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Gamecube: Launch Delayed, Logo Added
transient0 writes: "According to this article from Reuters, Nintendo Corp. has pushed back the U.S. launch of the Gamecube console by two weeks from November 5 to November 18. This means that the X-Box will be hitting U.S. shelves before the Gamecube does."
Alec Muzzy adds: "Does anyone remember this article where Nintendo Executive Vice President, Peter Main, said '...Microsoft has announced November 8th as their launch date, but I don't think that's final. The GameCube will definitely launch on schedule though...' In a related story, the GameCube will now feature a logo from IBM."
In a related story, the GameCube will now feature a logo from IBM.
GameCube: The only console that's guaranteed to kick your ass at Chess.
The Okamaaaaaaaaaaaa Gamesphere.
+5:offtopic,but anti-American
From the rumors, I think there's a good chance Microsoft will not have every X-box available at their launch that they'd hoped, so although this allows the folks in Redmond to steal a little of Nintendo's thunder, I don't think it'll have that much effect.
On top of that, the Gamecube audience (pre-teens and older) and the X-box audience (older teens, young adults) are different, so this is more of a disappointment for that audience than it is a real problem for the GC's success.
Sweet, sweet Mario Kart.
I think that the X-Box is going to be a disappointment to a lot of PC Gamers anyway. They're going to realize their new console is the same as the Dell high end gaming box. Granted, it's a lot cheaper and has the TV out why the duplication? I'd be willing to bet that within a year of the release Microsoft will release the "XBox Center" or some other snazzy marketing name yielding the ability to play Xbox games on your PC.
Dacels Jewelers can't be trusted.
So let me get this straight: at launch time, the Sony one will still be $299, the Microsoft one will be $299, and the Nintendo one will be $199?!? That's got to be the first time in history that the box with the IBM logo had the lowest price.
And on another note, I think this'll change that old slogan, "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM." I think if I expensed one of these, I'd have a hard time passing it off as an IBM part.
What's your damage, Heather?
To put the IBM labels on!!
"We canna stick any faster Captain!"
Clearly IBM believes that todays geeks will be the decsion makers of tomorrow.
/390 quake server?
A billion dollars in Linux research, now console gaming, what next,a
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
There are some big name, system-selling games for the Gamecube, most notably the latest Mario and Zelda titles. Nintendo showed only a few games at this past E3, but they were winners. I'd consider buying a Gamecube just to play them.
Microsoft, well, they don't have much that's exciting game-wise, even if they do have the "better" hardware. Their showing at E3 turned off many people to the Xbox. There are some long awaited vaporware products, like Halo, but they could easily turn out to be not worth the wait (as is happening so often these days with games in development for three or more years).
As long as Metroid is still going to be GameCube only, the delay shouldn't affect sales.
Mmmmmm.... Metroid.....
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
A beowulf cluster of /390 quake servers...
Best Slashdot Co
On the other side of the coin, does this matter? How many people are of the opinion "I gots to get me a next generation game system now! I don't care which it is. Whoever is first to market gets my money."
The reality of the situation is that if you were going to get an Xbox, you're still going to. If you were getting a Cube, you're still going to, just a week later. In this type of situation, first to market by a few days means very little.
there are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
Halo.
It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
from the article linked:
"Its PowerPC
chips run devices ranging from
television set-top boxes to mobile
phones."
which says nothing of the millions of Apple Macintosh computers the chips run as well (presuming this is the same PowerPC we're talking about.. it doesn't give model numbers).. does this mean all new Macs will have this "IBM Technology" logo on them, too? since they went to translucent plastic, the PowerPC logo has been absent
nor does it mention anything about the fact that the chip is derived from the Power family of RISC chip designs, intended for use in IBM servers... or that the platform was co-developed by motorola for the desktop and embedded markets.
i just thought i'd add my 2 cents (3 cents canadian) to the obviously lacking fluff on C|Net
--hey! where's my sig?
- Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
pre-teens and older seems to me to totally overlap older teens and young adults, in fact a wider range...
