Nintendo officially pulls plug on GameCube?

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Feb 22, 2007 12:03 pm PT

Source: A bevy of secondhand reports all linking back to a GameDaily interview. What we heard: This week, NPD Funworld released its sales numbers for the first five weeks of 2007. Though the original Xbox was completely absent from the hardware list--further indicating the format is pushing up...

Source: A bevy of secondhand reports all linking back to a GameDaily interview.

What we heard: This week, NPD Funworld released its sales numbers for the first five weeks of 2007. Though the original Xbox was completely absent from the hardware list--further indicating the format is pushing up daisies--the GameCube was represented...barely. Even though the GC edition of Zelda sold more than 144,000 copies, just 34,000 GameCube units were sold during the month.

Well, it turns out there's a perfectly good explanation for the GameCube's spiraling numbers. GameDaily's interview was with none other than Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America's doyenne of publicity. With surprising frankness, she told the AOL-owned publication straight-out that Nintendo has officially pulled the plug on its perky purple box.

"Are we producing any more GameCubes? No," Kaplan said bluntly. "But do we have the inventory there for people to still purchase? Yes." She went on to also say that Nintendo is no longer developing any GameCube titles, which is tantamount to a deathblow for the first-party-game-dependent console.

"You're a core gamer; you wouldn't buy a GameCube. It's not aimed at you anymore," she continued. "But it's still a great starter system because of all the great games."

The official story: Though anything coming from the head of NOA PR is pretty much as official as it gets, the Mario factory's external publicity agency could not confirm Kaplan's comments as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus, unless GameDaily issues one of the biggest retractions in game-news history.

612 Comments

  • bjg1213

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 6:35 pm PT

    That is s***. I own 2 freakin' gamecubes and now they say that they're not making gamecube games anymore. that just sucks really bad.

  • Darkest-Lord122

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 7:07 pm PT

    i Think they should have kept it....or made an improved version of it for the Wii. Not everyone likes being active with their video games so the gamecube might have been a good idea to keep the classic stuff. If rare ever rejoined i dont think banjo three-ie would be good on wii but it would be great on gamecube, they could also continue the original paper mario series....just my opinion

  • Darkest-Lord122

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 7:07 pm PT

    i Think they should have kept it....or made an improved version of it for the Wii. Not everyone likes being active with their video games so the gamecube might have been a good idea to keep the classic stuff. If rare ever rejoined i dont think banjo three-ie would be good on wii but it would be great on gamecube, they could also continue the original paper mario series....just my opinion

  • VietCheese

    Posted Dec 31, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    bye bye purple lunch box
    mine literally died on me already =/
    R.I.P

  • Crash225

    Posted Oct 27, 2007 8:38 am PT

    Oh my god! They killed kenny, errr.... gamecube! Those bastards.... xD

  • MASTER_LINX

    Posted Aug 1, 2007 2:56 pm PT

    gamecube had it coming though

  • MASTER_LINX

    Posted Aug 1, 2007 2:53 pm PT

    oh well gc had it coming

  • vulcanfury

    Posted Jun 12, 2007 9:45 am PT

    Aw man, this sucks! I love the game cube, it's like nintendo's signature game console (or used to be, before the wii came out)! I guess I'm gonna have to get a stupid wii now.

  • cloudstrife145

    Posted May 24, 2007 4:34 pm PT

    Gamecube was one of the greatest consoles ever....Now...I hope Wii will be better, even though that Wii mote might decrease my excitedness of the Wii....I think that remote is a bad idea.....

  • goosebumpsfreak

    Posted Apr 27, 2007 12:51 pm PT

    Finally! Haha! :p

  • gamemaster8792

    Posted Apr 20, 2007 12:51 pm PT

    The gamecube was a great system, it will be well remembered. Just like the previous Nintendo systems.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Apr 14, 2007 6:06 pm PT

    even though the wii is bc with the gamecube, don't sell it. You get crap at a game store for it

  • dche

    Posted Apr 8, 2007 4:03 am PT

    farewell my trusty gc

  • JustQuest

    Posted Mar 20, 2007 3:39 am PT

    I just dont get it why pull the plug on something that is still selling and has some life in it, I mean I was just about to purchase my 2nd game cube, I just hope the stores still has some left.

