Gamecube the new Dreamcast?

[ianoid]

The parallels are there.

The technology runs with the best, but sales trail behind the other consoles.

Made by game company that you couldn't dream would get out of console hardware, with new financial hardships (well, more than ever before, but that's not saying much.)

Cult games, great titles, but sales figures never reach the top.

A cool system, much loved, but is it doomed to a short lifespan?

Let's face it, that year headstart PS2 had on Xbox and GC is pretty tough to overcome.

Will Nintendo be relegated to an increasingly competitive portable market? I would fear the PSP if I were them.

[josekortez]

I wondered that too lately, in response to my Xbox thread. I guess you could look at it in terms of weirdo games you won't see on other systems(Ikaruga, Super Monkey Ball, Gotcha Force, Cubivore) and interesting games that will probably never see the light of day in the U.S. (namely, Dead Phoenix, Killer 7, and Nintendo Puzzle Collection). I would also like to mention that Crazy Taxi fits like a glove on the GameCube.

Also, the interesting technology gimmick hardly anyone cared about (DC VMUs and GameCube-Game Boy Advance link, we could also consider the DC/Neo-Geo Pocket Color connection in the same way).

In addition, I would consider console size. The DC is pretty small, although the GameCube is much more portable.

You can get imports to work on both with a single disc (Gameshark on DC and Freeloader/Action Replay on the 'Cube).

I hope the 'Cube doesn't die a premature death. I don't plan to buy another newly released console for a while.

[Ze_ro]

Well, I don't know if I'd ever really consider many Gamecube games to be "cult" games (at least, not like Typing of the Dead or Samba de Amigo)... plus, I think Nintendo is in a much better position than Sega is. After all, since the Genesis, Sega been sitting in third place most of the time (if not worse), while Nintendo has been at least second (The N64 didn't do great, but it certainly out-sold the Saturn).

However, considering how many cheap Dreamcast games I picked up once the system "failed", I'd almost look forward to the same happening to the Gamecube.

--Zero

[GaijinPunch]

I don't think Nintendo will pull out just yet. They've still got a virtual monopoly on the handheld market, which brings them tons of dough.

[Half Japanese]

I'd say that there are more parallels to the Xbox. The Dreamcast pioneered (official, non X-band) online console gaming, where Nintendo is perfectly content with just one online title (though, arguably, this is a recycled DC game). There are certainly parallels, I just think that there are more between the DC and Xbox than the DC and GCN. They're all 3 quality pieces of hardware with tons of great games though, so no matter which you prefer, you've got a plethora of quality games!

[MarioAllStar2600]

Actually Gamecube just had a big boost in sales. Looks like a ALOT of people decided to pick up teh cube this season. I wa shappy to see it. I think it will hang it there, but not by much.

After this system though I can see Nintendo become the next Sega. Only makign games. Its really sad if you think about it. Kids now adays just want death, sex, and weapons. But in reality GC exclusives deliver better gameplay. I would hate to see my beloved Nintendo go.

How about this everyone go out and buy as many gamecubes as you can afford!

[Ze_ro]

I don't see Nintendo becoming a 3rd party any time soon... They haven't been doing THAT badly. Sega went through the SegaCD, 32X, Saturn and Dreamcast before they went tits up... The N64 and Gamecube haven't been doing nearly as bad for Nintendo (And they were quick to cut their losses with the Virtual Boy), and their Gameboy's have pretty much allowed them to print money, so they should be able to afford at least another failure before they'd have to go the way of Sega.

If the PSP ends up being a success though, then it could be a bad sign for the big N.

--Zero

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

I'd say that there are more parallels to the Xbox. The Dreamcast pioneered (official, non X-band) online console gaming, where Nintendo is perfectly content with just one online title (though, arguably, this is a recycled DC game). There are certainly parallels, I just think that there are more between the DC and Xbox than the DC and GCN. They're all 3 quality pieces of hardware with tons of great games though, so no matter which you prefer, you've got a plethora of quality games!

Well I see a compareision between the X-Box, and all other systems made by amercian companies.

In Japan they all got their asses kicked.

[aaron_157]

yeah, its time for the weekly nintendo bashing.

The day nintendo stops makin systems, is the day I stop buying games. Even if that means the newest system i own in fifty years is the cube.

[Half Japanese]

yeah, its time for the weekly nintendo bashing.

Pah-lease. That's not worth coming up with a worthy retort to.



Now, this is sort of wishful thinking, but what if Nintendo and Sega, by some stroke of luck, happened to team up together for the next generation of consoles?!? How weird/cool would that be? As much as it hurts me to say it though, I don't know how much weight Sega would pull in the mainstream audience that the gaming market has become. It's always a nice thought.

[Duncan]

yeah, its time for the weekly nintendo bashing.

Pah-lease. That's not worth coming up with a worthy retort to.



Now, this is sort of wishful thinking, but what if Nintendo and Sega, by some stroke of luck, happened to team up together for the next generation of consoles?!? How weird/cool would that be? As much as it hurts me to say it though, I don't know how much weight Sega would pull in the mainstream audience that the gaming market has become. It's always a nice thought.

