Gamecube software continues to dwindle

[Ruined]

A year ago or so, I pointed out that XBOX/PS2 had much more on the horizon than GC. Now it is even worse. Looking at the EBGAMES announced games list:

207 PS2 Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie...=PlayStation+2

148 XBOX Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie...&web_dept=XBOX

37 (!) Gamecube Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie..._dept=GameCube

That's right, only 37 games coming up for gamecube (and that includes sports titles). Doesn't even take up a full page on EB's site to list them all. Nintendo better bring out the Revolution ASAP... Otherwise GC owners are going to buy XBOX360/PS3 just because there are no games left to play!

was very shocking to see such a steep dropoff in GC support, especially when Revolution will be the last of the next-gen consoles to launch from the look of things.

[Wirehed]

37 games isn't really "nothing" especially coming from Nintendo who's overall quality is very high.

Half the PS2 games are probably super crappy movie tie in promo games anyway.

[debz]

Originally Posted by Ruined

A year ago or so, I pointed out that XBOX/PS2 had much more on the horizon than GC. Now it is even worse. Looking at the EBGAMES announced games list:

207 PS2 Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie...=PlayStation+2

148 XBOX Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie...&web_dept=XBOX

37 (!) Gamecube Games
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categorie..._dept=GameCube

That's right, only 37 games coming up for gamecube (and that includes sports titles). Doesn't even take up a full page on EB's site to list them all. Nintendo better bring out the Revolution ASAP... Otherwise GC owners are going to buy XBOX360/PS3 just because there are no games left to play!

was very shocking to see such a steep dropoff in GC support, especially when Revolution will be the last of the next-gen consoles to launch from the look of things.

whats the point of bringing this up?

I mean if you were a gamecube owner and were pissed I can see but your not.

so is there a point to this?

as long as there is a few quality titles in that 37 I don't care

my ps2 hasn't had any use in over a year, my xbox stoped working and there arn't enough games to make me buy another one.

the only ps2 game thats looked interesting to me in the slightest was Lego Star Wars...might pick that up one of these days

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by debz

whats the point of bringing this up?

You don't find it alarming that a console that is going to be obselete in 6 months has four times as many games coming out in the forseeable future as Gamecube, while Nintendo's next-gen console probably won't be out for 1.5 years?

Point is, I think Nintendo should speed things up with the revolution if they want to compete!

[Wirehed]

I don't really think Nintendo "competes" 100% with MS or Sony. They have a smaller market share, but they have an extremely loyal user base. They also don't release a ton of 3rd party crappy games. One or two high profile titles is what the industry is based on, MS has Halo, Nintendo has Resident Evil, Mario, Zeldo, Metroid...

It really seems to me that MS had better get more high profile titles if they want to compete with Nintendo. Afterall, when it's all said and done, Nintendo might have a smaller market, but they also appear to be the most profitable.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

I don't really think Nintendo "competes" 100% with MS or Sony. They have a smaller market share, but they have an extremely loyal user base. They also don't release a ton of 3rd party crappy games. One or two high profile titles is what the industry is based on, MS has Halo, Nintendo has Resident Evil, Mario, Zeldo, Metroid...

Nintendo's loyal fan base isn't enough to float a console. If the kids go with XBOX360 or PS3 for their next console because all their friends have more good games, Nintendo's loyal fan base will help Revolution about as much as SEGA's loyal fanbase helped the Dreamcast.

It really seems to me that MS had better get more high profile titles if they want to compete with Nintendo.

Myth. Lets say all titles that score 8/10 in reviews are good games. This is a reasonable figure as 8/10 or higher is defined as "good" by most review sites.

According to Gamerankings (avg. score of all game reviews available):
PS2 has over 200 games that scored 8/10 or higher
XBOX has 164 games that scored 8/10 or higher
Gamecube has 94 games that scored 8/10 or higher

Gamecube has less good games than either PS2 or XBOX, and spread across less genres as well.

