Japan Gamecube Launch
I decided to do this report after all of the stats and comments were in after the launch, so here they are… The Gamecube had a great launch in Japan on Sept. 14. Of the allocated 450,000 units available at launch, people estimate that 60 to 70% had been sold in the first three days! Luigi’s Mansion is also the number one selling game in Japan, and followed closely behind by Wave Race and Super Monkey Ball at fourth and fifth, respectively. Following close behind were a sleuth of PS2 and GBA titles.
The actual process of getting a Gamecube went rather smooth, so there weren’t eight hour wait times. Most stores opened up at 12:00 rather than at 7:00 AM when they were instructed to open by Nintendo. Pictured below are two pictures from IGNCube.
A major improvement over its fellow competitors are the Gamecube’s load times. Instead of waiting three hours for your games to load, you are taken through a super fast attractive interface. If you start up the game without a game, you are taken to an options menu where you can adjust such things as the system clock, modify your memory card, and set your audio options.
You also can’t play mini discs, and don’t even think about putting in your conventional CD, since the system tray is too small to accommodate it. Another neat thing is the unique fail safe system. If you open up the system tray during gameplay, the system doesn’t freeze…instead it asks you to reinsert the disk. You can then continue playing your game as normal. This is great if you have a bratty two year old sister/brother who doesn’t know when to keep their hands off. To Nintendo, the Gamecube is right in their projected sales margin, stating that “we have done well so far, and sales are in line with our projections.” To some, selling around 300,000 units in three days may sound lackluster, but the GBA sold 650,000 in one day, and the N64 sold 350, 000 units in 6 days. Nintendo overall is doing amazingly well.
The Gamecube will also be doing even better when Nintendo releases games that require GBA connectivity. Nintendo also has a good head start in Japan against Microsoft, who’s XBox won’t be released until February 22nd! That is ages away.
Congratulations on a very successful launch Nintendo, and let’s hope that these launch numbers can pick up soon in time for the U.S. launch!