  • xgalacticax

    Posted Mar 18, 2007 1:26 pm PT

    Probably the most underrated console ever. with graphical prowess to challenge the xbox, the gamecube will be remembered, nintendo, its time to move on and focus on the awesome pinnacle of console engineering that is the wii.

  • Glitchseeker

    Posted Mar 16, 2007 8:40 pm PT

    I am surprised, GC is a huge hit, well, I am going to buy a WII now,

  • Shinso-Zangetsu

    Posted Mar 15, 2007 5:54 pm PT

    Man, I better get all the GC games I can, then..

  • rugripper40

    Posted Mar 9, 2007 8:47 am PT

    at least they went out with a bang

  • Turisman4

    Posted Mar 7, 2007 7:11 am PT

    Well, it had an alright run, with a few blockbusters (Resident Evil 4), and at least it didn't cripple the company like the Jaguar and Saturn did for Atari and Sega. Plus Nintendo's right back into this thing with the Wii. So I wouldn't really call that a loss.

  • benjaminjoel

    Posted Mar 6, 2007 6:56 pm PT

    2 years ago, the day my piece of crap PS2 started grinding up discs, I ended up getting a GameCube and it was awesome! Maybe it was that purple hue, maybe the lack of third-party support, or maybe the blatant lack of DVD playback, but for some reason the GCN just didn't compete. Which is just a crying shame. I have lost all faith in Sony and am now a Nintendo fanboy and proud of it. The GameCube is dead. Long live the GameCube. (Whistles Taps.)

  • darkrunenite

    Posted Mar 6, 2007 6:33 pm PT

    i love the wii and all,, but one thing the wii cant do that my gamecube can is... play imports.... *wishes for a region free wii*

  • Jemdude

    Posted Mar 6, 2007 4:56 pm PT

    Here's an article saying that Nintendo *denies* abandoning the Gamecube:
    http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=22998

  • hulkmad67

    Posted Mar 5, 2007 7:41 pm PT

    well, you knew this had to come eventually, it's all about the Wii now, and since the Wii plays GC games... RIP gamecube...

  • skater_robert

    Posted Mar 4, 2007 8:17 am PT

    gamecube had some very good titles, the gamecube itself was bad though, and since the wii can play gamecube games; this isn't bad.

  • W_Birkin

    Posted Mar 4, 2007 6:52 am PT

    gamecube pwned.... R.I.P

  • dungeonboss

    Posted Mar 1, 2007 11:07 am PT

    Farewell Gamecube... Long Live Wii! (and considering Wii plays all Gamecube games, this really isn't a loss, it means I get to sell my GC and still play all my games!)

  • Dysantic

    Posted Feb 28, 2007 9:01 pm PT

    I'm still having fun with my Gamecube, so good for all of them.

  • chevydriver1123

    Posted Feb 27, 2007 3:03 pm PT

    I was hoping to at least April but I guess the sooner the better right

  • GoldenSilence87

    Posted Feb 27, 2007 10:09 am PT

    And so it ends...

  • Joelias

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 9:27 pm PT

    Yeah Wii is GameCube 1.5 Go & Buy a wii aahhh GCN Die in 2001 lol

  • 2w-sephiroth

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 1:51 am PT

    Bah the reason why Gamecube did so bad is because Nintendo never learns, first the cartiges for N64 (instead of CDs) And then the mini DVDs for GC (man) Grrrr, they lost a lot just because of that particular two things....

  • 2w-sephiroth

    Posted Feb 26, 2007 1:48 am PT

    If anyone is desperate to get a GC get a Wii my god! The GC lives in the wii. And not only but SNES and N64 too! If we can only get the games that we want soon for the VC... pleeeeeeeease

    Ah and with how well the WII is going! I am hoping lots and lots and lots of third suport (oh please lots). The wii is very easy to program and to create, not only but very cheap, hell they should make FFXII and Okami and all the third party games that came along with PS2 and XBOX on for the Wii (thank you ubisoft)

  • r4v3gl0ry

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 9:49 pm PT

    It's not surprising that Nintendo is abandoning their little purple cube of fun since the next gen consoles are........wait- the gamecube never really had any good games but zelda, metroid, and mario games anyway. There's a time where this has to happen eventually, for any console. And apparently, this time has come for the gamecube.

