Aside from the initial push when it was first released The Gamecube wasn't supported in the UK. After a very short period of time Nintendo appeared to give up on the console and threw their weight behind the GBA. If you go into a games shop in England, the shelving space given over to the Cube is extremely slender and it's getting smaller.

It didn't have to be like this. The XBOX struggled initially but it gained in popularity because Microsoft adopted a very bullish approach when it came to muscling-in on the console market. The company had evidently decided, one way or another, the XBOX was going to be a success. To that end they were prepared to keep the pressure on, ensuring a continual stream of new titles for the console; eventually there was a strong body of games available on that platform.

I never got the impression that Nintendo were quite as motivated as Microsoft. I think Jason may be right. There did seem to be an element of complacency where it felt as if they expected the gamers to come to them.

The Gamecube is a beautiful piece of equipment, inside and out. It's a superior piece of design to the XBOX and a true dedicated gaming machine. I believe it's failure is down to Nintendo either misunderstanding their market or simply failing to dream up a way of selling the console to a country hooked on the PS2. A lot of emphasis was placed on Star Wars titles like Rogue Leader and the lamentable Bounty Hunter. Often the more original, characteristicly 'Nintendo' games were either swept under the rug or slipped quietly onto the shelves months or even years after they had been released elsewhere in the world.