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GameCube Production to Halt
avayre writes "Nintendo is to press the pause button on production of its GameCube consoles while it clears inventory of unsold machines. the company's president said on Thursday. But Satoru Iwata promised the struggling games company was developing a radical new product to be announced next year -- however he gave few details save to say it would be a departure from mainstream gaming consoles 'that will have a big impact on the world.'" My prediction is that it's just downtime until Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ships. That'll help move those units that are gathering dust.
So is it just me, or does this remind anyone else of the whole Sega kaboozle - Genesis went down, Sega released the radical Dreamcast, and... well everyone knows what happened next...
they stil loutsell xbox :)
Maybe MS should buy the company?
Don't Tread on OpenSource
That will get a bunch of them to sell.
They stack well in a server room!
The fact is this system is mainly aimed at the younger generations...cartoony graphics, cartoony games, mostly harmless adventure games, while the major console market is in the older generations. These young kids who want the gamecube simply can't afford it, while the people who can tend to lean towards the consoles with good shooters/action/sports games.
"struggling games company was developing a radical new product to be announced"
I make that the "stop" button.
would it actually hurt Nintendo at all to follow Sega's path and go multiplatform? With the Game Boy raking in huge wads of cash they could focus on making those classics for Xbox/PS2, slicing a chunk of the market from their would be competitors and spread the ole 'Games are fun' ethos for which Nintendo has become famous for, without get caught up in the hardware wars.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
lets not forget the last time nintendo tried to 'innovate' and developed something 'radical' and 'never before seen' in game hardware.
methinks they should stick to making awesome games, and handheld game systems that you can play for more than 2 hours. (imo, the feature that kept the gameboy on top all these years despite better-equipped rivals).
(btw: i think this whole thread counts as console-war trolling)
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
that will have a big impact on the world
They are going to build a Segway console. Its the only possible thing that could have global impact (apart from a large meteor).
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
It's a pity - Nintendo's first-party games have often set themselves apart from the competition. But once a console starts to appear to fail, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - it's very hard for a console to pull itself back when it's on a downhill slide.
If only Nintendo had produced some more innovative games like the PS2 EyeToy, rather than spending large amounts of effort updating established franchises. Games like that are console sellers, because they appeal to all ages and move gaming outside of a comparatively small niche.
Struggling games company? Yes the GameCube isn't selling well but that does not mean that Nintendo is struggling. Far from it. In fact just the other day at PlanetGameCube they posted a story about Nintendo posting a profit. Doesn't sound like struggling to me.
"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero
Where's the mario Kart gc? or the other really fun to play games that are nintendo?
But this seems to be the complaint I have with all the platforms right now. Multi-player games are rare outside of sports games. Mario Kart has always been a big seller and the version for theN64 completely rocked and was one of the games that kept that platform alive for as long as it was (goldeneye is another)
But the biggest problem with the GC is that cince it's aimed at the kid market, the kids cant afford the games. Sorry, your game is NOT worth $50 - $60 bucks. $20.00 to $40.00 is the range that is acceptable to kids with a paper-route and certianly inside the parents instant purchase model.
Playstation2 is killing because if the "classics" line if $19.95 games from last year and older.. I see those constantly picked through and bought while noone is really looking at the overpriced games.
I believe the GC to be a superior machine. I own it as well as the PS2 and the PS2 is kicking it's arse because of the large amount of low-cost games that are available.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
that Microsoft buying Rare could have done nothing but harm Nintendo's cause. If you think of the games that Nintendo have become famous for, most people would name those that have had Rare input: Goldeneye, Perfect Dark etc. With Rare out of the picture, the "inconsistent flow" of "attractive software" would be anything but improved.
the group had stumbled with the Game Cube console and conceded that it had made a strategic mistake by not ensuring that it had a consistent flow of attractive software for the Game Cube.
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
--
I always thought Nintendo was the Japanese word for "No Blood".
