Topic: If the Wii is insanely popular right from the start, will stores still sell GameCube games?

[JonLeung]

And controllers?

The problem is that with the GameCube unpopular (I mean, in relative terms to the competition) many stores don't have much space for GameCube games.  Rental places like Blockbuster don't seem to care about the GameCube anymore.

But if the Wii is as hot as everyone seems to hope, with backwards compatibility with GameCube games, shouldn't stores still keep a somewhat healthy stock of GameCube games?  Maybe Nintendo will yet again (re)rerelease the Player's Choice games if people want to pick up the GameCube games they missed out on once they pick up a Wii.  (I'm sure many developers would rather move any remaining GameCube projects to the Wii (and could easily do so) but I think rereleases of the best GameCube games could give those games' sales an extra boost.)

For Wii games that might still use GameCube controllers (like DBZ BT2), Wavebirds could still be selling, so long as stores keep ordering more to sell.

Sure, the Wii's new control scheme means that people will want to play games that take advantage of it, so they'll probably be most interested in getting a Wii for Wii games and not GameCube games, but do you think there's enough interest to keep a GameCube section around in a game store?  I remember a lot of PSX games being sold for a while even after the release of the PS2 - but then again the PSX was probably more popular then than the 'Cube is now.

[Magik]

I honestly don't see a healthy stock of GameCube games being available in the big retail chains when the Wii is out.  Retailers and people in general will be focused on the Wii and Wii games only.  Its pretty much how things go when the next console comes out.

It also doesn't help that the GameCube is pretty much dead at the moment and retailers have been reducing the GC's space for quite some time.

The only places I am sure that will continue to carry a solid amount of past console hardware and games are the small video game stores.  The store that I always go to still carry stuff even from the NES days.

The PSX had a solid amount of shelf space because it was very popular and still had a lot of momentum going for it where as the GC isn't going anywhere and is not even close to the popularity the PSX had.  

[Ceric]

Yeah.  Here in Tennessee it's hard to find the Wavebird now even for some reason.  Also you can still find the stray N64 game.

[BranDonk Kong]

Do any stores even sell Gamecube games anymore? I bet K-Mart will. I swear about 3 years ago I went to a K-Mart near where I live and they still had SNES and Genesis games for sale, for $40-$60 each. Up until last year you could find THPS3 for N64 in a lot of places around here.

[EasyCure]

i think only the players choice titles, and best sellers, will remain on the shelves at most of the major retailers. GS is bound to have all the used games to profit off of, but for the ones that arent used im sure they will atleast keep the players choice/best seller around, even if they have to clump em together in some bargain bin (with the used ones)
i've actually been wondering about this for awhile now so i've been stocking up on a bunch of GC games, new or used, as long as their cheap. i figure just in case they dont carry as many, i'll stock up now, even if i dont play them any time soon, and keep them around for those times where there might not be any wii games that ineterest me.

[ThePerm]

yeah k-mart is really um....like back in time..its funny...actually i should go check out to see if they have n64 games sometime.

[Infernal Monkey]

With games like Smash Brawl having the option of using the GC controller, I'm sure Nintendo will keep the supply up well into the future, even if it's only dedicated stores like EB that'll stock them.

[WalkingTheCow]

I dunno, the store I work at carries about 80 or so different gamecube games, but it's certainly a decreasing number. This time last year it was about twice that many, easily.

I think it'll be easy enough to find a gamecube game at least six months into the Wii's lifespan but not much longer afterwards. There are always the specialty stores and the internet, but at most stores during the holiday season of 2007 I believe that you'll find nothing but a selection of greatest hits, if that.    

[Spak-Spang]

I don't want to play Brawl with the Gamecube Controller, I am looking at that classic controller and loving its design for Smash.

[Ceric]

Yeah I thought Nintendo has already stated that their was a clear seperation in the inputs between Wii Mode and GCN mode.  Hence the WiiClassic.

[Pale]

N64 Controller

If they're still selling those I don't think we have much to worry about.  That said, if we do find out that the classic controller cann't be used for Gamecube games like so many of us are expecting, I plan on buying a shiny new set of wavebirds too.