*Hot* Nintendo pause Gamecube production.

[Bristol Pete]

Refer to the link. BBC Financial news -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3134651.stm

Cap

I tell you what, if gamecube sales have been weak what are XBOX sales like?

i mean worldwide gamecube has STILL!! sold more worldwide than XBOX and MS are losing millions,

Seems theres just not enough PS2 gamers getting a 2nd console,

A little bit misleading as well when i read the headline it sounded like the gamecube had been cancelled but they have just ceased to clear out stock they obviously have alot built up.

It just shows the year head start the PS2 had was just too much, it will be more interesting next time when all consoles launch close to each other

[colesy]

I will probably buy a gamecube just for MarioKart Double Dash.
That's of course if it as good as the previous Mario Karts.
But I don't think they are using the gamecube to it's full capacity. The Xbox live system rocks, so the Nintendo should get their software houses to create online game pretty quick.
Mario Kart with online play would create some serious uptake in their sales.

[Willy]

Originally posted by colesy
The Xbox live system rocks, so the Nintendo should get their software houses to create online game pretty quick.
Mario Kart with online play would create some serious uptake in their sales.

I thought it was going to have online play. I think they're doing something in conjunction with 3rd party tunnelling software, aren't they?

The ganecube will never have online play, as you rightly say with certain LAN games like Mario Kart you can apparently play online using Gamespy tunneling software, the next Nintendo console will more than likely be online, i can see why they are very cautios about it, it costs millions to set up a online service and the cost for XBOX live just added the MS losses, and although its doing quite well its not setting the world on fire in terms of users.

Nintendo have always been about profit, So while the likes of MS are giving consoles away and giving cut price Live services, Nintendo are selling there console at a profit and not rushing into online play, of course this tactic wont make you the N01 seller but it will generate the most profit.

Whether its the right tactic or not Who knows?

[colesy]

I hope they are. It would be excellent. Any confirmed release dates yet? That's all I know is the last quarter of the year....maybe.

Novmber the 18th is the current Release date for Mario Kart in the U.S i have it on pre order along with F Zero GX which will be here this month

[Geezer]

There are some great games coming for the cube soon, i own all three consoles and still use the cube most of all.

Cant beleieve they are stopping making it.

Yeah i agree the amount of HIGH quality must buy games coming on the cube is fantastic, the reason its not selling well (and i mean in comparison to PS2) is perception, unfortunately people think the gamecube is not cool like the PS2 as its Nintendo and not Sony, people think it has kids games while the PS2 has so called mature games,

to be onest i have given up caring, for me the gamecube is the best all round console of the 3, so if it was a choice of nintendo making profit to stay in business and be 2nd or 3rd in the market i would take that over a sell at cost price to try and become best seller and possible go out the console business, strategy anyday.

Nintendo will always have there followers and they are SLOWLY changing there ways to get new gamers to there consoles, I think they will make a further leap with the next console in this respect.

[Willy]

Originally posted by betamac
The ganecube will never have online play, as you rightly say with certain LAN games like Mario Kart you can apparently play online using Gamespy tunneling software, the next Nintendo console will more than likely be online, i can see why they are very cautios about it, it costs millions to set up a online service and the cost for XBOX live just added the MS losses, and although its doing quite well its not setting the world on fire in terms of users.

I think the tunnelling software is being done with Nintendo's blessing though. I think they're going to experiment with online gaming, without embracing the concept quite as fully as Microsoft.

I think we will see online play on the Gamecube, I just think Nintendo are approaching it in the least-risk way they can.

[Willy]

Originally posted by Geezer
Cant beleieve they are stopping making it.

It's only a temporary measure, isn't it?

To be fair, my Cube isn't getting much play right now. That'll all change when Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, F-Zero & Mario Kart arrive though.

[Geezer]

Originally posted by Willy
It's only a temporary measure, isn't it?

To be fair, my Cube isn't getting much play right now. That'll all change when Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, F-Zero & Mario Kart arrive though.

Oh yeah sorry misread

[Azrikam]

Actually, sales for XBox and Gamecube have been roughly equal worldwide. (depending on who you ask, and what time of the week it is) I think the big reason for this is the utter failure of the XBox in Japan.

I admit that my XBox had been collecting dust thanks to Rise of Nations. But when my PC died on me last week, I broke it out again. Say what you will about MS, the Live interface is very, very good. It's a well laid out system, and definitely the future of the console. (IMO)

I certainly hope the PS2s online interface is better than their PlanetSide interface. (what a steaming pile!) Easy, hassle-free online play with dedicated servers is going to be a huge part of console gaming in the next few years. (Again, IMO) The huge PS2 market can make up for a lot of deficiencies, but if they screw up their online system, they will have to watch MS slowly eat up their customers.

As far as i cam remember nobody has said anything remotely bad about the Live service? i dont think anybody will doubt its great as MS have spent the money to get it that way, what I did say was that its not a MASSIVE success in terms of subscibers, theres not as many people signing up for the 2nd year as MS had hoped for, i still think console online gaming is at an early stage, of course it will get better and more popular, but i think Nintendo are doling the right thing not rushing in.

As for console numbers, the last report by Sony which was in june showed the Gamecube about 1 million ahead worldwide and since them numbers have been very even, XBOX selling better in U.S and U.K, but what keeps the numbers even as you say is the XBOX very bad display in Japan selling less than PS1 most weeks

The thing that alot of people forget (alot of news channels are also guilty of this when they say XBOX is competing well with gamecube) is the fact that MS has had to spend Billions on getting there Console sold where on the other hand Nintendo have been selling the console at a nice profit all the time.

[Zone]

There was a lot of talk earlier in the year that Ninty were considering a software only approach to gaming (IMO wrong) but I for one hope this is certainly a temporary measure, like many here I own more than one console, cube and xbox and ps (I have kids by the way however I know a lot of PS owners who own nothing but Sony and I agree with "betamac" here Ninty just don't seem cool, vigorous marketing obviously works