pop-culture for the people

or Why Have Retailers Fucked Over the GameCube?

I’ve wanted to write this article for a while now but only now got up the nerve to do it.  I’m a frequent watcher of the videogame industry and an avid gamer.  I own (and still own) systems like the ColecoVision right up to the GameCube.  I’ve always had a soft spot for videogaming and fortunately it has seen resurgence in ‘cool’ so I don’t look so dorky being 26 years old and staring at the toob for hours at a time.

A Nagging Feeling

But something has been bugging me.  After graduating from high school, I quit playing console videogames (at the time, NES, Super NES and Genesis) for a few years.  I would still go to the arcade, in fact I frequented the arcade quite a bit when I started working as I was at the time working in a mall, but I didn’t keep up on consoles.  So when I saw Sony jumping into the mix, I was surprised but when I saw their system, I wasn’t very impressed.  Slow loading times and crappy polygonal graphics, I wasn’t impressed.  Compared to the arcade games I’d been playing for the past few years it was hardly inspiring.  After a few years of watching the PlayStation gain momentum I was perplexed.  Why on earth is everyone so mesmerized by the shovelware that was being produced for this inferior system?  A system that didn’t even have any interesting characters like Sonic or Mario.

Sega had recently announced their Dreamcast and as awesome as it looked, there just didn’t seem to be any games for the system that were all that worthy of a purchase.  Sonic was a treat, but where were the other games?  Sega had a killer system but it looked like “I coulda been a contenda” was written on the box, which sadly became its fate a few years later (and a few great titles later too).  When Nintendo finally announced their N64, I had to see what their response was to the Sony threat.  Well, It was quite a system, but it too had plenty of faults.  However the N64 had a strong supply of games for it, perhaps not of the same numbers of the PS, but at least most of them were quality titles.  When I was in college (I didn’t go to college per se, but I was *at* college) some of my friends were big N64 junkies, largely due to the excellent wrestling games that were offered on the system and the ability to play 4 players at a time (without a ‘multitap’).  I won’t pretend to say that the N64 had better graphics (though I will argue it had better 3D graphics, but crappy looking textures), but it certainly had better games (at least games that interested my friends and I).

When a friend of mine went out of his way the day that the PS2 came onto market to buy one, I was already skeptical.  That side of the fence had little that interested me.  Sure there were games that I would have liked to have had, but the N64 had enough to keep me happy.  When he got the PS2, we all laughed at him for spending over $300 for a system that had a handful of really crappy games.  It didn’t live up to the promises that Sony had made.  It looked like a sooped up PlayStation in a black box.  This riceracer of gaming systems didn’t impress.  Microsoft made their presence known in the gaming universe shortly after the PS2.  With a focus on hardware, instead of software, it looked like it could also be poised for a fate similar to the powerful Dreamcast, but as most anyone who knows Microsoft should know, never count them out early in the fight.  A few months later, Nintendo released the GameCube, hoping to gain marketshare stolen from them by Sony in the past few years.  Knowing they needed a system that was powerful and capable and knowing they needed to convert to the optical disk format to compete, they released a worthy system.

Now, a few years later, we see the market and how it’s laid out.  The PS2 owns the world market by a huge degree.  It also holds an interesting advantage in that it can also run older PS games.  Nintendo owns the second place title in the world market by a small margin, but is third in place in the US market, where Microsoft recently has taken a recognizable lead.  The Dreamcast has dropped from the race entirely.  How did the market shift directions?  Nintendo used to own the market when the race was almost entirely Nintendo versus Sega (though there were a few other mildly successful systems like the TurboGrafx 16 and the NeoGeo, they were more successful in Asia than in the US).  Why does Sony own the hearts and minds of our youth instead of Nintendo?  How is it that the stereotypically “uncool” Microsoft becomes cool with the Xbox?  I don’t have the answers, but I do have a few thoughts on all of this.

Conspiracy Theories

Have you taken a look in a videogame or computer store lately?  How about the ads in the Sunday newspaper or on TV?  I’ve noticed something interesting lately.  Perhaps it has been there all along and I only recently saw it.

