You get a say on gaming's most important issues.

This winter and the beginnings of 2005 see some great games released for our Gamecube; Metroid Prime 2, Pikmin 2, Donkey Konga etcetera. But after all them, what's left? It seems to be mainly the next Zelda, while we're drowning in DS and Revolution speculation more and more. A worrying situation perhaps?

Has Gamecube got a good life left in it?

Mike_D:

There's no reason why not. Okay, so I don't think any new game's going to be a huge system seller (if Mario Kart can't do it, nothing can), but there are enough games coming up in the future to keep current GameCube owners happy for well into next year, and, presumably, a while after that.

Once the Revolution comes out, people are bound to stop buying / making games for the GameCube - that's the way it works, unfortunately - but we've still got a while until that happens, anyway.

Hellfire:

I think GC already has enough quality games for one console (that doesn't mean I don't want more), but there are still some great ones coming. Tales of Symphonia, Baten Kaitos, Geist, Starfox, Zelda, Metroid Prime 2, Paper Mario 2, Pikmin 2, Donkey Konga 1 and 2, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat and probably some more that I can't remember right now. And we can always excpect surprises, so I think GC still alive and kicking ass.

Shenlong:

Like Mike_D said it may not sell like mad for now. But there's plenty of life left in it, I mean there's tons of games announced, and most of the GC's games are a blast for parties, so I can see the GC being around in households for a while...plus a lot of the upcoming games seem like they'll occupy gamers for a long long time.

chuck12345:

Gamecube is around and will continue to be around until something so amazing comes out. PS3 and Xbox 2 only have beefed up graphics. Anyone can beef up the graphics. How many people have seen the new Legend of Zelda trailer? I say the graphics are good enough as they are now and when the Revolution comes out it will feature a new way to play games, but the Gamecube will still use a controller with still fantastic graphics. So not everyone will play the Revolution (if not backward-compatible) all the time especially if they're looking for the regular way to play.

Fighter of Foo:

You've completely ignored Zelda and the fact that it can sell more systems that Mario can.

Mike_D:

The Wind Waker wasn't a system seller. The graphics of the new Zelda may attract a few new people, but it's not going to sell systems by the bucket-load, especially this late in the GameCube's lifetime. Everytime a big new game comes out, people have said it's going to be the one to make all the casual gamers go out and buy Gamecubes. It hasn't happened yet, and there's no reason to think any new game is going to change the situation, unfortunately.

Fighter Of Foo:

Wind Waker still sold a lot of systems, but there are a lot of people who have been waiting to buy a GameCube for this 'realistic' Zelda. Plus, the LOTR appeal of it may see a lot of people buying a Gamecube for it. Even RE4 will get many people to buy a Gamecube, as well as Metroid Prime 2, seeing as though that first one got a lot of recognition over the last 18 months it's been out.

If Nintendo keep releasing games, I don't see why Gamecube can't have more life left in it. Nintendo doesn't need to sell Gamecubes by the bucket load to carry on anyway. It gets most of its profits from games, so it can just carry on releasing games and still make a profit.

Choze:

GC has plenty of life left in it. Revolution is still a while away. 2005 will yield much higher software sales than this year. 2004 seems like a push towards establishing some newer properties further.

And unfortunately, Mike_D, things are more complicated than that and it's why only a few people have the jobs of knowing how it all comes together.

Lakatu:

Depends on how you define good. I'm not very happy with the Gamecube at the moment due to it not offering pretty much any new games that I'd like. But that's down to my personal taste. So for me, the Gamecube has already died. Unless a fresh batch of new games changes all that.

Worldwide the Gamecube will continue to do as it has been doing IMO. The last year of the console should be better than the N64's but I don't think Nintendo will make any headway until the next generation.

Hero_of_Winds:

In theory, the sequels due Q4/next year will be make or break for the GameCube. I am a firm believer that Nintendo can reach for second place, however, partially due to the time of year. Nintendo's greatest nack- practically no good releases on their Home Console in the Summer- means that 'Fanboy Morale' is low and so the usual doom and gloom surrounds the console. The recent news story concerning Nintendo's Q1 figures show that the Cube is fine- in fact it always has been.

Although it hasn't had the games we wanted - due to the fact that we are in transistion - the revolutionary N64 and the Nintendo Revolution- which sandwhich the 'Cube, another problem which Nintendo didn't like, was hurriedly moving format to disc, an area where we know that Nintendo prefered to stay out of.

In conclusion, with all this usual time-of-year doom and gloom, the 'Cube's future seems uncertain, however, I believe that the new Zelda, Metroid and most certainly Resi 4 will keep the console well above the Xbox in 2nd place in the coming years.

kopo:

First of all MKDD wasn't a system seller because it wasn't exactly that very good imo. There's life left in the GC; RE4 will attract PS2 owners and casuals and Nintendo gamers, Zelda will sell systems if Nintendo markets it right and MP2 and Pikmin 2 should do better than their predecessors, and with ToS coming...

Monopolyman:

I don't think that MP2, Pikmin 2 and Paper Mario 2 will be system sellers, based simply on the fact they will be up against GTA San Andreas and Halo 2. Next year should be different, with Zelda, Resi 4, Killer 7 and probably some other stuff. Maybe we could see Gamecube out sell Xbox in the end :)

foofly:

I think most people who wanted a Gamecube have already got one. I don't see any game really selling the console any faster than what available now. Resi 4 might just sway people who are undecided at the moment, but I think Zelda is for the the Nintendo fans.

That's all for this week's edition. Be sure to check out the Gamecube Forum for the next topic, and your name could be here next Saturday. Didn't contribute? You can still post your thoughts below.