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The Nintendo GameCube (ニンテンドーゲームキューブ Nintendō GēmuKyūbu?, GCN) is Nintendo's fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era. The GameCube itself is the most compact and least expensive of the sixth generation era consoles. The GameCube 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. In late 2006, the GameCube was succeeded by the Wii which is backward compatible with GameCube games, controllers, and Memory Cards, but is not compatible with the Game Boy Player, GameCube Component cable, Broadband Adapter, and Modem Adapter accessories which will work only on a GameCube.
Overview
The Nintendo GameCube uses a proprietary storage medium, the Nintendo GameCube Game Disc, based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology; the discs are approximately 8 centimeters (3 1/8 inches) in diameter (considerably smaller than the 12 cm CDs or DVDs used in other consoles), and have a capacity of approximately 1.5 gigabytes. Contrary to popular belief, GameCube discs are not physically read any differently from a standard DVD disc, but are encrypted with a key derived from the Burst Cutting Area, a 'bar code' unreadable by most DVD drives. This move was intended to prevent unauthorized copying of GCN titles, but was eventually cracked. By exploiting a flaw in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, users were able to connect their GameCubes to their PCs and run homebrew programming on the console.[4] The Nintendo GameCube does not have DVD or audio CD support, but Matsushita's Panasonic Q (described below), only available in Japan, does. Common reasons cited by Nintendo for using this format are to reduce copyright infringement, provide faster loading times due smaller disc, make the system cheaper by avoiding DVD-licensing fees, and a more compact console. The lack of DVD movie support did not make it appealing to the DVD playing audiences, who turned to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox due to their built-in DVD support.[1][1] Despite the protection of a non-standard disc format (essentially a miniature DVD-ROM with non-standard sectors and filesystem formatting), a number of modchips such as the Qoob and ViperGC have been released that, when used in conjunction with a modified BIOS, allow the use of a standard or 8 cm DVD-R to load backed-up, homebrew, bootleg or copied software. The Panasonic Q, released by Panasonic in Japan under license from Nintendo, is manufactured as a modified GameCube unit with added DVD and audio CD playback functionality. It was never released outside of Japan; production ceased in December 2003. Differences in design make the Panasonic Q incompatible with the Game Boy Player; however, the Panasonic Q Game Boy Player was released to address the problem of the extended pegs on the bottom, allowing play of Game Boy games. The GameCube can connect to a Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Advance SP to transfer game data. The GameCube can also connect to a Game Boy Micro, but the cable required to connect the two must be custom made since it has not been otherwise made available. Examples of this functionality include the use of the Game Boy Advance as a controller for the game played. Information related to game play may be displayed on the Game Boy Advance's color screen for added convenience or to avoid the cluttering of the display on the television screen. This functionality has been used to unlock bonuses such as new levels or characters when certain Game Boy Advance and GameCube games are connected together. Up to four Game Boy Advance systems can be connected to the GameCube through the GameCube's four controller ports for multiplayer play. A Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable is required for each Game Boy Advance system that is connected to the GameCube; however, this required a user to buy a GameCube, a Game Boy Advance, and the GameCube version of the title, along with the Game Boy Advance version. Some GameCube titles only used the Game Boy Advance as a screen and did not require a separate Game Boy Advance game.
