GameCube Under the Shadow of Xbox

[Bond]

Microsoft's overweight console pulling ahead of Nintendo's bite-sized purple cube.

Xbox executives can pop a bottle of champagne. Apparently, people are diggin' the Xbox. The proof doesn't come from some over-enthusiastic PR spin or anyone's personal numbers. All you need do is take a look at the numbers and you'll see that Xbox is in the midst of crushing the GameCube.
According to the NPD Group, one of the most respected market research firms in the industry, November marked the seventh consecutive month Xbox outsold GameCube in terms of hardware and has outsold GameCube in software in all thirteen months of its existence. Selling nearly 500,000 consoles in November, Xbox nearly doubled its sales numbers from October. Xbox consoles have edged GameCube by 20% in total sales, a considerable gap, especially when you look at the great first-party titles Nintendo has managed to release this year.

In November, Xbox saw it's second best month of software sales to date, with 2.4 million units selling. That's 10% more than the GameCube, but still far below the might of PS2. In terms of GameCube versus Xbox, though, Microsoft's console has sold 34% more software overall than GameCube. The Xbox also maintains the highest attach rate to date for a console that's thirteen months old, with 4.7 games per unit sold.

Further proof of Microsoft's growing dominance over GameCube comes when comparing the two bundle offers. Microsoft's Xbox bundle that comes with Sega GT 2002 and Jet Set Radio Future has outsold the GameCube Mario bundle by 335,000 units or 131%. However, it should be noted that the GameCube bundle is not nearly as widely available, which could contribute to the wide gap.

The GameCube is often saddled with piss-poor ports of multi-platform games and it shows in terms of sales. The Xbox has managed 58% greater third-party sales than GameCube according to Microsoft.

Though Microsoft has yet to come close to the PS2 in terms of installed base, the big MS can take comfort in knowing their online programs has bested PS2 from the get-go. Comparing their first month of sales, Xbox Live outsold PS2 Network Adapters by 14% and the three major Live titles (Ghost Recon, MechAssault, and Unreal Championship) sold over 300,000 copies combined in just the last half of November and managed an astounding attach rate of 80%.

With far bigger titles on the horizon for Microsoft next year and very few big franchises left in Nintendo's bag for 2003, it could be an even merrier X-Mas for Microsoft a year from now. Of course, we'll be back to let you know how this little ol' console war is turning out.

Source: IGN

Yes, well, quite interesting... not quite sure what to think I am.

[Crono]

Hmm, interesting indeed. I'm not surprised, though. Although maybe if Nintendo can release some more big titles it might pull out ahead, although higly doubtful, as that's the same thing people said last year. One would think that with Metroid Prime, SMS, RE0, SFA, AC, and PSO, that GameCube would be selling more than Xbox, but maybe Nintendo's titles aren't as popular anymore? Or maybe people just love Xbox? Or maybe both? I dunno...either way it's good news for MS.

[gekko]

And additional information from NPD:

The November NPD report of sales data from American retailers shows that Nintendo GameCube jumped more than three full percentage points in next generation console share...while Playstation 2 increased two percentage points...all at the expense of Microsoft’s Xbox...which lost five points of the market.

Unit sales of Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox were dead even in November (468,000 units each) – despite Microsoft giving away two free games with their hardware.


Nintendo GameCube also showed the biggest jump in software sales, climbing more than 150% over October totals...compared to 97% for the Xbox and 48% for PS2.

Nintendo held 46% of the total hardware share for the month of November, an increase of 11% over October. Sony held 42% (-6%) while Microsoft held only 12% (-5%).

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko

Nintendo held 46% of the total hardware share for the month of November, an increase of 11% over October. Sony held 42% (-6%) while Microsoft held only 12% (-5%).

Those numbers seem quite radical to me. Even for only a month.

[gekko]

Nintendo = Gamecube + GBA. GBA = 33% of hardware sold in November.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko
Nintendo = Gamecube + GBA. GBA = 33% of hardware sold in November.

I forgot they included the GBA. That's not a very fair comparison then vs. the PS2 and Xbox.

[gekko]

Unit sales of Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox were dead even in November (468,000 units each) – despite Microsoft giving away two free games with their hardware.

That one does the trick.

Nintendo = 46% - 33% = 13%. Xbox held 12%, figure in rounding in the subtraction, and it's right on the money with the statement.

[Jonbo298]

I still don't think the comparison between the 2 bundles offered is fair. From what I have seen, the only XBox boxes I have seen lately have the games in them. I've basically not seen any regular boxes without the games. But numbers don't concern me. As long as I get the great games from Nintendo I'm more than happy.

[Bond]

Originally posted by gekko

That one does the trick.

Nintendo = 46% - 33% = 13%. Xbox held 12%, figure in rounding in the subtraction, and it's right on the money with the statement.

Well, yes of course it does the trick... for Nintendo. Microsoft's numbers are different, and I would assume as are Sony's. It's kind of hard to tell who is right, probably no one is. Although it is rather hard to find some in-between reasoning.

Another thing to keep in mind.


None of this charts any sales at walmart because npd doesn't track walmart sales. Walmart is the largest dealer of nintendo merchandise in the US.

[Bond]

Originally posted by Stonecutter
Another thing to keep in mind.


None of this charts any sales at walmart because npd doesn't track walmart sales. Walmart is the largest dealer of nintendo merchandise in the US.

Why wouldn't they track the largest dealer of their merchandise in the US?!?!

[Dyne]

God, I'm getting sick of this company rivalry. I wonder how much Microsoft payed IGN, (who is also one of the largest sources for video game news on the internet?). Gamecube's been ahead almost the whole time, and you can't change that. There's nothing to celebrate about yet, or crack open champagne bottles, or whatever crap IGN says.

What a waste of an article. Fanboys.

*hugs GCN and XBox*

[Jason1]

Originally posted by Dyne
God, I'm getting sick of this company rivalry. I wonder how much Microsoft payed IGN, (who is also one of the largest sources for video game news on the internet?). Gamecube's been ahead almost the whole time, and you can't change that. There's nothing to celebrate about yet, or crack open champagne bottles, or whatever crap IGN says.

What a waste of an article. Fanboys.

*hugs GCN and XBox*

Damn Straight. Im so sick of this sales figures bull****. Microsoft is selling this, Xbox pisses in my tomato soup...

My god...Who really knows anyways? One poll shows this, another shows that, another makes me want to crap my pants.

What have we come to? I just dont care anymore.

[gekko]

Originally posted by Bond
Well, yes of course it does the trick... for Nintendo. Microsoft's numbers are different, and I would assume as are Sony's. It's kind of hard to tell who is right, probably no one is. Although it is rather hard to find some in-between reasoning.

They're all right. The NPD data is accurate, they just word is differently. Like "Xbox outsold the Gamecube bundle by 172%." True, yes, but it didn't outsell Gamecube, it just needed that bundle to catch Gamecube. But they word it so you don't realize that.

Reading over the info, I can't find anything that contradicts itself. Each company is speaking the facts, just twisting them in their favor. Annoying, yes. But both are right.

[Professor S]

Ita called "working the numbers" people... I work in Marketing and I do it all the time. There are no bad numbers that can't be made to look good with enough effort.

While those numbers for GCN and XBOX are both correct, neither of them are likely accurate.