Seems like Nintendo'd be in a better position to go third party than Sega was. Sega, for all the great games they make, haven't been able to sell them since the Genesis days. Nintendo has a much higher "mascot factor" (imagine all the Zelda or Mario games they could sell on PS2), and they are not nearly as strapped as Sega was when the ditched the DC.
...is that it is just another console system. The market is simply unable to support more then two consoles effectively, especially with all the various exclusive titles and multi-platform release titles that exist today..
However, it is just a console, like the Xbox and the Playstation. They are hardly worth their time...
By the time they are worth their time, they will have evolved into full computer systems that are closed systems, similar to the early computer market when C-64's and their ilk reigned supreme. (Meaning no upgradeability.)
A few years after that... Somebody will release a "Back to Basics" console system with simplistic controls, quality graphics and easy to follow storylines that will take the market by storm...
That might take ten years or more though...
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
NINTENDO IS NOT STRUGGLING. They were Nikkei's company of the year last year. The reason their stock has lost ground was because they are so heavily invested in the dollar, which took a beating by the yen. They have not operated at a loss in over two decades. They have, at last number I got, 3 billion in the bank, and last year they made more money than SCE. They are, as last I heard, neck and neck with Xbox in the US, but numbers are hard to come by because a lot of retail release figures exclude places such as Walmart, Nintendo's top distributor. Yes, in Europe they are struggling, but they are doing fine and dandy everywhere else.
For a place that complains about so much FUD, you would think people would know the difference between Sega (operating at a loss for a decade with millions in red) and Nintendo. It's astounding.
is a web site with a "catchy" domain name like www.offficial-console-sales-figures.com that is just a plain black background with white text showing the sales figures for each console, with the numbers updated on a real time basis, constantly ticking up like a movie or something!
Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
Teenagers in the U.S. seem to belong to the category that they don't want to look like they're doing something immature. If they do anything viewed as potentially "un-cool" then they risk being "un-cool." The problem is, the stuff they turn to in order to be mature and cool are games where they run over hookers and shoot random people in the streets (i.e. GTA III).
Nintendo clearly hasn't been aiming for that crowd, and I for one am happier for it. I grew up with the NES, and since then have owned every console they've put out. They continue to make games that I get a great deal of enjoyment out of (Legend of Zelda : The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, etc.), and they are consistantly failing to sell as well as other more mediocre games on other consoles. Worldwide, the GameCube and the Xbox are even in sales, but you would never know it by talking to a teenager. It's a shame too, because Nintendo has stated that if they ever stop making a console, they will leave the market rather than make games as a third party. If that should ever happen, the world will have lost one of the most influential and innovative developers in existence, only to be replaced with games focusing completely on graphics and/or violence.
"Chances of RHIC-induced Armageddon are exceedingly rare, but... you never know." - MIT Physicist Bob Jaffe
I'm worried that more and more we're going to get a lot less choices as far as the quality of the gaming consoles of the future, and seeing the 100-ton gorilla that is Nintendo going downhill really doesn't do much for the future outlook.
Nintendo has been screwing the pooch for awhile with their game marketing. Let's face it, no one is spending $200+ for their eight years or younger to play video games when they're just as happy with a Sega Genesis/Nomad or the SNES. This is the market that the cube has been cavorting with since it's release. (and this is the impression they want you to have, based on the fact that the included games would be super mario kart.. etc..)
They would do well to learn from history just one time. Atari 2600's sucked compared to the other consoles released in the early-eighties (Colecovision was probably my favorite at the time), but the games catered to everyone. Think of a topic or something you would like to do and most likely there was an Atari 2600 game for it. Even my mother-in-law was highly addicted to Kaboom -- that speaks greatly of the breadth of experience to be had with one little black box. Whether it be the Atari vs. Coleco, NES vs. Sega Master System (nice machine, no friggin games), SNES vs. Genesis, or Playstation vs. Saturn the thing to know is better hardware doesn't mean jack. It's all about the content, people can make due with an adequate interface.
