My thoughts on the Nintendo situation. (I am a Nintendo fan)

[Qroach]

on a month to month basis gamecube outsold xbox about 4 or 5 months out of the total time they were onsale in north america.

 

[PZ]

This quote implies that Revolution will be cell based.

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20041209.html

Throw in the cell processor that will shortly be used by Nintendo, Sony and in IBM's own workstations, and you have an interesting product road map completely devoid of Intel heritage.

Is this guy wrong or is this generally accepted?

 

[Qroach]

he's wrong

 

[Evil_Cloud]

Can anyone tell me what is the total market share for GameCube in the world?

Nintendo sold 11 million GameCube consoles worldwide at the end of March 2004, but what about the period March - December 2004?

And how much did Microsoft and Sony sell this far?

 

[Readykilowatt]

Johnny Awesome has lost con(troll) again. I will try to calm him down.

As predicted: Nintendo is getting murdered in the US this holiday.

Look at Nintendo's hardware sales numbers for November 2004:

GBA - 1,323,000
NDS - 479,000
GCN - 350,000

NDS + GCN + GBA = 2,152,000

November NPD:

9 GCN METROID PRIME 2: ECHO / $9,483,345 / 192,332
14 GCN PAPER MARIO: THOUSAND /$6,699,387 / 143,399
19 GCN MARIO POWER TENNIS / $4,824,762 / 98,100

Look at this:

We accept that the NPD does the best that it can with limited data (an estimated 60% of retailers report to the company). However, we question the consistency of this month’s data, given that the contribution from Halo 2 and GTA San Andreas totaled $245 million, while the year-over-year sales increase totaled only $85 million. Without contribution from the two games, the overall NPD TRSTS projection for November would have come in at $604 million, down 21% from last November’s figure. Again, this makes no sense to us, especially given the fact that the October figure excluding GTA San Andreas would have come in at $378 million, up 6% over the prior October’s figure. It appears inconsistent to us that Halo 2 and GTA SA would cannibalize other games’ sales to the extent that they did in November, but that GTA SA would not drive sales into negative growth territory in October.

One possible explanation is that sales of the Nintendo DS hardware console and associated software ($82 million total, with $71 million in hardware sales) cannibalized sales of other software. We had expected the DS to experience a strong launch, and it is possible that the $149 device caused avid gamers to defer purchases of other software during the month due to budget concerns. This may help to explain the decline in PS2 software sales.

Unlike Michael Pachter, I believe that this may be a situation where the NDS (which is selling remarkably well at $150) is cannibalizing the sales of the GCN's games. It appears that many Nintendo fans grabbed a DS (which is "new" hardware) and some of its games before they bought any games for the Gamecube. We will see in the coming weeks if I am correct.

Hardware:

NGC: 350K (all colors/bundles)

Considering that the GCN has no price drop (and it has been selling about an average of 100,000 a month beforehand) this is not a bad number. BTW, we all know that money talks, right Johnny?

 

[Johnny Awesome]

The Gamecube did horrible in November. The evidence is there. You can spin it however you want, but it's simply fact. Paper Mario 2 isnt' going to cut it with todays gamers. Retro can't save the Cube by themselves. Target was selling the Metroid bundle for $49! Of course, the problem is that Iwata thinks the Cube needs more Mario and Zelda titles. LOL!

 

[Kalin]

The Gamecube did horrible in November. The evidence is there. You can spin it however you want, but it's simply fact. Paper Mario 2 isnt' going to cut it with todays gamers. Retro can't save the Cube by themselves. Target was selling the Metroid bundle for $49! Of course, the problem is that Iwata thinks the Cube needs more Mario and Zelda titles. LOL!

While the fact that GC didn't sell well is true, this attempt of an analysis is still so wrong... Do not forget the past so fast, last November Nintendo's GC did just what you're trying to downplay here - kicked MS's Xbox and it's mature image all the way with ... you guessed it - a Mario game. Well now MS returned the hit with one of the most hyped games around, I don't see the results of this pointing to any change of trends or something. Good marketing sells, that's all.

 

[Readykilowatt]

Leave Johnny Awesome to me.

