Nintendo lowers unit sales forecast

News.com: Nintendo drops aim for GameCube sales

Bummer. I have a PS2 as well as a GameCube. I have one PS2 game, and a dozen GameCube games. The PS2 has been used primarily as a DVD player since we got it. I don't have an XBox, but there are a couple of games I'd like to play that are only on XBox.

From a pure graphics perspective, the XBox apparently has the best hardware. But it's the games that count. Nintendo hasn't done enough (read: throw tons of money at them) to get developers to produce lots of GameCube games. That said, the amount (and %) of GREAT games for the GameCube is very high compared to the other platforms. Of course, Nintendo is the developer of a lot of many of them... Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mario Party 4, Metroid Prime, Pikmin and Animal Crossing come to mind.

Gamers should buy a GameCube, if only becasuse Nintendo is the last pure gaming company left, and they aren't trying to take over the world like Sony and Microsoft. ;-)

The PS3 and XBox2 are going to be great, but don't be surprised when they cost a lot more than the current consoles do... they'll be sold as home entertainment hubs (and more) with gaming functionality. Nothing wrong with that, unless you don't like the idea of Microsoft encroaching on and imposing more Microsoft and Windows-centric standards into your digital life. Sony will likely be a lot more passive in this regard, but just ask Sega what happens when you sit on your laurels. The way things are going, XBox3 will be the only game in town.

Nintendo has said they're working on their next console... they'd better do something special, start lining the pockets of game developers, and deliver the games their core fanbase are demanding. Oh, and get their online-head out of their offline-ass. Online gaming rocks, it's the future, and why Nintendo hasn't put more into it I'll never understand, especially considering their broadband adaptors have been shipping for nearly half a year and are proven to work.

Written on April 7, 2003