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Some fantastic news to report this evening from Japan. Actual
GameCube production numbers have finally been revealed. Nintendo's
GameCube console will launch in Japan with 500,000 purple units
(additional colors to come later). It was also revealed that
1,100,000 will be available in North America through the end of
November - indicating eight hundred to eight hundred and fifty
thousand units at launch.
To add some perspective to the North American numbers, the Nintendo
64 launched in September of 1996 with 350,000 units and sold out in
under one week. More recently, Sony's PlayStation 2 console sold out
equally as fast with 500,000 units available on launch day. Given
GameCube's E3 reception, affordable price, and impressive list of
launch titles, the system looks well in position to destroy such
existing sales records.
Japan:
500,000: Japanese Launch (September 14)
900,000: Additional Units in 2001 (1.4m Total) |
North
America:
1,100,000: North America in November
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Nintendo estimates international
sales will total 4,000,000 by March 2002. To quote gaming analyst
Lisa Spicer, "They can easily sell a lot more… but it's
probably production capacity that led to that forecast." Based
on these numbers, GameCubicle projects GameCube could surpass 11m
units internationally by the end of 2002.
Referencing some older independent materials that may offer some
additional insight... After this year's Electronic Entertainment
Expo, Merrill Lynch released a research report that revealed quite a
few interesting GameCube details. In the report Merrill projected
GameCube would reach 10.3m units worldwide by the end of 2002 - 2.5m
in Japan, 2.8m in Europe, 5m in North America. A contributor to
Merrill's estimates was the expected increase of Flipper production
to 1m units per month from the current 600,000. Final estimates for
the fiscal year ending 2005 were 34.8m consoles.
The following is Nikkei Net's report (after translation):
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Nintendo
Co. GameCube, at the time of September sale 500,000 unit
Preparations (7/29)
Nintendo Co. 500,000 units made that it ships clear game machine
GameCube for new model home destined for the domestic sale day
September 14th. Because the sale competition whose PlayStation 2 of
the Sony Computer Entertainment and so on is extreme is anticipated,
approximately 300,000 units were prepared in sale day to prepare the
quantity which exceeds Nintendo 64, from immediately after the
selling you aim toward the spread at fast pace.
Besides the fact that within year it adds throws 900,000 units on
for the country, 1,100,000 units are shipped to for North America
which is sold in November. The schedule which throws the total
4,000,000 units to March of 2002. From August it begins mass
production at the factory of the domestic cooperative company.
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July
29, 2001 |
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Rick - Editor in
Chief, GameCubicle |
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