The GameCube was designed for portability, with its small size complemented by a carrying handle; however, this feature over other consoles was minimal since its inexpensive production and selling price were its main advantages. Despite being more compact than the original PlayStation 2 model, the GameCube has overall superior graphics processing power and better Pro Logic sound, but no optical output. The GameCube has a front end menu system which can be accessed by holding the 'A' button while the system boots or by booting with no game inserted. This menu controls settings for memory card data, sound, and the internal clock. The controller has the traditional directional pad, two analog sticks, and eight buttons: A, B, X, Y, Z, L, R, and pause/start. Like the Nintendo 64 controller, it features no select button. The C buttons have been replaced by an analog C stick. The analog sticks do not have added "clickable" button functionality—unlike other such consoles of the era—but both L and R shoulder buttons are analog, able to detect pressure applied to them before "clicking," essentially doubling their functionality. Nintendo released a network adapter for the GameCube during the Christmas season of 2002, but did not promote or support online gaming as heavily as Sony or Microsoft. Two adaptors were released: the Nintendo GameCube Modem Adapter for dial-up and the Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter for broadband. The only high-profile title that requires the adapter is Sega's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. Instead, Nintendo focused more on Game Boy Advance connectivity. As of February 2007, Nintendo UK spokesperson Robert Saunders has confirmed that worldwide both GameCube hardware and software is still in production.[5][6] This policy of producing concurrent home consoles that would at first seem to be predecessor and successor products mirrors Nintendo's handling of its portable lines. Software libraryLaunch titlesThe GameCube launched in North America with the following twelve games: The GameCube currently has over 700[citation needed] games available in its library. Key first-party titlesThe Nintendo GameCube software library contains such traditional Nintendo series as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. Some of the more popular first-party titles include: 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. 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. This policy on Nintendo's part resulted in many exclusive third-party games for the Nintendo GameCube, and the arrival of multiformat titles on the platform. Because of these efforts, GameCube owners tend to support first-party games more heavily than third party games, whereas the reverse is true for PlayStation 2 and Xbox owners, as fewer high-quality first-party titles exist on those platforms. Major second and third-party titlesMarket shareDespite Nintendo's efforts, the GameCube is currently not recapturing the market share held by earlier consoles. One possible reason for this is that Nintendo's family-friendly franchises such as Pokémon skew the GameCube toward a younger market,[7] which now represents a minority of the gaming population (teenagers and adults represent more than half the gaming population[citation needed]). Many third-party games popular with teenagers or adults such as first-person shooters and the controversial Grand Theft Auto series are skipping a GameCube port in favor of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Also, due to Nintendo's lack of support for the online capabilities of the GameCube, as opposed to Microsoft and later Sony, who actively promoted online gaming by releasing first-party online titles and soliciting developers, many multiplatform games with online functionality are 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. The 1.5 gigabyte proprietary disc format might also be a limiting factor since Nintendo's rivals are using the 8.5 gigabyte dual layer DVD. However, the Nintendo disc still has sufficient room for most games, although a few games tend to have less extra content or music tracks than other versions, and video compression for some games is slightly more apparent. The strong preference of GameCube owners for first-party titles has also put the system at odds with independent third party developers. Cross-platform games—such as sports franchises released by Electronic Arts—are selling far below their PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts, prompting developers to scale back or completely cease support for the GameCube. After several years of losing money from developing for Nintendo's system, Eidos Interactive announced that it would end support for the GameCube, cancelling several titles that had been in development [8]. Since then, however, Eidos has resumed development [9] of GameCube titles, releasing hit games such as Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and Tomb Raider: Legend. Around that time, due to sagging sales, Nintendo had to cut GameCube production in order to sell off surpluses and issue a profit warning.[10] Since then, sales have rebounded slightly due to a price drop to $99 USD and the release of the The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bundle, which has spurred sales. Since this period, GameCube sales have continued to be steady, particularly in Japan, but the GameCube is still in third place in worldwide sales. Despite the fact that the GameCube is not matching the sales and market share of earlier Nintendo consoles (aside from the Virtual Boy), this has been offset by the growing size of the video game console market which has allowed Nintendo to carve out a loyal following even as its market share decreased. Its low price compared to the PS2 and Xbox is keeping it competitive. Nintendo has stated that it would "only exit the software business at the same time [it] would exit the hardware business"; Nintendo signaled that it would not discontinue its console business to focus on developing games like Sega had done after discontinuing the Dreamcast. As of December 31, 2006, Nintendo has sold a total of 21.52 million Nintendo GameCube units worldwide, selling 4.02 million units in Japan, 12.74 million units in the Americas, and 4.76 million units elsewhere.[1] This compares to 111.25 million PlayStation 2 units shipped[11] and over 24 million Xbox units sold.[12] On December 1, 2006 Nintendo of America released launch-to-date information indicating that the Nintendo GameCube had sold 11.36 million units in the United States.[13] Some third-party companies, such as Ubisoft, THQ, and O3 Entertainment, will continue to release GameCube games in 2007.[14][15][16] Hardware specificationsThe GameCube's model numbers, DOL-001 and 101, are a reference to its "Dolphin" codename. All of its official accessories and peripherals have model numbers beginning with DOL as well. Also, many other Nintendo hardware before and after the GameCube has its developers codename as a model number. Another Dolphin reference, "Flipper" is the name of the GPU for the GameCube. Some benchmarks provided by third-party testing facilities indicate that some of these 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 N64 architecture, creating an affordable, well-balanced, developer-friendly console that still performs competitively against its rivals. Central Processing Unit485 MHz IBM "Gekko" PowerPC CPU.
