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The {{nihongo|'''Nintendo GameCube'''|ニンテンドーゲームキューブ|Nintendō Gēmu Kyūbu}}, officially abbreviated as '''GCN''' in Western regions{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} and as '''NGC''' in Japan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/ |title=ニンテンドー ゲームキューブ |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |accessdate=18 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/090731qa/index.html |title=First Quarter Financial Results Briefing Q & A |date=31 July 2009 |work=Investor Relations |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |accessdate=18 June 2010}}</ref> is [[Nintendo]]'s fourth home [[video game console]] and is part of the [[History of video game consoles (sixth generation)|sixth generation console era]]. It is the successor to the [[Nintendo 64]] and predecessor to the [[Wii]].
The {{nihongo|'''Nintendo GameCube'''|ニンテンドーゲームキューブ|Nintendō Gēmu Kyūbu}}, officially abbreviated as '''GCN''' in Western regions{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} and as '''NGC''' in Japan,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/ |title=ニンテンドー ゲームキューブ |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |accessdate=18 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/090731qa/index.html |title=First Quarter Financial Results Briefing Q & A |date=31 July 2009 |work=Investor Relations |publisher=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |accessdate=18 June 2010}}</ref> is [[Nintendo]]'s fourth home [[video game console]] and is part of the [[History of video game consoles (sixth generation)|sixth generation console era]]. It is the successor to the [[Nintendo 64]] and predecessor to the [[Wii]].


The Nintendo GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use [[optical disc]]s as its primary storage medium, after several aborted projects from Nintendo and its partners to utilize optical-based storage media. In contrast with the GameCube's contemporary competitors, the [[PlayStation 2]], [[Dreamcast]] and [[Xbox]], the GameCube uses [[miniDVD]]-based discs instead of full-size [[DVD]]s. Partially as a result of this, it does not have the [[DVD-Video]] playback functionality of these systems, nor the [[Compact Disc|audio CD]] playback ability of other consoles that use full-size optical discs.
The Nintendo GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use [[optical disc]]s as its primary storage medium, after several aborted projects from Nintendo and its partners to utilize optical-based storage media. In contrast with the GameCube's contemporary competitors, the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox]], the GameCube uses [[miniDVD]]-based discs instead of full-size [[DVD]]s. Partially as a result of this, it does not have the [[DVD-Video]] playback functionality of these systems, nor the [[Compact Disc|audio CD]] playback ability of other consoles that use full-size optical discs.


In addition, the GameCube introduced a variety of connectivity options to Nintendo consoles, and was the third Nintendo console, after the [[Nintendo 64DD]], to support online play officially, via the [[Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter]]. It also enabled connectivity to the [[Game Boy Advance]] to access exclusive features of certain games or to use the portable system as a controller for the [[Game Boy Player]].
In addition, the GameCube introduced a variety of connectivity options to Nintendo consoles, and was the third Nintendo console, after the [[Nintendo 64DD]], to support online play officially, via the [[Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter]]. It also enabled connectivity to the [[Game Boy Advance]] to access exclusive features of certain games or to use the portable system as a controller for the [[Game Boy Player]].

Revision as of 02:48, 22 August 2010

Nintendo GameCube
File:Gamecube logo.png
Purple GameCube and controller
Indigo GameCube and controller
CodenameDolphin
ManufacturerNintendo
TypeVideo game console
GenerationSixth generation
LifespanJapan September 14, 2001
United StatesCanada November 18, 2001
Europe May 3, 2002
Australia May 17, 2002
Discontinued2007[1]
Units soldWorldwide: 21.74 million
Japan: 4.04 million
North America: 12.94 million
Europe & Australia: 4.77 million[2]
MediaNintendo GameCube Game Disc
CPUIBM PowerPC "Gekko", 486 MHz
StorageNintendo GameCube Memory Card (16 MB max. capacity)
Display *Requires the use of the Digital AV port, which was removed from later models
GraphicsATI "Flipper," 162 MHz
SoundAnalog stereo (support for Dolby Pro Logic II)
InputNintendo GameCube controller, WaveBird, Game Boy Advance, numerous other input devices
ConnectivityNintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter
Dimensions4.3" height, 5.9" width, 6.3" depth
112mm height, 149mm width, 193mm depth
Best-selling gameSuper Smash Bros. Melee, 7.09 million (as of March 10, 2008)[3]
PredecessorNintendo 64
SuccessorWii
Platinum GameCube with controller

