Gamestop: $200 Wii with Gamecube trade-in

by Christopher Grant { Jan 19th 2007 at 3:55PM }

In a Nintendo-themed weekend circular, Gamestop is promising Wii-less Gamecubers a $50 credit towards the heretofore hard-to-find new-gen console. Make sure you've got a controller, the console, the power adapter, and the AV cables, and you've got yourself a deal. But the kkkkrazy deals don't stop there. Trade in that old GBA SP -- y'know the one you bought for $50 from a garage sale -- and get a $50 credit towards a new or used Nintendo DS (we imagine that includes Lites). This deal, coupled with circulars from some other retailers, appears to confirm that Nintendo's inscrutable shortages of both DS Lites and Wiis may be over starting Sunday. Who here's trading in their 'cube?

Tags: deals, Gamestop, Retail

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Saneless @ Jan 19th 2007 4:04PM

Trading in a cube might be a good deal since I think everything works for the Wii, right?

alexanderwales @ Jan 19th 2007 4:04PM

Uh oh! A deal like this so early in the life cycle, the Wii must be doomed! DOOOOOMED!

amirite?

Strike Man @ Jan 19th 2007 4:05PM

Not a bad deal for a trade-in...but good luck actually finding a store with a Wii (or a new DS Lite) in stock.

Personally, I'm keeping my Cube, even if it's just for the Game Boy player attachment.

DBX00 @ Jan 19th 2007 4:07PM

This is a perfect example how Joystiq spins one story one week (PS3 - $100 off for PS2) and the exact same story the following week another way.

flymolo @ Jan 19th 2007 4:07PM

but If I trade in my Cube I won't have a controller for my wii.

Brian @ Jan 19th 2007 4:08PM

You are absolutely right #2. I think is pretty much the beginning of the end for the Wii, or as I like to call it---the WiiCast. ;)

Brian @ Jan 19th 2007 4:12PM

Seriously, though. It's a brilliant move for Gamestop...that 200 bucks you'll lay down the Wii will also be added to the 50 for Zelda, 60 for each and ever nunchuk/wiimote combo, and a new customer that isn't buying only old Gamecube games but pricey new software.

Xiath @ Jan 19th 2007 4:14PM

THAT! Or you could just use this http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/genericContent.do?oid=160141
A $40 off coupon when you buy something $199 or more. So its a $210 Wii for those who don't have a cube.

Brian @ Jan 19th 2007 4:15PM

Doesn't the first line in the small print say no gaming hardware on that coupon? That might be a problem.

Lorben @ Jan 19th 2007 4:17PM

Xiath, read the fine print - "Qualifying purchases exclude gaming hardware..."

C. Grant @ Jan 19th 2007 4:28PM

DBX00: Not a negative post about Sony at all. Read for yourself:
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/13/deal-or-no-deal-100-off-ps3-by-giving-up-ps2/

Khash @ Jan 19th 2007 4:31PM

Clearly the DS and Wii aren't selling. I mean, why else would they offer such a deal? They've got stockrooms full of Wii's collecting dust!

cyberfrog @ Jan 19th 2007 4:34PM

This is far different from the ps2/ps3 trade in example.

Wii is fully backwards compatible, making the gamecube obsolete if you have a wii (except for gba connectivity, which i know nothing about honestly). Looks like a win/win situation as far as i can tell.

Ps3 is not fully backwards compatible (i'd actually like to see a full list). Basically you gotta choose between what you games you like on what system. For all of you arguing that the wii is gc1.5 and all the specs are poor and what not, I still find it amusing that the ps2 (slower than the cube) is far more popular than all the new generation consoles, with strong influences from games like ddr and guitar hero. Note that these games are not the pinnacle of graphics.

Wii is much slimmer than the cube, making it more portable. Not so for ps slim to ps3, or even old school ps2 for that matter.

Revolution @ Jan 19th 2007 4:46PM

For all of the people saying that this kind of deal is proof that Nintendo is going down...you're fucking retarded.

If you've read Joystiq (or any gaming blog) since November, you'd know that Wiis have been HIGH DEMAND since day one.

And for anyone that said it sarcastically, I don't mean you. Sometimes it's hard to tell who's serious and who's not.

