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Playstation/Gaming Discussions => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: hyper on May 12, 2001, 08:35:56 PM

Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: hyper on May 12, 2001, 08:35:56 PM
"When I talked to Arakawa-san, he said the hardware would sell well for under two hundred dollars, due to costs however, he said this seems unlikely. The price will probably be between two hundred and fifty and three hundred dollars"

It looks like in terms of price, GC is not going to have that much of a jump on the competition after all. But if this is true (and I for one believe it), just what is X-box going to come in at? - Tendo Box

Personally, I don\'t understand this. If GC doesn\'t support DVD or CD playing capabilities like the competition, then why is it priced around the same levels as the PS2 or X-Box??
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: AlteredBeast on May 12, 2001, 09:10:26 PM
How did we all get the assumption that the GC would launch in Japan for so little anyways? It has been a long time since a console has launched for so little in it\'s home country. DC launch for 200, but was 300 in Japan. PS2 waas 400 in Japan, 300 in America. I believe that once GC comes to America, it will be lower though.

Eric Jacob
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Eiksirf on May 12, 2001, 09:17:17 PM
A high price tag is justified with one word: profit.  Stateside, though, they\'d do better to lower the price because I doubt we\'re going to turn around our economy just to meet Nintendo\'s sales expectations.

-Eik
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 12, 2001, 10:23:34 PM
hyper, I would imagine a mini DVD drive is pretty expensive....

I\'ll still be getting a GC on launch day, so this \'news\' changes nothing for me.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: SonyFan on May 13, 2001, 01:33:50 AM
Yeah, the cost of creating (of having someone else create) your own proprietary DVD drive is probably the same as having a standard one which plays movies. Course I have no facts or even rough estimations to back me up, but still.

I would rather see the GC be a bit more expensive and charge less for their games than have a cheap console that you have to pay an arm and a leg for just to use.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Samwise on May 13, 2001, 01:51:55 AM
Quote
Originally posted by SonyFan
I would rather see the GC be a bit more expensive and charge less for their games than have a cheap console that you have to pay an arm and a leg for just to use.
Yep, me too. I\'d much rather pay more for the console (a one time investment) and then be able to buy cheaper games (which are in fact the biggest expense). I think it\'ll be around $250.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Knotter8 on May 13, 2001, 08:15:02 AM
Now if Sony takes that advice we all have
happier faces ! :D
Knotter8
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Falcon4 on May 14, 2001, 03:12:04 PM
wow.. so then when he gamecube launches.. next to x box, it will be GC=$200+ X BOX=$300 (definately) ps2=$200(definately..)
sony wil drop ps2\'s price at Q3, 100$ us currency around the world..
x box will have to be $300 dollars.. they cant afford losses right now.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Eiksirf on May 14, 2001, 07:42:41 PM
Quote
x box will have to be $300 dollars.. they cant afford losses right now.


Heh, listen to what you just said: "Microsoft can\'t afford..."

Now you didn\'t really mean that, did you? ;]

-Eik
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: AlteredBeast on May 14, 2001, 08:36:14 PM
ahhh, good ole fanboys.

PS2 WILL be 200 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

X-Box WILL be 300 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

GC WILL be 200 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

In fact on GC, I have heard striking reports that it will be more than 200.

Eric Jacob
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Living-In-Clip on May 14, 2001, 08:58:06 PM
Super NES was 250.
N64 was 250.
I think the NES was 250--I may be wrong.

But, if that trend is right, then I suspect the GC will also be 250.
But as I said, I may very well be wrong, please feel free to correct me.

Anyways, the consoles always launch higher in Japan, and for the most part the launch games always suck. So, I really could care less about the Japan launch.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: TheMistaWhoKnow on May 14, 2001, 09:17:24 PM
Where the HELL did people come up with the rumor that Gamecube would be so much cheaper?????


First of all, the components it uses are pretty much in tune with the price of the PS2... lets see what it has, shall we?

RAM
CPU
mini-DVD
GPU
Circuit Board

And what does PS2 have??

