Key Publishers Scaling Back GameCube Titles, Zelda Sequel Hints

Thanks to Gamesindustry.biz for its article discussing the list of specific games and publishers going without GameCube support, mentioning: "Joining the swelling ranks of publishers without any Cube titles in their portfolios (which already includes the likes of Acclaim and Eidos) is Lucasarts, which currently has no titles for the platform on its internal schedules." It goes on to note: "While support from Japanese publishers remains strong... Western third-party support for the Cube is facing a serious decline this year." Elsewhere, 1UP reports that a Game Developer's Conference lecture by Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma had oblique news on a GameCube Zelda sequel, since he "showed in his presentation a slide reading 'Wind Waker 2: 2XXX,' so we can expect to play the game within the next 996 years." Aonuma also "strongly hinted at the prospect of a new Legend of Zelda or Zelda-related game for the DS."

Comments

It's been said before

[Apreche]

But it's worth saying again.

Relevent Penny Arcade Comic

People always talk about how Playstation and XBox have more games than the GCN. They sure do, but have you seen those games? They are all the random, crappy, hollywood licensed, violence without gameplay, total crap games. On the GameCube you have to compete with Nintendo to sell software and so very few developers can hold a candle.

When a Nintendo game comes out for the GCN it sells zillions. When other games come out for the cube the players compare them to the Nintendo games they have and say "screw that! it isn't worth my money or time." So what you get on the cube is quality before quantity. If you stop making games for the cube your only two possible reasonings can be these
1) You're stupid
2) You can't compete with Nintendo in quality.

3rd parties can succeed on the cube *cough*soul calibur 2*cough*. Cube owners are just too smart to buy stupid generic movie based game number 3.

Re:It's been said before

[Dragoon412]

It was a tough call between modding you down as the fanboy/troll you are, or replying, but hey, work's slow right now...

They sure do, but have you seen those games? They are all the random, crappy, hollywood licensed, violence without gameplay, total crap games.

Yes, all of them are mindless, gory, and violent. Just like all of Nintendo's games are kiddie-oriented crap, right?

On the GameCube you have to compete with Nintendo to sell software and so very few developers can hold a candle.

In terms of polish, I'd agree. Nintendo games are always of excellent build quality, regardless of how poor the gameplay is. But one thing Nintendo is notorious for is making games that have virtually no replay value at all. Sure, SSBM and Double Dash can be fun when you have friends around, but games like Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine are terrible value; you'll get a few hours of gameplay out of them, and then never play it again.

When other games come out for the cube the players compare them to the Nintendo games they have and say "screw that! it isn't worth my money or time

Because by and large, the GCN is marketed at kids. And while Nintendo does a good job of putting out games that are kid-friendly but still enjoyable for adults, have you taken a look at the rest of the tripe on that system? Barbie Horse Adventure? Billy Hatcher? Donald Duck's Goin' Quackers? Eggmania? Disney's Hide and Seek? Add that to the host of shovelware that floods every console's library, like Nightfire and the glut of Star Wars titles, and the GCN has about the same signal-to-noise ratio as any other console.

The GCN does have some good games, but a cursory look over it's library shows a lot of cross-platform garbage (along with the odd good cross-platform game), an inordinate amount of kiddie games, and a few solid Nintendo titles. That's it. And Nintendo can't even take credit for one its greatest franchises, because Retro is doing Metroid, now.

So what you get on the cube is quality before quantity. If you stop making games for the cube your only two possible reasonings can be these
1) You're stupid
2) You can't compete with Nintendo in quality.

The Gamecube has no widely-available online capabilities, and nothing that even remotely resembles an online strategy. It has neither the power and flexibility of the Xbox, nor the market penetration of the PS2. To top it off, the Gamecube's target audience is much younger, restricting the content of games (not actually, but practically). Developers are pulling out because Gamecube games don't make as much money as other consoles!

3rd parties can succeed on the cube *cough*soul calibur 2*cough*. Cube owners are just too smart to buy stupid generic movie based game number 3.

Are you done wailing on the fanboy trumpet yet? Gamecube owners are the same people shelling out $50 for Pokemon Gold-Encrusted Ruby-Enlaid Hyper X Platinum Edition 32. They're playing the 20th fucking iteration of franchises that stopped being relevant 15 years ago, and all the spin-offs associated with them.

Face it: Nintendo is the Disney of the video game industry. They have a few masterpieces, but the bulk of their efforts are put into straight-to-video quality bullshit, just whoring out their brands for a couple extra bucks. Most gamers know it, and most developers know it. The rampant fanboys are the only ones that haven't figured it out yet.

Re:It's been said before

[CronoCloud]

Solid post, good reply.

One of the reasons evelopers are cutting back on GC releases because of people like me. I don't own a Gamecube but I own 2 PS2s (one with a Linux kit in it, the other with FFXI)

Late last year I got a flyer from Nintendo in the mail for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. (Square must have given them my street addy) FFCC seems just like the sort of game I like, a fun little Diablo/Gauntlet Legends style game. However, the connnectivity features are a turn off. I don't own a GBA and I don't want to have to buy one (plus the requisite GC) to play multiplayer. Just seemed like a tactic to sell more GBA's, Nintendo's real cash cow.