Consider that one of the launch titles for the Gamecube is an amazing Star Wars:Rogue Squadron game. I'm past my 20's but I'm pre-ordering a Gamecube just for that - very targeted at the exact people who might be buying an XBox.I think advertising will really define who will come up on top - it's a matter of Nintendo convincing as wide an audience as possible to buy thier system, and Microsoft convincing as many people as possible that the new system has something great to offer.
Of course, it will also be interesting to see what Sony does at the same time - will they sit silent and let Nintendo and MS beat on each other? Will they come out with a series of ads touting impressive new games like GT3 and MGS2 to try and steal some thunder?
And the final question - will anyone have spare money at the end of the year to buy new systems, or will they all fall flat?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I was hoping they meant the cool little game with the turtle and the "go 25 / right 90" commands... drats.
I really hate signatures, but go to my website.
It's only a couple of weeks, sure, but when it takes you from being a few days in front of Microsoft, to over a week behind, well that is significant.
Only time will tell if it will be disastrous. Maybe Xbox will slip too. Who knows?
Any word on the US release date for Matsushita/Panasonic's GameCube unit, or whether software will be able to use the extended area for FMV or possibly game data as well? One would imagine that if the extra data capacity (data capacity of the 8cm disc being used in the GC is ~1.5gb, whereas a single-layered 12cm DVD is ~4.5, double-layered ~8, and if one extrapolates density from 8cm and 12cm CD sizes, a 12cm GC data disc should be approximately 6gb...) was usable for software, this would make that version much the preferable system, even at a higher price... especially given that the sizes of some of the newer PSX RPGs are approaching 1.5gb.
Could we someday see a Mac with an IBM Technology logo on it? I've heard there's a possibility that Apple may use IBM chips at some point, and they already use some IBM drives. Wouldn't that be something to behold? It'd really confuse the folks who still use the term IBM Compatable.
For coverage, check out:
Gamespot's SpaceWorld Coverage
IGN's GameCube site
Most impressive to me is the footage of the new Mario and Zelda games. While lots of other developers worry about targetting the "cool" gamers, the "hardcore" gamers, Nintendo seems to be the one of the only ones focusing on the FUN in their games, and targetting the kid in all of us (as well as the real kids among us.) ;-) That's going to be the factor that wins them the #1 position in the upcomming console wars, in my opinion. This focus on pure fun is evident in their entire GameCube and Game Boy Advance lineup.
paulb
Paul Bettner
Game Developer et al
wait for it.....
the Atari Jaguar!
The fisrt batches was made by IBM and the later ones by Comptronix.
Atari Press Release:
ATARI AND IBM ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC MANUFACTURING CONTRACT FOR MULTIMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- June 28, 1993 -- Atari Corp. announced today that it has contracted with the IBM Corp.'s Charlotte, N.C., facility to manufacture the Atari Jaguar, Atari's new 64-bit multimedia entertainment system.
IBM's multi-year contract is valued at $500 million.
The Atari Jaguar, to be made in the United States, is an interactive multimedia entertainment system which features over 16 million colors in 24-bit true color graphics and produces shaded 3-D polygons for manipulation in a "real world" in real time. A 32-bit expansion port will allow for future connection into cable and telephone networks, a digital signal processing port for modem usage and connection to digital audio peripherals. The Jaguar will also feature a double-speed compact disc peripheral.
"This system is clearly the wave of the future," said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. "Because the Jaguar will feature such an array of visual and audio special effects, we wanted to work with a premier company that we are confident can manufacture the quality product we have developed."
The Charlotte-based IBM plant, which for 15 years has manufactured and developed products only for other IBM businesses, just recently began working with outside companies to meet their production needs. The Atari Jaguar project represents one of IBM's first entries into manufacturing for the mass consumer electronics market.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to work with Atari and their new system," said Herbert L. Watkins, director of Application Solutions manufacturing at IBM Charlotte. "Everyone expects IBM to manufacture complex information technology products, and with this, we'll show that we can competitively build a sophisticated consumer product."
