The Internet is all abuzz about what the company Christmas card sent by Rare is all about ...

Games Radar has gotten a hold of Rareware's company Christmas card, and it's set the 'Net on fire with what it could possibly mean. All we know for sure are the facts.

The card is a take on the classic "Twelve Days of Christmas" theme, starting with "4 elements of power." The art is a pretty clear indicator of an upcoming GameCube title, "Kameo: Elements of Power."

Maybe not, but Nintendo will be using GBA for interactive trivia games in Japan.

In a partnership with the Nippon Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Nintendo NCL plans to use the GBA in a whole new way. By connecting the GBA (with a specific game pak) to the Internet, Japanese GBA owners will submit answers to televised trivia questions for an scored evaluation. No further details about the system's versatility or trivia content have been commented on, but if done right the software could prove to be quite popular.

Shiggy's going to Vegas! Word! After so many days of cute Pikmin, it's gotta get to you. Drinks and gambling for everyone! Kidding. More info. inside...

REDMOND, Wash.--Dec. 18, 2001--

Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata to Participate in 2002 Event

Nintendo of America today announced Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru

Iwata, two of the key creative forces behind the best-selling new

video game console, NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM), will participate in the

Rumors still abound concerning on just what Enix is thinking.

UPDATE: We apologize for this story having been published as a NEWS item. It was clearly a rumor, but a database problem posted it as news. We're going to try to rectify it, but the following is indeed a RUMOR.

GC inside is speculating that Enix will have some GC titles in the works... Read more...

Nintendo doesn't want anything being leaked out of their offices, and they're going to make sure nothing is.

Security at Nintendo is pretty tight. It's about to get even tighter. Nintendo of America has chosen a program called Mirage made by Alchemedia Technologies, Inc. to increase the security of documents passed around the company internally.

According to Perrin Kaplan, VP of Corporate Affairs at the... Read more...

What do you do when you have a red hot franchise like Tony Hawk? You keep releasing sequels. Not only that, but you release a press release....

ACTIVISION COMMENCES DEVELOPMENT ON THE FOURTH PRODUCT IN TONY HAWK’S PRO SKATER™ FRANCHISE

Premier Game Developer Neversoft Entertainment Set to Create Sequel to Top Brand

Santa Monica, CA – December 17, 2001 -- Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) confirmed today that the company is currently... Read more...

So you've ordered our E3 or Japan Experience videos from us. We need to know what you think!

If you've ordered our E3 2001 or Japan Experience 2001 video, we want to know your thoughts. We're putting together a little special deal, and if you've viewed these videos, please send us your thoughts!

Here's some of the things we are looking for:

1. What did you like about the video?

The industry's voluntary ratings organization has inadvertantly confirmed Line Drive Baseball from Sega...and it's coming to GameCube.

A sharp eye at SwirlVision has discovered a listing for Sega's Line Drive Baseball at the ESRB website. The listing can be found here.

The information in this listing is literally all we know of the game, because Sega has yet to officially announce the game or mention it at all. However, it's worth nothing that Line Drive Baseball isn't listed for any other systems at the ESRB site...just GameCube.

The guys at Famitsu have published their latest round of reviews. Any good games coming out soon in Japan?

GBA continues to impress as more and more hits are published. Thanks to TEH WINDEY DALE's observational skills we have a list of Famitsu's scores. Though many are just mediocre (as expected), a few Japanese gems stand out in the pre-Christmas GBA onslaught. Below are most of the Japanese games.

Yes indeedy! With a similar (but more difficult to reach) modification, the Panasonic Q can play your U.S. GameCube games!

The Q has shipped in Japan, and it didn't take long for various sources to crack it open and attempt to modify the unit to break down its territorial walls.

The Q is much more difficult to open, but not impossible. The actual modification is applied in the same way as the standard GameCube unit.

The well known publisher is bringing Imagineer's popular franchise State-wise.

Imagineer's Medarot series, known as Medabots in the US (the cartoon is shown on Fox Kids), is finally coming states-wise as Natsume has announced that they will be bringing the 2 Gameboy Advance Medarot games (already released in Japan) over here in time for Summer 2002. Natsume has also stated that a Gamecube version will be released in 2003.

My daddy can beat up your daddy! Yes he can! I swear! More official numbers about the GameCube launch direct from NOA

Nintendo Sales Update

REDMOND, Wash.--Dec. 14, 2001--Nintendo:

-- Total North American shipments of NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM) have

now reached 1.1 million, with more than 800,000 sold through

in the U.S., Canada and Latin America markets.

-- While retailers report out-of-stock situations everyday,

Alright alright, so it’s still Spring 2002. But this is the closest yet to an official release month for the console. All this from NCL!

Reuters have reported that Nintendo Co, Ltd. said that the GameCube will release in Europe in Spring 2002, most likely during April or May. A Nintendo spokesperson said "We will be able to provide details of our Europe launch next month".

Sometime before this announcement, the website Asahi... Read more...

Business Week tackles the console war with a plethora of stories ...

Business Week is certainly doing it's homework, with a huge special report about the business of console gaming.

While we can't even begin to tell you everything there is to read over there, each article seems very well written.

They also take a look at some of the third-party publishers, and how they're handling the myriad of choices in this generation.

It's not Rare, but it should be a decent Bond title none-the-less. EA's porting their bond shooter to the GameCube. But when exactly?

Electronic Arts is porting yet another one of their PS2 titles to the GameCube. This time, it's James Bond: Agent Under Fire. It's scheduled to be released sometime in the Spring of 2002.

As far as if there will be any GameCube exclusive features or additions is still to be announced.

Have a copy of the N64 Animal Forest and want to port your save over to the Gamecube Animal Forest+? Just head to a local Nintendo Service Center! (Must live in Japan)

In a move that again shows Nintendo of Japan's commitment to its hardcore fans, Nintendo is offering to convert N64 Animal Forest save files over to the Gamecube version of Animal Forest+, plus they'll throw in a free Ice Climbers famicom game (that you play in AF+). All you need is 630 yen, your... Read more...

Dengeki Online has released its latest top 50 chart.

This chart covers 12/3 - 12/9. Only Nintendo games are listed.

#TypeNameMakerGenreCostReleaseSalesTotal

4GCDairantou Smash Brothers DXNintendoACT680011/2170,175504,000

5GBAMonster Farm AdvanceTecmoSLG580012/748,09148,091

7GBAMagical VacationNintendoRPG480012/741,13341,133

8GBABakuten Shoot BaybladeBroccoliACT530012/638,34238,342

A site is advertising pre-orders for a device that lets you hook your GBA up to a TV and play games. Intriguing but completely unofficial. PGC investigates.

Ever since it was revealed the GBA would hook up to GameCube, back when it was still known as Dolphin, a widely speculated use of the connection was the ability to play GBA games on your TV via the Cube. It turns out this was not the case. However, a new product has come forward that may provide... Read more...

ieMag corners Beth Llewelyn and gets her to explain why on earth Nintendo would launch a console without Mario ...

ie Magazine, like most of us, was baffled when Nintendo chose to change a legacy of launching new machines with a Mario title by ditching the plumber for his brother.

Determined to get to the heart of the matter, ieMag interviewed Nintendo's Public Relations Director, Beth Llewelyn, about why Nintendo made that decision ...

We still get e-mails about Square daily. More news why Square and Nintendo won't be getting in bed any time soon....

Magic Box has a report from Bloomberg stating some of the reasons why Nintendo and Square still aren't seeing eye to eye...

Bloomberg reported that Square and Nintendo have been exchanging ideas on developing for the Nintendo platforms. At the current state, Square does not have plans to develop... Read more...