Author Topic: Why is GCN considered to be a failure? (Read 16505 times)

Nintendomojo · « **on:** August 09, 2003, 05:34:03 PM »

I've been lurking these forums for a long time and I've read over and over where people (not just the posters, but retail places too) are claiming that the GameCube was a failure. Sure, the sales are not as impressive as PS2 numbers, but how exactly is it that people are claiming the GCN to be such a mistake? In my opinion, the Gamecube has been a flawless transition for Nintendo into optical storage for their games.

BTW: Also, how was the N64 a failure? A system with games like Ocarina and Mario64 is NOT a failure.

SuperLink666 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2003, 05:37:48 PM »

It isn't as mainstream as PS2 thats why. 10 years ago on TV shows, commercials everyone would be playing SNES. Now Games have got to the point where its 'cool' to play a certain platform, in this case PS2. I see it on all types of TV shows. Nintendo = Anti-cool in media's eyes.

PIAC · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2003, 05:56:00 PM »

i dont consider the gamecube a failure by any reasoning, its a marvelous console, and almost equals my love for the snes. its just nowhere near as popular as ps2, and isn't 'cool' so gets branded a failure.

the fact is, most people say anything is a failure if they dont like it. doom and gloom threads are the flavour of this generation, whineing about nintendo's lack of marketshare has taken over from actual playing of games. i hate it -__-

Perfect Cell · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2003, 07:05:47 PM »

Well the GC isnt selling as much as it should . Its not a faliure, but it isnt getting the job done for nintendo either...

Lokno · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2003, 07:13:11 PM »

Yeah, bottom line it's the success of Sony in the console market that's making everyone else’s success seem like failure. The Gamecube has in less than two years almost same amount of software that the N64 had in its entire six year lifespan. Gamecubes are also selling on par with Xboxes right now, so there really is nobody in last place in this race.

And I won't say that the media’s attention is on what's cool, just on what's well-known. Microsoft and Sony are just bigger names, plain and simple. Successes/failures on any endeavor will affect the value of their stock and people want to know about it.

Termin8Anakin · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2003, 07:23:59 PM »

Is that a Samurai Pizza Cat in your avatar Lokno?

dmhawkmoon · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2003, 07:59:03 PM »

As far as I know, the Gamecube is NOT a financial failure at all. I'd like to see some statistics to back up that claim. Nintendo is the only company who was at any point actually making money per system sold. The only reason they aren't now is because of the free game bundles. The GC is consdiered a failure in terms of other companies, I think. Nintendo themselves make a buttload of money off their first party titles. Other publishers haven't done so well on the system. I don't see that as a GC specific problem, though, or even a fault of Nintendo. A lot of companies release a lot of bad games. People don't have faith in random games. You won't see a casual gamer who owns a GC going out and getting excited over Vietiful Joe. They've played too many Smashing Drive-esque crapfest games to warrant giving just anything a chance. I think the Xbox has a similar problem, it's just that MS is super rich and doesn't care about money. The PS2 gets by great just because of sheer numbers of people who own it, but as most of us probably agree, 75% of the games released on it are not worth owning. Just because it's successful doesn't mean it's good. As far as good games go, all systems are about equal I'd say.

Well, anyway, I don't believe Nintendo are having any trouble making money right now.

getupkids · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2003, 08:07:44 PM »

i read N64 only had 200 games, if thats true, sega saturn had more games than the N64. so gamecubes doing a lot better than the n64

blu knight · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2003, 08:43:57 PM »

I think its too early to say if the Cube is a failure, and by what definition would we consider it a failure? For instance, whether the N64 was a failure is arguable, some people say it was while many claim that it wasn't. However, almost everyone will tell you the Virtual Boy was a failure, or the Sega CD, or to some extent the Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast were both failures. This is because Nintendo didn't abandon the N64 like it did the Virtual Boy or like Sega did with the Dreamcast. Nintendo will stick with the Cube until they start making games for their next console. With that said, I still agree with most of you who say that since people don't think Nintendo has a cool image then the Cube is considered a failure. But that's Nintendo's fault not Sony's or Microsoft's.
Personally, I'm enjoying the Gamecube just like I enjoyed the N64. I'll admit that it does get frustrating when the uncool Cube image keeps game rental stores from carrying a large variety of Cube games but I get over it.