In addition to assembling the Jaguar, IBM will be responsible for the component sourcing, quality testing, packaging and distribution. The Jaguar, announced on June 3, is based on an Atari-designed proprietary 64-bit RISC processor that features four times the technology currently seen in the marketplace today. The sound system is based on Atari's proprietary, high-speed, Digital Signal Processor dedicated to audio which can produce CD-quality sound. The Atari Jaguar will be available on a limited basis in the fall, focusing on the New York market. A national roll-out is expected next year, and the Jaguar will retail for approximately $200.
NOTE: Atari Corp. manufactures and markets personal computers and video games for the home, office and educational marketplaces throughout the world. Atari headquarters are located at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
The IBM Corp.'s Charlotte facility manufactures and develops for IBM and other companies a wide variety of products, such as banking systems, automotive diagnostic systems and electronic circuit boards. The site includes 2.3 million square feet of work space on a 1,200-acre site. Its address is 1001 W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28257. Telephone: 704-594-1000
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.
Nintendo's GameCube :
Photos show how gamers will eventually have the choice of a 56K modem or a broadband modem and
2 slots for 4-Mb Digicard flash memory cards or a 64-MB SD-Digicard adapter. The biggest change that Nintendo has made between the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube is that the GameCube will be the first Nintendo console not to use game cartridges. The GameCube will use small proprietary discs.
the logo they're plastering on these things is awful. Paul Rand would puke.
sure it's the right blue (maybe - web colors suck for ID standards) and there are the stripes, but gradients and dropshadows? on a logo?
okay, so i don't play the part of design nazi very well, but i did have the logo usage standards drilled into my head when i worked at Big Blue, and it sucks to see them ogilvy-and-mathered. yarf.
- Entertaining Bits from the Ancient Kernel Tree
I saw a news story about GameCube a week or so ago, and they said it supported HDTV at 1080 out of the box, and Microsoft will have HDTV support as an extra add on. That said. I'll never waste my money on another Nintendo product. I don't know yet if I'll waste it on one from Microsoft. But MS, if ya hadn't noticed has acquire a few game companies in the past couple of years. More over they've developed some brands of their own, Age of Empires, their sports series. Not to mention Sega will be developing games for all three of the boxes. I've seen stuff about Xbox getting a new grand theft auto, and crazy taxi. That sure as hell appeals more to me than anything with Mario.
The killer app I would buy either of them for on the spot would be a tight Macross game.
--Jimmy has fancy plans; and pants to match.
Poor Kamek.
;)
He was in the early N64 Mario Kart screen shots, but then was dumped for Wario (I didn't agree either; Wario is a crappy knock-off Game Boy charcter, Kamek is a cool 'make-things-big-now' magic guy from Yoshi's Island).
I doubt he'll be back though. But, you make the petition, I'll sign it (and make sure you ask for the koopa troopa back too...
(Pinocchio, however... why?!)
This post brought to you by killing time between lectures...
Sega did get in bed with Microsoft, however, to get WinCE ported to the Dreamcast.
;)
Sure, MS got it too them so late they only had it as an optional extra to developers, but, it was still there...
So, Sega have slept with Evil Software Corp...
(And, before anyone asks, I don't know how two large companies sleep together.
However, GameCube media is cheap, so multiple disk games would be a viable option to companies wanting to release games larger then 1.5G.
Sqaure used multiple CD's for some (all?) the Final Fantasy games on the PlayStation, so this won't be anything new for the industry.
Take another look in the video store. HDTVs are down to $1500 US for a widescreen picture tube model (a nice Panasonic Tau model). I expect sub-$1000 models by next year.
That's cheap enough that I'm beginning to plan how I'll be making the jump.
The issue for me is not so much the HDTV, but figuring out the best way to build a system around it.
And, FWIW, broadcast HDTV doesn't even enter into the equation for me. It's all about home theater, where an HDTV utterly kills anything NTSC. After watching DVDs on my 19" computer monitor at HDTV resolution, I can never go back!
Jon Acheson
All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.