When you go into a videogame store, you are thrown into a wonderland of games.  Most of these are for the ubiquitous PS2 system.  What of the Xbox and GameCube?  Ask a rep at the retailer what system is the best and I’ll guarantee the response will go something like this: “The PS2 is the best because it has the most games, but the Xbox is really good if you want the best graphics and adult games.  Buy a GameCube if you have kids.”  The retailer will almost go out of his way to pressure moms and dads (who typically don’t keep up on gaming news and technology) into buying the more expensive systems selling them on such things or simply “this one is the best”.  If you aren’t a mom or dad, but a typical teenager who wants a new system they hammer on the gamer by feeding him FUD like “You want to buy this system because that other system doesn’t have any games for teenagers or adults”.  Think I’m overstating this?  Go into a videogame store and listen in on some conversations with kids, teens, adults and moms and dads.  Most retailers are more interested in making the sale rather than qualifying the sale by asking questions about the gamer and the types of games he or she likes.

Instead, they make presumptions: Kids want the kiddy system, GameCube.  Teens want lots of games or want adult games like their older brothers and sisters, so they should buy the PS2 or Xbox.  Parents should buy whatever is the most expensive system, but easiest to sell, PS2.  20 or 30 something’s should buy the Xbox because it has adult games.  Nevermind the fact that all of these systems have a huge variety of games that overlap age groups and genres.  But the presumption is the easiest sale because “They practically sell themselves!”.

Another interesting thing you’ll notice when you are in many of the big gaming chains, is that the crew are all wearing Xbox necklace-nametags, for instance.  Now tell me that you are going to get impartial help from that salesperson.  Like most stores they are going to try to upsell the customer to that product (or whatever product is going to net them the highest dollar sale they can get out of that person, even more so if that store is commission-based).  Think I’m kidding?  Most retailers have certain products that they are asked to highlight and sell more of than the others for ‘spiffs’.  I wouldn’t doubt for a moment that gaming retailers have certain systems they are told to highlight, though admittedly I have no proof to make that statement.

Isn’t it incredibly interesting that retailers place the GameCube in the back of their store, often in the corner next to the bargain bin stuff (from the GameCube’s launch I’ve noticed this in many major retailers)?  The PS2 and Xbox are much more prominently placed towards the front sides of the store.  While I can reason the PS2 being prominently placed from a shear items-sold perspective, the Xbox and the GameCube have very similar sales numbers, so why this discrepancy?  Ever go into Blockbuster or Hollywood Video?  Isn’t it interesting that their GameCube lineup is greatly lacking, often half the size of the Xbox rental selection?  Why?

Isn’t it also very interesting that in the ads in Sunday newspapers that many of the big electronics stores (Circuit City, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc.) will often highlight a certain system over another?  In fact, they will often leave the GameCube out of their ads altogether.  I noticed when Zelda came out, a few of the stores would simply show Zelda for sale, but not feature a shot of the system at all.  I’m not saying there’s a conspiracy here, but jeeze…  It seems awfully fishy.

Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt

Sony and Microsoft have spread so much FUD about Nintendo in the past few years that everyone is willing to believe any rant that comes out of their collective mouths.  I won’t be so naive to say that Nintendo hasn’t done any wrong in their past, but come on…  Most notably lately is all of the press that has been going on saying that GameCube is going down the tube to a fate similar to that of the Dreamcast.  Quite a lofty thing to say when Nintendo (at least at the time of the launch) is the only company to be making a profit on each system sold.  This is the same kind of FUD that’s been said about Apple for the past 20 years (sorry to use a tired example, but is it not true?).

The more it is said, the more likely it may happen, I suppose because we are talking about a difference between marketshare and mindshare.  Xbox and GameCube share very similar marketshare, but Xbox seems to have won out highly on mindshare.  How?  The same way that Windows has won out on Linux mindshare (though I’d imagine the numbers are a lot closer marketshare wise if you were to consider *every* system and device that runs Linux compared to Windows).  I’m not sure how Nintendo can win the mindshare race.  Nintendo started out in the market when gamers were typically children but now many of those children are starting to have kids of their own, and their interests are different.  So some folks have decided that the only way Nintendo can regain marketshare is if they start making gorefest games that will sell to the mature audiences.  Nintendo does something that few other game companies can do.  They make games that everyone can enjoy.  Perhaps they haven’t gotten with the times and addressed niche audiences, making ultraviolent games.  However, they have a fairly consistent quality that most other game companies can’t match, other than Sega perhaps.
I’ve seen a fair amount of retailers complaining online that they aren’t making money on the GameCube, and some saying they are losing money on it.  If you aren’t making money off the GameCube, then you aren’t doing your job to sell GameCube.  Just as some stores may be featuring certain items, they should also work on selling other items in their store as well.  Instead of sitting behind your counter and ignoring your customers (Babbages, GameStop, software etc., etc. Etc. Etc.) try suggestion selling.  Try figuring out what it is that the customer wants and trying to find out what would best suit their needs.  PS2 isn’t for everyone, Xbox isn’t for everyone and of course, GameCube isn’t for everyone.  If you are that concerned about inventory in your store then you need to work on your sales technique.  Talk to the customer; ask them what kind of games they like.  Don’t sell them a PS2 because it’s easy.  Sell them the system that best matches their wants and needs.

