WTF is this GCN bundle crap???

[TheLastKamikaze]

I went to my local EB today to put down a reserve for my GCN, and to my surprise I found out that I HAD TO GET A BUNDLE, and there wasn?t any other way I could put down a reserve unless I committed to the bundle deal?

So I went to the COMPUCENTRE store just a little further down in the mall and asked about it there? same thing, the damn bundle deal only.

I then went to the Toy?s R Us across the street and once again, you needed to agree to the bundle deal!!!

This bundle deal (at all the locations I went to) consisted of the following

1) The GCN system itself
2) An extra Controller (even worse, at EB this second controller was a shafting Interact POS)
3) 2 games
4) 1 memory card

At EB this deal was going to set me back $530 + tax, at COMPUCENTRE $550 + tax and at Toy?s R Us $505 + tax, needless to say I went with Toy?s R Us. The part that really pisses me off though is there was only one game at launch that I really wanted to get (Wave race, but the recent Nintendo Power review has me now wondering about that game)? and now I?m paying for TWO.

WTF, how come The Big ?N? is letting retailers set these fucked up rules this time, I can?t imagine a lot of parents saying OK to a $600.00 toy for little Jimmy Jr. Damn, I like getting my systems at launch, but I don?t like being FORCED into getting something I don?t want to in order to do it? maybe this is part of their plan?

How are these pre-orders being done around the world (US, GB etc) as I know some of you guys are from various countries?

Thanks

[adidas]

HAHAHA No way I'm spending $500 for a game system, extra shit or not. Especially for the system that is supposed to be the end of Nintendo's "piracy problems"

Sorry, but I have no idea how they're trying to swindle people here, I've never paid over $150 for a game system in my life. I didn't even buy DC until it was down to 99$.

And now that I'm out of a job *again* I really can't spend extra money on that type of stuff.

[Megaman X]

Its a known fact that retailers and manufacturers make there profit on accesories and game sales and lose their asses on the hardware.

These bundles are some dipshit executive's idea of "a good marketing plan" and quite frankly will do nothing but drive the industry into the ground.

It's shit. Total bullshit. And I've made it a point to write every upper manager of every chain that has told me I HAD to buy a bundle.

This has gotta stop somewhere. Anyone remember when systems used to come with two controllers and a game INCLUDED in the box?

[Blue Hawk]

microdoft has already informed all re4tailers that if they dont stop the xbox promo bundle, they wont get their alloted xboxes.

[ivwshane]

It pissed me off when I went to buy two gba's and the guy said I had to buy a game and an accessorie which ment I couldn't afford the other gba. That was at babbages but oddly enough not at funcoland which are both under the same company.

[Silverhaze]

Yep it sucks!! It has sucked since the PSX and N64 came out!!

Those managers sure do suck, yeah they suck alright, they're the suckiest bunch of suckers that ever sucked!! LOL

Anyway, dragging myself away from useless butchered simpsons quotes I've just time to say that you can only get CG in a few places over here in old blighty. A place near me is doing them with wave race and luigis mansion for £450 roughly. Now work that out in dollars and you might not be so pissed. That IS on import though.

To tell the truth, I played Luigi's mansion and it sucked. You'd think they'd have sorted out little problems like clipping but nope, bits and pieces still dissapear through walls. It feels rushed to say the least. Then I played wave race. I was gonna say 'yeah it may look sweet but how does it play' but to be brutally honest, it doesnt look that sweet at all and plays on an ok-ish level. I wouldnt part with my hard earned pennies for one thats for sure. I'll stick with my PS2 and DC.

[Damian]

£450 = $641 eek! I bet we will have the same lame bundle deal when GC comes out over here in Spring next year, can't even remember what launch price will be but we shall be fortunate if less than our overseas conterparts.

[TheLastKamikaze]

Damn I just don't get why The Big "N" is letting this go on (hell even M$ is giving warnings??)... oh well, I agreed to it...

Here in Canada this is the first time I've ever seen this happen at a system's launch. It's happening for both the GCN as well as the X-Box.