Gamecube has a whopping 7 racing games that scored 8/10 or higher
XBOX has 23, PS2 has 29

Gamecube comes in last in fighting, RPG, FPS, Action Adventure, Sports, and virtually every other genre too in terms of good games versus XBOX and PS2.

Even in Nintendo's strongest genre, 3D Platforming, XBOX and PS2 both according to gamerankings have more good games.

You also don't get much "higher profile" than Halo 2 and the Halo franchise, which was the fastest selling game of all time to date. Halo 3 is being released concurrently with PS3, prior to Nintendo's next console.

Afterall, when it's all said and done, Nintendo might have a smaller market, but they also appear to be the most profitable.

Gamecube has been doing poorly and continues to do worse in the profit department. Nintendo makes the large majority of its profit off portable sales which continue to rise (according to them). Meanwhile, XBOX's profits have continued to rise from Microsoft's initial large investment into the VG arena. Sony got the most profit out of their console this gen, not Nintendo.

[cherno]

I have been a nintendo owner since the beginning and has always been my favorite console. Zelda and Metroid were my favorites and part of the reason that I wound up buying a GC a while back. I was pretty disappointed with Metroid Prime 2 Echos. It was really just a rehash of Metroid Prime.
Zelda is still fun. But looking at EBGames list, the only thing I see on there that I would like is the new Zelda.

When the latest mortal kombat didn't come out for the cube I started to get worried. Then it came out much later and now I see that every other console is getting ROTS, except nintendo (even the DS gets a version!)
I don't know why, maybe a hardware issue or licensing or what, but I am really disappointed now and when the PS3 comes out, I will get that instead. Nintendo just isn't putting out enough games for me, that I would play.

[Wirehed]

But MS didn't make a profit on the Xbox at all, not that that was even their goal this go around.

Sony sold some 200 MILLION consoles!

Nintendo is the smaller company, but they sell their fair share and most importantly, they made a lot of money. They are a niche market, that doesn't mean they are going out of business.

I suppose you've been predicting Apple would go out of busines since about 1988 too right? Trust me, it's not going to happen.

[elwood731]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

I suppose you've been predicting Apple would go out of busines since about 1988 too right? Trust me, it's not going to happen.

This certainly seems to be Nintendo's strategy, doesn't it? Let's release some high-quality slightly off-kilter stuff for a small, but loyal, fanbase and they'll keep us afloat...hooray!

The great GameCube games have been better than just about anything on the PS2 or XBOX. I just wish some of the 3rd party support was there with those titles, too.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

But MS didn't make a profit on the Xbox at all, not that that was even their goal this go around.

Exactly.

Sony sold some 200 MILLION consoles!

Nintendo is the smaller company, but they sell their fair share and most importantly, they made a lot of money. They are a niche market, that doesn't mean they are going out of business.

To clarify, they made most of their money off their handhelds.

I suppose you've been predicting Apple would go out of busines since about 1988 too right? Trust me, it's not going to happen.

Apple would have gone out of business if Microsoft did not rescue them in 1997

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,5156,00.asp

[Wirehed]

So I don't understand the point.

Nintendo makes a large profit, they have 37 games coming out for their aging console and plans for a spiffy next gen game system, and they still have the largest grip on the hand held market with two systems and a rumored third on the way.

No they aren't as big as Sony or MS, but I don't think that's a real goal anyway. Sony made it's money iin other places, and obviously MS is a PC software company.


Nintendo isn't going to go out of business because YOU don't like their games. Plenty of people do.

[Bananaslug79]

Yeah, Ruined, you're kind of making an argument here just to argue. I think it has been well established over the years that numbers are only part of the equation, and Nintendo has always solidly proved that the quality is the most important part of games. A few quality titles has always kept Nintendo afloat, and always will.

