Nintendo's plans to move ahead with their GameCube online plans have been confirmed. News of an estimated October availability for the network adaptor, necessary to get the console online, in Japan have filled all Nintendo owners with joy. Even better news for worldwide Nintendo enthusists comes from the fact that the company claim the sale of the adaptor in the U.S. will begin shortly after that (release of the adaptor in Japan).
On the surface it looks as if Nintendo have given in to the current flow in console marketing which screams GO ONLINE. Sony are currently offering broadband connectivity for the PS2 in Japan, with plans to begin similar services in the U.S. next week, and Microsoft aim for an October/November launch of the XBox Live service.
At this point the good news for Nintendo fans seem to stop, the company seems to be very reluctant to commit itself to online gaming and not many such games are, currently, planned for the GC.
To most analysts this hesitation seems to be a dangerous approach, since you can either believe that online console gaming is doomed and therefore avoid participating or you can believe that the way forward goes through online gaming and commit resources and money toward dominating in that field. Nintendo's half-step toward
online gaming may mean that its two rivals, Sony and Microsoft may become the only two forces in online console gaming.
