Eidos: Bye bye GC, you won't be missed

[GHost]

Got numbers? I'm just curious...

 

[cthellis42]

You can pretty much pick a certain block of time on ANYthing where it'll be "down" from the year before, or before that... Doesn't quite mean much if the overall trend has been notably faster. It's just "creative comparing."

 

[SwedBear]

...

I skipped from page 3 here since I just can't stand all this bickering. Just thought I contribute my own experience ..

I've been to a few press events the last 2 weeks for both SWAT:GTS and then for a distributor called Toptronics (swedish) and one of the first things I noticed was that there were no signs of any GC games att all, neither exclusive or multiplattform. In the Top Tronic catalouge I got for Autum 2003 they had exlusive PS2 and Xbox games and multiplattform games for PS2/Xbox but not GC. Titles include Zone of Enders:2nd running, RPM Tuning, Colin MXRay Rally 4, Op Flashpoint, Top Spin, PES3, Dancing Stage Unleashed, Kareoke Fever etc. ...

I spoke to some guys from Konami, Codemasters and Argounaut and from what they said the GC is not a plattform that they see any development for in the 'close' future...

I think it is correct that Ninetendo isn't as reliant on 3rd party support like the others since they have a very nice 1st party lineup but I can't helpt to wonder what the perception among potential buyers are when game after game is announced/coming out on either PS2 or Xbox only or on both consoles ...

I do hope the GC survives and thrives though since compeition always is good. Thinking of picking one up just for Zelda but am little stripped of cash right now (wedding coming up).

/B

 

[GHost]

SwedBear: no need worrying if the GC is surviving, that's for sure. The GameCube is here to stay, no denying this.

The real question here is how many (good) games it's going to get in the future.

 

[GHost]

About the console unit sales so far, compared to 2002...

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles.jsp?articleID=9014

"...So far in 2003, Nintendo GameCube is the only home console showing an increase in unit sales compared to 2002," says George Harrison, senior vice president, marketing and corporate communications, Nintendo of America..."

I don't have numbers to check if this is just some PR-talking or the real situation, so it would be interesting if someone has them... and posts them ...?

And Eidos... GameCube Soul Calibur II Leads the Way... Look at Namco

Edit: now link points to the Nintendo press release, since planetgamecube seems to be down

 

[zurich]

That's strange.

From the MS press release:

-Sales of the Xbox console increased 6 percent from this same period last year, while the Sony's PlayStation 2 dropped 36 percent and Nintendo's GameCube fell 22 percent.

-Xbox now captures 27 percent of the United States industry market share for next-generation consoles and is on track to capture additional market share this holiday season.

-August sales of Xbox software grew faster than on both PlayStation 2 and GameCube, up 58 percent for this same period last year.

As for SC II on the GC.. goes to show that Nintendo fans love their mascots (I think there's some truth in that joke )

 

[jvd]

Gamecube is here to stay and I think we might find that nintendo is more willing to loose money on hardware next round than it was this round. And no i'm not talking about a 500$ system selling for 300$. I'm talking about a 300 or 200$ system selling for 150$ - 100$ off the bat .All the system would need to do is launch with a few good games and keep the games coming and if launched the same time as the other two systems it should sell more . They also need to keep it backwards compatable with the gc . Hopefully they have people working on a mario , super smash bros , f zero game and a very good fighting game for launch.

 

[GHost]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think MS talks about August sales ("...this same period last year.."), while NIN talks about the whole 2003 so far.

 

[Phil]

Zurich,

the MS Pressrelease is not very indicative. What it probably means is that Xbox sales, while being generally lower than PS2 by quite a large margin for several months, have finally picked up, while PS2 sales have dropped.

 

[zurich]

Zurich,

the MS Pressrelease is not very indicative. What it probably means is that Xbox sales, while being generally lower than PS2 by quite a large margin for several months, have finally picked up, while PS2 sales have dropped.

It sounded to me just what it said; year over year for August, Xbox was the only console that saw an increase in sales. (this goes against wat cybamerc was saying earlier that only GC was up year over year)

 

[Magnum PI]

the original nintendo press release:

http://www.nintendo.com/news/news_articles.jsp?articleID=9014

quotes from the conference:
http://cube.ign.com/articles/451/451364p1.html

a little selection
"Around the world, GameCube continues to be the number-two selling console."
"GameCube production will begin again later this fall."

couldn't reach planetgamecube story..

 

[Johnny Awesome]

The Cube has lost all momentum. They're going to get murdered this holiday.

 

[jvd]

The Cube has lost all momentum. They're going to get murdered this holiday.

and what do u base that on ?

 

[Vince]

The Cube has lost all momentum. They're going to get murdered this holiday.

Agreed. Initiative lost in 2003.

As an aside, eYeToy will only added insult to injury concerning Nintendo's sales in their traditionally percieved demographic. This thing shall be huge.

 

[Vince]

and what do u base that on ?

Where to start? The complete failure of their traditionally strong in-house franchises to energize sales and expand their base? Or their complete lack of 3rd party support to stabilize this deficit? Hell, the loss of even that small proportionality of developers to competing platforms?

The fact that Nintendo halted production on hardware as SCEI is raising production and Microsoft/nVidia have seen increased production? The fact that to even consider halting production requires such a lack of demand that you can justify it as economically more viable even with the intrinsic losses from their fixed cost infrastructure.