Lokno · « **Reply #9 on:** August 10, 2003, 04:25:57 AM »

Termin8Anakin: You better believe it.

Gup · « **Reply #10 on:** August 10, 2003, 05:52:04 AM »

Quote

A system with games like Ocarina and Mario64 is NOT a failure.

N64 wasn't a failure(or a success), but your reason doesn't justify anything. It's like saying Dreamcast had Shenmue and Sonic so it wasn't a failure.

Internet Nomad · « **Reply #11 on:** August 10, 2003, 06:16:30 AM »

The N64 made money. The GC is making money. Neither are failures, technically.

On the whole though, the N64 could be considered a failure since so many gamers got fed up with Nintendo during that generation and apparently swore off the company. Thus, we have low GameCube sales. Nintendo had the industry in its pocket when the N64 launched, and if they'd used a disc format, the industry would be VERY different today.

SuperLink666 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 10, 2003, 06:35:21 AM »

Quote
i read N64 only had 200 games, if thats true, sega saturn had more games than the N64. so gamecubes doing a lot better than the n64

N64 may of only had 200 games, but 25% of them were considered very good titles. N64 hardly got any shovelware 3rd party titles because it cost them lots of money to get them on N64, not saying 3rd party games weren't bad to have, but why would we need 300 copies of Superman 64?

Fish · « **Reply #13 on:** August 10, 2003, 06:37:09 AM »

N64 was the most succesful console ever, moneywise, so it wasent a failure.

Perfect Cell · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2003, 11:48:34 AM »

Nintendo isnt getting market share, or is improving its kiddie image... While i dont think its a faliure. it not all rosy right now folks

Hostile Creation · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2003, 04:12:19 PM »

I liked the N64 and I like my Gamecube. So neither is a failure, for me. And heck, dats all dat matters!

I'm borrowing Sunshine again. Great game. Whoo!

egman · « **Reply #16 on:** August 11, 2003, 05:34:50 AM »

Personally, I think the industry is mixed up right now. Success is being measured mainly through marketshare and mindshare, while profit seems ignored. I think Nintendo is right in saying that ultimately, the business has to be profit driven--money does not flow forever, even for Microsoft.

We might even see an example of this soon with Sony. They reported a 98% drop in profit last month. On top of that, they have made a major investment into Cell technology that they want to apply to most of their products. With the PS3 and PSP set to launch in a couple of years while other parts of Sony like Columbia aren't picking up the slack, I can see them up to their necks in sh*t if something doesn't change. No one is talking about how this could affect Sony's console line in the long haul; the media just sees the userbase and assumes Sony is safe. Nintendo does not have that kind of danger staring them in the face for the future, but we see people writing its obiturary on a daily basis.

Now, that not's to say that Nintendo doesn't have a real problem--the drain of marketshare will be a major problem unless Nintendo can close the hole. They don't have to be number one, but they need to figure out how to either secure a spot behind the market leader or how to survive as a niche product, like Apple has.

As far as hardware and software, I think Nintendo has largely been a winner. They have nearly resolved all delay issues. Their console came in a hundred dollars lower than the rest yet packed enough power to clearly be above the PS2 while remaining comparable to the X-box abilities in most cases. The Gamecube by far was the most thought out design of this generation IMO, but the things I have stated earlier overshadow things Nintendo did well.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #17 on:** August 11, 2003, 07:51:47 AM »

Here's why someone could call the Gamecube a failure: it hasn't lived up to expectations. True it has more games and better third party support than the N64 but it was/is capable of so much more. The Gamecube was supposed to be Nintendo's comeback system where they would become a serious contender to Sony and at the very least be a strong second place console. However things didn't turn out as expected. The Gamecube is in third, games aren't selling nearly as well as N64 games did, some third parties are pulling support, a lot of rental stores don't carry Gamecube games, and about 60% of people I talk to don't even know what a "Gamecube" is. With its hardware and its game lineup the Gamecube should be doing better than it is but, because of some poor marketing on the part of Nintendo, it isn't.

