Retail Radar: GameCube price drop on the way?

Marketing materials have been sent to EB Games in preparation for a drop; GameStop details God Hand plot.

Gaming retailers have a long history of inadvertently tipping people off to publishers' plans, and while information from retailers isn't official confirmation of anything (and shouldn't be treated as such), it can give a good heads-up about what's going down in the gaming world.

An EB Games employee today told GameSpot that the company had sent out promotional materials that strongly suggest Nintendo is planning a GameCube price drop next month. The materials, which were sent for use in the company's next marketing period (May 3 to May 23), include GameCube posters with GameCube-branded stickers that read "New Low Price," according to the employee. A specific price was not listed for the machine, which currently retails for $99.99 new, but it featured a blank number template, which employees could fill in should a drop be announced.

Accompanying the materials was a note explaining that the signage was sent so stores would be prepared if a drop was announced. While the note didn't specifically say the company knew an announcement about the price was imminent, the employee told GameSpot that similar materials were sent out in advance of the recent PlayStation 2 price drop from $149 to $129.

Turning to retailer Web sites, there are a few changes worth mentioning. Original Guitar Hero groupies concerned about the prospect of having to shell out $90 for the sequel bundled with another guitar can breathe a little easier, as GameStop has added a listing that will let gamers preorder the sequel and extra guitars separately. The site is currently asking $49.99 for Guitar Hero II on its own and $39.99 for a future shipment of individual guitars.

Meanwhile, God Hand has been dated by GameStop. Previously, the only indication that Capcom's PS2 action game was headed to the US was its appearance on the publisher's lineup of games to be shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Now GameStop is soliciting preorders for the next game from Okami developer Clover Studios, with an October 10 shipping date and the following product description, which sheds new light on God Hand's plot:

The game follows a kind, aimless traveler named Jean who, after attempting to save a girl from some sort of danger, gets his right arm chopped off by a mercenary. Somehow, he comes into posession [sic] of the God Hand, the legendary gold-glowing hand of a great savior from olden times. Now, Jean has the power to save the world, but also has the scum of the land after him. The game is filled with wild combat as Jean uses his newly-earned skills in fighting and leaping, and the power of the glowing God Hand can charge up and give him new skills. The game also includes lots of comical gags for an over-the-top experience of violence and hilarity.

275 Comments

  • -KoN-

    Posted May 28, 2006 12:57 pm PT

    bulldog7 is right about the gamecube.

  • rjlutch91

    Posted May 22, 2006 5:57 pm PT

    wtf, why are they dropping the prices when the wii comes out.

  • skeetoids

    Posted May 19, 2006 1:42 am PT

    This is good for console collectors like me. Now I'll be able to get a brand new minted GC for muchos cheapness. Yipeee!

  • markbridges

    Posted May 17, 2006 8:55 am PT

    Sweet. Maybe People'll pick up the GCN > PS2 and Xbox.

    But the Nintendo WIi is so close to launch that I don't think Ninty will drop it lower than $99.00.

  • bobreturns

    Posted May 15, 2006 1:46 pm PT

    i love price drops but in the uk you can buy a gamecube for 30 pounds (for some reason i don't have the pound sign on my keyboard)

  • gamespoo

    Posted May 15, 2006 11:53 am PT

    i want one : (

  • zero2021

    Posted May 13, 2006 10:55 am PT

    ZimpanX instead of calling it the Wii, i call it the WiiD, and also the price drop seems pointless.

  • rhsu

    Posted May 13, 2006 8:33 am PT

    They should have released more games instead of reducing the price. I mean, all the delays with the GC games have caused them to be pushed to the Wii. I bet Mario Galaxy was originally a GC title! Hope the constant delays don't happen to the Wii.

  • pepechidoone

    Posted May 12, 2006 1:59 pm PT

    i hope nintendo raise up the price when twilight princess comes out, so people who didn't buy a GC now, they will be sorry because they won't play and enjoy it muahahahaha but, i really don't think that happens ¬¬ well, nevermind, im planning to sell my GC to buy a Wii, and buy Zelda: TLP with the Wii version

  • JJCNUT

    Posted May 8, 2006 8:39 pm PT

    yo like I think you should like respect nintendo. oh my god. There are many greeat games out for it like um that one game with the character where that one thing happens and it lead s to another thing h come on you know what im talking about . yeah its that game.

  • mat016

    Posted May 8, 2006 6:10 am PT

    wow... please nintendo get twilight princess out!!!

  • Ivix

    Posted May 7, 2006 1:52 pm PT

    Quoting jstarzyk:
    I don't need another Gamecube though... Why wouldn't you just wait for the Revolution at this point?

    I'm pretty sure the price drop is to make people who do not have Gamecube's get one. You're already a customer

  • JJOR64

    Posted May 7, 2006 8:45 am PT

    For those people who still haven't bought a Gamecube yet, here is your chance.