If Nintendo doesn't want to make consoles anymore we'll be fine, because they currently are sucking at it completely. We are losing nothing -- their games suck.. AND.. if they think they can make money by just doing the games, well think again! The reason Nintendo is sucking isn't because the Game Cube isn't a nice box, it's that the GAMES suck. Why exactly would we buy their games any more than we do now if they came out on a Playstation 2 or XBox? Sega has already tried this move, and it's not working for them.
- Mind
developing a radical new product
so, once again, nintendo owners will have to go buy all new games.
!(^((ri)|(mp))aa$)
I love the Powerglove. It's so bad.
Cool! Amazing Toys.
For the one billionth time. Metroid is not a FPS game! It's "First Person Adventure". SO much emphasis is placed on exploration and learning about the Chozo and what happened to them. In fact, the monsters are just there to kill time and put some action into the game.
If you want a fast-paced FPS, buy Hhalo or Quake. But I, and everyone else told the world (in ever single review out there) that Metroid was not an FPS title. It's nobody's fault but your own, if you went into it with different expectations.
On the other hand, Zelda did have its flaws. I wasn't too terribly fond of the "Water World" theme, but I found that the rest of the game was quite awesome. And the gameplay was top-class.
Then perhaps focus their hardware into the one area they are the supreme almighty ruler, the handheld gaming market? Perhaps make the next gameboy a truly excellent piece of engineering and marketing without such obvious ommissions as a backlight or a headphone jacket?
Perhaps realize that a fair proportion of gameboy owners are adults and make more adult type games for it?
Put a technology like bluetooth on it with easy matchmaking capabilty?
Extend the battery life by realising adults can hold a heavier device then a 8yr old and can pay more for both hardware and software?
Realize that the iPod has shown their are plenty of rich bastards out there who are willing to pay top dollar for true excellence? (archos is way way way way cheaper and offers the same base product)
That is crazy talk mister.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
They weren't phyched. Pay attention.
Yeah, Nintendo, start making games targeted at this guy: all flash and no fun, GO NINTENDO YOU CAN DO IT
Did any of the moderators who modded this informative or interesting actually read what they were moderating? This is an altered troll version of the text. Sony isn't challenging Redhat, it's launching a handheld device to challenge Nintendo; and it's not combining a DVD recorder with a church but rather with a PlayStation. There are other differences, and someone reading this troll is not likely to get the same idea of what's happening as someone who reads the actual article.
Exclusive for Xbox? What are you talking about? They have a site just for their Gamecube games. If they were really exclusive, I'd be able to get Super Monkey Ball and Sonic for my Xbox. Not that I'm complaining too much, we've gotten a lot of great Sega releases for the platform - JSRF, Crazy Taxi 3, Panzer Dragoon Orta, etc.
Please subscribe to see the more insightful version of th
...I find Nintendo's losing market share rather perculiar. The only real difference between the two competitors, is that one releases many more adult theme games than the other. Funny, because by the looks of it, it appears that the GC has 3 good 'kiddie' game per 1 good adult game from PS2.
But what is even more funny, is that if Nintendo continues on the same track of creating fun family games, it's going to end up back on top, due to a generation of gamers settling down, getting married and having kids. I've had 5 friends in the last year talk about what console they should get for their rugrats and each one ended up with the GC, because of the family oriented games.
Mad Hatter
itll be a ppc970 (aka G5) and a radeon post 9800 chip. since the GC is basicly a G3 and a radeon, thisll let it be backward compatable, a HUGE selling point. I doubt theyll change the media though, maybe make it a little bigger, but still not standard. and the pricell be right. people complain that the Xbox is just a PC, well the GC isnt that far off, chip wise.
I want 2D games back.
Actually, you're NOT Nintendo's target market. You're Sony/Microsoft's target market. Nintendo's market is for the late teens to early 30's that plays video games for fun, not to engage in the violence that they can't perform in the real world.