[Pdaimaoh]

the blame is mass market marketing execs that ruin all of our fun

when the PS2 was coming up short, EVERYONE wanted one, and NOT everyone would get one


so some were willing to take a lot of bullshit to get one

thus, retailers decided "we have more games than systems! how can we NOT lose money?"

thus, bundles
which many bitched about, but everyone accepted (basically)

now, Ms backs preorders, they had a special campaign early this year or late last
to get some signature/cash for a down payment

so retailers think "oh yay! now even the COMPANY supports bundles!"

see, Sony decried the bundles for PS2, but that's cause they could afford to do that

Ms only pushes bundles because it has no idea how to please CONSUMERS. their whole monopoly is based on going over our heads
this is just one more example

Nintendo has made known that THEY DO NOT SUPPORT BUNDLES

so, when a store forces it on you, that is NOT nintendo's fault

and with two big money competitors, Nintendo can hardly start trying to bully retailers for you


so guess what

you bully them back

tell them to fuck the bundle
tell them you want to speak to the manager, and keep going higher until you meet a REASONABLE person in control

then buy WHAT YOU WANTED TO BUY
not what the RETAILER wanted you to buy

if you give in, you keep giving away your almighty, ALL ENCOMPASSING power as a consumer

if you become their cattle, you can only expect more insanity in the future

soon, if you want to buy a Tbone from your grocery store, you will have to get ribs and steak sauce and a sixpack of beer, and grill tongs and charcoal

even if you have a gas grill, a full keg, and only your 'sauce hating' self to feed

and what will you do then? buy all that shit? just for the fuckin Tbone you wanted?

if there aren't enough games you want, or the bundle has shit you don't want to buy
HOLD THE FUCK OFF

There is no sense at all in preordering any console if the games you REALLY want for it are a year away

btw, Luigi's Mansion was ONLY a demo
it was NEVER made to be a game
so it WAS a rush effort

and besides, how could you think of anything else?

numerous Nintendo accounts said "mario and zelda at launch of gamecube"

and look when both of THEM will be coming out

they only pushed up their launch to ensure Ms doesn't become a real contender, and because Sony moved up THEIR launch heavily (they weren't due til THIS holiday...)

this is what happens when you got big guns, but ACTUAL lives don't hang in the balance (the cold war without the possibility of fallout...everyone pushes the button then)

[adidas]

Wow, a post that long really brings back Emux memories!

All hail PD, postmaster! haha

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

I was at Babbage's today (for those who don't know, it's like EB)

I played with the new systems, drooled over the things I couldn't afford then I asked the manager (who happened to be manning the register) about xbox. He said that some stores are selling them as bundles, but they won't be at Babbage's. Now I don't know if that's just this particular Babbage's or all Babbage's.

I neglected to ask about Gamecube, which they were taking pre-orders for also. I'm just not interested in GC at all.

After looking around for about half an hour and playing all the games I picked up a cool little gadget for my DC. It lets you hook up either a PSX pad, a PC keyboard or a Saturn pad! Cool!

The GBA's were going for 99$, and I'd like to have one but my current financial situation prevented me from getting one.

[TheLastKamikaze]

Amen Pd. (I think he wanted to go out with a bang)

You?re 100% right? but I want a GC at launch, and as such I?m a ?sucker?s bet? for the retailers. I haven?t heard The Big ?N?? speak out on the bundle situation, but I?ll take your word on it, and it?s good to hear that they don?t support it (even if they allow it to continue).

[Blue Hawk]

um pd, didnt you hear me? i said the ms threatened retailers that they will not get any xboxes if they sell it in a bundle. i got this from both software etc and eb managers (whom are friends of mine). maybe its just us lucky americans though lol.

[were]

yeah its just u americans..:-)


nobody thought about this before, but last time i checked nobody is |"gaining" from the terrorists attacks. My guess is nintendo is "tryin" to make a profit if they can from the 4th quarter of this yeAR...

[M]

I have a GameCube auction going right now. Here it is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 1358639291

You can bid if you want. Pretty damn cheap. Peace.

[adidas]

This is a pretty old post, I don't know how it got dug up

[M]

Yeah, sorry about that. Being on the new board everything looks new. I didn't even look at the date. I guess this place is as hopping as I thought it was. Eh, whatever. Peace.

[Damian]

Hopping? Yes the conversion meant that posts are not by default in logical order. If you want to view the most recent first sort them by date at the bottom of the forum in the drop down box.