  • shoeman12

    Posted May 6, 2006 2:56 pm PT

    isn't 100 low enough? are they trying to make it as cheap as gba sp?

  • 00Rambol00

    Posted May 6, 2006 6:37 am PT

    p.s. wen i said nintendo, i meant gamecube and oh yeh, nintendo need to make their console wii with more online capatibility!!

  • 00Rambol00

    Posted May 6, 2006 6:36 am PT

    p.s. wen i said nintendo, i meant gamecube and oh yeh, nintendo need to make their console wii with more online capatibility!!

  • 00Rambol00

    Posted May 6, 2006 6:34 am PT

    hmmmm it needs more popular games.... thats how ps2 and xbox do it and also they need to do well with wii. if they don't do this, am not sure what will happen.......

    The first time nintendo came it, out was amazin, it had super smash bro.s an other games, they need to do well!!

  • Bengameaholic

    Posted May 6, 2006 4:32 am PT

    An even further price drop. For some reason I get the feeling that this might also be for a big boost on sales for The Legend Of Zelda : Twilight Princess. Considering I already own a Gamecube then I have been waiting for that game when it was announced last year but a price drop in the Gamecube can do know harm. Why is everybody complaining? It's good with the price of something drops. Usually...

  • Riot429

    Posted May 5, 2006 10:51 pm PT

    Does it matter, the gamecube is already cheap.

  • sHiRoKu

    Posted May 5, 2006 2:53 pm PT

    I'm gonna have to be honest; the only reason I bought a GC in the first place was to play games like the Resident Evil Remake, the Metroid games, and ZELDA. Actually, if I think back far enough, the only reason I got a N64 was to play Zelda.
    I guess you could wait for the "Wii" -or whatever the crap it's called- to come out, but what about those who don't have much money, and want something to play RIGHT NOW? Patience is a virtue, but it's not a virtue everyone has, I'm afraid. A price drop, in my opinion, would be a good idea.

  • edgemtz

    Posted May 4, 2006 8:39 pm PT

    Just imagine, $100 will buy you the best console and the best game(RE4).

  • DeathWClass

    Posted May 4, 2006 9:11 am PT

    well,a price drop is a good idea.imageine having to pay 79$buck for it!
    youll have plenty of money to get those nintendo classic and such.

  • hmsmichaelot

    Posted May 3, 2006 11:51 pm PT

    yan you are on the ball

  • Killzone_Master

    Posted May 3, 2006 9:51 pm PT

    nice

  • Yan1978

    Posted May 3, 2006 7:49 pm PT

    That price drop isn't for any of you guys, its in store eye candy for the regular uninformed crowed, parents who heard their kids bit$h for a gaming system for months but thought it was a waste of money. There are also the collectors who have been waiting for this moment to buy a couple of brand new in-box systems at lower prices and will never open then, so they can feel proud in 20-30 years showing off their MINT vintage video game system IN BOX! There are more of those than you think, and they usually buy 2-3+ systems when they hit 39-49$, but they will look for basic bundles with only a controller and no games, if they change the box or anything, its worthless to them.

  • Lost_Gemini2000

    Posted May 2, 2006 7:47 pm PT

    just die gamecube when will u die.....
    give it another year it will be 25$$ and on clearance lol
    atleast for the ps2, the price drop actually works

  • Vexx88

    Posted May 2, 2006 6:17 pm PT

    isnt 99$ cheap enough

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted May 2, 2006 11:47 am PT

    Also, I'd like to add, who WOULDN'T want to play Final fantasy 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 on their GameBoy Player with a Hori Digital Controller?! That's like Super NES Nostalgia heaven!!!

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted May 2, 2006 11:14 am PT

    Besides!! Some of us grew up on Sprites... not that any of you younsters care...

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted May 2, 2006 11:13 am PT

    MadonnaProject: "one look at the graphics and one begins to vomit" That's because the GBA was made to be similar to a portable SUPER NINTENDO!! Duh! I mean COME ON! Even some of the best games nowadays on consoles still use sprites, although with all of the graphic whores around nowadays people would hardly know that.

  • Briantb_2008

    Posted May 2, 2006 9:09 am PT

    Not surpising

  • mickel_darmawan

    Posted May 2, 2006 8:50 am PT

    who care, I just care about PS2 at $129 now.

  • xlloydx

    Posted May 2, 2006 7:00 am PT

    any way u tink the game cube is more fun than other games XD

  • MadonnaProject

    Posted May 2, 2006 3:03 am PT

    MrPuzzlez:

    The REAL question is, in this day and age who would want to play gameboy games to begin with? Ok so given that there are a FEW good gameboy games, but first of all one look at the graphics and one begins to vomit....the same with the ps1, since its making it impossible for me to play ff7 and ff9 on it, because i cannot concieve how and why i could bear them so many years ago....

