US GameCube Launch Delayed
Trouble at Nintendo, or just final preparations for a perfect launch?
Nintendo announced today that the US launch of its 128-bit GameCube console has been pushed back by two weeks from November 5th to November 18th. While this may seem like only a minor change, it means that the console will launch after Xbox if Microsoft doesn’t suffer similar problems.
Despite popular opinion that technical difficulty with the hardware is to blame, Nintendo claims it is simply ensuring it has enough product to supply demand. The hardware was showcased in playable form at E3 this year and received a very warm reception, especially from the press within America, probably Nintendo’s strongest territory. The price of the console remains a paltry $200 (£140).
But newcomers, Microsoft, are hoping to get their foot in the door of the stubborn games industry on November 8th. The powerful console will be released at a comparably expensive $300 (£200) and with only a few A-list titles on the way, Microsoft will have a hard time convincing the general public. But the GameCube delay has given the company a significant strategical advantage. The question is, are American gamers willing to wait that extra two weeks?
Eastern gamers are not to worry though. The company stated that the Japanese launch will go ahead as planned on September 14th with an initial shipment of 500’000 to 800’000 units. The European launch still remains sketchy at best and is planned for “Spring 2002”.
We’ll bring you more delays, we mean news, as we get it.
Despite popular opinion that technical difficulty with the hardware is to blame, Nintendo claims it is simply ensuring it has enough product to supply demand. The hardware was showcased in playable form at E3 this year and received a very warm reception, especially from the press within America, probably Nintendo’s strongest territory. The price of the console remains a paltry $200 (£140).
But newcomers, Microsoft, are hoping to get their foot in the door of the stubborn games industry on November 8th. The powerful console will be released at a comparably expensive $300 (£200) and with only a few A-list titles on the way, Microsoft will have a hard time convincing the general public. But the GameCube delay has given the company a significant strategical advantage. The question is, are American gamers willing to wait that extra two weeks?
Eastern gamers are not to worry though. The company stated that the Japanese launch will go ahead as planned on September 14th with an initial shipment of 500’000 to 800’000 units. The European launch still remains sketchy at best and is planned for “Spring 2002”.
We’ll bring you more delays, we mean news, as we get it.
Companies:
Nintendo
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