And I’ll say this (from being heavily entrenched in retail) if you simply sit back and assume that the products will sell themselves, then you don’t belong in retail, you should be selling hotdogs on a hotdog stand because that doesn’t require any communication or qualifying with the customer other than asking whether or not they want mustard.

Unanswered Questions

As I said, I have no real answers to the questions I have posed, but I needed to ask them anyway because it’s been bugging me.  I read the gaming magazines, both print and online, and there is total distortion on all sides.  Everyone is trying to promote his or her favorite system over the other.  While I’m a big fan of the GameCube, I also believe in journalistic integrity, which most of these journalists don’t seem to adhere to.  I also think a lot of it comes down to the “cool” factor.  Most gaming companies appeal to youth just like most other companies do, by making their product seem cooler than everyone else’s.  Right now Sony is the Nike in the industry.  Kids see their older brothers (sadly, female gamers are still largely ignored in the industry) playing ultraviolent games like Grand Theft Auto or Splinter Cell and they want to play those games too.  It is purely human nature.  All younger siblings want the things their elder siblings have.  The advertising industry knows this, and that’s how they sell products.  That’s also how the tobacco industry continues to exist, but that’s another article altogether.

Final Notes

To be fair, I will say that Nintendo does need to get on the ball with producing more “Big” games and they need to do more advertising of those titles.  They need to lose their “kiddie” appearance and fast.  Perhaps that is a failure to see what is going on in the US market due to culture differences, I don’t know.  So, yeah, Nintendo is partly to blame for not being as aggressive as they should be.

I expect that this article will get a fair amount of rabid readers frothing at the mouth that I’m painting something in a poor light or that my facts aren’t straight.  I hope most readers of this article will understand my intentions; to question if there aren’t some fishy things going on in the industry pushing momentum in ways that may not have naturally happened.  The gaming industry today is larger than the record industry and there’s a lot of money to be had.  If one company is practicing uncouth business tactics, I’d like to know about it.  Then again, I could be reading more into this than there is…

-Hollywood

So the much awaited book came out, and while a great work of fiction, it leaves something to be desired.  I honestly wanted to like what I read but due to its many flaws, I couldn’t bring myself to do so.

The plot was there, but I’ve read it before in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series.  I suppose tried and true gets the job done, but the characters were bland, flat and somewhat unbelievable (much like the more recent Bond movies).  The best character in the book was the evil “Donald Rumsfeld”.  He reminded me of Dr. Romano on ER, the guy you loved to hate but loved to watch.  Other characters weren’t as enriched.  For instance, not even Tom Clancy would have had the president doing the old ‘twostep’ quite like this guy.  It was almost like the author couldn’t figure out what to do with him during those 7 minutes he sat in a classroom reading a book to a bunch of children.  But what do I know about writing the great American novel?

I did find a few large plotholes you could drive a truck through, but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  It also seemed like the editor left out so much of the story when putting this together you have to make assumptions and put the rest together yourself.  In fact the editor is to blame for the greatest injustice of this story by stripping out contraversial details to appease the publisher.

This being the authors first novel, I would normally be willing to read a sequel, but I was so disappointed by the hype around this book, I hope there isn’t another.  Currently my copy is holding up the hutch in our living room.  It will probably stay there, at least until a revised edition comes out and this one becomes a collectors item.

Rating: Two out of Five Monkeys

-Hollywood

Other member’s reviews:
Captain Obvious: “Hmm…  I would have pointed out that this book was crap, but that was obvious.  Even for me.”

Buy this book:
Like any popculture fad, you gotta get it while it’s hot.  The book is already in the bargain basement at Amazon ($8!).  Apparently the publisher is having a rough time getting rid of the book they are now giving it away for free online.

He he he, oh I love dealing with government agencies.  So, some of you may know of Hollywood’s past issues with the NY and CA DMVs.  Hopefully one day he will be healed enough to write an article about it.  Well, here’s my glorious recent experience with the CA DMV.

I turned 25 this year, which means it’s license renewal year for us lucky folks who got our licenses at the age of 16.  This also means it’s my second time renewing my license; I renewed it when I was 20, from NY where I was going to school.  That went by without a hitch.  I got my notice, mailed my form and my $15 check, and voila! About 4 weeks later I got my new license (and I was even in NY, so the renewal was forwarded by my mom, then the license had to be forwarded by my mom, and I still got it in about 4 weeks).  Ah the days . . .

