I love the GameCube to pieces. So it pains me to call my boxy little friend a failure.
But, a failure it was. I know it made buckets of money. And yes, I know that Nintnedo was doing just fine during the GameCube years. And, I know that the Cube had some of the best games of the last generation.
But despite all that, I still consider the console a failure. Find out why after the jump.
- Differentiation: Unlike its predecessor, the N64, the GameCube didn’t do anything to differentiate itself from the competition. The Cube was kind of like a PS2, but it didn’t have as many games or play DVDs. And it was kind of like an Xbox, but it didn’t have as many high-end features. Now, imagine for a moment that you don’t give a hoot about Mario, Zelda, Samus, or Pikachu (I know, it’s a bizarro universe, but bear with me). Now, let’s say you want to play video games. Well, you can find the most video games on the PS2. Or, if you’re a l33t hax0r, you can find the most tech in the Xbox. So, unless you want to catch ‘em all… why would you get a GameCube?
- Xbox: Before it came out, a lot of people sort of dismissed the Xbox. Microsoft, making a game console? What an intriguingly ridiculous idea. At the time, it seemed like the Xbox would be another 3DO, Jaguar, or CD-i. I mean, it’s not even Japanese, how could it possibly succeed? Well… with Halo. And to be fair, Halo was just one salvo in a well executed campaign to capture the domestic casual-core. Microsoft PR did a good job of associating the console with athletes, actors, musicians, and celebutantes. The end result was something palatable and hip to the frat boy set, and aspirational for the little childrens. Had the Xbox been the big black turd it was fated to be, the Cube may have had more room to shine.
- Software: It would be nice to blame the GameCube’s failings on its competition, but let’s be honest, Nintendo dropped the ball on software. We all know that that third party support has never been Nintendo’s strong suit. I’m not going to bark up that tree. Instead, I’m going to look at Nintendo first party. Where was Mario at launch? Why was Mario Sunshine so damn hard? What was up with sketchy second party titles like Geist, Chibi-Robo, and Batallion Wars that were quality offerings, but did nothing to capture a broad audience? Of course, there were gems on the Cube that made it worthwhile. Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime, Pikmin 2, Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, and RE 4 (omg!). But there were months, if not years, between great releases. By the time 2006 rolled around, the well was pretty much dry.
- Industrial Design: The PS2 was a sleek stereo component with a game machine inside. The Xbox was large and in charge. The GameCube… was a purple lunchbox. Now, I have nothing against lunchboxes, or purples, but it just makes me wonder – who was this machine for? Am I supposed to play Resident Evil Zero in front of my adult friends on a purple lunchbox with candy coated buttons? Pokémon’s success saddled Nintendo with the “Kiddie” albatross, and the design of the Cube did nothing to challenge that assumption. I really liked the small form factor and portability. But, there’s no denying the machine looked like the Duplo to Sony’s Bionicle.
- Gimmicks: In the end, it seemed like Nintendo tried to address the differentiation and software issues through a series of bizarre gimmicks and add-ons. The e-Reader, CONNECTIVITY, and even bongos were trotted out as compelling reasons to buy a GameCube. Connectivity was a particularly interesting logic, because it suggested that a GameCube would be a great accessory for your GBA. At the time GBA’s dominated the handheld space, and it seemed like Nintendo was trying to promote the brand loyalty up. Apple does the same thing. A Mac is the best accessory you can get for an iPod. But, the difference is that using them together doesn’t require a degree in civil engineering and an octopussy’s nest of cables. Did you ever try to play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles with four people and more than one memory card? It was like you had to solve a puzzle just to unlock the game.
Bottom Line: The GameCube was a failure not because it failed to deliver revenue, or great games, but because it was a machine that didn’t know what it was. It struggled and stammered trying to find an identity for itself, because when you got right down to it, it didn’t have one. It was “safer” than the N64’s bold defiance of industry trends had been. In following the herd, Nintendo lost their way. And once they lost the vision, they tried to make up for it with cables and bongos.
I love the GameCube. But it failed to live up to what it could have been. And that’s as tragic as anything that could happen to a little purple lunchbox.