Truly yours,

A FORMER Sony fanboy

Joy @ Jan 19th 2007 4:47PM

This seems like a pretty good deal... but where is the Wii in stock, anyway?

Brian @ Jan 19th 2007 4:48PM

FORMER Sony fanboy. :) Ha!

I remember when I was a Nintendo fanboy around the time the N64 came out and I swore it would kick the PS1 in the ass. I sounded just as desperate as the PS3 fanboys that abound on this site.

They sound like Chicken Little except that the sky really is falling!

Mr. Khan @ Jan 19th 2007 4:48PM

I'd jump on this in a heartbeat

If I didn't already have a Wii

(don't use GC at all, but given the piss-poor rates that GameStop would give me in exchange, i may as well keep it, same true w/ Dreamcast)

Oh, and Mastafool, DS lite is only 7 months old, Nintendo DS is the 2 year old system

Mr. Khan @ Jan 19th 2007 4:50PM

Revolution

Alexanderwales was being sarcastic, based on the doom and gloom responses when some stores posted a similar offer on PS3

justin @ Jan 19th 2007 4:51PM

Wait, that means a store will have Wiis?!

Revolution @ Jan 19th 2007 4:55PM

#17

Yeah, I actually hung on to my Nintendo until the release of the Gamecube. I was so pissed that I swore that I would never buy from them again. Those were just words, though, and I quickly changed my tune when the DS Lite came out. Even then, I was sticking to the PS3 for my next console purchase.......and then they announced the price.

I am now part of the Wii60 clan and regret nothing

Brian @ Jan 19th 2007 4:58PM

Oh yea! I love my Wii60. Could there be a better combo? Seriously! I bust out some Zelda for some nostalgia and then play some GOW or R6 when I want some more adult action.

Also, how awesome is the Wii for turning on people to gaming? I've had so many people over for Raving Rabbids or Wii Sports or Excite Truck. It's like the best multiplayer combo.

Jay @ Jan 19th 2007 4:59PM

Hey that Circuit City coupon was deliberately changed.

Good thing I grabbed a PDF version of it and printed it out. I'll check the barcode number when I get back home to see if the coupon will still be valid.

THey shouldn't be able to give me a problem if they released a legit coupon that did not exclude gaming hardware.

Keysersoze @ Jan 19th 2007 5:00PM

Wow, I find it hypocritical to knock the PS3 a week earlier because of a similar savings offer. Am I the only person that think this website puts anything Sony does in a microscope? Yet, when there's a similar article regarding the Wii, it gets spinned in a positive way. Just a week ago the PS3’s deal was because the system was a failure and it’s “unmovable” units. This pretty much proves what I been thinking for a while.

Sony has dominated the game industry for so long that people want change and root for the underdogs. Just like how the Yankees get hated just because they're always # 1. Well, Joystiq needs the hits, and controversy gets you readers. I'm not sure how Sony advertises so much in this site, I wouldn't support a website that undermines anything I do. I mean, how many spots have you seen in Joystiq advertising Blu-ray, or memory stick? Sony should know where to waste their advertising dollars and spend them in unbiased websites. . For the record, I respects both the Wii and 360.

S @ Jan 19th 2007 5:05PM

nobody (by nobody I mean Gamestop) will have wii's or ds' until 1/29. Consider me informed. Bait and switch. Bait aaaaaaand switch.

john @ Jan 19th 2007 5:17PM

To those comparing this to the ps2 trade ins:

they give you $100 of for a used PS2 and only $50 for a used cube. Considering how much they sell these for new, and how much they sell them for used, why would the ps2 be worth 2x as much to them?

Anyhow, I have a Wii and a cube. I don't really need the cube anymore. Where can I get a good trade in towards games (Wii or DS)?

Optimus Prime @ Jan 19th 2007 5:34PM

So, $200 to go from GC to GC1.5 .. ummmm. no thanks.

