XBOX to launch before GameCube
08/24/2001 3:11:26 AM MDT Albuquerque, Nm
By Dustin D. Brand; Owner AMO
I predicted it, and now Nintendo confirmed it - XBOX will launch first in the US.
Nintendo has delayed the U.S. arrival of its new GameCube video game console by nearly two weeks to November 18th. Executives at Nintendo cited "avoiding shortages and frustrated consumers that marked the debut of Sony's PlayStation 2 last fall". There you go, blame someone else for your decision Nintendo. "The (change) really was to make sure we avoided somebody else's misstep," said Peter Main, vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America. Hmmm - everybody think about this.
The real truth behind Nintendo's U.S. GameCube delay could most certainly be Microsoft's XBOX. The XBOX is scheduled for launch on November 8th, and the previous GameCube launch was slated for November 5th - 3 days before Microsoft's XBOX Launch. While Nintendo targets kids, Microsoft is targeting experienced video "gamers" of all ages, mainly late teens and adults.
Nintendo has already lost big time in the late-teen and adult marketshare, and Sony won the coveted untapped position, and claimed the #1 Video Game System seller from Nintendo. Another cause however for Nintendo's delay of the US Launch of the GameCube may be to attempt to pull some marketshare from Microsoft given any shortages of the XBOX game system. You can count on Microsoft not letting this happen.
With several XBOX manufacturing plants located worldwide, and one in located closely in Mexico, we can count on a steady supply of XBOX's. The Microsoft XBOX is set to launch with 600,000 to 800,000 XBOX'es on day 1 November 8th in the US alone.
Comparitvely, now Nintendo plans on having 700,000 units of the GameCube in the US on November 18th, this is up 200,000 from their original estimate for November 5th - hmmm +200,000 units in 13 days (that must be working weekends). Nintendo also plans for a September 14th Japanese Launch with 500,000 units, and continues to say 4 million units sold in North America alone by the end of March 2002. Ahem - Ha.
Peter Main of Nintendo did say they were "unconcerned about entering the market after the XBOX". I've already proven that Nintendo is not only concerned with the XBOX, but more so have "threatened" retailers, and have quotes to prove it in my other articles. Main went on to say: "The fact the other guy may or may not show up on the indicated date is immaterial to us," he said. "The launch date was entirely a discretionary call. It just makes sense to make sure this is the most successful launch we've ever had."
The XBOX now has the coveted position of first to launch in the good ole USA.
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