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.

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.

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.