  • coolasj19

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 9:29 pm PT

    even though i had no feelings for the gamecube i salute thy as well
    if only they had put supersmash bros online somehow it would have been saved. i wonder if theyll pull the X-Box es plug. i also wonder when the PS2 will be pulled.(i think either when the PS4 comes or in the next 5 to 7 years)

  • coolasj19

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 9:21 pm PT

    even though i did not have any feelings for the gamecube i salut thy
    : , , , ( (sheds smallest of tears)

  • priestkai

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 6:59 pm PT

    Aww, RIP Gamecube. It was fun while it lasted.

  • LsTr_Of_SmG

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 2:22 pm PT

    'The king is dead... Long live the king!'

    Ie: The Gamecube is dead... Long live the Wii!

  • whiplash

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 7:24 am PT

    This is news? This system was abandoned years ago. A good game every other year does not mean it's alive & kicking. Nintendo needs to get out of the hardware business and focus on their 1st party games.

  • FallenOneX

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 4:57 am PT

    At least they gave us one last LOZ. But most of us here are right, with Wii's BC, there's no need to waste time and money on an outdated system. MS killed the xbox already, and Sony can't really afford to stop putting out PS2's. Looks like the PS2 will be the least powerful system techwise for another 3 years.

  • Grandhand

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 12:15 am PT

    Awwww man, I only use my Wii to play gamecube games. And there are still loads that I want to get yet. Will they stop making gamecube games as well?

  • FreddieGermany

    Posted Feb 25, 2007 12:11 am PT

    You already know it was comming in my eyes the gamecube has been dead.

  • w4rgasm

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 11:32 pm PT

    lol yeah, why make games when there is a better system out, especially when its so cheap.
    the wii reigns supreme!

  • abe200x

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 10:14 pm PT

    Increase Wii production

  • RyoSpark

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 2:00 pm PT

    Geez I haven't seen this many deleted posts since the "Revolution" officially became the Wii.

    Speaking of which, if Nintendo wishes to put more work inot the Wii whihc is so far proving to be very successful, then I am ok with their decision.

    So I'll say farewell to the good ol' GC. Thanks for Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, Smash Bros Melee, Mario Kart Double Dash, the GameBoy Player, and any other great games that I haven't gotten to play yet.

  • Joelias

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 1:11 pm PT

    The GGN all ways Suck The Only Good Game Wass Like Zelda By Nintendo FFCC By Square Enix Resident Evil 0 RE Remix & RE4 Wish you Can Now Find on PS2 By Capcom Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes By Konami/Kcoj The Suck win it come out Company Like EA Square Enix Capcom & Konami Namco Sega did more for PS2&XBox That Why RE4 wass not only for the GCN it wass for for PS2 as well but the GC suck be it come out in 2001 lol

  • xdude85

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 9:50 am PT

    GameCube was an awsome system, in fact I'm thinking of getting another game for mine.

  • theKSMM

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 6:32 am PT

    If I were advising someone with no consoles on a "starter" system, I would probably be directing them toward the Wii or the PlayStation 2, not the GameCube.

    Nintendo started out strong in 2001, but learned the hard way that even with venerable franchises like Mario and Pokemon, they simply couldn't compete without strong third-party support. It was probably particularly insulting to see Microsoft's first effort out of the gate overtake the GC.

    Fortunately, handheld gaming has been good to Nintendo, and the GBA helped keep them afloat until the advent of the DS and the Wii. Now that the Wii has gotten off to a strong start, I hope we're not lamenting it's slow decline in another five years for lack of good third-party games to play. Hopefully Nintendo has learned its lesson this time.

  • MasterAsh42

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 3:42 am PT

    And for my third, and final time now. . .

    A moment of silence for the GameCube.

    . . .
    . . .
    . . .

  • PixyMisao

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 3:35 am PT

    Once again, Perrin Kaplan's statement is either untrue or completely misleading...

    http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=7503

    Gamecube is still alive!!!

  • razu_gamer

    Posted Feb 24, 2007 3:01 am PT

    Well, at least all those killer games can be played on wii without any problems due to Wii's design...*cough* *PS3* *Cough*

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