Al @ Jan 19th 2007 5:38PM

PS3 story WAS negative in talking about clearing out consoles collecting dust. Wiis have been pretty hard to find but so have PS3s (at least in my experience). Perhaps the OC is too rich (because the real problem with the pS3 is it is too expensive, they should have ditched blue ray) because I had a hard time finding a PS3 to cash in on the Gamestop deal (called 8 stores before I found a store that had one, and that store only had 2 PS3s). However, I was very happy to cash in on my fat PS2 bought the first day the system launched and am really enjoying Resistance and downloaded F1 and Gran Tourismo demos (nothing else worth buying). I also have the 360 and Wii (first console I actually had to camp and stay overnight to get at launch/ thanks to my experience getting shut out on 360 I knew better this time).

Strangely, the 360 and the PS3 get the most play at my house. We like the wii but other than some early play time and playing it to demonstrate it to friends and family, we just don't play it that much. My 9 year old son was going crazy for the wii and playing it all the time for about two weeks. However, I can't remember the last time he played it as he has been playing the 360 and PS3 demos a lot. Since he has been playing games since he was 3, perhaps the intuitive controller thing is not as big an issue as when asked about why he does not play his wii that his father camped out to get for him (and let Dad get some playtime on the 360 and PS3 for a change), he said the wii games were fun in spurts but looked bad and did not hold his interest.

me @ Jan 19th 2007 5:55PM

any offers llike this on trading in a ps2 to get like 75 bux of a ps3?

me @ Jan 19th 2007 5:58PM

i mean the fat ps2

Huzzah!! @ Jan 19th 2007 5:59PM

Wow, good thing I got 90 dollars for my GC on eBay. Oh wait, isn't that more than 50??

TAKE THAT, GAMESTOP!!!

Foetoid @ Jan 19th 2007 6:11PM

Wow, you americans have dodgy deals. Here in Aus, if you traded in an xbox, ps2 OR gamecube and ANY 12 games from that generation, you get the Wii for US$125. Half price goodness. I ended up trading in the xbox, ps2 AND gc i had lying around that never got played (gc was played most) along with all the ps2 and xbox games (5 each) and 7 GC games for a grand total of US$255 credit towards my Wii, hahaha. I didn't pay 1 cent for the machine.

Car2oon @ Jan 19th 2007 6:31PM

@32 Well.. you payed for all those other consoles right? Yeah...

TheBrain @ Jan 19th 2007 6:59PM

"Doesn't the first line in the small print say no gaming hardware on that coupon? That might be a problem."

Its only a problem if the cashier reads the coupon. They rarely do though. I used one of these coupons back in November, I think it was a different one (which didn't exclude gaming hardware, that must have been a new addition). They never even read it. Just scan, 40 bucks off.

DJ @ Jan 19th 2007 8:07PM

This is a ripoff.

They don't have the Wiis to give you.

They are merely giving you a $50 credit TOWARDS a Wii, in trade for your gamecube and controller.

You are basically

1) FRONTING them the value of the GCN...
2) COMMITTING to buy a Wii from THEM...
3) ... whenever they finally get a Wii for you (probably sometime in March).

It's a SCAM. This differs from the PS3, which is actually in STOCK, so a trade-in is actually a trade-in.

Ibrahim @ Jan 19th 2007 10:05PM

Actually, this adds credibility to the Wii shipment this sunday rumors. Damn, I got a job after the wii came out that pays $100 a month (easy tutoring stuff) so in two weeks I'll have $200, too late to cash in on this offer. I got my GC last year refurb from Gamestop for $60 with Super Mario Sunshine, so I guess I win if I end up getting this offer.

ps1 fanboy @ Jan 19th 2007 10:14PM

wii 1s teh suXX0rz!!!!!!!111 s0ny pwnz m$0ft and intendoo-doo!!!1 wii makes me ROFL my woffles. s0ny FTW!!!1

Wikipedia taught me how to talk like this, i find it quite hilarious. you have to go out of your way to spell things incorrectly and with more letters than normal. Retardation FTW!

ps: aforementioned comments are completely fictional and do not necessarily express the views of this blogger.

Gilbert @ Jan 19th 2007 10:42PM

Why is it that when they did this with the PS2/PS3 it was cause for concern about overabundant inventory and an apparent launch failure? Now that they're doing this with the Gamecube/Wii the standard is different. How about some consistency in your journalism?

nesone @ Jan 19th 2007 10:54PM

i'm intrigued,i think i may pop in sunday.

