18th April 2003, 5:28 AM
To play via Gamespy, don't you need a router? Because it's all running through your computer, so you need to have both your computer and your XBox connected at once. But that's it. :)
What are you talking about? November sales between the GCN and XBox were within a few hundred of eachother (not including Walmart, which is generally a GCN friendly store as far as sales are concerned). The closest the GCN came to outselling the Xbox since launch. And that was after the release of XBL!. It was also when XBL! was selling at it's peak.
Other than that, there has always been a large sales gap between the GCN and XBox, and that margain has not really changed. Well, January's gap increased somewhat. But when you look at recent sales data where XBL! has started selling quite low, and XBox has had some strong performers software wise (yes, including Ghost Recon) then it's perfectly logical.
Though, Zelda has just released and sold EXTREMELY well, so I'd expect the gap to be slightly smaller this week. GCN just doesn't have the staying power, and you're trying to pass it off on it's online plan isn't right. Watch the GCN's sales die down again after this month, as Zelda's impact wears off.
Just as everyone thought Mario would give a the GCN a huge jump in sales? Or what about Metroid? Or Resident Evil? Or any number of other GCN games that promised to be the deciding factor in putting the GCN over the XBox. And none of them did. A Mario Kart, online or not, would not change things Perhaps for a month, like all it's other games, sales will be huge and then drop down (again, online or not). Also, I think you're overestimating just how 'huge' Mario Kart (or even Zelda) online would be. What do you all think, it'd go on to sell a good 8 million copies and become the most popular online game ever? No chance in hell... Hell, if it did happen, I'd be willing to bet it would not even be as popular online as some of the games on the rival consoles.
Forced to buy a GameCube? Fence sitters will be forced to buy a gamecube for Mario Kart and FZero, online or not. You are all FAR overestimating the impact that the games would have. Of course, it's mere conjecture, and we'll never know. But I just don't understand your reasoning. It would not be some godsend sent from the heavens like everyone thought DreamCast online, or XBox Live! would be, and those systems were majorly hyped with games that sold extremely well on their online, and offline merits.
Madden, SOCOM, Ghost Recon, Mech Assault all have many players online at once, and are very successful.
Actually, Ghost Recon on the PS2 is consistantly outselling the XBox version. Though, the margain isn't that great.
XBL! In Japan sold about 40,000 units. Dead or Alive Volleyball made it to #2 in the console charts (can't be bothered checking exact numbers, though it was much more than XBL). Both were released within a few days of eachother.
Which do you think had the bigger effect on the XBox's sales for that week?
Well XBL was extremely hyped. All the hardcore XBox owners (well, not all, but yunno) were going to buy it. It was practically like Metroid Prime in terms of hype. But then it died down. Now it's selling less than the average game on XBox (at least according to the latest figures). And certainly hasn't sold even half as much as Metroid Prime.
But what you need to note is that the sales of the XBox on average have not increased since it went online. There are obviously a lot of credible reasons for this (such as a lack of availability for example). But all I'm trying to say is that online play will NOT be a deciding factor when it comes to consoles this generation.
Quote:Then why did it suddenly jump in sales and suddenly start gaining very rapidly on the Cube? No other explanation I can see...
What are you talking about? November sales between the GCN and XBox were within a few hundred of eachother (not including Walmart, which is generally a GCN friendly store as far as sales are concerned). The closest the GCN came to outselling the Xbox since launch. And that was after the release of XBL!. It was also when XBL! was selling at it's peak.
Other than that, there has always been a large sales gap between the GCN and XBox, and that margain has not really changed. Well, January's gap increased somewhat. But when you look at recent sales data where XBL! has started selling quite low, and XBox has had some strong performers software wise (yes, including Ghost Recon) then it's perfectly logical.
Though, Zelda has just released and sold EXTREMELY well, so I'd expect the gap to be slightly smaller this week. GCN just doesn't have the staying power, and you're trying to pass it off on it's online plan isn't right. Watch the GCN's sales die down again after this month, as Zelda's impact wears off.
Quote:As for games, X-Box and PS2 each have some good online games, but they aren't Mario Kart or Zelda Online. No way. Mario Kart Online would sell VERY well and would give NGC a jump in sales probably just as big as the Zelda one...and would also raise the Cube's stock DRAMATICALLY among the hardcore non-Nintendo gamers... people who buy lots of games. I'd say that that all of those are great ideas.
Just as everyone thought Mario would give a the GCN a huge jump in sales? Or what about Metroid? Or Resident Evil? Or any number of other GCN games that promised to be the deciding factor in putting the GCN over the XBox. And none of them did. A Mario Kart, online or not, would not change things Perhaps for a month, like all it's other games, sales will be huge and then drop down (again, online or not). Also, I think you're overestimating just how 'huge' Mario Kart (or even Zelda) online would be. What do you all think, it'd go on to sell a good 8 million copies and become the most popular online game ever? No chance in hell... Hell, if it did happen, I'd be willing to bet it would not even be as popular online as some of the games on the rival consoles.
Quote:Originally posted by OB1
Correction: Die-hard Nintendo fans will buy Mario Kart no matter what; fence-sitters will be forced to buy a Gamecube with great online games such as Mario Kart and F-Zero.
Forced to buy a GameCube? Fence sitters will be forced to buy a gamecube for Mario Kart and FZero, online or not. You are all FAR overestimating the impact that the games would have. Of course, it's mere conjecture, and we'll never know. But I just don't understand your reasoning. It would not be some godsend sent from the heavens like everyone thought DreamCast online, or XBox Live! would be, and those systems were majorly hyped with games that sold extremely well on their online, and offline merits.
Madden, SOCOM, Ghost Recon, Mech Assault all have many players online at once, and are very successful.
Quote:Ghost Recon is selling much better on the X-Box than it is on the PS2, and that's with the PS2's enourmous installed userbase.
Actually, Ghost Recon on the PS2 is consistantly outselling the XBox version. Though, the margain isn't that great.
Quote:The X-Box is extremely unpopular in Japan, but it did get a huge spike in sales when X-Box Live launched (I'm not gonna look for a link now--find it yourself), and X-Box Live start kits sold extremely well.
XBL! In Japan sold about 40,000 units. Dead or Alive Volleyball made it to #2 in the console charts (can't be bothered checking exact numbers, though it was much more than XBL). Both were released within a few days of eachother.
Which do you think had the bigger effect on the XBox's sales for that week?
Quote:X-Box Live launched before the Christman buying rush, and you have to take into consideration that a very small percentage of Americans have broadband internet connections, yet X-Box Live sold as much as Metroid Prime in November,
Well XBL was extremely hyped. All the hardcore XBox owners (well, not all, but yunno) were going to buy it. It was practically like Metroid Prime in terms of hype. But then it died down. Now it's selling less than the average game on XBox (at least according to the latest figures). And certainly hasn't sold even half as much as Metroid Prime.
But what you need to note is that the sales of the XBox on average have not increased since it went online. There are obviously a lot of credible reasons for this (such as a lack of availability for example). But all I'm trying to say is that online play will NOT be a deciding factor when it comes to consoles this generation.
If i had a dollar for every time i ran out of hair in the middle of a spoon making contest id only eat your children with a side of slaw and THOSE ARENT PILLOWS!!