And when the hell did the console market become a war? A PS2 in a home doesn't preclude a GameCube in the same space. I've had a PS2 for a couple of years now, and I love the thing, but I want a GameCube because Nintendo offers games that the PS2 and XBox don't. While they focus on thud-and-blunder/race/shoot/crush/bitchslap games, Nintendo focuses on making games what they should be -- fun diversions that make you think a little bit, and put a smile on your face.
Case in point -- my girlfriend digs video games. Watch her play Final Fantasy X or something similar on the PS2, and you'll seldom see her smiling...she's more focused on making sure her characters are levelling up, finding shit, etc. With a game on a Nintendo system, you see a lot more grinning, hear more smack-talking, and generally get the impression that the experience is more rewarding than gaming on the PS2.
Don't get me wrong, though -- we're not throwing out the PS2. I still need my Madden fix, which is great fun, SOCOM's good after a long day at the office, and I bought Robotech: Battlecry for the PS2 b/c I didn't want to wait for the GameCube version (though I would have had to buy a new one). But, yeah, a GameCube will definitely be taking up a space on our entertainment center in the near future.
XBox? Why bother?
blog |
God damn it, I just got my gamecube!
Same damn thing happened when I bought the dreamcast...
when all is said and done, all a man has left are his blades and his honor.
Thanks to him, I now have:
Nintendo Virtual Boy (tanked)
Atari Jaguar (and Jaguar-CD) (tanked)
Sega Dreamcast (tanked)
and he recently bought a GameCube. He got an XBox too, so that speaks for itself. Hasn't got a PS2 yet - quick, buy Sony stock.
-T
This new product is going to be announced in early 2004. The N5 is going to ship in 2005 or early 2006 (according to Nintendo at the same press conferance where they mentioned the new technology for 2004.)
This alone suggests strongly that they are not talking about the N5, simply because they wouldn't want to focus attention on a console that isn't coming out for over a year.
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Shinji Mikami, the director and producer of the Resident Evil series, has publicly criticized Sony's cheap production quality of PS2's. He claims he has had to buy four PS2 simply because they break so easily, and said that PS2 sales figures are almost undoubtedly inflated due to people buying replacement machines.
He also is very public about his love of Nintendo. Why do you think he's producing PN.03, Viewtiful Joe, Killer 7, and Resident Evil 4 for the GC? (there was a fifth game, Dead Phoenix, but I suspect it has been cancelled.)
(well, the Resident Evil games are contractually exclusive to the Gamecube, not counting light gun and online games)
At one point, there was even talk of Capcom going exclusive on Gamecube, though talks broke down in January.
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Dear Target Market:
Thanks for your input, I am sorry that I have made fun, innovative games in the past that are enjoyable for gamers of all ages. I am also sorry our console has controllers that you don't need hands the size of Shaq's to hold.
Let me assure you that your letter has made me see the light. I am pleased to announce Super Mario Auto 128. In this game, Mario has returned to his roots in the Italian Mafia. Features of this game include committing mindless crimes, having sex with hookers, and then killing them.
I am also proud to announce that I've employed a new character design team to redesign all the female characters in Nintendo games. Let me assure you that they all now have a minimum bra size of 38F, and will soon be starring in Super Smash Sister Extreme Beach Volleyball.
And in coming months we'll be releasing Metroid XXX. Let's just say that Samus has gotten rid of her armor... and a bit more.
I'm sure you that you'll love these changes we're making at Nintendo. Thank you for your input.
S. Miyamoto
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
Perhaps make the next gameboy a truly excellent piece of engineering and marketing without such obvious ommissions as a backlight or a headphone jacket?
Where would you have put a headphone jack on the SP case?
Perhaps realize that a fair proportion of gameboy owners are adults and make more adult type games for it?
By "adult type games", do you refer to the types of games endemic of PCs? First-person shooters have been made for the GBA (see Dark Arena, Wolfenstein, Doom, Serious Sam, 007, etc). Real-time tactical sims wouldn't work well because of lack of controller buttons (even the PS2 has the same problem), but Advance Wars and other turn-based war games work well. There are even decent RPGs such as Golden Sun and Pokemon Ruby, but anything massively multiplayer would in theory require a wireless Internet access subscription and a game subscription, and most GBA owners can't afford that. Or by "adult" do you refer to explicit sexual themes?