The Nintendo GameCube (ニンテンドーゲームキューブ, Nintendō Gēmu Kyūbu), officially abbreviated as GCN in Western regions[citation needed] and as NGC in Japan,[4][5] is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to the Wii.

The Nintendo GameCube is the first Nintendo console to use optical discs as its primary storage medium, after several aborted projects from Nintendo and its partners to utilize optical-based storage media. In contrast with the GameCube's contemporary competitors, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, the GameCube uses miniDVD-based discs instead of full-size DVDs. Partially as a result of this, it does not have the DVD-Video playback functionality of these systems, nor the audio CD playback ability of other consoles that use full-size optical discs.

In addition, the GameCube introduced a variety of connectivity options to Nintendo consoles, and was the third Nintendo console, after the Nintendo 64DD, to support online play officially, via the Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter. It also enabled connectivity to the Game Boy Advance to access exclusive features of certain games or to use the portable system as a controller for the Game Boy Player.

The console was released on September 14, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia. The GameCube sold 21.74 million units worldwide.[2]

Marketing

Nintendo used several advertising strategies and techniques for the GameCube. Around the time of release, the GameCube was advertised with the slogan "Born to Play."[6] The earliest commercials displayed a rotating cube animation, which would morph into the GameCube logo as a female voice whispers, "GameCube." This was usually displayed at the end of GameCube game commercials.[7]

A subsequent ad campaign featured the "Who Are You?" slogan across Nintendo's entire product line, to market the wide range of games Nintendo offers. The idea behind the "Who Are You?" campaign is that "you are what you play"; the kind of game a person enjoys playing suggests something about that gamer's personality. The "Who Are You?" logo is designed in graffiti-style lettering. Most of the "Who Are You?" commercials advertised games developed or published by Nintendo, but some developers paid Nintendo to promote their games, using Nintendo's marketing and advertising resources.

Hardware

Like its predecessor, the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo GameCube was available in many colors. The two most common, released during the console's launch, were "Indigo" (the standard color used in most early advertising) and "Jet Black." "Spice" (orange) GameCubes were also offered as standard models, but only in Japan. However, the standard controller was widely available in this color outside of Japan as well. Later, Nintendo released GameCubes with a "Platinum" (silver) color scheme, initially marketed as a limited edition product. Other limited edition colors and styles were also only released in Japan.

Following Nintendo tradition, the GameCube's model numbers, DOL-001 and 101, are a reference to its codename, "Dolphin."[8] The official accessories and peripherals have model numbers beginning with DOL as well. Another Dolphin reference, "Flipper" is the name of the GPU for the GameCube.[9] Panasonic made a licensed version of the GameCube with DVD playback, called the Panasonic Q.

Benchmarks provided by third-party testing facilities indicate that Nintendo's official specifications, especially those relating to performance, may be conservative. One of Nintendo's primary objectives in designing the GameCube hardware was to overcome the perceived limitations and difficulties of programming for the Nintendo 64 architecture, thus creating an affordable, well-balanced, developer-friendly console that still performed competitively against its rivals.[10]

The development hardware kit was called the GameCube NR Reader. Model numbers for these units begin with DOT. These units allow developers to debug beta versions of games and hardware. These units were sold to developers by Nintendo at a premium price and many developers modified regular GameCubes for game beta testing because of this. The NR reader will not play regular GameCube games, only special NR discs burned by a Nintendo NR writer.