Good points on Nintendo's strategy, Seamonkey. I think you really hit the nail on the head with MS and Sony competing for something totally different than Nintendo. It seems to me that the mass market is just that: get your shit out to as many warm bodies as possible and don't look back. I always get the feeling from Nintendo that they actually care about their consumers and want you to be satisfied with something, not just get the numbers on the chart. I think this is where your point fails, Ruined.

[debz]

MS only sells 300 or so xbox's in japan a week they are doomed






kidding

but do you see a point people are making.

the GameCube has made more money than the Xbox no matter what place nintendo is in this race, and thats NOT includeing the portible market

[Wirehed]

It should be pretty obvious that MS is only interested in "gaming consoles" becuase they want to get their media software in people's living rooms.

Nintendo is a toy company. They make a specialized toy that a lot of people have on their MUST BUY list year after year. They have been extremely succeful and will no doubt break new ground with whatever new console they have planned.

[Ruined]

You can nuance all you want, but bottom line is no significant amount of people are going to buy only a Nintendo console if they know that means they are only going to get a selection of 0-3 new games a month max. And if Nintendo isn't looking to make their console appealing enough so that their users don't have to buy a rival console, I don't think thats a very effective strategy. Nintendo's userbase has continued to dwindle post-SNES, and I'm sure this is a very large part of the reason. Very simply, not enough games means not enough variety.

[Wirehed]

Why do people have to buy only one console?

I just don't get what your argument is, Nintendo isn't as big as Sony or MS, so what? That doesn't mean they don't sell something that people want.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Seamonkey

Why do people have to buy only one console?

I just don't get what your argument is, Nintendo isn't as big as Sony or MS, so what? That doesn't mean they don't sell something that people want.

If mainstream buyers of Nintendo consoles have to continue buying second consoles in order to supplement a dearth of games on Nintendo consoles, they will eventually get smart and just buy the other console in the future instead of the Nintendo console. While there are enthusiast gamers and fans who buy multiple consoles, this isn't the case for most people.

Nintendo has gradually lost footing in the console world with N64, and they continued to lose footing with Gamecube. There is a definite trend there, and it is Nintendo losing more and more gamers, which is not a good thing. Until they can offer a wider variety of games as was the case with NES and SNES, they will likely continue to lose footing as people wise up and go for a console made by a company they know will be able to deliver the games in the end.

If everyone had unlimited money, space, and the justification to buy multiple videogame consoles your argument might be better. But the fact is, most don't. Unless Nintendo diversifies and increases the game output for their console (both first and third party - ESPECIALLY when their competitors are launching next-gen consoles and they have very little in the pipeline save a few games) I predict they will lose even more footing in the next-gen battles. While it doesn't mean Nintendo will go out of business, at some point their console business will start dragging down their whole company. The "niche" market isn't enough to keep a console in good standing. This has been proved time and time again with Neo Geo, 3DO, Dreamcast, etc...

[dx]

Originally Posted by Ruined

If mainstream buyers of Nintendo consoles have to continue buying second consoles in order to supplement a dearth of games on Nintendo consoles, they will eventually get smart and just buy the other console in the future instead of the Nintendo console. While there are enthusiast gamers and fans who buy multiple consoles, this isn't the case for most people.

If you don't own a gamecube, why do you care?

dx

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by dx

If you don't own a gamecube, why do you care?

dx

If the Revolution comes out with the VR-type stuff (which is a possible "revolution" - true 3d) I'd be interested in getting one. But I'd want Nintendo to diversify their lineup and get more games period; i dont really care about true 3d if the vast majority of the good games are going to be nintendo franchises in their current state - nintendo also needs to make their games more appealing to adults, with less of the cutesy and often irritating a/v presentations of some of their franchises. Their controller too, needs work (though this would be a non-issue with VR). I was a big fan of nintendo during the NES/SNES days, and felt they dropped the ball with N64. They did a bit of work with GC, but not nearly enough to be truly appealing to me (for above reasons).

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it was incredibly surprising to me to see so little software support for the console whose successor is coming out latest.