    Plus the gameboy has a good game rate of 1 out of every 200....OK make that 300. 300 games come out for the gba and 1 is actually decent.

    The gamecube however has a similar stance. Although in this case 300 good games have to come out on OTHER consoles for them to make one decent game for the gc.

    Im not criticising you for buying a gameboy player....im probably just bitter at myself for having bought HEY YOU PIKACHU for the n64 all those years ago....

  • MrPuzzlez

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:11 pm PT

    In my honest opinion, There should be a price drop with the GC AND the GameBoy Player. The GBP is still 50 bucks to this day and will make an excellent bundle with the console. Plus, who DOESN'T want to play all of the Game Boy library on a bigger screen.

    Also, the GameBoy Player is the only think keeping the Game Cube useful even after the Wii is released.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted May 1, 2006 5:03 pm PT

    "Violence an hilarity" is always a good mix.

  • D12X007

    Posted May 1, 2006 1:42 pm PT

    GC needs more games before price is dropped

  • luis7989_7

    Posted May 1, 2006 1:39 pm PT

    what the hell !! I owned a GC recently, i sold it to buy a PS2, and now i mis the GC`s good games instead of GTA san andrea, there are alot of excellent games such like metroid prime 1 & 2, zelda windwaker & twilight princess, MK : DD!! that is extemely funny, equal to the multiplayer melee, resident evil 4 being the best action game of 2005, and many more. But if you want better to buy a Wii for a couple of dlls. then better for you.

  • speculative

    Posted May 1, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    Gamecube is the last console that needs a price drop. What are they going to do, give them away for $5.99 with an order of fries at various fast food joints?

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted May 1, 2006 12:54 pm PT

    At this point in time, there is really no reason to own a GameCube. The system has been pretty much dormant for a while. Wasn't Paper Mario like the last must-have game for the system? That was a year and a half ago just about.

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted May 1, 2006 12:46 pm PT

    It's inevitable.

  • Gohanmohan

    Posted May 1, 2006 11:13 am PT

    Lol...wow price drop. As if anyone will buy the thing. I thought they gave the Gamecube away for free in cereal boxes anyways.

  • aztinay

    Posted May 1, 2006 10:50 am PT

    I think that the drop of the price is an sell strategy, so now the people have the opportunity to buy the game more cheap.

  • MSE369

    Posted May 1, 2006 10:42 am PT

    this is good but thee GC need more games

  • Optimusv2

    Posted May 1, 2006 10:26 am PT

    People are saying why drop the price??? Make it cheaper for holiday shoppers looking to buy stuff for the kids cheaper is better in their eyes.

  • troakun

    Posted May 1, 2006 10:07 am PT

    "i bet gamecubes will be worth abit in the future though, so might be a good investment"

    Maybe not the cube but the games should be. The Gamecube's a bit like the Saturn in that it wasn't very popular in America, but has plenty of great games, many of which (Cubivore, Eternal Darkness, etc.) have become quite rare. Regardless of how much it sold, it's a cult-classic console and cult-classic consoles tend to have the most valuable games.

  • cube-gage

    Posted May 1, 2006 9:51 am PT

    i bet gamecubes will be worth abit in the future though, so might be a good investment

  • patton101

    Posted May 1, 2006 8:56 am PT

    they keep making the GC cheaper, but there isnt any games to play for it.

  • mug3nx

    Posted May 1, 2006 8:45 am PT

    Pikmin 2, Zelda 4 Swords, Starfox Assualt, & Paper Mario 2 are now on the players choice lineup.

  • MadonnaProject

    Posted May 1, 2006 8:37 am PT

    Ok being honest and fair, the gamecube is a great console with the same old nintendo crippling their consoles with one major feature....ALTHOUGH it does have some good games, which grew really stale back two years ago....the most recent gamecube must have is resident evil 4, which is available on the ps2 with true widescreen and additional materials and guns and the thing looks just as good as it does on the gc with not easily noticable differences....

    The ps2 is still alive and will be for the next year as well....same for the xbox....but the gamecube died almost two years ago....because there has not been a big name title announced for it for that time....

    The xbox has had big name AAA titles such as FARCRY INSTINCTS in recent months and is getting more as we speak. The ps2 has had KINGDOM HEARTS 2, and is going to get OKAMI and FINAL FANTASY 12 which are all big name titles. These consoles are FAR from dead. but sadly, as great and cute as the little cube is, its just dead.

    And this pricecut is NOTHING....i bought a gamecube for 65 POUNDS and it came with:

    1.GAMECUBE
    1.CONTROLLER
    1.BONGOS SET
    2.GAMES (Donkey Konga, Shrek2)

    preety good deal eh? whats ironic is that i had to spend 30 pounds on top of it to get me a certain DATEL product for it, whih im afraid if i mention will get me banned for a day or two....damn moderators here have no sense of humor....sob's).

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