*Article* Gamecube 2 confirmed for 2005/2006

Asok

From www.theregister.co.uk
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/35460.html


Nintendo to ship GameCube 2 in '2005-6' - official

By Tony Smith

Posted: 10/02/2004 at 14:32 GMT

Nintendo today denied Japanese reports that it has delayed the launch of the GameCube's successor and that its 2005-6 release target is the one it has always had in mind.

"Other companies aren't expected to come out with next-generation consoles until late 2005 or 2006," Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa told Reuters. "Our machine will be ready at the same time as the other new consoles."

This morning, Japanese business newspaper the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said Nintendo would delay the launch of a next-generation game machine. The report did not say when Nintendo had originally planned to introduce GameCube's successor.

The report also claims that Nintendo is planning a new peripheral device for the GameCube that will improve the console sound and graphics.

Nintendo has already signed IBM to produce the processor that will power its next-generation console. IBM already manufactures the PowerPC chip, codenamed 'Gekko', at the heart of the GameCube. ATI will provide the console's graphics.

Ironically, both IBM and ATI have been contracted to provide processor and graphics technologies, respectively, for Microsoft's second-generation Xbox. That makes us wonder if GameCube 2 might well be a rebranded Xbox 2, and certainly the Nintendo spokeswoman's claim that the company's "machine will be ready at the same time as the other new consoles" doesn't contradict that idea.

i_am_dogboy

I find it amusing that people are assuming that the xbox 2 and gamecube 2 will be in some way related because of hardware suppliers, but i suppose it's not a completely ridiculous idea for either company. I certainely hope nintendo put more effort into getting some notice this time around though.

On the matter of the new peripheral-I'm thinking 32x, and disaster........but maybe it will be good, i don't know.

deadduck

a rebranded x-box? get off the stage!!

Len_007

I get the impression are quite content with 3rd place for some reason. I mean, if you want to hit mainstream success, you got to aim to attract the average Joe. So for crying out load lash a DVD with hard disk in & worry about the repurcusions later