The N64 may not have had much third party support and was a big disappointment compared to the SNES but at least with it it seemed that Nintendo tried everything they could to be number one and was only held back because of the hardware limitations they unfortunately set for themselves. With the Gamecube it's like Nintendo isn't even trying. That's why the Gamecube can be considered a failure.

The N64 couldn't make a difference but wanted to.
The Gamecube could have made a difference but didn't.

Or maybe the real reason it is sometimes seen as a failure is that unlike the N64 the Cube doesn't have a good excuse for its problems.

Personally I'd say I'm pretty satisfied with my Gamecube but I am a little disappointed since it hasn't quite met my expectations.

THF · « **Reply #18 on:** August 11, 2003, 11:42:34 AM »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the N64 sold about 25 million consoles worldwide by the end of its lifespan. The Gamecube has sold what, 6 million right now? To me, the N64 was a great success, despite the crappy cartridge format. In many ways, I would consider the Gamecube a failure, mainly because it continues to fail horribly in attracting the non-hardcore gamer to the console. Say what you will, but the N64 sold so many systems because of:

1) Goldeneye
2) Mario and his various games

I'm pretty sure Goldeneye sold boatloads of N64s. This was a game that attracted both the hardcore and casual gamer. EVERY single person I knew in highschool knew in some way what this game was. Even the people who I thought would be least likely to play games played the Goldeneye's multiplayer mode extensively. I always heard people talking about how great and fun this game was. Word of mouth can sometimes be a very powerful seller. The only game that I think rivals Goldeneye in attracting the casual gamer is GTA3/Vice City. I honestly believe PS2 is successful in North America mostly because of those 2 games.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that Nintendo needs another Goldeneye success story if wants to get anywhere near the level of success Sony has achieved in North America.

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #19 on:** August 11, 2003, 12:04:23 PM »

WE'RE DOOMED.

Hostile Creation · « **Reply #20 on:** August 11, 2003, 03:56:41 PM »

Yay!

I think Gamecube is making a comeback for Nintendo, or at least starting one. The N64, for reasons that I cannot comprehend, became a failure in most common people's eyes (I thought it was great). Despite having sold less, the Gamecube is picking up some momentum for the next system. . . I don't think that system will lead the console race, either, but by then Nintendo will be in full steam, and the generation after could very well be theirs.

Who knows? As usual, I'll say I don't care, and that I'm just going to buy the next system either way, and I'm sure as heck buying more stuff for this system.

BlackTiger89 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:03:49 PM »

I think the main reason why GC isnt as successfull as its competitors is because of the way they advertise. When i look at a Best Buy or Target advertisment in the paper, I see PS2 and XBOX games but hardly any GC stuff. If they would put more effort into advertising then they could sell a lot more units. Probably the biggest mistake Nintendo made with the GC is when it first came out and there was the big competion between GC and XBOX to see who would sell more units and GCs first game was the childish Lugis Mansion while XBOX had Halo. Most people dont have enuff money to buy both systems so they went with the system that had the best game and that was obviously XBOX. Most people i talk to say that the GC is childish and if Nintendo would have come out with a better first few games, people would not think that, but they waited too long to come out with the Resident Evils and Eternal Darkness and now people have it set in thier mind that GC is not a good system so not a lot of ppl are buying it.

AgentSeven · « **Reply #22 on:** August 11, 2003, 06:14:25 PM »

I have to put this bluntly.

