, it's now $500 vs $200. Yup - we all know that on average, people will still pick up a couple of games, a memory card, extra controller & level the price playing field... But it'll help make that marketing advantage & draw in punters.
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Kelley_B]

I REALLY DON'T like bundles. Software, ETC. tried to pull that shit on me when I got my PS2, but I know the store manager pretty well and he fixed things up for me. Right now I think I will just be getting the GCN, memory card, Rouge Squadron 2, Luigi's Mansion, Super Monkey Ball and Wave Race. I am more and more thinking that I will skip out on the Xbox, maybe an instore demo will help me decide, but the only games I want for it aren't coming out for a couple months(GUNVALKYRE, Jet Grind Radio Future, uhhhhh thats all ). Plus my birthday is in Feb. so that would be perfect timing with the jap launch and all.

 

[Dean Cooper]

LOL that's hilarious, slick Nintendo crap. Don't you see how Nintendo is manipulating the facts We won't take preorders because we don't want to force bundles. Well DUH! if you don't want to preorder an Xbox bundle don't, go in to the store on launch day like you would a GCN and buy just the console. HAHA, well I would rather have the option to go to ToysRus or Futureshop/BestBuy, or the many other places that are offering bundle free preorders and have the piece of mind that I wont be scrambling on launch day for a system. Shopping around sure does wonders over believing every load of crap that the press seems to spew out.
Dean

 

[Joel Mack]

Wait, I'm confused...

No reservations of any kind for GCN, or just no "bundle"-type reservations? I'm not standing in a fucking line for one of these things...

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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[BrianB]

LOL that's hilarious, slick Nintendo crap. Don't you see how Nintendo is manipulating the facts

Oh of course

It's just another marketing spiel.
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Nothing In Particular

 

[Dean Cooper]

heheh come on its like saying:
Nintendo Gamecube is suprizingly user-friendly due to its lack of features!
Damn I should of been a sales man

Dean

 

[Calvin Watts III]

Well, I think that it's safe to say that November is going to be veeeeeery interesting. Oh well, at least I shouldn't have to stand in line in order to get my Gamecube
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"Never give up!!! .......... Never surrender!!!!!!!!!."

 

[Dean Cooper]

Yeah one of the perks of working in a store that sells them eh You'll probably be playing yours a couple days early. I'm just taking this system home to verify that they work...yeah thats right, you wouldn't want to sell a bunch of defective units would you?

Dean

 

[David_LM]

quote: I REALLY DON'T like bundles. Software, ETC. tried to pull that shit on me when I got my PS2, but I know the store manager pretty well and he fixed things up for me. Right now I think I will just be getting the GCN, memory card, Rouge Squadron 2, Luigi's Mansion, Super Monkey Ball and Wave Race.[/quote]
That's hilarious. You are buying a Cube, a memory card and four games. Sure sounds like a bundle to me! The average Cuber will spend at least what a bundle would have cost within the first two weeks of a purchase. As long as there is not a shortage of XBox's and as long as most consumers can find an XBox that is not bundled, lay off Microsoft on this issue.
This is a debacle: A relative was on a waiting list at several retailers last year for the PS2. About a week before Christmas, they got a call from one of the retailers who said they had a unit available. The retailer required the customer to purchase 4 PS2 games with the console. The problem was that my relative was buying the game console for small children and the retailer had a limited choice of games with none rated or recommended for small kids. As a result, my relative was forced to buy four PlayStation games (rated for young kids) at the higher price of the PS2 games. So lay off of MS until we see how this pans out.
[Edited last by David_LM on August 28, 2001 at 12:34 AM]

 

[Morgan Jolley]

If the GCN had a bundle of:
2 games
1 memory card
1 extra controller
1 GCN
It would come out to around $350. The same bundle with an XB would be around $430 (don't need a memory card). Nonetheless, kids who want an XB and a GCN will probably get a GCN package over an XB package, then again, the whole 10 day difference and the "GCN doesn't have package deals" arguements come into play.
I will probably wait for a GCN and an XB. I will let my friends buy them, then I will decide which games I want based on how they play at their houses. When I am sure what I want, I will ask for it for Christmas. Then again, I know of a few games I want no matter what, so I could just get them at launch. I have yet to decide.

 

[Dean Cooper]

Morgan I'm surprised by your last comment. That's a good plan of action, remember you'll be able to play both on kiosks before the launch day too. Hey have you seen anything on the new anime movie premiering tomorrow? Blood: the last vampire check it out here http://www.sputnik7.com/vod/anime/
Dean

 

[David_LM]

If the GCN had a bundle of:
2 games
1 memory card
1 extra controller
1 GCN
It would come out to around $350. The same bundle with an XB would be around $430

Except that the poster I responded to had mentioned buying four Cube games.

 

[Adam Nixon]

Someone could VERY easily modify that "slogan" for X-box:
"You know us -- We're the odd men out -- We're the console with no killer apps and the least amount of Japanese developer support."

Seriously though, has anyone else noticed how downright irritable some of us have been lately? You can't post a single thread about any console without a hardware debate ensuing. Is this segment of the forum going to be dead after Christmas? Most of us will have whichever console we want and the "victors" will have been crowned. What will be left to rant about?

 

[David_LM]

Seriously though, has anyone else noticed how downright irritable some of us have been lately?

You appear guilty of what you are charging. There will be plenty to talk about after Christmas. Many will be talking about how great the DVD playback of the XBox is and you will lamenting how you wish the Cube had it (just kidding). Adam, the stakes are high this year with two new entrants. Microsoft is spending $200 million on its marketing campaign for the Windows XP release compared to $500 million for the XBox marketing campaign. This is a big deal and I think the debate on this forum reflects this. Expect the hardware debate to grow to a feverish pitch by launch date. Then it will switch to a debate over the games.

 

[Adam Nixon]

Awww, come on -- that was a light-hearted jab. I'm a hardcore gamer and I'll go where the great titles are, PERIOD. I don't just openly bash any console that isn't the X-box. Come next April, I'll probably have all three unless one of them turns into an absolute colossal failure.
As for this being a "big deal," yeah, it is -- for Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. I stand to lose money whichever way because I'm an addict. I'm also ready for Nvidia's nForce motherboard chipset, as its considerable innovations will make Jedi Knight 2 and Unreal 2 even better to play when they're released for the PC in the spring.
It's a BAD time to be a gamer, at least for my dwindling cash reserves...
You better watch out -- If Erica comes back she's going to lay the smack down on this thread.

[Edited last by Adam Nixon on August 28, 2001 at 01:14 AM]

 

[Graeme Clark]

A bundle is only bad if it's got something you don't want.

Or how about this marketing slogan for the Cube: "You know us. We are the other guys. We are the ones without the DVD function."

Or maybe "We won't have features you don't need! (except for the expantion port we always put on the bottom of our systems, and 4 gamepad ports)"
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[Camp]

deleted
[Edited last by Camp on August 28, 2001 at 11:32 AM]