What exactly are you basing any picture but this on? And don't even start with this "$9B in the bank - they'll ride out the storm" bullshit - because that finite number doesn't last long with a burn-rate that a company like N would experience if GC's trend continues and come 2004, PSP eats into that revenue stream. I can see some major restructuring happening to Nintendo within the next generation if they're smart. Because, I can't imagine shareholders not being paranoid as shit about Sony's recent moves. Your posts never cease to amaze me.

 

[GHost]

Completely disagree. Here's why.

The complete failure of their traditionally strong in-house franchises to energize sales and expand their base?

There's a press release about increased sales?

The fact that Nintendo halted production on hardware as SCEI is raising production and Microsoft/nVidia have seen increased production?

There's a press release about being the only console with increased sales?

...a burn-rate that a company like N would experience if GC's trend continues and come 2004, PSP eats into that revenue stream.

Read above, something about sales. I see that as gaining momentum.

Are you actually trying to say N is lying about those unit sales?

And that's numbers so far. Count in a complete set of must-have exclusives coming, like Viewtiful Joe, RS3, MKD... on a $99 system. With Metroid Prime being $29.99. Somebody stop them, 'couse I'm getting another one 8)

 

[cthellis42]

People--and especially companies for press releases--pick whatever figures represent themselves in the best light and go at it, hoping people make more of it than is there. One set of figures shows MS leading Nintendo worldwide--MS picks those. Others show Nintendo at #2, and guess who uses those? (Overall it makes me rather think they're too close to count, and that it's much better to look at market trends than anything else.)

Microsoft mentions specific areas and times where they do well, but Nintendo can quote another block of time where it does much better. They can pick and choose between calendar year or fiscal year or "holiday" blocks or specific months and pull out their best figures, and most of the time they'll always be "true" but they won't really tell much. What the heck defines a "period"? I always prefer to see figures on the backdrop of yearly tallies and longer stretches of time, so I can put everything properly in place. Press releases don't tell me squat; give me ALL the figures and I'll make my own determination.

Overall, the $99 drop seems to be a good thing and causing a surge of purchases for Nintendo. How long will it last, and how will it affect the other consoles and what will the holiday season look like? Dunno. I also don't put intense meaning into Nintendo's current stoppage as we don't know all the other factors going along with THAT, either. (What is their current backlog at? What rate is it getting drained at? How long does it take to restart production?) As a comparative measure we don't know how many PS2's or Xbox's are backlogged either, or their comparative production rates either. (For all we know Xbox had to slow down their rates as well, they just wouldn't "stop" them for publicity reasons. We already know they've had overstock problems and arbitration issues in the past.) Meanwhile, the vast consumer base doesn't know squat about that either, so it's mainly carries impact only to industry analysts and people who WANT to read certain things into it. (And many times without the proper figures to really judge the whole situation across all platforms.) The public sees games and prices, pretty much. If prices are lower and games are better, sales surge. If they ain't, they don't so much. Heh...

The holiday season will mainly count on exactly what the platforms are delivering and what they're charging--same as usual. At some point afterwards, we'll all read the next stage of reports and press releases and start the doomsaying all over again.

 

[Tagrineth]

and what do u base that on ?

Where to start? The complete failure of their traditionally strong in-house franchises to energize sales and expand their base? Or their complete lack of 3rd party support to stabilize this deficit? Hell, the loss of even that small proportionality of developers to competing platforms?

The fact that Nintendo halted production on hardware as SCEI is raising production and Microsoft/nVidia have seen increased production? The fact that to even consider halting production requires such a lack of demand that you can justify it as economically more viable even with the intrinsic losses from their fixed cost infrastructure.

What exactly are you basing any picture but this on? And don't even start with this "$9B in the bank - they'll ride out the storm" bullshit - because that finite number doesn't last long with a burn-rate that a company like N would experience if GC's trend continues and come 2004, PSP eats into that revenue stream. I can see some major restructuring happening to Nintendo within the next generation if they're smart. Because, I can't imagine shareholders not being paranoid as shit about Sony's recent moves. Your posts never cease to amaze me.

O...K...

I don't know if you noticed or not, but Tales of Symphonia completely on its own propelled GC hardware sales beyond PS2's for a week in Japan.

That's before the price cut, even.

I don't quite see this 'undeniable trend' you seem to feel is so obvious.

 

[zurich]

I think what Vince may be getting at is that Nintendo's proven franchises that sold mega millions of hardware in the past (Mario, Zelda) failed to perform as well this generation. That alone = lost momentum. This is in addition to competitors like Sony setting their sights on other Nintendo strong holds, like portables and 'kiddy/all-demographics' accessories (EyeToy).

 

[cthellis42]

Yes, but we're not really making comparisons to Sony here, zurich, as lord knows they're pounding everyone right now. But GameCube and Xbox, and Nintendo and Microsoft in general, have very different approaches to "all things gaming" in general, but neither is currently crushing or steamrolling the other, so it's seems hard to easily predict doom for one and staying power for the other. By my eyes they ALL have plenty of staying power, and it's how they progress and read the market and adjust to competition that will determine how they go in the future. We can certainly read a lot of interesting things since December 2001, but they by no means tell the whole story now.