Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo GameCube Clone Out In Japan
Jon F writes: "I saw this picture on Yahoo! today, it looks like Nintendo decided to license out the GameCube to Panasonic to make a clone. It's a hybrid DVD player/GameCube that came out in Toyko today. The only other article I came across about this was on IGN a few months ago. It has a mirrored surface and trippy purple lights on the controller port." Gaming guts (and purple bits) aside, this is one of the nicest-looking DVD players I've seen. Update: 11/01 23:50 GMT by T : As several readers have pointed out, this looks like just a tease for now, but will be out (in Japan) next month.
This is definatly something unique in the Console gaming market. It makes a lot of sense to do it as well. Console manufacturers have been losing money on the consoles themselves in order to gain marketshare, hoping to make bank on the games they play. Setting the cost on a 3rd party makes for good economics. Nintendo still makes money off of licenses and games, but is not responsible for losing money on the consoles!
This seems like a fantastic idea for Nintendo. Rather than placing all their bets on their ability to produce enough hardware, market to a large enough population, get it in front of enough eyeballs, etc., they're spreading the liability of this kind of venture out.
Imagine if Sony had done the same thing with the PS2 last year. They might have been able to meat christmas production demands, rather than creating an artificial shortage.
Nintendo is banking on licensees sharing in the impact of the GameCube's success or failure.
"This seems to be a first to me? I have NEVER heard of Nintendo doing any sort of outside licenseing of hardware, at least not of the console hardware."
u be /cube.asp
You are right. Never in north america has this happened. But in Japan it has. Anyways big N needed a cheap player deal for their console and Panasonic cut a deal. You get a great price point for the guts we provide you let us have a great price on the guts of the machine you provide.
"Still hope this extends to the US, that would rock, get a Tivo/TV/GameCube/PS2"
Well it's just a game system and a dvd player but ya it's comming to Canada and America, I have no idea on the UK or pricing anywhere.
You could enter the sweapstakes contest I guess....
http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/c
pingmeep
This is definatly something unique in the Console gaming market.
The only reason that this is "unique" in the (current) market is that 3DO tried it years ago and failed miserably.
very true - but this sexy Yahoo article only 1.5 months before the release date -> featuring a crisp, shiny image with working readout panel makes it feel a lot less like vaporware than the May IGN article.
- passion
Consider that the Gamecube from Nintendo only runs their 3" DVD media, it's more of an argument of the PS2 VS DVD player debate... If you look at it as *purely* a game system, or *purely* a DVD player, sure it looks overpriced... But if you consider the value of each component, the average name brand DVD costing $150-$200 USD, and the average price of a next gen video game system at $100-$150 USD, doing the math, it's an appropriate price between $250 and $350...
In the case of a DVD drive in a PC, unless you have a monitor the size of a 25"+ display, the effect is largely lost... Especially if you were one of those unfortunate enough to buy that Powerpuff Girls DVD with added virus "bonus"... It comes in handy for a *few* things, ripping videos, watching movies on your PC when you don't care about the screen size, but frankly with so little in the way of games in DVD format, the drive's value is largely wasted... Only in matters of building a home theater/game system is a PC DVD ROM drive of any value...
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Though I do think it's a great idea and I'd love to see it take off. The gamecube/washing machine should really help take the dull off of doing my laundry.
It is only the most powerful game console in the world.
You're right, that's about all it is (and even then only on raw specs).
While I certainly wouldn't rule out a small amount of Slashdot's anti-MS bias regarding X-Box articles, the fact remains that for a lot of people, or rather gamers, the X-Box isn't the next big thing. The hype surrounding it may be huge, but it doesn't take much to start to see through it. It simply isn't that impressive.
- Also Sprach Doktor Merkwurdigliebe
This item has been in the works for some time. It was shown way back in May at E3 in Los Angeles and it hasn't changed at all. My guess it that it was part of Nintendo's original game plan for the GameCube. I just hope it still as the broadband connection for the future.
If the XBox truly costs $375 in marginal costs, and they are selling it for $300, they are engaging in dumping. It is illegal to sell products under marginal cost in an attempt to monopolize the marget.
A combination of Microsoft leveraging Windows (the DirectX API), a monopoly, into establishing a new monopoly through market dumping, should make this a no brainer.
MS got away with IE on a technicality. Because software, as we all know, costs 0 to copy, MS was able to give IE away without engaging in dumping because the marginal cost was 0.
They did spend bandwith. However, as bandwith is a fixed cost (you pay $X for Y Mb/s), the marginal cost for the copies remains zero.
I don't know if the idea of selling below marginal cost to make up backend revenues matters, but the entire Microsoft practice smells of dumping.
They are using their cash reserves and selling below cost in an attempt to put Nintendo out of business (Nintendo is a games company!) and cause Sony to bleed red ink.
This seems like a plain approach of market dumping.
The interesting thing is, most publically traded corporations are stereotyped at looking at the quarterly returns. Microsoft Corporation is unique in that it DOES look out for the big picture. The successfully leverage their monopolies and cash reserves to "cut off the air supply" of their competitors.
If Microsoft is selling under marginal costs to establish marketshare and monopolize the market (where they can then jack up the licensing fees, etc.) this should be clear cut.
Are any of the lawyers on Slashdot around? Am I on the right track?
Alex
Um.. until very recently, there *were* no console systems that could be pirated. Even the first cd-rom based systems were fairly safe, as very few folks had burners in the early 1990's. Unless you're counting the several dozen "100-in-1" NES cartridges, pirated games have never been much of an issue until the Playstation. Which makes me wonder about your next point...
While its true that non-standard formats like Dreamcast's GDROM and Nintendo's own cartridge formats are also piratable, the amount of knowledge and/or effort required to do so is generally much higher.
The Dreamcast is one of the EASIEST systems to pirate, at least for the average person. Its GD-ROM format didn't save it in the least. And Nintendo's systems of the past few years have consistently had flashrom/cd-rom hardware available for them, if you order through Hong Kong.
In fact, other than the Playstation and Dreamcast, there really have been no hugely pirated systems. And we all know just how much piracy has hurt the Playstation (still selling for over $100, 6 years -or is it 7 now- after release).
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.