Technical specifications

The Nintendo GameCube Game Disc is the software storage medium for the Nintendo GameCube, created by Matsushita. Chosen to prevent unauthorized copying and to avoid licensing fees to the DVD Consortium, it is Nintendo's first non-cartridge storage method for consoles released outside of Japan (the Famicom Disk System and Nintendo 64DD were exclusive to Japan). Some games which contain large amounts of voice acting or pre-rendered video (for example, Tales of Symphonia and Resident Evil 4) have been released on two discs; however, only twenty-five titles have been released on two discs, and no games require more than two discs.

The MultiAV port is identical to the one used in Nintendo's earlier Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64 consoles, allowing most cables from these systems to be used interchangeably.

Nintendo found that the digital AV port was used by less than one percent of users, leading to the removal of the port from consoles with model number DOL-101 manufactured after May 2004.[11]

Serial Port 2 was also removed from models manufactured after the first product revision.

Memory and storage

Memory Card 59

The GameCube features two ports that accommodate memory cards for saving game data. The three official memory card sizes are: 59 blocks (4 Mbit/512 KB, gray card), 251 blocks (16 Mbit/2 MB, black), and 1019 blocks (64 Mbit/8 MB, white). Cheaper third-party memory cards are also available.[15]

Controller

Main articles: Nintendo GameCube controller and WaveBird
Black GameCube controller

The standard GameCube controller has a wing grip design, and is designed to fit well in the player's hands. It includes a total of eight buttons, two analog sticks, a D-pad, and an internal rumble motor. The primary analog stick is on the left, with the D-pad below it. On the right are four buttons; a large green "A" button in the center, a smaller red "B" button to the left, an "X" button to the right and a "Y" button to the top. Below those, there is a yellow "C" stick, which often serves different functions, such as controlling the camera. The Start/Pause button is located at the middle of the controller face, and the rumble motor is encased within the center of the controller.

On the top of the controller there are two analog shoulder buttons marked "L" and "R," as well as one digital button marked "Z." The "L" and "R" shoulder buttons feature both analog and digital capabilities. Each of these buttons behaves as a typical analog button until fully depressed, at which point the button "clicks" to register an additional digital signal. This method effectively serves to provide two functions per button without actually adding two separate physical buttons.

The WaveBird wireless controller is an RF-based wireless controller, based on the same design as the standard controller. This controller comes in light grey and platinum. It communicates with the GameCube system wirelessly through a receiver dongle connected to one of the system's controller ports. It is powered by two AA batteries. As a power-conservation measure, the WaveBird lacks the rumble function of the standard controller.

Technical issues

Some revisions of the GameCube consoles developed disc read problems with the optical pickup becoming thermally sensitive over time, causing read errors when the console reached normal operating temperature. Failures of this sort require replacement of the optical pickup. Affected consoles have sometimes been serviced free of charge by Nintendo even after the expiration of the warranty period.[16]

Software library

See also: List of Nintendo GameCube games, List of GameCube games with ED support, Chronology of GameCube games, and Player's Choice

Launch games

The GameCube launched in North America with the following twelve games:

Title Developer Publisher(s)
All-Star Baseball 2002 Acclaim Acclaim
Batman Vengeance Ubisoft Ubisoft
Crazy Taxi Hitmaker Sega
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Z-Axis Acclaim
Disney's Tarzan Untamed Ubisoft Ubisoft
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo Nintendo
Madden NFL 2002 EA Tiburon EA Sports
NHL Hitz 20-02 EA Black Box Midway
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader Factor 5 LucasArts
Super Monkey Ball Amusement Vision Sega
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Neversoft Activision
Wave Race: Blue Storm NST Nintendo

One of the defining aspects of the Nintendo GameCube is the rejuvenated relationship between Nintendo and its licensees. Unlike previous generations in which Nintendo was seen by some as bullying its third-party game developers, Nintendo openly sought game-development aid on the Nintendo GameCube.[citation needed] Sometimes, Nintendo would merely request that a third-party developer produce a game based on the third-party's own game franchises; other times, Nintendo would request that the third-party developer produce a game based on Nintendo's own game franchises. In both cases, Nintendo often took an active role in cooperating with the developer.[citation needed] This policy on Nintendo's part resulted in exclusive third-party games for the Nintendo GameCube, and the arrival of multi-format games for the console.