The Gamecube did horrible in November. The evidence is there. You can spin it however you want, but it's simply fact.

Nope. Relative to its normal monthly sales, it did quite well.

Paper Mario 2 isnt' going to cut it with todays gamers.

Paper Mario 2 is not doing bad actually. It's also good to see the Mario Kart: Double Dash bundle do well.

Retro can't save the Cube by themselves.

..... and Bungie can't save the Xbox. Halo 2 unfortunately, is not going to generate $3 billion dollars in profits, boost Xbox sales by 50 million units or improve the Xbox's situation in Japan.

Target was selling the Metroid bundle for $49!

..... and last year the Zelda OOT bundle was selling for $79 at Wal-Mart, so you have no point.

Of course, the problem is that Iwata thinks the Cube needs more Mario and Zelda titles. LOL!

Well, millions of Gamecube owners worldwide (not just in the USA) are waiting enthusiastically for the next Zelda to arrive and I wouldn't mind seeing Mario 128 for the Gamecube. Probably Halo 2 and its sales has put you in a troll-tastic mood , but let's hope that Microsoft can create another hit franchise before the Halo franchise loses popularity.

 

[Ty]

Unlike Michael Pachter, I believe that this may be a situation where the NDS (which is selling remarkably well at $150) is cannibalizing the sales of the GCN's games. It appears that many Nintendo fans grabbed a DS (which is "new" hardware) and some of its games before they bought any games for the Gamecube. We will see in the coming weeks if I am correct.

How is what you said UNlike what the writer of the article was saying? To me it's pretty much the same thing only he specifically mentions the PS2 software sales at the end and you're talking about the GCN. But the beginning of the quote seems to be more platform agnostic and is really just talking about NPD's #s in general.

 

[Inane_Dork]

Nope. Relative to its normal monthly sales, it did quite well.

Amazing. During the holiday season, the GC manages to sell more than during the summer.

Someone call ABC. We have a hot news item on our hands.

 

[GwymWeepa]

I can't imagine how Nintendo is planning to compete with the two monsters they're up against. The "revolution" better be pretty damn innovative to even hope to have a chance. Nintendo has lost mindshare with its fans and third parties while the competition has no such problem.

 

[Evil_Cloud]

I can't imagine how Nintendo is planning to compete with the two monsters they're up against. The "revolution" better be pretty damn innovative to even hope to have a chance. Nintendo has lost mindshare with its fans and third parties while the competition has no such problem.

Changes often take some time before they have any affect...

Iwata has only been at the helm of Nintendo for a few years, and in Europe and North America a part of Nintendo's top layer has been replaced.

I can imagine it might be hard to make a huge difference in politics in only a few years. However, Nintendo DS is a good start for the new Nintendo.

 

[GwymWeepa]

I can't imagine how Nintendo is planning to compete with the two monsters they're up against. The "revolution" better be pretty damn innovative to even hope to have a chance. Nintendo has lost mindshare with its fans and third parties while the competition has no such problem.

Changes often take some time before they have any affect...

Iwata has only been at the helm of Nintendo for a few years, and in Europe and North America a part of Nintendo's top layer has been replaced.

I can imagine it might be hard to make a huge difference in politics in only a few years. However, Nintendo DS is a good start for the new Nintendo.

It is, but they have a strangle hold on the handheld market, they have an uphill battle on the console front...oh did I say uphill, I meant upcliff lol. I don't think they can affordably win marketshare from MS and PS3 in a traditional way...I think they should do something radically different that gamers would go ga-ga over, the only thing I can think of is VR support from the get-go (I'd imagine the goggles would be sold seperately though, too expensive to add in, unless Nintendo really wants to get risky).

 

[Fox5]

Nintendo is still on par with Xbox with worldwide shipments, and they make a large profit where Microsoft is closing in on a 3 billion dollar cost... Nintendo is still selling LOADS more software titles than Microsoft does. Nintendo has a massive warchest of 5 billion dollar...

You think nintendo can compete when microsoft can take losses bigger than all the assets of the only major competitor nintendo ever beat, sega?

