Nintendo Announces Cubed Game Console for 2001

It's Deja Vu all over again. Fast on the heels of Apple's G4 Cube introduction, Nintendo just announced a similar looking device that will become its next generation game console called the GameCube. Ironically to avoid litigation, Apple's recent G4 Cube introduction may have forced Nintendo to prematurely release details of its GameCube. Even though they are two different products, six months from now Nintendo would have a hard time claiming its design was an original.
The GameCube announcement marks a retreat from its predicted January 2001 launch. This news essentially allows Sony's Playstion2 (due in October 2000) to dominate sales for at least 8-months. With no word on a SEGA Dreamcast upgrade and Microsoft planning its X-BOX launch to coincide with Nintendo's GameCube, Sony execs must feel like that Richard dude on Survivor.

Despite the delayed launch, Nintendo's GameCube is not only aesthetically pleasing, its specifications are outrageous. Built around IBM's super powerful copper 405 MHz processor, the Cube will have a whopping 40 MB memory, a built-in 56Kbps speed modem or an optional enhanced Ethernet with Bluetooth wireless capabilities. Other features include Game Boy wireless communication, Web access and front panel flash memory card slots.

GameCube ditches Nintendo's signature cartridge games (i.e., N64) and will offer enhanced CD Video games with 1.5 GB of storage. While there is no mention whether the games are a hybrid DVD or actual DVDs, it's assumed the player will have to offer some compatible DVD format. Panasonic is making the optical drive.

In the tech business where technology changes more than a newborn on grape juice, it's prudent to predict that the 2001 Nintendo Cube will look nothing like this week's version. This announcement was either a smart marketing ploy to rattle Playstion2 buyers or possibly an attempt to keep Steve Job's lawyers at Apple away, or both. www.nintendo.com

Specs from Nintendo

[1] [2]