Market share

Despite Nintendo's efforts, the GameCube failed to reclaim the market share lost by its predecessor, the Nintendo 64. It was in third place compared to its competitors, Sony's PlayStation 2 (still currently supported) and Microsoft's Xbox (discontinued in 2006). The console's "family-friendly" appeal and lack of support from certain third-party developers skewed the GameCube toward a younger market, which represented a minority of the gaming population during the sixth generation (see chart). Some third-party games popular with teenagers or adults, such as several first-person shooters and the controversial Grand Theft Auto series, skipped a GameCube port in favor of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The GameCube does, however, have over forty M (for Mature) rated games, a considerably larger amount than Nintendo's previous consoles.[citation needed]

The strong sales of first-party games did not seemingly benefit third-party developers. Many cross-platform games—such as sports franchises released by Electronic Arts—sold far below their PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts, eventually prompting some developers to scale back or completely cease support for the GameCube. After several years of losing money from developing for Nintendo's console, Eidos Interactive announced in September 2003 that it would end support for the GameCube, canceling several games that were in development.[17] Later, however, Eidos resumed development[18] of GameCube titles, releasing hit games such as Lego Star Wars: The Video Game and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend.

The 1.5 GB proprietary disc format may also have been a limiting factor since the PlayStation 2 and Xbox could use 8.5 GB Dual-Layer DVDs for larger games. The GameCube disc still had sufficient room for most games, although a few would require an extra disc or, less often, feature less content than the other versions. Higher video compression for some games was also potentially more apparent on some GameCube versions, if employed by developers as a workaround for storage constraints.

Also, due to Nintendo's lack of support for the online capabilities of the GameCube (as compared to Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, who actively promoted online gaming by releasing first-party online titles and soliciting developers for support), multi-platform games with online functionality were released offline-only on the GameCube. Although online support was added in late 2002 and both Sony and Nintendo followed a similar decentralized online model (in contrast to the centralized Xbox Live), lower sales of the GameCube versions of games during its launch year precluded developers from including online support.

Due to sagging sales, Nintendo halted GameCube production for a brief period in 2003 in order to reduce surplus units.[19] Sales rebounded slightly after a price drop to US$99 on September 24, 2003[20] and the release of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bundle. A demo disc, the Nintendo GameCube Preview Disc, was also released in a bundle in 2003.[citation needed] Beginning with this period, GameCube sales continued to be steady, particularly in Japan,[citation needed] but the GameCube remained in third place in worldwide sales during the sixth generation era due to weaker sales performance elsewhere.

Some third-party companies, such as Ubisoft, THQ, Disney Interactive Studios, Humongous Entertainment and EA Sports, continued to release GameCube games well into 2007.[21][22][23][24] These titles include TMNT, Meet the Robinsons, Surf's Up, Ratatouille and Madden NFL 08.[citation needed]

Online gaming

The GameCube was at one point online compatible by using a GameCube Broadband Adapter or Modem Adapter, though only four games featured an online component which were Homeland, Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus and Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution. This online play was ended as of April 2007. Although the official servers for the PSO titles are now offline however, it is still possible to play online on various private servers such as SCHTHACK. LAN gameplay is still available for the three titles that originally supported it as well: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, 1080° Avalanche and Kirby Air Ride. There are some third-party PC applications such as Warp Pipe and XLink Kai that allows online play of these three games by tunneling the network traffic through a computer and across the Internet, though this is not supported by Nintendo.