Plus I'm 36, and don't have a bunch of friends who can "come over after school' to play. It's pretty obvious most Nintendo games multiplayer features are done with "schoolyard buddies" in mind. I liked Pokemon Red/Blue, but I got annoyed at the damnable "trading" feature. It's fine for "playground friends" but as an adult I don't want to have to buy TWO games and TWO GBwhatevers to "catch em all"

I want to be able to play with others when "I" have the time too. That means online play. FFCC (and SMKDD) seem like the perfect games to have online components and they don't. Very very shortsighted on Nintendo's part.

Nintendo hard to work with?

[scumbucket]

I have thought about this for a while. Wasn't the gamecube one of the best selling systems over the past holiday season? Is so you would think publishers would be drooling over game releases for the 'cube.

Or does Nintendo hold some kind of draconian hold over development houses that want to make gamecube games? Restrictive licenses, exorbitant fees, overly complicated SDK's, etc. There are many ways Nintendo could be making it difficult, but you wonder for what purpose?

Re:Nintendo hard to work with?

[FinestLittleSpace]

They've always held a firm grip on the third parties; this was especially apparent on the N64. many many things would get rejected as they had specific standards. I like their style.

Re:Nintendo hard to work with?

[BW_Nuprin]

Working on Gameboy Advance games for an American company, we had several games rejected for poor gameplay. I totally agreed with Nintendo, so while my bosses cursed their name and spit blood whilst they did so, myself and my fellow employees secretly lauded them as our saviors - keeping our bosses from forcing us to release whack crap with OUR names on it.

Nintendo saved my resume!

Big deal.

[bartyboy]

When's the next platform due - 2005? That's a year or so away. If developers were abandoning a future system before it hit the market, Nintendo would be in trouble. Right now they can just coast to the next system on sequels to their best games (Metroid 2, Wind Waker 2, Mario Tennis).

Lucasarts?! Oh NO!

[bludstone]

That was sarcasm.

You mean I cant play crappy, repetative, inane, consumerist based Starwars games with poor writing on the gamecube?!

OH NO!!

Oh well, I still dont own a gamecube yet. Gotta get one and play through metroid.

I already posted my thoughts on lucasarts.

It's not such a zero sum game anymore

[moof1138]

I have a GC. I love it. I also have a PS2, which I love, but I spend more time with the GC. I know a lot of folks with two systems.

I don't think the GC was originally meant to be a secondary system, but it is cheap enough that it works well as one. And as a second system, the titles that matter are the unique ones. And Nintendo has a lot of great titles that are unique to the platform.

As an aside, some people say that they are not innovative since the same characters are used, but I don't see why they care. Even if Super Monkey Ball 2 still has a monkey in a ball, it is still a blast to play, and the same with Mario Cart, Super Smash Brothers, and other titles. The game play is fun, and for a game that is the important part.

Misinterpretation

[crawdaddy]

Elsewhere, 1UP reports that a Game Developer's Conference lecture by Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma had oblique news on a GameCube Zelda sequel, since he "showed in his presentation a slide reading 'Wind Waker 2: 2XXX,' so we can expect to play the game within the next 996 years."

I don't think "2XXX" is referring to a generic release date, but is actually part of the title. I think it means that there's going to be adult content in the game, like Zelda and Link porn. The '2' just means that it's going to be twice as hardcore as the nudity in "BMX XXX".

Article is bullshit.

[fondue]

Codemasters have never supported the GC, so how can they pull out?

LucasArts have not dropped the GC, this is pure speculation.

Neither have Ubisoft.

EA are only going to release one football game on the GC this year (FIFA 2005) instead of two. Holy shit, man the lifeboats.

GI.biz and Eurogamer are already well known as sites with a vendetta against the Gamecube.

Pointless article...

[scot4875]

The only 'new' information in this article is that EA isn't planning on publishing a European football game on the 'Cube.

Umm, so? The 'Cube isn't selling terribly in Europe, which is a large part of the non-Madden-type football-game-buying market. I can hardly say I blame them.

Lucasarts has no games scheduled for this year? Well, it's fairly well known that Factor 5 is working on a Pilot Wings sequel for the next Nintendo system, so in that sense they've dropped support for the 'Cube ... to work on the N5.

Codemasters isn't releasing any 'Cube games? You mean they made it out of the '80s alive? Why should I care again?

After those few factoids, the author of the article apparently had to flesh it out with the usual "so and so has also dropped support, as has such and such," but then they don't even get those facts straight. Acclaim is still working on Gamecube titles ... Maybe he meant Midway.

Pointless article, author didn't even do rudimentary fact-checking ... Wake me up when the next Metroid and Zelda games get cancelled, or at least fail to sell a million copies.

--Jeremy