Judd @ Jan 19th 2007 10:56PM

I hate to burst everyones bubble about this story but I managed to score a better deal with Gamestop/EB's trade in deals right before the Wii launch. They were offering a $20 bonus on consoles at the time which brought a Gamecube upto $50 which would make it equal to this deal. Thankfully though they took the deal one step further. They told me that if I put the money down towards a Wii game they would give me an extra 20%. Well That money could have just been put towards any Wii game and then transfered to a Wii system and you'd still get the extra 20% :). This really isn't anything too new is what I'm getting at and that people could have been scoring a discounted Wii before this came up.

Please don't think that I'm trying to be an A** or anything I just want people to stop whining over what system they think is better and just be happy that we all have a system of choice that plays the games that we enjoy, that's all.

dolemite @ Jan 19th 2007 11:41PM

I find it quite amusing how many people have noticed the double standard fanboys have when it comes to systems they like and dislike. This deal ain't bad if you really want a Wii, and the PS2 deal is good as well. You all said the PS3 is too high, well now its 399.99 w/trade. Isn't that the price point you all wanted? Yeah, I know a trade-in is involved, but hey, its still the 400 system you all bitched about. If I had a Gamecube and the Wii plays Gamecube games, I'd trade it in too. Too bad its not 75 bucks on the trade though. Stop Hatin and play games. And to those of you who get into debates with fanboys, save your time and stop. And we all know Joystiq, and Kotaku as well all come up with headlines that generate the most rabid posts. Its what they do.

Bob @ Jan 19th 2007 11:57PM

And as all GS ads seem to go, nothing on the ad will be in stock. No stores have Wii's.

Inspired @ Jan 20th 2007 1:54AM

Of course you're right, cause Wii's are collecting dust on store shelves?

amirite?

Fatass of Kickassness @ Jan 20th 2007 11:18AM

The funny thing is, most of you people don't realize that Gamestop can't turn around and sell a used PS2 for $100... but they definitely can sell a used Gamecube for $60.

There's a profit margin on this deal, folks, which is why they're doing it, unlike the PS3 deal, which was put in place probably because they want them off the shelves already.

Mr. Haha @ Jan 20th 2007 3:36PM

Now if you know what your talking about you'll know that the Wii is still in high demand and the game cube is not. You will also know that the PS3 is in super low demand and the PS2 is just below the Wii and 360 in demand. Those two statments explain what gamestop is doing. Gamestop must be running out of PS2 used hardware at a faster rate then there are loosing PS3 Hardware so to get rid of the more expensive hardware and restock a constant seller you must offer more for the PS2 than the gamecube. As we all know the gamecube is all but dead (once the Wii is in stock everywhere then it will be offical) and the Wii is at high demand. So since the Wii is at such high demand you don't need to offer $100 off because people are buying it at retail price. If you offer $50 most will consider that a fair deal for their gamecubes if you offer any less it would be a complete rip off. Now maybe gamestop is trying to signal everyone that it has become loyal to Nintendo and wants to continue the super high demand, maybe they they see supply begining to catch up with demand, or maybe they are just trying to increase sales by making those still looking for a Wii think they have them in stock. Judging by this and that BestBuy says they do have them instock maybe Nintendo is pulling off a second launch under our noses. This could me possible just by nintendo closing a gamecube factory and upgrading it for the Wii. The truth is this offer is not from Nintendo its from gamestop. If nintendo saw demand slow down more then it would like then they would have announced a new color or extra Wii-mote package by now.

All I know is that I already have my own Wii and I love it and that everytime I have had some try it out they want one or want me to go over their houses more often with the Wii. That in my book says that demand is there but that the titles may just be lacking a bit at this point of its life.

OSLIN @ Jan 24th 2007 8:47AM

WHOMEVER STATED THE WII IS DOOMED MUST BE RETARDED.
YOU TURN IN A PS2 AND GET $100 OFF A PS3(CLEVER NAME)
DOES THAT MEAN IT IS DOOMED?
THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

mastafool @ Feb 1st 2007 2:47PM

"This is a perfect example how Joystiq spins one story one week (PS3 - $100 off for PS2) and the exact same story the following week another way."

It may seem that way but, I can find PS3s in my local stores. Even without any manufacturing problems, I still cannot find a Wii or the 2 year old DS Lite.

That's the difference!