System Memory43 MiB total non-unified RAM
Graphics Processing Unit and System Chipset162 MHz "Flipper" LSI. 180 nm NEC eDRAM-compatible process. Co-developed by Nintendo and ArtX.
Storage media Image:GameCube disc.jpg A GameCube Super Smash Bros. Melee disc.
The Nintendo GameCube Game Disc is the 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. Some games which contain large amounts of voice acting or pre-rendered video (for example, Tales of Symphonia) have been released on two discs; however, only twenty five have been released on two discs, and no games have required a third disc. The GameCube can also accept Mini CD-ROM discs provided that they were formatted to the same protocols. Only third party items such as the Action Replay boot disc, FreeLoader, and Advance Game Port boot disc are mini CD-ROM's made by companies. A common misconception about the GameCube optical drive is that it spins the discs in reverse (counter-clockwise) compared to regular DVD-ROM drives. The peculiarity of this rumor is that one need only open the disc tray on an operating GameCube to see that the disc clearly spins clockwise as it slows to a halt. Some earlier and later revisions of the GameCube consoles developed disc read problems with the optical pickup becoming thermal 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 had sometimes been serviced free of charge by Nintendo even after the expiration of the warranty period. Connectivity
The standard GameCube controller is a standard wing grip design, and is designed to fit well in one's hands. It totals eight buttons, two analog sticks and a D-pad. 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, from controlling the camera, to one similar to that of the right analog stick on a DualShock 2 controller. The start/pause button is in the middle of the controller. On the top of the controller there are two analog shoulder buttons marked "L" and "R", as well as one digital one marked "Z". The "L" and "R" shoulder buttons the main innovation, have both digital and analog capabilities. In analog mode, it has an additional 'click' when fully depressed. In digital mode, it will register it as digital only when fully depressed. This serves as two additional buttons on the controller without the need to actually add physical buttons. This works by means of a dual-sensor system inside the controller, a slider piece, which is moved by pressing down on the shoulder button and a separate button press pad at the base. Like most analog controllers, the GameCube controller self-calibrates when the console is switched on, setting the current analog stick and L and R buttons' positions as "neutral," which may cause problems if the controls are not actually in their neutral position during calibration. Holding down X, Y and start/pause for three seconds at any time will recalibrate the controller. Unplugging and reconnecting the controller, and in the case of the wireless WaveBird controller, turning the controller off and back on, will also force a recalibration. First-Party and Officially Licensed Accessories/peripherals
Image:BongoDK.jpg Nintendo's DK Bongos, an accessory used for rhythm games
Panasonic LCD Screen, An officially licensed monitor screen for the GameCube by Panasonic that was used on the GameCube display models at the 2002 Electronics Entertainmnet Expo. It connected into the GameCube's digital AV out port. The screen had a brace like an easel to prop it up snugly on top of the Game Cube. No price or release date was announced for this accessory as this might have been made just for the E3 showings. Third party accessories/peripherals
North American marketingNintendo has used several advertising strategies and techniques for the GameCube. The earliest commercials displayed a rotating cube video, which would quickly morph into the GameCube logo. A voice whispered "GameCube". This was usually after the normal commercial for a GameCube game. Later on, Nintendo incorporated a video clip before the normal clip for the GameCube game would begin, similar to the brief PlayStation 2 logo before a commercial featuring the game. It basically rotated around what appeared to be the top of a GameCube console, with the lettering being slightly 3D. The lettering would begin as a wave, only to settle on the top of the pictured console. Subsequent ad campaigns had Nintendo advertising with a "Who Are You" tangent, essentially marketing 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 gamer enjoys playing suggests a dominant trait in that gamer's personality. The "Who Are You" logo is similar to graffiti 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. One example is the advertisement campaign for Square Enix's GameCube-exclusive Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Price history
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