• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The next price drops?

LakeEarth

Member
When is a good estimate of when the PS2 or Xbox will drop. January?

Since Nintendo is losing money on each Gamecube sold right now, I doubt they will drop the price anytime soon.
 

BuddyC

Member
I wouldn't expect to see another drop until their respective succesors come out.

I don't even know what the current prices are, crazy enough. This gen has been wacky with its price drops, so who knows.

If they're not already, I could see $129 on both at the next E3.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Xbox is $134.99 at microcenter.com for this week, but the wait time for it is over a month

For an actual price drop, who the hell knows. Next May?
 

Link316

Banned
maybe the PS2 to $129 next E3, then to $99 the following year when they sell the PSTwo

in any case I know some people that are still on the sidelines, it makes little sense to me waiting a year when the most they'll probably save is $20
 

AniHawk

Member
Xbox: March or E3 to $130 or $100 to bleed several more gallons and get some followers leading up to the Xenon launch.

PS2: Next E3 or summer to prepare for Xenon launch to about $130.

Gamecube: Next Summer to $80 with the reintroduction of the Zelda Collector's Disc or Ocarina of Time Master Quest Disc to hype people for Zelda XII.

GBA SP: $70 around the time of the DS's first potential price drop, whenever Sony releases the PSP.
 

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
AniHawk said:
Xbox: March or E3 to $130 or $100 to bleed several more gallons and get some followers leading up to the Xenon launch.

No one picking up an Xbox for $99 will be buying a Xenon at launch.
 

AniHawk

Member
GDJustin said:
No one picking up an Xbox for $99 will be buying a Xenon at launch.

Good point. I wonder if they'll just discontinue the system outright since it's losing them money and Xenon wont be backwards compatable.
 
AniHawk said:
Good point. I wonder if they'll just discontinue the system outright since it's losing them money and Xenon wont be backwards compatable.
X2 not having BC might make them have to continue production to offset the games still on shelves...
 

AniHawk

Member
The Faceless Master said:
X2 not having BC might make them have to continue production to offset the games still on shelves...

Well they could still have games being produced. It just wont be the cleanest transition. Nintendo could afford to keep the SNES/SFC going well into the N64's lifespan because they weren't losing millions of dollars by selling them or their games. I see it as more of a move from N64 to the GC.
 

Rhindle

Member
I don't believe anyone in the biz is expecting another round of price drops this year. The money is better spent on promoting the big fall releases rather than price cuts.

What you will see is new Xbox and PS2 holiday bundles announced pretty soon. If Nintendo is smart, they'll drop the Metroid bundle and replace it with something their market actually wants.
 

AniHawk

Member
Rhindle said:
I don't believe anyone in the biz is expecting another round of price drops this year. The money is better spent on promoting the big fall releases rather than price cuts.

What you will see is new Xbox and PS2 holiday bundles announced pretty soon. If Nintendo is smart, they'll drop the Metroid bundle and replace it with something their market actually wants.

"Their market" will already get the system because it's $100, and comes with a game. They're obviously trying to make Metroid into a bigger franchise than it already is (they already were able to make it the most successful game in the series not counting Japan) by reaching out to the Xbox/PS2 market. That's why they're also advertising Baten Kaitos FFVII-style, and pimping GoldenEye 2.
 

Miburou

Member
Man, I had the weirdest dream yesterday. I dreamt that the GC was $99 with like 4 or 5 games. It's weird because I rarely ever dream about videogames, and certainly not Nintendo related.
 

human5892

Queen of Denmark
Broshnat said:
Nintendo are losing no more money on cubes than sony and microsoft are on playstations and x-boxs
At this point, Sony is probably making money on the PS2 hardware, or breaking even at the very least.

Rhindle said:
If Nintendo is smart, they'll drop the Metroid bundle and replace it with something their market actually wants.
Early reports are indicating that the Prime bundle is selling well. Besides, what game would better drive a bundle? Besides Smash Bros. (which is selling far too well as a standalone product right now to bundle or even drop to PC price), there really aren't many other GC games that are as prolific as Metroid Prime.

Plus, as Anihawk said, Nintendo is trying to go after the older market, and a Mario Kart or even Wind Waker bundle wouldn't be the best way to do that.
 

Mama Smurf

My penis is still intact.
Mario Kart maybe.

I really wish price drops were coming as I'm going to have to buy new systems when I move, so I'm disappointed they don't seem likely. I can probably hold out on the PS2 at the very least until it drops, but there are games I really want on the GC and Xbox this Christmas. Damn.
 

Rhindle

Member
human5892 said:
Early reports are indicating that the Prime bundle is selling well. Besides, what game would better drive a bundle? Besides Smash Bros. (which is selling far too well as a standalone product right now to bundle or even drop to PC price), there really aren't many other GC games that are as prolific as Metroid Prime.