BTW, the only way I think revolution can succeed is either with new ways of playing games(make it the arcade console and have ever game come with a gun controller, a snow board, etc...or has tvgames already taken care of that?), or by doing a massive online push and releasing every game as the best nintendo has to offer, and probably get sega in there too releasing games on par with what they did in their dreamcast games.
Anyhow, if nintendo could release tons of games online with the multiplayer polish and options of super smash bros melee then they could have a chance, but when has nintendo been known for taking risks?

Oh, and it was possible to buy memory cards for the gameboys, I think some just saved the save files of the games somehow, and the others made a 'save state' of the memory.

 

[wco81]

I'm as big a fan of online as anyone. But online has more mindshare than marketshare. It really doesn't by itself convince people to buy games.

And even if Nintendo did it, can they come up with new modes of online gameplay which hasn't been explored yet?

Or will it just be the same online modes we've seen but with Nintendo characters?

 

[gleemax]

PS2: 694K (all SKUs including bundles)
XBX: 708K (all SKUs including bundles)
NGC: 350K (all colors/bundles)

Nintendo has 20% of those hardware sales. How does that square with getting "murdered"? If it was 5%, okay, they're getting murdered. Of course Nintendo's numbers are lower. But in the face of Halo 2 and San Andreas, 20% is respectable.

I bet the next Zelda game will sell a bunch of consoles, too.

 

[Blade]

Johnny Awesome: I can understand the feeling of not being able to keep up with every game. I have 4 consoles (GBA/GCN/XB/NDS) plus a gaming PC, and let me tell you.. I still haven't caught up. I have at least 2 AAA games that I have bought and not touched yet, and at least 1 top-tier game that I've sunk all of one hour into in the ~month~ since I've bought it. I've been too busy to play everything, so I'm playing 2-3 at a time so that I can focus and more greatly enjoy each individual title.. as opposed to trying to play all 6-7 and not getting into any of them.

My underlying point is that, AFAICS, your rampant.. troll-like behavior regarding the Xbox partially stems from not being able to "get around to" or afford to play many GameCube titles in the past year or two. I'm sure some of it is just natural, borderline racist angst against the Japanese and their games that dominate the Cube's exclusive line; however, the fact that you keep referring to older titles leads me to believe that like myself.. you simply can't keep up. I've bought a mess of titles for the 'Cube since Wind Waker, since Metroid Prime, and certainly since Eternal Darkness.

You obviously haven't, and continue to bash games that you haven't played simply because of pre-meditated assumptions. Paper Mario 2, for instance.. how can you say that it doesn't cut it when you haven't played it? You can't say that the consumer doesn't want it, because it's selling well considering the relative lack of hype.. and you probably don't even know anything about its content aside from the fact that it's an RPG.

I respect your right to such opinions, Johnny, but also admit that I think they're mostly bunk.

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Your observations about me are incorrect. Just because I don't think Nintendo knows what they're doing in the console space, doesn't mean I'm a troll or a racist. That's ridiculous.

The reason I haven't bought anything for Cube lately is because there hasn't been any exclusives I've wanted for it. Nintendo hasn't put out anything noteworthy since Zelda:WW. I don't really like Mario and was really hoping to see more games like Eternal Darkness, Metroid, and Starfox Adventures on the Cube. Unfortunately, Nintendo has abandoned everyone but the hardcore Mario/Zelda addicts. I bought Viewtiful Joe though, loved it and praised it on this board about 3 months ago.

Remember: This is a discussion board. We have discussions and sometimes disagreements. Argue your points and stop whining about how I argue mine.

 

[darkblu]

The reason I haven't bought anything for Cube lately is because there hasn't been any exclusives I've wanted for it.
<snip>
I don't really like Mario and was really hoping to see more games like Eternal Darkness, Metroid, and Starfox Adventures on the Cube.

bolding on my part.

...Johnny, maybe Blade had a point after all? and before answering 'but that's just one out of three' think how many decent games xbox got this season.

 

[Lazy8s]

Those NPD hardware figures for last month that were posted earlier are actually a little off; the Xbox number was too low. It was revised to:

XBX: 746K
PS2: 694K
GCN: 350K

NDS: 479K
GBA: 1,323K