Wii is going to fail in exactly the same manner, exactly. Incase no one has told you, Wii is just a slightly upgraded Gamecube. The amount of games are the same, the type of games are the same… With one extra gimmick, the controller. Do you think a Wii controller could have saved the Gamecube? I don’t.
And when the next nintendo consol is ready, the Nintendo fans will all be going “I hate to admit it… But the Wii was a failure… But the Wii2 will take this world by storm! Nintendo is back!”
Well, Well done my friend
I agree totally
and im still a huge Nintendo fan, i had a cube, and now i only have a DS lite due to the Wii shortage.
But i cant wait to see what fun and great games the Wii will have to offer
Word.
Nice article. It’s great to see how Nintendo looked positivity at its criticisms and found a way to improve them. The result, the Nintendo Wii, a great success.
I have to disagree with your last statement.. Nintendo do know what they’re doing, it’s a game system and it did play games. I believe the main reason for their “failure” was there inability to compete with Sony. The PS2 graphics just ran over it, and as you mention, date release of games wasn’t organized well.
It looks like all you were really talking about was mindshare. In your view, Gamecube was a failure in mindshare. You even admit that it was a financially successful product, something Microsoft cannot boast even to this day; the XBOX division STILL bleeds money. I think HOW Americans view a system is irrelevant. The American market is becoming more important, but it’s more fickle. Americans apparently do not care about what a system can do or what games are on it, they only care about how the system is represented as a lifestyle accessory. Your blog would be better written in that angle because outside of the US, XBOX is a joke and Nintendo still sells more games than any other publisher.
ted, in case no one has told you,the wii is kicking everyones ass.
Hmm.
I’ll have to disagree with the whole failure bit. Now obviously I can’t speak to what Nintendo wanted to get out of the GC, so maybe it was a failure to them. I’m also not a big gamer – I play a few games a couple of times a week, that’s all.
That said, the GameCube was a huge success for me, personally, for 2 reasons:
1) price – it was priced right for what I wanted
2) kids – the gamecube is absolutely perfect for me, a dad with 2 pre-teen kids. It offers a *great* mix of games that my kids love and get hours and hours of play from. If the Wii is able to reproduce that, they’ll have us as customers again in a year or so.
Cori, I’m glad that your family has had such a good experience with the GameCube. I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun playing together on the Wii, if not more.
When all is said and done the “Kiddy” thing is just a problem for the agegroup 12 to 20. Beyond that you should be grown up enough not to bother if a game (or a system) makes you look “kiddy” in front of your friends. A good game is a good game is a good game.
Gamecubes real problem was third party support which basically stemmed from THE main problem every console has had since the age of the dinosaurs: headstart.
Look at last generation: PS2 came out first and was the biggest success.
Look at this generation: Xbox360 came out first and is the biggest success.
For the others there is just scraps. Nintendo made the right choice by no longer trying to compete with the other consoles and instead focusing on new market segments that are just not touched by XBox360 or PS3. What really counts for the company is MONEY. They are not in this market because they like us so much – they want to earn a fair buck.
If Nintendo ever get back in the techrace (I sure hope they don’t and instead focus on making games that are actually fun) their best bet is to get out of the gate first. It’s always worked before.
I think we have to be clear about the definition of failure.
Was the GameCube a failure becuase it failed to satisfy the “so-called” hardcore gamers? Or was it a failure becuase it didn’t give Nintendo the “numero uno” spot?, or maybe because it was a financial disaster? BTW – none of those are true.
The GameCube was a pefect machine to quickly pick-up a game without jeopardizing your school/job/relationship, whatever, etc. You’ll see that a testament to that will be the longevity of it’s games through the Wii.
True gamers don’t care what their console looks like or that the competition says that their console is for kids. Don’t let mainstream perception dictate your taste; if I like a game, I’d buy the platform just to play the game.
In the business aspect, the console didn’t sell to Nintendo’s projected numbers, but it was profitable; I do agree that some decisions (such as Luigi’s Mansion) as a launch title were not the best.
And by the way, Nintendo will always be perceived as the “kiddie platform” because they’ve found a formula that works and its competitors will always play that card to the mainstream.
Focus in the games, no matter your favorite platform (Xbox, PSX or whatever) – Let the memorable moments in gaming define your satisfaction.
Happy Gaming.