Gamecube FAQ
Written By: Shane Sacobie

How much will Gamecube cost?
Nintendo surprisingly managed to sidestep the price issue at Spaceworld, so an official price is unlikely to be made public any time soon. However, we can expect the machine to cost under $200. With Dreamcast's already low
price, a more than likely PS2 price drop around the time of Gamecube's launch, and Microsoft's anticipated low launch price, the system may well start at under $150. Official word on price should be available shortly before launch.

How much will games cost?
Game prices also remain to be confirmed, but we can expect Nintendo's first party games to cost $50 and third party games to cost between $50-60 (the actual price will vary depending on a variety of factors that we will not know about until shortly before launch).

Will the system play DVD movies?
As the name suggests, Gamecube's primary focus is games, and Nintendo does not plan to change that. However, in Japan, Matsushita plans to release a version that includes DVD playback features. The price on that machine is
expected to be similar to the PlayStation2 price, and it will be available at launch. While a version is not planned for the west at this time, logic would indicate that Panasonic will be bringing it out eventually if it succeeds in Japan and the company is able to keep costs down, which may or may not be possible.

Can I play N64 games on Gamecube?
No. The N64 system and game medium is too different from the Gamecube for this to be possible.

I heard PS2 can push 66 million polys per second. Why can Gamecube only do
6-12 million?
You wouldn't want to play any PS2 games that are pushing that many polys. Gamecube can do more than 66 million without anti-aliasing, texture mapping, etc., but with all effects, it drops down to 6-12 million (in all likelihood
an estimate based on first and second generation software that will increase in time) and will be comparatively better than PS2 and Dreamcast.

Will the system actually come out on time?
Only time will tell, but given the market situation (PS2 has a 1 year headstart, DC has a 2 year headstart, and Xbox is scheduled to be launched in North America during the same quarter as Gamecube), Nintendo really can't afford to delay the system beyond its current projected release date.

What are mini DVDs?
Mini DVDs are a proprietary format that will be used only by Nintendo. They are smaller than regular DVDs in terms of both physical size and storage capacity.

What are some of the advantages of mini DVDs?
According to Nintendo, mini DVDs are primarily being used as an anti-piracy measure. While any type of software is crackable, mini DVDs will be much harder to crack than standard DVDs or CD's. Another issue that Nintendo has brought up is that they will be able to get load times down more with mini DVDs than they would be able to with DVDs. The company also does not need to pay money to the DVD Consortium, so it saves money on each system. This format is also significantly larger than CD's (1.5GB v. 640MB), though most games do not currently require more than a standard CD.

What are some of the disadvantages of mini DVDs?
The system will not play audio CD's (obviously, since they wouldn't fit). Mini DVDs are less cost effective than CD's and may or may not be less cost effective than standard DVDs. With the knowledge that cost concerns will come into play, however, Nintendo has stated it plans to keep costs down as much as possible. The format is also significantly smaller than standard
DVDs (1.5GB v. 4.7GB), but most games will not require more than 1.5GB for a while.

Will I be able to connect to the internet?
Yes. Both the modem and broadband capabilities will be available after the system launches.

What's up with GBA compatibility?
Gamers can transfer game data to and from GBA to Gamecube and vice versa. GBA can connect to the GC and be used as a controller (good for selecting plays in sports games). According to Nintendo, GBA and GC will "transform how
players think about interactivity."

Which companies are making games for Gamecube?
Nintendo and its second parties (i.e. Rare, Silicon Knights, Retro Studios) will make games for the system. As for third party companies, a lot of rumors are spreading, and we can expect the likes of Konami, Capcom, and other multi-platform developers to support Gamecube, but official word as relates to support is limited at this time. Developer support should be relatively strong, and more information will be released over the course of the next 9 months.

Will the system actually be purple?
The colors that were shown at Spaceworld were not finalized and are subject to change. Hopefully, Nintendo will realize that not too many people are in the market for a purple system and will go with a more neutral color like black, white, gray, or some variation.

What games can we expect to see from Nintendo?
While the company seems to be leery of finalizing game details, we can assume from what we saw at SpaceWorld and/or past trends that we will see the following: Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, and Wave Race. Obviously, there will be more as time goes on, but that's good to get things started.

What type of launch should we look for?
Rumors abound about this, but no one, likely including Nintendo, knows. Mario will definitely be available at launch, which for most Nintendo fans will probably be enough. Other than that, Nintendo is promising a better launch than the N64 (not hard to top at just 2 games), so if they do meet their current projections, we can expect a couple of second tier titles (i.e. Wave Race). Second party support at launch is a strong possibility, but third party launch support is unlikely. In terms of quality, Gamecube's launch should be able to hold its own with any competing launch. In terms of quantity, it's almost certain to be similar to most Nintendo launches, so less games than the DC, PS2, or Xbox launches is practically a given.