Nintendo halts GameCube flow

Nintendo has suspended production of GameCubes in a bid to empty is warehouses of unsold consoles.

Provided Nintendo can sell off sufficient stocks of its unsold inventory, GameCube production will recommence in the Autumn, the company said.

Company president Satoru Iwata wouldn't say how many machines Ninentdo has piled up, waiting to ship. However, he confessed that the company hadn't brought the console to market as well as it should have done.

He also conceded that Nintendo had failed to ensure the GameCube had good supply of great software.

To date, Nintendo has shipped some ten million GameCubes since the consoles 2001 launch. By contrast, Sony has shipped over 51 million Playstation 2s since 2000.

Iwata blamed falling games sales on overly complex titles that are too tough for newcomers and casual gamers.

They're also bad for the business, he added - gamers can spend months playing them, and while they're doing so, they're not buying other titles. Those who find they can't win get so fed up with the experience, they don't feel inclined to buy an alternative title.

Nintendo's message to the industry seems to be: forget about discs jam packed with ever more complex levels and involving gameplay, and give the punters something they can complete quicky - and get out to buy more of the stuff.

Iwata wants Nintendo to focus on games that have a broader appeal. ®