"According to Computer and Videogames the reason the Gamecube sold so well last week was likely because of stores slashing the price to clear them out. That isn't exactly something to cheer about."
It hasn't stopped Microsoft from doing it on a monthly basis.
"I imagine this won't last long. The stores that slashed prices will likely either keep the prices low and clear out their stock or they'll decide it is profitable and raise the price back up which will kill some of the appeal. Either way the "buzz" will die down. Stores can't sell cheap Cubes forever."
Or Nintendo will realize that they need an official European price drop if they want to compete with companies like Microsoft.
The XBox and the GameCube were 480 Euros (£300) and 250 Euros (£155) respectively at the XBox's launch, weeks before the GameCube's launch.
Then, just days before the GameCube launched, Microsoft slashed a massive 180 Euros off the price of the XBox, making it 300 Euros (£199).
Nintendo responded with a 50 Euro GameCube price cut, and launched at 200 Euros (£129). At launch, the GameCube immediately took over the number 2 spot in Europe, and a lot of people were saying Microsoft was going to have a repeat of their Japanese performance in Europe.
Then Microsoft launched their "two free Sega games" thing in Europe. XBox sales picked up. Microsoft started claiming they had retaken the number 2 spot in Europe.
Nintendo started mucking around with the idea of "bundles" to give you a discount on a game if you buy the system, and maybe one free game, while Microsoft added another two games to their free game giveaway.
Before last Christmas the XBox dropped another 50 Euros, to 250 Euros (£159). For some unknown reason, they has a strong Christmas after that. Now Microsoft started claiming that their European lead was so great that, combined with their American lead, it outweighed their Japanese failure.
Then Dixons decided to sell their GameCubes for £100 (150 Euros), since it wasn't moving much at 200 Euros (£129), and said that they'd stop carrying the GameCube if this didn't generate more sales (which it's been doing).
Then Argos decided that they they'd be left out in the cold if they were still hanging on to the MSRP, so they broke it, and decided to go one further and undercut Dixons with an £80 (120 Euro) price.
(By the way, for a frame of reference, a Euro is worth about as much as an American dollar, and last I checked, a GameCube with Metroid Prime was selling for $150 American over here)
IMO, Nintendo of Europe needs to lower the MSRP to get things back under control. If they had followed Dixon's lead and cut the MSRP by 50 Euro, they wouldn't be having to deal with an 80 Euro price cut from Argos.