[Wirehed]

But their market is people who LIKE cutesy games. You are obviously not who they are making the machine for.

[Taxi]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Gamecube has a whopping 7 racing games that scored 8/10 or higher
XBOX has 23, PS2 has 29

I'm not into the whole console thing, so let me get this straight: you're saying that being able to choose between seven "good" racing games isn't enough? If there was only one to choose from, THAT would be a problem. Your other numbers tell the same story. Quantity != Quality.

(Hell, if that were true, we'd have to shut the forum down. )

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Taxi

I'm not into the whole console thing, so let me get this straight: you're saying that being able to choose between seven "good" racing games isn't enough? If there was only one to choose from, THAT would be a problem. Your other numbers tell the same story. Quantity != Quality.

(Hell, if that were true, we'd have to shut the forum down. )

I like quality and quantity. (combined I have 200+ xbox & ps2 games). I'd say I have at least 25 games that count as racing, probably more. A selection of 7 racing games (actually that number is now down to 6 after more reviews came in for a recent GC racer) is hardly enough after 4+ years of being on the market.

Out of those 7 racing games, only 2 feature actual cars. Out of those 2, only 1 of the 2 feature licensed cars. So actually, if you want to play with "real" cars, there is only one to choose from. There is also no racing sims at all. That is definitely NOT good enough, at least not if you plan to have more than 20 games ever

It's sort of like saying to a DVD fan, "hey, there are 7 good scifi films available on DVD, that should be a good enough selection!"

[Damian]

Originally Posted by Ruined

I like quality and quantity. (combined I have 200+ xbox & ps2 games). I'd say I have at least 25 games that count as racing, probably more. A selection of 7 racing games (actually that number is now down to 6 after more reviews came in for a recent GC racer) is hardly enough after 4+ years of being on the market.

Out of those 7 racing games, only 2 feature actual cars. Out of those 2, only 1 of the 2 feature licensed cars. So actually, if you want to play with "real" cars, there is only one to choose from. There is also no racing sims at all. That is definitely NOT good enough, at least not if you plan to have more than 20 games ever

It's sort of like saying to a DVD fan, "hey, there are 7 good scifi films available on DVD, that should be a good enough selection!"

But once again Ruined you're basing your argument as if all the consumers buy these games like you do. Nintendo has always been primarliy focused on kids games. Young kids and early teens can not afford to buy more then maybe one or two games a month, if that. (actually most of their parents can't)
I'm sure Nintendo knows this so only churns out a few games but produces higher quality games.
Yes we all know you buy a gagillian games a month. Believe me Ruined, you are the exception, not the standard. Nintendo has been doing this for years so i'm sure they know what they are doing.
You gave stats earlier on the ranking of PS/2, Xbox and Nintendo games and pointed out how Nintendo clearly had fewer games that scored as high as the other two. But what I want to know is how many games in that genra were tested for each system? Meaning if the PS/2 had 200 games that scored 8/10 or higher, how many total games were scored? What's the ratio? If it was a thousand games I'd say that's actually a pretty shitty ratio. You yourself said Ninteno doesn't put out as many games as the other two did so naturally they'd have fewer games that would score as high. But again I wonder what their ratio of good games to bad games are. I would bet they have a better ratio then the PS/2 and the Xbox.

[Astrakan]

Mreh. I -and others- have said it before and I'll say it again. Why Nintendo doesn't go software only is beyond me. Everyone says the real money is from software and not hardware. Everyone also says Nintendo is one of the best software developers in the business. You'd think by offering their games to 100% of the console owning population, the'd be raking in the cash at a much quicker rate than they are currently, even after the licensing fees to Sony and MS have been paid.

Whenever this is discussed, people mention Nintendo being too proud. You think that really is it? It seems odd that pride would get in the way of improving the company. I mean, the extra money they'd make could be used to make even more innovations both in software and in handheld console hardware, so they'd still be able to service their consumers to the best of their ability.



KM