RAM
CPU
DVD
GPU
Circuit Board

Hmmm... where does the cost savings come from??? TO those fanboys of Nintendo who still think that Gamecube will be cheaper to make than Xbox and PS2... wake up and smell the pokemon...
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Eiksirf on May 15, 2001, 03:13:42 AM
Quote
Where the HELL did people come up with the rumor that Gamecube would be so much cheaper


Here\'s some stuff from IGN...

"\'Proprietary\' doesn\'t necessarily mean expensive -- cartridge manufacturing does. Don\'t confuse the two. Sega\'s GD-ROMs are proprietary in nature while still cost effective and easily manufactured. Nintendo\'s proprietary Gamecube discs will not inflate the costs of development, and in fact the company has said that its licensing fees for third-parties are comparable, if not better than those of competitor Sony\'s for PlayStation 2."

and

"Nintendo claims that it is targeting its Gamecube as a videogame console only. However, logic tells us that price is also a major issue. In accordance with the DVD Forum (formerly DVD Consortium), an organization founded and maintained by major electronics manufacturers worldwide, any corporation wishing to release a DVD-branded device capable of playing DVD movies into the mass-market must pay a fee of approximately $20 per unit to the Forum. Therefore, Nintendo would have to pay $20 to the Forum for every Gamecube unit shipped—an amount of money that, it seems, is unacceptable. Add to that the fact that Nintendo wants to use copy-protected, differently-sized DVDs."

and

"Exact pricing for the console is not yet known, but it\'s going to be marketed cheap. \'While our new [Gamecube] hardware will be extremely powerful,\' said former company chairman Howard Lincoln at a Nintendo held press conference last May, \'it will retail at a mass market price for home videogame systems.\' A rumored $150-200 price-point is likely.

Lincoln also noted that Gamecube software would sell at a competitive price. \'Let me assure you that this is a critical objective for Nintendo—as is the need for flexible and quick manufacturing turn around of [Gamecube] software and strong and effective counterfeit protection. All of these objectives will be achieved under the Nintendo-Matsush ita alliance.\'"

That\'s where the hell we came up with the rumor... in case you were still wondering.

Oh and as far as this goes:

Quote
TO those fanboys of Nintendo who still think that Gamecube will be cheaper to make than Xbox and PS2...


Take a look at your logic.  You assume that all CPUs for all different kinds of machines, manufactured by all different kinds of companies cost exactly the same.  You express this logic repeatedly...  No offense, but you obviously don\'t have a clue.

Imagine I told you a 2002 Chevy Pickup will cost the same as a 2002 Volkswagen Beetle because they both have wheels, seats, windows, and pedals.  Ridiculous, right?

-Eik
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: TheMistaWhoKnow on May 15, 2001, 03:25:27 AM
First of all...

That $20 price paid to the forum is not correct.  The actual pricing is a percentage of the selling price, and other factors are taken into consideration. Pricing is also not disclosed, so it would be unwise to speculate since neither you nor I are members of the forum.

Second, lets say for example that the price is $20 lower, so the price of Gamecube is $20 less... How does that equate to the console being between $150 - $200? Howard Lincoln NEVER STATED THAT IT WOULD BE BETWEEN THOSE PRICE RANGES!! He merely stated that it would be "competitive".

Are the people who speculate these absurd prices the same ones who speculate on Square coming to Xbox? Stop speculating and smell the truth.  Being competitive means selling the console at a price similar to other consoles on the market. I highly doubt that Nintendo has such a command over its operations that it can make consoles cheaper than Sony can.  If the PS2 costs a rumored $400 to make, I would guess that GamceCube would cost around the same amount.

And for the retail price to be $199, they would have to sell it to retailers for $150, making their loss per console a whopping $250!! For some reason, I DOUBT Nintendo is willing to loose so much money.

In a few days, we\'ll all know. My money is on the $250 - $299 range, however.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: TheMistaWhoKnow on May 15, 2001, 03:33:03 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Eiksirf



Take a look at your logic.  You assume that all CPUs for all different kinds of machines, manufactured by all different kinds of companies cost exactly the same.  You express this logic repeatedly...  No offense, but you obviously don\'t have a clue.

Imagine I told you a 2002 Chevy Pickup will cost the same as a 2002 Volkswagen Beetle because they both have wheels, seats, windows, and pedals.  Ridiculous, right?