Plus, as Anihawk said, Nintendo is trying to go after the older market, and a Mario Kart or even Wind Waker bundle wouldn't be the best way to do that.
I don't believe the Metroid bundle is selling well at all. Stores still seem to be selling out of PS2s and rarely have more than a couple of Xbox in stock, while big piles of Metroid cubes are sitting around untouched.

It's too late in the game to be trying to "go after an older market." Metroid didn't do that for them in 2002, free Metroid isn't going to do that for them in 2004. They would be far better off capturing more holiday sales to parents with a Mario/WindWaker/SSBM bundle.
 
GDJustin said:
No one picking up an Xbox for $99 will be buying a Xenon at launch.

that's what I've been saying for ages. XBOX sales to late adopters will cannibalise Xenon sales. And personally; after being burnt by MS' massive price drop on the xbox + numerous of its games; I WILL definitely be sitting and waiting maybe 3-6 months to see if I can save a bundle on xenon.

The metroid echoes bonus disc with MP1 on ebay don't seem to be getting the sort of prices the LOZ bonus disc is getting (given they are VASTLY different)
 
Insertia said:
yeah they are.

no they can't be. MS is the biggest money loser here.

I think the cube number is $20 on hardware

MS's number I can only imagine but it will be a fair sum. My guess about $50/xbox. Probably more. The xbox is a lot of plastic/harddrive/silicone for a very little amount of money

SOny... dunno. Maybe the same as cube but they do have to license DVD technology no?
 

Musashi Wins!

FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
well...the same probably applies to the GC. People are going to assume their going to have yet another shitty round with 3rd party support and take another rush to be the bargain console. Maybe they'll launch much cheaper than their competitors next time.
 
Musashi Wins! said:
well...the same probably applies to the GC. People are going to assume their going to have yet another shitty round with 3rd party support and take another rush to be the bargain console. Maybe they'll launch much cheaper than their competitors next time.


not really. Haven't you met the Nintendo fans on this forum.

Oh Hi!!

* my 3rd party titles on cube = only exclusives and only AAA ones. Cubers don't buy BMX XXX
 

Musashi Wins!

FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
TheGreenGiant said:
not really. Haven't you met the Nintendo fans on this forum.

Oh Hi!!

* my 3rd party titles on cube = only exclusives and only AAA ones. Cubers don't buy BMX XXX

Exactly. Well, there's a lot of good content GC owners (only) don't even get to choose from. Their not going to make a hell of a lot of progress in home console sales again if their relying on the quasi-religious console leanings of forum members. Yes, I agree that N has more fanboys than any other console, but that's not enough. There's plenty of people who come into a game shop who aren't buying a console to prop up their emotional issues, they merely want the most value for their dollar. And even though GC has been quick to jump to the bargain level this gen, people still don't buy it because it doesn't have an equal game selection. Yes, yes, I know, you disagree, but again I'm talking about the average customer who isn't buying their Self something besides a game machine.
 

AniHawk

Member
Rhindle said:
It's too late in the game to be trying to "go after an older market." Metroid didn't do that for them in 2002, free Metroid isn't going to do that for them in 2004. They would be far better off capturing more holiday sales to parents with a Mario/WindWaker/SSBM bundle.

Metroid also had a horrible advertisement. Really one of the worst commercials I've ever seen (in general, not just for video games). And yet, Nintendo managed to reach out to *someone* since it became the #1 game in the franchise in the west.

And if you want to talk about successful bundles, Mario or TWW wouldn't be a way of going about it. The SMS bundle sold 600k units, and that was being bundled with a $50 game and a memory card for $10 or $20 more. SSBM makes Nintendo money each month at being $30 too, so bundling the game wouldn't be a great decision either. Parents will buy the system for their kids regardless since it is $100 and comes with a free game- or just get the $100 standalone sytem because it's the cheapest one out there.

Saying it's "too late" for Nintendo to go after the older market is about as bad as saying it's "too late" for Nintendo to go after the online market at this point. Though they can't take everything from Sony and MS, they can at least try to turn things around to have things all in order for next gen- something which looked like they were trying to do in 2000 with the N64 but forgot all about with the intro of the Gamecube.

They have at least three games in addition to their Mario lineup (Mario Tennis, Paper Mario 2, Mario Party 6) which parents will get for their kids. Since it's a given that those games will already sell to parents and the existing fanbase, Nintendo knows there's not much to lose by trying to capture an older market for their new Metroid, the FFVII-type market for Baten Kaitos, and casual fans of the N64 with GE2 (who judging by the commercials may think it's exclusive).
 
Screw console price drops. I've owned all of them since 2000/2002. I'm not buying any more of them. Where's my game price drop?
 

AniHawk

Member
SiegfriedFM said:
Screw console price drops. I've owned all of them since 2000/2002. I'm not buying any more of them. Where's my game price drop?

Probably wont come soon as long as game development costs rise.

Though Sony dropped all their first party titles to $40 to try and get other devs to do the same thing (I think that was the motive).
 
Top Bottom