Can you imagine a combined Sonic / Mario game? @_@

Or maybe the developers could just switch sides for a change of pace (literally and figuratively) -- Miyamoto's group could design a Sonic game, and Naka's Sonic Team could do a Mario title.

You're probably right, though -- I don't know that adding Sega's name to a Nintendo box would really change the average person's buying decision.

The sad thing is, Sony will probably remain the market leader simply because they have refused to tie themselves to any one type of game. And the same is becoming true for Microsoft with the Xbox -- Sega and Nintendo will always be linked to Sonic and Mario, respectively. And it may well be true that the fall of the platform game marks the fall of these two former giants as well...

[dreamcaster]

Gamecube and Dreamcast 'eh?

Yes, similar situations - except that the Dreamcast didn't deserve it's fate.

*is attacked by Nintendo fanboys*

:D

[BoOchan]

Most stores here refuse to carry the Gamecube, actually Australis biggest retail chain only lets 2 stores carry it, and the biggest Electronics chain in Australia refuses to carry it now. It will die here sometime Mid-Late next year I personally think, at the currant trend. Nintendo does 0 Marketing here, and if they do, they advertise it at Midnight-2am...

[Captain Wrong]

I don't think the analogy holds. First of all, the path leading to the consoles is different. The Dreamcast was Sega's attempt to do things right after some pretty famous cock-ups. The 'Cube seems to me to be the product of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of thinking, where as Nintendo is pretty much doing the same thing as they've done last few consoles.

Game wise, I don't think there's a compairson either. The Dreamcast had one of the most varied and cutting edge catalogs for it's time (and I'd argue it's still more cutting edge than what we have now.) It's almost like Sega knew this would be thier last hurrah and everyone tried all the wacky ideas they'd been kicking around. The 'Cube's library, while including some games that break new ground, seems to stick much closer to the tried and true of what worked before.

It should also be mentioned that Sega was actually pretty forward thinking with regards to on-line play. The on-line stratedgy was always an essential part of Sega's plan for the DC. Nintendo's approach to on-line gaming has been to pretend it doesn't exist. Unless I'm mistaken, the only GC game to play on-line is a port of Phantasy Star from the Dreamcast.

Though I think there are some parallels (lack of third party softs, both comapnies come from the "old guard" reletively speaking) I think at the end of the day they are two different approaches to a similar situation. Sega recognized they were in trouble and responded with a console that attempted to give gamers something different as a way to generate sales. Nintendo seems to want to carry on much like they always have and hope gamers choose to follow.

[Ze_ro]

If it's any consolation to Sega (although it probably isn't), it seems that almost everyone remembers the Dreamcast fondly.... at least a lot moreso than most systems out there.

--Zero

[badinsults]

I don't think Nintendo is getting out of the console business after the Gamecube, considering how much they are investing in the next console. It will be interesting to see the next generation, I think that it will be very close, like back in the Snes-Genesis days.

Anyways, I don't see the Gamecube dying yet. And even if it was, I would still get one. And I am. Eventually I will get a PS2 as well.

[Predatorxs]

I too can't see Nintendo dropping out of the console side of video gaming, i'm alittle biased (Huge Ninty fan) but the cube is great i tell anyone who will listen how good it is..

In the long run i think Nintendo would have had a better chance had they released the CUBE, the same time as Sony released the PS2, i'm not saying they would have beat sony, but i think things would have looked better for nintendo, had they been quicker off the mark.

By the sounds of things they have learned from there past mistakes and are timing the N5's release closer to the PS3, Could it be Nintendo back infront, only time will tell.

Also having to wait for games to be ported over from xbox and PS2 doesn't help, God Daaame we (Ninty) should get them first. LOL

PS - Why did Nintendo let RARE go?!? :( since the days of DKC and Killer Instinct i'v been a huge fan, and still am even though they have gone over to the dark side :eek 2:

PPS - Does UBI soft make all the good games LOL splinter cell on the GC is the sh*t :-P

I know many of the RARE team have gone on to other games companys, but i always thought there was something special about Rare, Just seeing the "R" logo on screen before your game started, you knew there was something good coming.. OHHHH shucks! memory lane again. ;)

( Starfox Adventures, great game. )

[LinkNZ]

Zzzzz....

So many factors are different, Nintendo are not in any kind of big financial problems like Sega was - money wise Nintendo is a very successful company.

Also at this point of the Dreamcast's life it was on it's last legs, GameCube? Well this holiday season it managed to sell 264,000 more units than the Xbox. (http://cube.ign.com/articles/446/446453p1.html)

It's got the Japanese support too, which will help it stay a float there. The Xbox has been dead there since it was released. But this isn't about hassling other consoles, me personally I love all 3 of my current consoles.

Nintendo aren't going anywhere (3rd party?? pfft) despite what some people seem to hope. :( They have already announced their next console is in development.

/finished venting

:P