-Eik


Eik, are you aware that a custom made CPU and GPU would be MORE expensive to manufacture than a commoditized one?

The main cost of the PS2 is the Emotion Engine, which took a lot out of Sony to develop.  Don\'t go around thinking that the Gamecube\'s CPU and GPU cost pennies on the dollar to make.  If anything, the price would be similar to the PS2s, maybe slightly lower. MS has the advantage of economies of scale.  

But then again, I suppose my degree in CE has no value, and that I wasted four years in a University for nothing (rolls eyes)...

Don\'t be fooled by the media, my friend. They can pull the sheep\'s wool over your eyes before you know it. GameCube is essentially a computer, just like the Xbox and Playstation, and has the same cost considerations as the other two.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Eiksirf on May 15, 2001, 04:05:56 AM
I must admit, that logic sounds a lot better. ;]

And since I\'m posting, I\'d just like to say that the term fanboys is kind of mean... I prefer fanmen.

Seriously, I don\'t doubt you could be right.  Of course, I don\'t doubt you\'re wrong, either.  Maybe they\'ll announce a price at E3 and then we won\'t be dealing with rumors anymore...

-Eik
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Coredweller on May 15, 2001, 02:17:07 PM
For what it\'s worth, this was published yesterday in Barron\'s:

Norton, Leslie P.  "Toy soldiers - can microsoft beat sony and nintendo at their own game?" Barrons v.81, no. 20.  May 14, 2001

Quote
"Nintendo\'s GameCube, which won\'t have a built-in DVD player, will retail for $199 or so.  Thus industry insiders are starting to speculate that Sony will drop it\'s price by $50 this fall as a preemptive strike - something Hirai denies."


and this:

Quote
"For GameCube, broadband access is optional, and there\'s no DVD player.  Still, Nintendo\'s [George] Harrison maintains that this more-is-less strategy will triumph.  \'We\'re the only dedicated game-playing machine.  People are looking for entertainment at good value.  Consumers already have satellite dishes, sophisticated pay-per-view, digital cable and other places to go for additional entertainment needs. [...] In fact, including Game Boy Advance, he contends that Nintendo will get 40%-45% of the gaming market."


Harrison\'s statement seems to indicate that Nintendo is seeking to introduce GC at a low price.  ("at good value.")
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 15, 2001, 02:55:21 PM
If everyone had been saving up already, price wouldn\'t matter. Save your money!
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Sublimesjg on May 15, 2001, 03:14:41 PM
As long as its affordable then GameCube will be mine

maybe not o launch but it will be mine
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Falcon4 on May 15, 2001, 03:41:45 PM
Quote
Originally posted by AlteredBeast
ahhh, good ole fanboys.

PS2 WILL be 200 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

X-Box WILL be 300 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

GC WILL be 200 dollars? Where have you heard this exactly?

In fact on GC, I have heard striking reports that it will be more than 200.

Eric Jacob


ok.. have you been listining to the news???
ALOT OF recent news sources have said that sony will drop the price of ps2 100$ at Q3, NOT a 50$ DROP AT e3 as earlier rumored. this price drop move would put a TON of pressure on microsoft.
this thread is all about the gamecube possibly being more than 200$ or at 200$.. the trend of nintendo consoles has been 250$ so at the max i think it would be 200$
x box may push their price down.... although i highly doubt it..with all of their "new" hardware... it must be expensive.
oh yeah bill gates isnt the richest man in the world.

nintendo and ps2 will own e3. ( from what i have been hearing.)
and if you dont believe me, we will see at Q3 when sony drops their price of the ps2 100$ US.
has anyone else here heard about this? i cant find the site i saw it at..

dont call me a fanboy. i look at all consoles equally, im just stating the facts.(and information)
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 15, 2001, 03:54:21 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Falcon4



dont call me a fanboy. i look at all consoles equally, im just stating the facts.(and information)