So, in March I got a renewal notice.  It said I could renew by mail, I thought great!  Despite the fact that I live across the street from the DMV (I’m not kidding), I will mail it in with my $24 check and thus avoid the hassle and the lines.  And they discourage you from showing up in person anyway unless you absolutely have to.  So I mailed it in March, and patiently waited . . . and waited . . . and waited.  My birthday rolled around in May, and I thought.  Hmmm, my license is now expired.  But that’s ok, it’s only the card that’s expired, seeing as they cashed my check (on April 8th), the paperwork must have gone through, so I’m sure it’s in the mail.  At this point it had only been 4 weeks since they cashed the check, and I figured I could be patient since I wasn’t really driving anywhere. 

So in late May I try to buy alcohol in my local Safeway.  The guy looks at me, looks at the card, and says “Uh, this is expired, I can’t take this.”  I’m thinking, its obviously me, and just because the card is expired doesn’t mean I wasn’t born in 1979 like it says; but instead I say, “That’s ok, he’s buying anyway” and they card Hollywood instead.

So I call the 800 number for the CA DMV, and its busy.  I try at various times for two days, and finally get through only to have the battery on my cordless phone die while I’m working my way through the extensive menus.  I pop it on the charger and grab my cell phone, which tells me I can’t complete the call to that number for some reason.  Anyway, I wait until the next day, and spend 45 minutes trying to get through.  I finally get a live person, this is the conversation:

Me:  Uh, yeah, I sent in my renewal form in March and the check cleared in April and its now June and I haven’t gotten my card yet.

DMV guy: Ok, what’s your driver’s license number?

I give it to him.

DMV guy:  Yeah, ok, does your name on your social security card match the name on your driver’s license?

Me:  Well, yeah, I’m pretty sure . . . let me check.  Well, it says “Hathyr R. Agoddess” on the social security card and “Hathyr Reallyis Agoddess” on my driver’s license.

DMV guy:  Well, that’s the problem, it needs to match exactly.  Its part of the new system.

Me: Ok . . . uh, how do I fix it? 

DMV guy: You need to either get your name changed with social security or take your card to the DMV and get it cleared up in person.

So, I make an appointment with the DMV, cuz they really want you to use their new spiffy appointment making program.  Meanwhile I’m thinking that this is somebody’s idea of increased national security despite the fact that I had to produce a birth certificate at 16 to get the damn thing, and I have already renewed the thing once.  So, how exactly is this helping?  Nobody else seems to think there is a problem with shortening my middle name to an initial, in fact most places really only want the initial.  I’m also thinking, a form letter explaining the problem would have been nice.  Any sort of letter saying there was a problem would have been nice.  Apparently the DMV is not into being nice.

One and a half weeks later:  I walk across the street to the DMV and walk up to the counter at my appointment time.  I am quickly told that I need to fill out the renewal form [Didn’t I do this already?].  I fill it out, explain the problem, and produce my social security card.  This is the conversation:

Me: I was told that if I brought in the card everything would be cleared up.

DMV lady:  Its still not going through to Social Security.

Me: What does that mean?

DMV lady: Well, the name isn’t matching at Social Security, so there is nothing I can do.  On your card it looks like there is a space where there shouldn’t be one, see here? “Hathyr R. Agodd Ess” while on your driver’s license its written as “Hathyr Reallyis A Goddess.”  So that’s the problem.  How is it written on your birth certificate?

Me:  However it is on the driver’s license.

DMV lady: You’ll have to take your birth certificate to Social Security and get it fixed, then.

Me:  After I get it fixed, then what?  Do I need to come back here?

DMV lady: No, it’ll go through, just call the 800 number to check.

So I call my mom and ask her to overnight me my birth certificate.  Meanwhile, I go and start my new summer job [Wanna take a survey, anyone?].  I also decide to be smart, and I look up all info I can at the SSA website and I call their 800 number.  This is that conversation:

Me:  Yeah, my driver’s license renewal isn’t going through because of how my name is on file at social security. I was wondering how exactly it is written on file so I know how to fix it.

Really Bored SSA girl: Whats your SS number?

I give her the pertinent info.

Really Bored SSA girl:  How is it on your card and on your license.

I tell her.

Really Bored SSA girl:  Well, then, its different, isn’t it.

