No Cube online from GAME
Updated Waiting for assurances
GAME does not stock either the GameCube broadband or modem adapter required to play Phantasy Star Online, a game they are otherwise happy to sell you, Eurogamer has learned this morning.
Net-based reports earlier suggested that GAME had refrained from stocking the adapters due to problems with the network of European servers available to players, and although the GAME press office had nothing for us at the time of writing, a salesperson at one of the Brighton-based stores informed us that neither adapter would be stocked until GAME received assurances from Sega, Infogrames or Nintendo about the state of the network. When they are, they'll be 35 quid, the same as everywhere else.
With Dixon's now planning to stop flogging the Cube (and by extension Curry's and PC World), and GAME failing to stock the adapter, we're running out of places to buy Nintendo products...
Update - Game spokesperson Lisa Artemis told Eurogamer: "We have not announced that we won't [be stocking Nintendo's Broadband/Modem adaptor], however it is correct we will not be selling them at launch. The reason is because we haven't been presented the products, and haven't seen the [online gaming service] working in totality.
"As a retailer with 330 stores this is a customer service issue, and if we're not confident it works, then we can't stock it. That's not to say we won't stock it in the future, but we need to review the situation.
"We are, however, stocking Phantasy Star Online [on GameCube] as a standalone product."