Sorry, but the price of XB and GC and the amount of Sonys PS2 price drop are not confirmed, so you aren\'t stating facts, your stating rumors. And the simple fact that you think 2 consoles will \'own\' E3 over the 3rd, proves you don\'t look at all consoles equally.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Falcon4 on May 15, 2001, 04:04:33 PM
hopefully they can be confirmed at e3, so i can tell you they are confirmed... i had seen an article form ign on the confirmed price drop... but i couldnt find it. so ill just have to wait.for 1 day:D

oh yeah just cuz i think 2 consoles will own e3 dosnt mean i look at consoles differently, i just think that they will have much more to show than x box will considering they have just barely gotten final kits.
i think GC and PS2 will do much better than x box will at e3 for that reason.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 15, 2001, 04:09:54 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Falcon4
i just think that they will have much more to show than x box will considering they have just barely gotten final kits.
i think GC and PS2 will do much better than x box will at e3 for that reason.


Ummm, that\'s not a good reason.  Launch games wouldnt ever take advantage of the final kits, so the kits they use are irrelevant. I prefer they use old kits at E3 and make sure there are enough launch systems. Although I\'m pretty sure that Oddworld is the only one who said they were using incomplete kits at E3.

And nothings been confirmed. If you can\'t link it, don\'t state it as fact.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Falcon4 on May 15, 2001, 04:12:57 PM
thats exactly what i said.. i said i would have to wait for e3 to tell you they are confirmed because i dodnt have i link!!!! (jeez man read my post before hittin on me):D

no hard feelins man.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 15, 2001, 04:18:25 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Falcon4
thats exactly what i said.. i said i would have to wait for e3 to tell you they are confirmed because i dodnt have i link!!!! (jeez man read my post before hittin on me):D

no hard feelins man.


I read what you said. You say \'confirm\' it as if you know they will announce exactly what you said. I doubt they will.


I agree with that last part.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: hyper on May 15, 2001, 05:08:05 PM
To TheMistaWhoKnow:

Your arguments are based on logical reasoning (not cold facts with sources though) and does a good job of fabricating the GC\'s real price. And for that, you have me at a loss for the moment, and I\'m not going to argue with you. However, E3 should tell us whether your expert opinions are more dependable than those of industry professionals whose job is to know and report this kind of information.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: Bozco on May 15, 2001, 06:48:16 PM
Quote
Originally posted by EThugg
If everyone had been saving up already, price wouldn\'t matter. Save your money!


yeah we have been saving up but i would like some of that money going to games instead of to the system
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: FatalXception on May 15, 2001, 10:01:43 PM
Sigh... to all those of you who wanted a link talking about the price drop (and you don\'t really need it, because there were plenty of links in the original discussions of such), read this, and ... :) DA BOMB DIGGITY (http://www.fgnonline.com/playstation2/news/18435.html) :).
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 16, 2001, 07:25:35 AM
Quote
Originally posted by FatalXception
Sigh... to all those of you who wanted a link talking about the price drop (and you don\'t really need it, because there were plenty of links in the original discussions of such), read this, and ... :) DA BOMB DIGGITY (http://www.fgnonline.com/playstation2/news/18435.html) :).


Uhhhh, that\'s not a announcement, it\'s guesses and opinions.
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EmperorRob on May 16, 2001, 09:00:51 AM
Here is my prediction pulled fresh from my ass this morning:

PS2 $12 (because it\'s made out of old scrap metal)
X-BOX$Your Soul (Bill Gates needs it to give to the devil to fullfill his 8-yr old deal)
GAMECUBE $40 gazillion (B/c Nintendo charges more for EVERYTHING.  From games to systems to controllers to special Nintendo toilet paper $5 a roll)

AND IT\'S TRUE, IT\'S TRUE.

B/C I MADE IT UP
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: FatalXception on May 16, 2001, 10:11:37 AM
Well, Ethugg.  

Maybe I\'m right, maybe you\'re wrong.  Either way, we\'ll see probably at E3 ;)
Title: Huh... looks like GC won\'t be as cost-friendly as we thought.
Post by: EThugg on May 16, 2001, 10:21:08 AM
Quote
Originally posted by FatalXception
Well, Ethugg.  

Maybe I\'m right, maybe you\'re wrong.  Either way, we\'ll see probably at E3 ;)


The results may prove true, but that link is 100% unofficial.