Me:  How do I fix it? [thinking: thanks, that was incredibly helpful, and you answered my questions wonderfully]

Really Bored SSA girl: Fill out form __ and bring in proof of identity.

Me: Like my birth certificate?

Really Bored SSA girl:  No, we can’t take a birth certificate, it has to be a picture ID.  Like a driver’s license or a passport.

Me: Ok, my driver’s license is expired, that’s the whole problem, will they take an expired license? [Thinking: I’d better cancel that FedEx from mom then, eh?]

Really Bored SSA girl:  Yep, no problem.

So, fast forward one week.  It is now July.  I have downloaded and filled out the appropriate form, have located any picture ID with my full legal name on it [an expired passport and an expired driver’s license] and have printed out directions and operating hours for the local SSA office.  Off Hollywood and I go to visit our friendly SSA people.

We only have to wait 20-30 minutes, and I am met with an incredibly friendly and helpful woman.  She looks up my name, and tells me my middle name is spelled out fully, so that’s not the problem.  It looks like it’s a space issue: there is no space in my last name in the social security database, but there is one on my driver’s license.  It gets fixed, she double checks it with me, and tells me I’ll get a new card in 2 weeks.  Plus I get a printout of my corrected name with her signature on it.  Yay, I’m happy now.  Its almost over!  Or so I think. 

I get home and call the DMV 800 number, and actually get through on the first try.  I explain the situation, and ask what I have to do next.  I am told that I have to bring my new Social Security card to the DMV office and have them resubmit my renewal form.  I am told that there is no way he can do it over the phone.  I’m thinking, while I’m at it I’m going to print off proof that I’ve already paid for this damn thing, cuz the next thing you know they’re going to tell me I owe them $24.

So, fast forward yet another week.  This time without an appointment I walk over to the DMV at 8:30am thinking, since there were only 5 people there last time, it’ll be the same this time.  Wrong.  There are 20 people ahead of me, and I need to catch a bus to work in an hour.  Luckily, at this DMV they rush people with driver’s license applications or renewals through, so I only had to wait behind two people.  This is that conversation.

Friendly DMV guy: How can I help you today?  [really, he did say that]

Me: Ok, this is the story . . . [I give him shortest version possible] . . .and I have proof that I paid, so it better be in the computer that I don’t owe any money.

Him: Ok, lets see what we’ve got here. [he prints something out, reads it, looks at me, looks at the printout, looks back at me] Uh . . . I don’t know what this means, hang on.

He goes and finds a supervisor, they puzzle over it a minute.  I show them proof that I went to Social Security [thank you nice SSA lady!] They come back.

Me to Supervisor: There was a spacing issue in my name; there is a space in the DMV records and there wasn’t at SSA.

Supervisor: No, there isn’t a space in the DMV records.

Me: Uh, there is on my license.

Supervisor: Well, that’s an older record.  [ok! Hang on a minute here! Older record! You have to jump through hoops to get anything changed with the DMV.  It had better be the same as it was when I brought in my birth certificate ten years ago! But, whatever]

Supervisor to Friendly DMV guy: Well, she’s already been to SSA, so call Sacramento and get her records released.

Friendly DMV guy to me: Ok, this will take a minute, what’s your SS number again?

I wait patiently while he is on the phone with Sacramento.  He comes back after about 5 minutes.

Him: Ok, everything is set.

Me: Uh, really? 

Him: Yeah, that’s what they told me. [not a good sign, if you ask me]

Me: Ok, cuz if the new license doesn’t show up in a couple of weeks, I know who to come looking for.  How long before the new card is supposed to come?

Him: Sacramento said 2-3 weeks, but I think I’m gonna tell you 3-5 so you don’t come looking for me any sooner.  [Yay, I finally got through to someone how frustrating this is] Would you like a temporary license?

Me: No I already have one thank you.

Him: Are you sure?  Here have another one, the expiration date will be later.

So, I walk out of there with another temp license, and hope that it has finally been cleared up.  I should be able to buy alcohol again in a few weeks. 

At the end of the day I discover a letter from the DMV, dated June 30.  It tells me that there is a problem with my license renewal; something doesn’t match with SSA.  Better late than never right?  Of course, it does clear up some confusion.  There is indeed a space on record with the DMV, but they have my name like this:
First: Hathyr
Middle: Reallyis A
Last: Goddess

Hence all the screw-ups.  It was all their fault to begin with.  Now, what do I do with the form?  Send it back to them corrected and worry that something new is going to get messed up?  I think I’ll sit on it for 5 years until my next renewal comes along.  At least then I’ll know what the problem is.

—hathyr