Reception and sales

Although generally receiving positive comments on its game library, the GameCube did receive some criticism for its "toy-ish" exterior and for lacking some of the technical features of its competitors (such as DVD playback and digital audio output).[25]

The GameCube sold nearly 22 million units worldwide during its lifetime,[2] lagging far behind the PlayStation 2's almost 144 million.[26][27] The GameCube finished its generation slightly behind the Xbox, which sold 24 million units before being discontinued, and well ahead of the short-lived Dreamcast, which sold 10.6 million. The GameCube did not outsell its predecessor, the Nintendo 64, which sold almost 33 million units in its lifetime.[28]

In September 2009, IGN named the GameCube the 16th best gaming console of all time, behind all three of its competitors: the PlayStation 2 (3rd), Dreamcast (8th), and Xbox (11th). Aside from the Virtual Boy (which did not make the list at all), it was the only Nintendo console to not make the list's top 10.[25]

Games

See also: List of best-selling Nintendo GameCube video games

The number of games released for the console exceeds 600, with 208.56 million GameCube games sold as of June 30, 2008.

Hidden music

There are several hidden sounds within the Gamecube system software, including two hidden startup tunes. If the Z button is held on one controller during startup, the sounds of a squeaking toy, xylophone, springs, and childish laughter will play in place of the original tune. If four controllers are connected and all four Z buttons are held, kabuki-style sounds will be played, including vocalization and drumming.[29][30][31]

The music which plays when accessing the GameCube system menu is a mellow, and significantly slowed down version of the Famicom Disk System startup theme.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ "GameCube gets vasectomy; no longer reproducing". Joystiq. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
  2. ^ a b c "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). Nintendo. 2010-01-27. Retrieved 2010-02-14.
  3. ^ "At Long Last, Nintendo Proclaims: Let the Brawls Begin on Wii!" (Press release). Nintendo. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2008-03-11. The previous installment in the series, Super Smash Bros. Melee, was the best-selling game for Nintendo GameCube with 7.09 million copies sold worldwide.
  4. ^ "ニンテンドー ゲームキューブ". Nintendo Co., Ltd. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  5. ^ "First Quarter Financial Results Briefing Q & A". Investor Relations. Nintendo Co., Ltd. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  6. ^ "GameCube Slogan Revealed!". Nintendo World Report. 2001-09-03. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  7. ^ "Kirby Air Ride". GameTrailers. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  8. ^ "Say Hello to Project Dolphin". IGN. 1999-05-04. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  9. ^ "GameCube 101: Graphics". IGN. 2001-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  10. ^ Satterfield, Shane. "GameCube Dossier". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  11. ^ "Nintendo's GameCube Component FAQ page". Nintendo. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Game Consoles: A Look Ahead". Ace's Hardware. 2003-12-14. Archived from the original on 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  13. ^ a b "GCN Technical Specifications". Nintendo. Archived from the original on 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
  14. ^ a b c "DCTP - Nintendo's Gamecube Technical Overview". Segatech. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  15. ^ "Nintendo GameCube Accessories". Nintendo. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  16. ^ "Nintendo GameCube Error Messages". Nintendo. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  17. ^ "Eidos to Pull GCN Support". IGN. 2003-09-05. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
  18. ^ "Game Companies: Eidos Interactive". GameFAQs. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
  19. ^ "Nintendo revives GameCube production". GameSpot. 2003-11-05. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
  20. ^ "Nintendo GameCube Price Drops to $99!". Nintendo. 2003-09-24. Retrieved 2007-07-13.[dead link‍]
  21. ^ "Surf's Up official Press Release". Ubisoft. 2007-04-19. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  22. ^ "Ratatouille official Press Release". THQ. 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  23. ^ "Madden NFL 08 official Press Release". Electronic Arts. 2007-04-18. Archived from the original on 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  24. ^ "Disney Showcases E3 Lineup". Nintendo World Report. 2007-08-02. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  25. ^ a b "Nintendo GameCube is number 16". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 15-Oct-2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  26. ^ "SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ASIA STARTS ITS PLAYSTATION® BUSINESS IN REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA". SCEI. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  27. ^ "PlayStation®2 Worldwide Hardware Unit Sales". SCEI. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  28. ^ "All Time Top 20 Best Selling Games". 2003-05-21. Archived from the original on 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  29. ^ WikiHow:Secret GameCube Startups
  30. ^ GameCube, Hardware - Platform: Gamecube Cheats
  31. ^ GameCube Startup Easter Egg
  32. ^ NinDB Forums - Cameos on the Gamecube
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