The only reason GameCube may seem like a failure is because most people in the world are under-educated and ignorant. Companies like $ony count on the fact that if you say something enough, even when it's not true, people will believe you. Especially if you hire legions of publicists. People like $ony could care less is a game is actually good. Just so long as you bombard people with non-stop advertising, they will buy it anyways.

I won't even get into the fact that the Video Game Media is ENTIRELY controlled by the Video Game Companies. If $ony wants a good review, they pay for it. If $ony wants a rival game to get a bad review, they can buy that as well.

Plus, I see that no one has mentioned the REAL FAILURE! That is of course, THE X-BOX!!!
With financial losses over 1.35 BILLION DOLLARS (US) to date, that system hasn't made a DIME for it's parent company. I personally know people who work within the computer division of M$ and they HATE the X-BOX. They see it as a drain on the entire company. Don't believe me? Read the book "Opening the Box." It tells it all. Also don't forget, the X-Box has now been totally cracked.
Meaning that very soon people will be able to play "Back-Up's" without the need of a mod-chip.

Ouch! That's what killed the Dreamcast. It's a damn shame too, I love my X-Box/ Far more than my faulty Ps2, which I'd like to shove up Ken "Sony Nazi" Kuturagi's Ass.

Luciferschild · « **Reply #23 on:** August 11, 2003, 08:43:45 PM »

I guess some people would consider it a failure because it didn't make up any ground on ps2 and didn't really beat x-box so it is currently sitting in 2nd or 3rd (depending on who you believe). It has sold more than x-box but not by much I don't think. Personally I don't care, to me it's success is only dependent on how many good games it has which is quite a few so far.

dogman85 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 11, 2003, 10:49:16 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: AgentSeven
I have to put this bluntly.

The only reason GameCube may seem like a failure is because most people in the world are under-educated and ignorant. Companies like $ony count on the fact that if you say something enough, even when it's not true, people will believe you. Especially if you hire legions of publicists. People like $ony could care less is a game is actually good. Just so long as you bombard people with non-stop advertising, they will buy it anyways.

I won't even get into the fact that the Video Game Media is ENTIRELY controlled by the Video Game Companies. If $ony wants a good review, they pay for it. If $ony wants a rival game to get a bad review, they can buy that as well.

Plus, I see that no one has mentioned the REAL FAILURE! That is of course, THE X-BOX!!!
With financial losses over 1.35 BILLION DOLLARS (US) to date, that system hasn't made a DIME for it's parent company. I personally know people who work within the computer division of M$ and they HATE the X-BOX. They see it as a drain on the entire company. Don't believe me? Read the book "Opening the Box." It tells it all. Also don't forget, the X-Box has now been totally cracked.
Meaning that very soon people will be able to play "Back-Up's" without the need of a mod-chip.

Ouch! That's what killed the Dreamcast. It's a damn shame too, I love my X-Box/ Far more than my faulty Ps2, which I'd like to shove up Ken "Sony Nazi" Kuturagi's Ass.

Hello Agentseven
While it is true that Microsoft loses tons of money on the xbox, it should be noted that they are the richest company in the world, and 1.35 billion is not as substantial is you might think. The Gamecube is considered a failure because of a couple things:
- it is neck and neck with the Xbox in worldwide sales, and the trend seems to be that it will officially be in 3rd by the end of the year
- it is 40 million behind Sony despite being in the industry twice as long
- it is missing many exclusive key genres (racers and fighters specifically)
- the N64 was considered somewhat of a failure at sales of 30 million, and the Gamecube has about 9.5 million

Another thing to note is that the hacking of the Xbox was only big news because it was made by Microsoft, who are apparently computer security masters. The Gamecube and PS2 were hacked long ago, but were not much of a challenge for the hackers, and thus, did not make news (cuz honestly, who do you think can protect a system better, Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo?)

Personally, I do not consider the GC a failure at all when people call the Xbox a success, and their sales figures are so close, but there just seems to be a growing trend to hate the Cube and Nintendo

News:

Author Topic: Why is GCN considered to be a failure? (Read 16505 times)