Topic: GameCube now $99

[Bloodworth]

The official announcement in black and white... or since this is Nintendo, should we say onyx and pearl?

NINTENDO GAMECUBE PRICE DROPS TO $99!

New Hardware Price Spearheads Aggressive Holiday Campaign

 REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 24, 2003 – Just in time for the biggest video game thrills of the fall, Nintendo of America Inc. today announced a new MSRP of $99.99 for its Nintendo GameCube™ home game console, effective tomorrow, Sept. 25.  This great new price opens an $80 price advantage over its two console competitors.

While the price of Nintendo GameCube hardware is falling, the variety and affordability of great software is soaring.  Coupled with expansion of the Nintendo GameCube library to more than 320 games by the end of the year, the new MSRP of $99.99 and added exclusive offers will further boost momentum for the console throughout the holidays.  

Mario Kart®: Double Dash!!™, available Nov. 17 exclusively for Nintendo GameCube, is the most-anticipated game of the season.  Nintendo has announced that customers who reserve a copy of the game in advance will receive a free bonus disc, loaded with game footage and gameplay previews for a wide array of upcoming hits.  

In addition, Nintendo recently expanded the Player's Choice library offering discounted prices for a half dozen award winning games including Super Mario Sunshine™, Animal Crossing™ and Metroid® Prime.

"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.  "Every time a generation of technology has moved into the true mass market, Nintendo has prospered.  This incredible new price and our great software offers are designed to accelerate that trend like never before."

"This is not only good for Nintendo, but great for consumers," says Lucky Evani, Toys 'R Us representative.  "For $99, you can now buy video game technology that you couldn’t have purchased for $99,000 just a few years ago."

The hot holiday titles from Nintendo will include Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nov. 17), Kirby™ Air Ride (Oct. 13), Mario Party® 5 (Nov. 11), 1080º™ Avalanche (Dec. 1), and PokĂ©mon Channel™ (Dec.1), as well as the highly anticipated Final Fantasy®: Crystal Chronicles™ and PokĂ©mon Colosseum™ in the first quarter of 2004.  In addition, the Nintendo GameCube fall lineup is replete with top quality interactive thrills provided by independent publishers that appeal to every game taste, ranging from sports to action to role-playing titles.

[KDR_11k]

I really hope NOE follows suit or they'll lose Europe completely.

[vudu]

anyone know if the free game offer is still valid with the $100 price tag?

[ruby_onix]

What I'd like to know.

Status of the free game/GameBoy Player.

Status of the bonus disk, or that newer Zelda bonus disk you reported on earlier.

[aoi tsuki]

i'd buy a second Cube if they'd release Spice here in the US, even if it was only online. But alas, i must import.

[Djunknown]

Hopefully Cubes will start flying off the shelves. I guess the jury's still out on that Zelda deal.

Its a shame Nintendo won't be pushing LAN support; at 99 a pop (Plus Broadband and Cables) a gaming LAN couldn't be any cheaper. Oh well, there must some reason to the madness....

[UniversalJuan]

Nintendo is looking to play some hardball with their advertising of the new pricepoint. A mere 45 minutes ago (roughly) I already saw a commercial advertising the new pricepoint! And it was pretty well done too. Showed a clerk marking Cubes for 99.99 and the only Cubes shown were Platnium and Jet. I forget what dialogue was in it but then it went to a single Platnium Cube and the announcer saying "GameCube now just $99. It just keeps getting better".

To see the commercial go up so fast really makes me happy. I only hope they drive these commercials hard! We need to see that Nintendo advertising prowness!

Henshin A-Go-Go Baby!