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Thread: @anotherfluke re: Gamecube DRE

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    Default @anotherfluke re: Gamecube DRE

    @anotherfluke: Thanks again for your help with my friend's gamecube....he should be getting it back soon. Meanwhile, seeing as how you work for Nintendo, I wondered if you could answer a question for me. I recently read this somewhere (don't remember where), and I cut and pasted it for future reference.

    1 in 10,000 GameCubes shipped before Metroid Prime was released have a processor bug that will cause the game to fail. The problem has been fixed in later PowerPC chips

    Three questions:
    a) Is it true that Metroid Prime is causing this error?
    b) If so, is it really only one in 10,000 systems?
    c) What steps, if any, can I take to prevent this from happening when I buy Metroid Prime this coming week?

    Thanks in advance, Fluke.

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    Default

    Well, I do work for Nintendo, but anything I say that isn't on the phones is as a person, not as a representative of the company (in other words this isn't official, you didn't hear it from me, nobody at the company told me this etc. etc. etc.) for obvious legal reasons. Having said that, let me address your questions with my "rumor" and "hearsay".

    a) NOT TRUE: Metroid prime uses an excellently designed streaming method. when you go through a short passageway in metroid prime, the fastest you could possibly make it through that passage is longer than the amount of time it takes the game to load the next room/area (which it is doing in the background). This makes for the wonderful no-load-times gameplay. It also means that Metroid requires the system to be working properly in order to avoid any issues with "streaming" the data off the disc. The same concern popped up with Eternal Darkness, but the tooth is both games were just extremely popular, so a large number of people were playing them when they began to have problems.

    b) I don't know about the exact numbers, but there is a diode (may not be the actual name of the component, but I think that's it) that was made by a large internal component manufacturer that is part of the drive assembly. There was a batch of diodes that, when manufactured, had some impurities mixed in which may have made them more prone to early failure. These diodes may have been used in an early run of gamecubes (along with other electronic devices that use the diode) which could cause them to fail. What I can tell you is that the actual number of systems that I have assisted with repairs that exhibit a problem that may stem from this is greater than other tyes of problems, but nowhere near as high as the number of people who just plain "break" their system. Also, if you bought your system in the year 2003, then you are extremely unlikely to be affected.

    c) if the diode theory is true (wink), then there is nothing you can do about metroid, mainly because metroid has nothing to do with it. I also don't think there is anything you can do to prevent the problem. However, if you use your gamecube on even a semi regular basis, the problem (if there was one) would likely have reared its ugly head by now. Also important to note is that this is, after all, just a possibility. PS2s had growing pains (read cds but not DVDs), as did xbox (hard drive dying). One thing is for sure though, the modified "gekko" powerPC processor has nothing to do with it.

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    Thanks, Fluke. That clears up a lot of worries for me. Sorry to make you talk about work out side of work, but I do appreciate you taking the time to address the concerns.

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    No prob, WS. I wouldn't be here if I didn't dig on talking games :)

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