Extend the battery life by realising adults can hold a heavier device then a 8yr old
Though adults can hold a heavier device, this doesn't mean they want to. Look at mobile phones for adults: they've still gone in the direction of smaller. And if you really want to add weight to add battery life, larger batteries are available for both cellphones and the GBA SP.
and can pay more for both hardware and software?
That's called a "laptop."
Will I retire or break 10K?
I really don't like how this has turned into a war between the different consoles. You'd think they'd sell these things based on their merits--the games, controllers, ease of use--but instead it seems to be more about numbers.
Everyone always quotes the number of PS2 and XBoxes out there, and then scoffs at the Gamecubes. Okay, I understand what you're saying, if what you're most concerned about with is having a large number of people to play against online. If you're just concerned about having enough userbase out there that companies will want to fund a game on your platform, I think GC's still got enough. It's just a matter of actually connecting with your audience. I'll get to that in a second.
PS2 development is a pain in the ass. So says anyone I've talked to who has worked on it. Sure you can licence an engine to get around that little problem, but then you're giving a cheque to someone else, too. And what about studios that already have their own engines in-house? Wasted money.
XBox is good for companies used to developing for Windows. This is well-known. Unfortunately, for gamers it's just not the best option, unless what you're interested in is DOA3 or their Beach Volleyball game. Nearly every other popular game available for the XBox is also available for either the PS2 or the PC. Or they have worthy competition on another console.
The Gamecube is just a nice gaming console. Its appeal is to those in the audience who are just after the games. They don't want to have to think about what kind of DVD player is included, or getting the specific type of surround sound system to get the audio working at 100% of potential. They just want something that they can plug in quickly, and get as much enjoyment out of it as the next person. DVD, MP3 ripping, hard drive attachments.. they'll just get another box to look after that. If they decide to get a new gaming system in a few years, it just means they won't have to look for a new DVD player when they get rid of their game console. Simplicity.
I think by now it's kind of obvious where my prejudices lie, now, so lets get back to my little connecting with the audience theory.
The reason I think Gamecube hasn't done as well as the others has to do with the way the game industry is set up. In order for a game company to keep operating, it needs to have cash flow. Guaranteed cash flow is even better. To guarantee cash flow, companies have a full playbook of possibilities:
- Release sequels to popular games
- Create franchises with a yearly refresh cycle, such as EA Sports
- Integrate an online component into the game, and require the user to continue to pay for the priviledge to play the game with others
Notice that nowhere in there is "Innovate new titles." This is not a guaranteed method of success, especially in today's gaming society. Why is that? I think it's because of the way companies handle their advertising.
Let's say you're Nintendo. You have a totally new game idea, like sayyy... Pikmon. You want people to buy it. What do you do? If a product is totally new, with a totally different type of gameplay, then people are going to want to know how it plays before they go about purchasing it. They want more than a few pictures or videos or testimonials.. they want a FEEL for how the product handles.
This is where demo discs come in handy. Sure, I can go into my local gaming store and maybe see a GC running Wind Waker, but how often do they put the game I want to try on for me to play-test? Am I going to be able to play it long enough to "get into it?"
The XBox people know this; XBox Magazine comes with a demo disc every month. It features demos of upcoming games, some videos.. you know, the usual. You can play it in your very own home, at your own pace, with no annoying sales people or even more annoying my-life-is-games-ers telling you how to get past that certain point.
Sony's PS2 people get it too; their PS2 Magazine also comes with a demo
Oh, and what about Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil, Blood Omen, Mortal Kombat, BMX XXX, Turok...
The GameCube is profitable.Your rant is so full of errors, exaggerations and general nonsense that I think I'll stop right here.
Clever signature text goes here.